Adobe says this is Apple's problem...

(All credit due to Sergio-PL earlier in the thread)

1) open the DMG

2) copy the AdobePatcher.app to your Desktop

For the Terminal literate:

3) all on one line:

find ~/Desktop/AdobePatcher.app -name 'bspatch' -print0 | sudo xargs -0 cp -v $(which bspatch)

For the Terminal non-literate:

3) right-click AdobePatcher.app -> "Show Package Contents"

4) Contents -> Resources

5) right-click PatcherApplication.app -> "Show Package Contents"

6) Contents -> Resources (there should be a bspatch file here)

7) Open a new Finder window

8) Go -> Go To Folder...

9) Type "/usr/bin" (no quotes), click Go

10) copy bspatch to the Resources folder in step 6

Last step) Double click the AdobePatcher.app on the Desktop

Oh, and this is both Adobe's and Apple's fault. Apples for dropping Rosetta, Adobe's for claiming there are no CS3 issues with Lion whilst shipping PPC software.

Gary P: Sadly that looks like "progress" as you're not having the bspatch error anymore.

I have to throw in the towel here though, that error dialog message is useless and I don't know anything about where Adobe might be writing a meaningful error message.

My situation was a fresh Snow Leopard install and then straight away Lion upgrade. CS3 Master collection install went fine. Adobe Updater 5 comes up empty handed due to an expired security certificate. Adobe Updater 6 is for CS4+ apparently. I have to set the clock back to September to run it (seriously, Adobe? I feel like I'm pirating shareware in the 1990s). So here I am installing updates by hand, woot.

The specific problem addressed by Sergio's directions and my variations is that Adobe packaged a PPC-only version of a standard unix tool -- bspatch -- inside the package installers. OS X does have this tool on board, the directions fix Adobe's oversight by overwriting their PPC version with Apple's version.

Sergio's solution let me run the Illustrator 13.0.1 and 13.0.2 updates installed.

Absoultely superb tip, Sergio, thank you. I was stuck in the same boat and it worked perfectly for me.

Thank you very much, Sergio, for this very helpful workaround! 🙂 And thanks to Google, too, for finding this discussion … 😉

I installed the CS3 on a new iMac (OS 10.7.4) and all available updates went fine, except the Ai 13.0.2.

Though I’m not familiar with the Terminal, it was quite easy to make the Updater run.

By the way: The update from Acrobat Pro 8.0 to 8.3.1 takes 18 (eighteen) steps, and no, there is no »Combo-Update«. Thanks, Adobe!

Cheers, G.

I have OSX 10.9 installed and cannot get the 13.0.1 or 13.0.2 Adobe Patchers to run. I dropped the bspatch app into the folder as suggested but still gett the same errors as others. If anyone has a 'new' fix plese let me know. This is frustrating as illustrator won't even print ...

I had the same issue with 10.9. I tried following Sergio's steps but got the same error. In 13.0.0, I can export to other image formats, but you're right, when I try to print, the software crashes.

g-m-w, when I updated Acrobat, a "Check for Updates..." listing appeared in the Help menu in 8.2 (or maybe 8.2.1). At that point, I could go straight to the latest update. It's a good thing the updater for Acrobat is separate from the others and that it works on 10.9.

But we're still stuck with Illustrator not being able to update at all....

For what it is worth... I have been setting up a MacBook (upgraded from 10.5.8 to 10.6.8 to 10.9.2). Installed CS3 (Acrobat, Illustrator, Photoshop) from original DVD. Sergio's bspatch fix worked for me to install Illustrator 13.0.1 and 13.0.2 updates. For Acrobat, I installed each update manually up to 8.2, then could use the Update option in Acrobat to take it up to 8.3.1. For Photoshop, I installed the 10.0.1 update manually.

I have not tested the installs yet by using the programs. Only have been opening the apps and checking the "About" window to confirm version updates.

I can confirm that Sergio's bspatch fix works for both the Illustrator 1301 and 1302 updaters on Mavericks 10.9.5 in case anyone is interested.

This worked perfectly after a few frustrating hours of attempting to install CS3.3 on my existing MBP and an older Imac with fresh El Capitan.

- Photoshop 10.0.0 updated perfectly to 10.0.1 without any effort.

- Illustrator 13.0.0 required "this process to be completed 2x"

- 1st: update# 13.0.1

- 2nd: update# 13.0.2

- Indesign. Chose not to reinstall, but first time around its update 'failed' as well. So, I suspect this would work with that program also.

Here is a slightly more specific list..

"THE PROCESS"

(All credit due to Sergio-PL/CHICMOM earlier in the thread)

1) Download and then open the Adobe update for Illustrator, for example was "Illustrator_13_0_1.DMG" and repeat the process for "Illustrator_13_0_2.DMG"

2) Copy the AdobePatcher.app to your Desktop (

3) right-click AdobePatcher.app -> "Show Package Contents"

4) Contents -> Resources

5) right-click PatcherApplication.app -> "Show Package Contents"

6) Contents -> Resources (there should be a bspatch file here) "DELETE THIS FILE" - if it wasn't obviousl

7) Open a new Finder window

8) Go -> Go To Folder...

9) Type "/usr/bin" (no quotes), click Go

10) copy bspatch to the Resources folder in step 6

Last step) Double click the AdobePatcher.app on the Desktop

Program updated perfectly on 2 separate computers.

Hope it helps.