Software Update Hangs Machine

I've been having this problem as well for a while now. I've tried repairing permissions (after a reboot) and that didn't work out. Removing all files form /var/folders/zz doesn't seem safe to me however, as there are system daemons using files in there (mds and loginwindow for example).

All my updates don't install correctly anymore. I had problems installing the 10.6.7 update, and now I have HP Printer software update, iTunes 10.2.2, Safari 5.0.5, Security update 2011-002 and the SL font updates queued up, waiting to be installed. I'm not desperate (yet) to get those installed, but it is very annoying that the installer isn't logging anything useful to pinpoint the actual problem.

Am having the exact same problem. Had the same behaviour with several updates before which I ended up installing manually. Now I'm trying to install the latest itunes update. install.log's last lines are:

May 5 08:18:25 mbp installd[65809]: PackageKit: ----- Begin install -----

May 5 08:18:25 mbp installd[65809]: PackageKit: request=PKInstallRequest <3 packages, destination=/>

May 5 08:18:25 mbp installd[65809]: PackageKit: packages=(\n "PKLeopardPackage <file://localhost/Library/Updates/zzzz041-0532/CoreFPDelta.pkg>",\n "PKLeopardPackage <file://localhost/Library/Updates/zzzz041-0532/iTunesXPatch.pkg>",\n "PKLeopardPackage <file://localhost/Library/Updates/zzzz041-0532/iTunesAccessDelta.pkg>"\n)

May 5 08:18:26 mbp installd[65809]: PackageKit: Extracting file://localhost/Library/Updates/zzzz041-0532/CoreFPDelta.pkg (destination=/var/folders/zz/zzzivhrRnAmviuee+++++++++++/Cleanup At Startup/PKInstallSandbox-tmp/Root, uid=0)

May 5 08:18:28 mbp installd[65809]: PackageKit: Extracting file://localhost/Library/Updates/zzzz041-0532/iTunesXPatch.pkg (destination=/var/folders/zz/zzzivhrRnAmviuee+++++++++++/Cleanup At Startup/PKInstallSandbox-tmp/Root, uid=0)

May 5 08:18:29 mbp installd[65809]: PackageKit: Patching Applications/iTunes.app/Contents/Resources/iTunesHelper.app/Contents/version.pl ist

However that file is still untouched since march:

mbp:~ tbecker$ ls -latr /Applications/iTunes.app/Contents/Resources/iTunesHelper.app/Contents/version.p list

-rw-rw-r-- 1 root admin 452 7 Mar 23:40 /Applications/iTunes.app/Contents/Resources/iTunesHelper.app/Contents/version.p list

The installer is stuck at "Writing files..."

Tried repairing disk permissions and all other suggestions. Nothing helped.

Ok, fixed it by moving the mentioned file in the install.log away:

-rw-rw-r-- 1 root admin 452 7 Mar 23:40 /Applications/iTunes.app/Contents/Resources/iTunesHelper.app/Contents/version.p list

Removing that file let me install itunes. I moved it to another place just to be safe, but I didn't need it anymore.

Hi all

I've got the exact same problem. The installation process hangs no matter how long you wait. I tried to wait 24 hours still "waiting/freezing" somewhere around 99% as you can see in the above picture. Tried the deletion of the zz files as mentioned earlier, fix permission etc. Didn't help.

I seems that 1thomas have figured out how to get this working again. I'm just not use to navigating through linux/mac. How do I find the file and delete it? Is it through Terminal or?

Thanks in advance...

Best

Lars

In case you hadn't noticed you dug up a thread out of the graveyard. Please start your own thread. There are manu reasons this issue can happen, and tagging along another person's thread, makes it hard for them to follow whose solution is right for them, and whose solution is right for you. You will get a much wider audience also if you start your own thread.

I know... but this fitted my problem exactly and I seemed that 1thomas solved it... it just need to know how to delete the mentioned file?

Best

DrKoch, it's ok to dig up an old thread - I've done it many times.

I remember having this issue and it was very frustrating. What 1thomas was saying was that he had to remove the last file that was listed in the install.log. He was running the update in May and that file (though it should have been updated) still showed as being from March - e.g. it never got updated (and he was thinking that it was the piece causing the update to hang).

I don't remember if there's a specific log file to each installation or just the main log file. The main log file(s) are hidden from view (Finder), so you have to access them through Terminal. For example, I'm running Lion. I would open terminal and type "cd /private/var/log" (without the quotes) and hit enter. That will change directory (the "cd" command) and change it to /private/var/log. In there I have an install.log file that lists the last software I've installed. You can look at it by typing "less install.log" and press space bar to scroll down the contents of the file - presumably to the bottom.

If the software you are having a problem with has it's own install.log file that you can see through finder all the better.

The issue at hand is removing that last file. So, if the problem file (the last file shown in install.log) is called bad-file.txt, you could issue "rm bad-file.txt" to remove that file. Rerun the installer and it will hopefully work.

Give that a try and let me know how it goes. My email is available through the support forum.

Best of luck!