GarageBand '11 won't download additional loops

Me too!

I just ran into this and managed to solve it, but it was a pain. Here's my situation:

• New iMac 27 inch
• Used Migration Assistant to transfer all user accounts, user files, and applications off of an older (late 2006) iMac that had been upgraded to Snow Leopard and iLife '09

When trying to install the full set of Apple Loops and Software Instruments, I got the infamous "run Software Update but nothing ever downloads" problem. After doing a lot of looking on these boards and elsewhere, I decided to uninstall GarageBand '11 and reinstall. Uninstalling GarageBand '11 is a pain too; here's what I did:

• Deleted GarageBand from the Applications folder
• Deleted the /Library/Application Support/GarageBand folder
• Deleted the /Library/Audio/Apple Loops/Apple/Apple Loops for GarageBand folder
• Deleted anything related to GarageBand in /Library/Receipts
• And everything in ~/Library/Application Support/GarageBand (this is optional I think)

I then reinstalled GarageBand from the second install disk that came with my new computer, fired up GarageBand, and downloaded the recommended update. Finally, I opened up a new Loops project; in the Loops Browser, selected one of the missing loops; got the "run Software Update now or later" dialog, and said "Later"; quit GarageBand. Finally, I opened Software Update, and lo and behold! the near-mythical GarageBand Loops and SW Instruments update was there, all 1.2 GB of it!

I wish that Apple would come out with a patch for this, but in the meantime, if you're situation is similar to mine (upgraded GarageBand '11), you might try the deinstall / reinstall route and see if it works...

Thanks for the helpful answer. Do you know of any way to save and export custom settings before uninstalling Garageband?

Seems this is a very common problem but I doubt Apple will fix it anytime soon, since they have the Lion-sized bugs to squash.

My guess is that if you don't delete ~/Library/Application Support/GarageBand that your custom settings will be saved, but I don't have definitive proof of that. Good luck!

Thank you very much, this worked great. Much appreciated!

Thanks for your answer. This worked for me as well!

Finally got the time to do this, and it worked perfectly, thank you!

I have just got garageband form the app store not on disc, if i use your method will I not simply be unable to reinstall garageband?

I just used dagon's suggested approach, having a version of Garageband from iLife DVDs with loops that wouldn't update, and the update from the Mac AppStore worked fine and restored the missing loops. But I did have to pay the software license a second time, am surprised Apple has ignored this obvious problem.

Thanks dagon! I've been looking for a solution to this for a while now, so your post was much appreciated 🙂

Just as a side note, I didn't get any installation disks with my 2011/2012 iMac 27" but the same method worked perfectly when installing from the App Store.

YOU ARE AMAZING! i've spent two weeks trying to come to the bottom of my annoying problem, and regretting further actually buying garageband from the app store! but this has worked! thankyou!

This is the solution that solved my issue downloading all the apple loops in Garage Band '11 after an on-line upgrade through the mac app store. 🙂

After over 2 years of hunting these loops, attempting to uninstall but missing many files, and even repurchasing garageband from the app store (a wasted 15 bucks), all to no avail, dagon's solution worked for me. Red letter day. Thank you for doing what the people I actually paid (twice!) for this software would not do.

Why in the name of Jesus's iPhone 3G is it so hard to fully uninstall a piece of software from a mac?

I can confirm that the method also worked for me without having to use install discs. Erased the app following dagon's instructions, installed it again, chose grayed out loops and selected download later and then used the App Store software updates to get the missing items. Worked like a charm, thanks for posting those instructions.

I'm running Mountain Lion on a Macbook Pro Late 2011.

I'm running the newest version GB 6.0.5 (from ITunes) on an older IMac that I've updated with Mountain Lion and have had the same problem as others on this chain. I tried Dagon's method of deleting all GB items from the various folders, reinstalling GB, clicking update missing loops later, but the loops didn't appear after quitting GB and opening the Software Update window. Rather than download GB 6.0.5 again from ITunes like others have described I made a copy of my GB on an external harddrive and then reinstalled it as per Dagon's directions, but after selecting a missing loop and clicking install later and then reopening Software Update window, there were no updates. Any ideas?