Can't open .pkg files

Question

Level 1

5 points

Can't open .pkg files

Here's my small but important problem, but can you help?

I cannot open any .pkg files for installation. I'm running OS 10.6.7 on a Macbook Pro (intel). When I right-click the downloaded .pkg file (e.g., Adobe Acrobat, even other Apple apps), the list includes, "Open With...". When I click that, I do not have the "installer.app" option that should (I think) be there so that I can open the .pkg file.

Can anyone suggest a solution? I tried to use an application from the App Store designed to open archived files, including .pkg files, but these have not worked. I can't, for example, open the installer for Adobe Acrobat X Pro. I can't even open other Apple application installers (on my Mac OS X Install DVD, for example). If I right-click on a .pkg file, the options for "Open this file" should include something like an "Installer.app", but in my case, this is missing. Can anyone help? Thanks in advance.

MacBook Pro, Mac OS X (10.6.7)

Posted on Jun 19, 2011 6:13 AM

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Answer 1

Jolly Giant

Level 7

25,464 points

Jun 19, 2011 6:20 AM in response to REM-REM

i'm not sure i understand. you just double-click on the .pkg file and the installation should start.

you can view the the contents of the .pkg by ctrl-clicking and choosing show package contents from the pop-up menu.

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Answer 2

Linc Davis

Level 10

209,739 points

Jun 19, 2011 6:33 AM in response to REM-REM

Do you have an Installer.app in /System/Library/CoreServices? If so, when you double-click it, does it launch with an open-file dialog?

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Answer 3

ds store

Level 7

30,855 points

Jun 19, 2011 6:36 AM in response to REM-REM

Normally you double-click on the .pkg file to run the installer

But if you need to extract something inside of it, then you need this to browse inside .pkg files.

http://www.charlessoft.com/

Perhaps you should tell us what the .pkg file is from, it could be malware and OS X is stopping you.

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Answer 4

REM-REM Author

Level 1

5 points

Jun 19, 2011 6:37 AM in response to Jolly Giant

Thanks for your reply: No, actually the installation does NOT start and that's the problem. When I do double-click on the .pkg file, unfortunately, the only app I have that attempts to open the file is TextEdit. The dialog says, for example: "The document “rapport.pkg” could not be opened. TextEdit cannot open files in the “Installer package” format.

Of course TextEdit isn't appropriate to open .pkg files. So then, I'm stuck! I cannot open any .pkg files because I seemed to have lost the "installer.app" option from the "Open with..." drop down list. I appreciate your suggestions, Jolly Giant!

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Answer 5

REM-REM Author

Level 1

5 points

Jun 19, 2011 6:42 AM in response to Linc Davis

No, Linc Davis:

I don't have the Installer.app in the System/Library/Core Services folder(s). I think that just may be my problem, no...? Thanks for this direction....Logic seems to indicate that perhaps I SHOULD have the Installer.app located here, yes? Uhm,....does anyone know how to do that? Thanks again!

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Answer 6

Linc Davis

Level 10

209,739 points

Jun 19, 2011 6:46 AM in response to REM-REM

Mac OS X 10.6 Help: Reinstalling Mac OS X

Back up first. Run Software Update afterwards.

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Answer 7

REM-REM Author

Level 1

5 points

Jun 19, 2011 6:48 AM in response to ds store

Thanks for your response, DS Store:

All the .pkg files are legitimate. For example, I want to install Adobe Acrobat X Pro on my Mac. I have the installer CD, and when I double-click on that .pkg file (to install Acrobat), my system cannot open it. Again, it uses TextEdit and the error message appears: "The document “acrobat X pro.pkg” could not be opened. TextEdit cannot open files in the “Installer package” format.

This is just an example of the legitimate .pkg files I'm trying to install.

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Answer 8

Jun 19, 2011 6:55 AM in response to REM-REM

First right click on the .pkg & select the get info. New window will appear, select the open with, Is there Installer app from the list to chose from?

You can manually open the installer app from:

/System/Library/CoreServices/Installer.app

Is the installer app location there?

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Answer 9

Jun 19, 2011 7:02 AM in response to macpos.co.uk

Yes that is your problem.

Do you have a Time machine backup?

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Answer 10

ds store

Level 7

30,855 points

Jun 19, 2011 8:07 AM in response to REM-REM

Use Pacifist to see if you can locate the Installer program on your install disk that came with the computer or Snow Leopard installer disk and replace in the same location.

Else you'll have to follow Linc Davis's instructions.

1: Backup your files, copy your iTunes Folder complete to a external drive.

2: Hold c and boot off the OS X installer disk

3: Reinstall OS X (your files should be untouched, but just in case you have a backup)

If that doesn't work then repeat 1-3, but between 2 and 3, use Disk Utility to Erase with Zero, format HFS+ Journaled. This time will delete all files, users and everything. So you'll have to start from scratch. Use the same user and hard drive name as before, so when you replace the iTunes Folder from backup everything will be peachy.

Clone your whole boot drive to a external drive using the free Carbon Copy Cloner, this way it's hold option bootable and you can recover if something goes off, even if your hard drive dies.

thanks in advance for your click 🙂

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Answer 11

REM-REM Author

Level 1

5 points

Jun 19, 2011 3:26 PM in response to Linc Davis

Linc Davis,

Thanks to your FIRST response to my cry for help with my installer.app problem! Because you suggested the path System - Library - Core Services, I began to think about that....I have a second Macbook Pro running 10.6.7, and everything on it is running as it should. I simply thought to connect to that computer, opened its Core Services folder and copied the Installer.app to the Macbook Pro, which did not have that app in that folder! I rebooted and viola!

I could FINALLY open my Acrobat X Pro installer and install that application on my computer--i.e., the system recognized the .pkg file!

So, thanks to your idea, I'm a "happy camper"! THANK YOU for your help!

Thanks to ALL who made suggestions, as well! Much obliged!

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Answer 12

Linc Davis

Level 10

209,739 points

Jun 19, 2011 3:31 PM in response to REM-REM

I hope it works out, but if you don't know why the Installer was missing, then you also don't know what else is missing or changed. So I still think it would be best to reinstall. It would hardly be any more trouble than what you've already done.

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