Hi Tidy,
So there are two words being used here - Update (which my laptop won't let me do
The word "Update" indicates to me that you are talking about installing a "Software Update", using the Software Update application provided as part of the Mac OS X system. This can be accessed in a variety of ways, including from the Apple Menu or from the System Preferences Software Update Preference pane.
updates) and Install - using the 10.6.3 I have just downloaded - so are you telling me to
The word "Install" here is used by you to indicate running a package installer that is bundled (wrapped) in a disk image (.dmg) file.
The short answer is, regarding the installation of the software update, is that these to ways of installing an update to a particular Apple application are identical in terms of what you end up with for that application. It doesn't matter which mechanism one uses to install the update.
The details of what the Software Update application does are something like this:
- it checks a database of what is installed on your computer system against Apple's database of what versions of applications are current for the version of Mac OS X installed on your computer, and the computer hardware itself
- it then offers to the user/system administrator, a list of available updates
- when an available update is chosen, such as iTunes 10.6.3, the Software Update application downloads either the same installer package contained in the disk image, or the disk image itself - I'm not 100% sure which.
- in either event, it then runs the installer package. This is the same installer package you run if you mount the .dmg disk image and run the installer package manually.
- the target application, located in the /Applications folder, is then updated.
in this case, the application iTunes would be updated from version 10.6.1 to version 10.6.3. There are none of your personal iTunes database files included in this application bundle, unless you have done something out of the ordinary and manually dropped files into the app bundle (unlikely, I think).
Your iTunes files are located in your home directory (folder), in the Music folder. These are largely unaffected by the upgrade of the iTunes application, except for the occasional new information that may be stored in your iTunes database that arrises from new functionalities of the iTunes application.
double click on 10.6.3 and install it in my applications folder - which will presumeably overwrite my 10.6.1 itunes?
So, as stated above, none of "your" iTunes stuff is located in the Applications folder. None of your music, movies, or settings are stored in the Applications folder.
cheers,
Roy