Software Update Issue - In dire need of NERD power...

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Delete Toast Author

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Software Update Issue - In dire need of NERD power...

Attempted to download Mavericks on my 2011 iMac (currently running on OS X 10.6.6)

App Store returned the following error:

We could not complete your purchase.

OS X can't be installed on Macintosh HD because Mac OS X version 10.6.8 or later is required.

Choose Software Update from the Apple menu to update Mac OS X.

Not a problem, I thought. I chose Software Update from my Apple menu to update Mac OS X and began downloading Mac OS X Update Combined (10.6.8 v1.1) which maintained a good and consistent rate of 10 MB/sec download speed...

...only to hang abruptly at 655 MB of 1.09 GB

Roughly 30 seconds later I receive the following error:

The update "Mac OS X Update Combined" can't be saved.

Software Update can't connect to the update server.

Make sure you're connected to the Internet, and then try again.

To be clear, I'm familiar with issues regarding and related to TCP/IP protocols, firewalls, open/blocked ports, etc.

I made sure that I was connected to the Internet, and then tried again.

The download progress stays put at 655 MB of 1.09 GB, then returns same error.

At which point I decided it might be a good idea to delete the partially complete download and start over. An Apple Support article directs me to /Library/Updates where the partially complete package parts are temporarily stored and I move them to the Trash.

Every single time I try starting the download over (due to what I suspected might be an connectivity issue that I somehow missed) it always went the same:

Download starts, coasts as 10 MB/sec, hangs at 655 MB of 1.09 GB, and returns the same error.

I thought it was odd that it would always hang at the exact same spot so I checked the /Library/Updates folder while the download was active. The package is downloaded in parts and it would always freeze after completing part10. For testing purposes, I duplicated the part10 file and renamed it as "part11" to see if the installer would recognize the dummy part--AND IT DOES! The download happily chugs past 655 MB and continues to write part12. Obviously, this did not solve my problem because once the download finished it could not compile the parts due to the real part11 being missing. It did, however, at least reveal what the problem was: the server could not retrieve that one specific file, part11.

Sadly, I'm at a loss as to where to go from here. As far as I can tell, it doesn't seem to be a connectivity issue on my end--if anything, Apple servers are the one with the issue--maybe a corrupted file? All I know is that I've pretty much exhausted all the options in my head and this is my last resort: posting on the Apple Support Communities (not that there's anything wrong with posting here, I just don't expect a genius to pop out of nowhere with a solution in hand).

p.s. my apologies for the lengthy post, I was trying to be as thorough as I could in order to alleviate as much back and forth one-line question and answer posts to save everyone some time :b

iMac, Mac OS X (10.6.6)

Posted on Nov 8, 2013 8:47 PM

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Answer 1

Nov 8, 2013 11:42 PM in response to Delete Toast

Try downloading it from here:

http://support.apple.com/kb/DL1399

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Answer 2

Delete Toast Author

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Nov 9, 2013 3:49 AM in response to Roger Wilmut1

Yeah, I actually tried going the manual way not too long after my original post and unsurprisingly, the download would go smoothly only to halt at a certain point again. In fact, I tried downloading not only the MacOSXUpdCombo10.6.8 but also MacOSXUpd10.6.8 just to give it a try and that too halted during download.

The most perplexing part is that these download errors exhibited the EXACT same issue of halting at a very specific point. To be doubly sure, I tried downloading multiple copies of the same file at different times with some overlap during the download times (basically started two downloads of the same copy a few mins apart and I got these results.

try#3 - MacOSXUpdCombo10.6.8 - stuck at 232 MB of 1.01 GB (kept open in Download window for reference)

try#3 - MacOSXUpd10.6.8 - stuck at 430 of 454 MB (kept open in Downloads window for reference)

try#4 - MacOSXUpdCombo10.6.8 - stuck at 232 MB of 1.01 GB

try#4 - MacOSXUpd10.6.8 - stuck at 430 of 454 MB

try#5 - MacOSXUpdCombo10.6.8 - currently chugging at 61.9 of 1.10 GB, but i'm pretty sure when it's going to stop...

Come to think of it, whenever I tried to update games like "League of Legends", or download/update a Steam game I always get stuck at 33% or 99% respectively. Most recently, I bought "FFXIV:ARR" as a digital download and I haven't been able to get past a very specific point in progression for the game client download as well. So in contrary to my first assessment, it most likely IS a problem on my own end but these "symptoms" seem very clear and specific, I just can't pinpoint the problem. I don't have "connection time-out" problems when doing downloads on my work network, only at the guest house where they assign me a TCP/IP configuration for internet connectivity (which also severely hampers my ability to troubleshoot). On the other hand, P2P is just fine but I suspect that's because it doesn't require a contiguous download.

TL;DR

Large downloads/updates over one specific network (assigned TCP/IP) always hang at specific point in download completion. Internet connectivity for browsing is fine, P2P downloads are fine.

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Answer 3

Nov 9, 2013 3:49 AM in response to Delete Toast

Have you tried to use AppleJack to solve any software issues that may have caused this? I once had a problem installing some updates on SL, and they wouldn't complete. AppleJack cleared some system caches that obviously had some corrupted content, and next time I fired up my Mac, I was able to install said updates.

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Answer 4

Delete Toast Author

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Nov 9, 2013 4:03 AM in response to FrenchToast

Thanks, but I doubt that's the problem because I've tried manually clearing the incomplete temporary files in /Library/Update and as for the games I've tried completely reinstalling the clients from scratch and taking those into account this has been an ongoing problem for months on end now. Furthermore, I have the same issues when I try using my Macbook Pro on the same network and the chances of both machines having corrupted content in their system cache seems unlikely; but the only thing I can be sure about is that these downloads/updates hang/freeze/timeout at a very specific point and is variable between different files but consistent with the same file on subsequent attempts. Again, I suspect the assigned TCP/IP protocol but there is little to nothing I can do about that unless I have a specific solution to present to the staff who oversees this stuff at the guest house.

Sorry if I'm not being as concise, my grammar is starting devolve as I just try to respond quickly and get back to troubleshooting attempts.

Also, of all the people that could reply to my first post on this forum... a toast. xD

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Answer 5

Nov 9, 2013 4:24 AM in response to Delete Toast

Also, of all the people that could reply to my first post on this forum... a toast. xD

Takes one to know one, right? 😁

Now, back on topic: the measures you've taken have been done from a user's standpoint. You have cleared caches and deleted applications that were readily available for you to clear or delete.

For example, when you uninstall an application by moving it to the Trash, you leave all the plist files and other items the applications has created when first installed. Those can lead to plist files or kernel extensions loading on startup when their parent application has been removed for months, even years.

One example you can check for yourself is VirtualBox: install it, run it once, uninstall it the usual way, then check in your user account LaunchAgents (in Library), or even in the /Library/Startup Items or /Library/LaunchAgents, LaunchDaemons and the like.

Sure enough, there'll still be traces of VirtualBox there, though the app itself has been deleted.

AppleJack works in Single User mode, i.e. before the OS has actually booted in full. It calls basic functions in OS X to perform its tasks, and can do a deeper cleaning than you can while Snow Leopard is running. It'll even repair permissions, which can sometimes not be completed when all OS services are running.

I can only speak from experience here: AppleJack has saved my bacon more than once.

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Answer 6

Delete Toast Author

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Nov 9, 2013 5:06 AM in response to FrenchToast

Ah yes, the plist files. I remember learning of them a couple years ago, shattering my illusion of apps being self-contained objects--but that's another story.

The primary reason I would dismiss this as the source of the problem is that I have the same issues using my MacBook on this network, yet when I attempt the same downloads/updates on a different network (i.e. work) there are zero problems. This tells me that the problem almost certainly lies solely within the network (as previously stated, I am running a manual TCP/IPv4 configuration assigned to me by the guest house for internet access).

Regardless, I ran applejack as suggested, but to no avail (at least my OSX is a bit cleaner--which is actually inconsequential because I back-up/reformat whenever my OS feels cluttered anyway--i'm ranting again...)

Key points and deductions:

- Almost certainly a network-related issue

- Using an assigned TCP/IP configuration

- Affects large, contiguous downloads (i.e. Software Update, Game client updates)

- Conversely, no issues with segment-based downloads like P2P

- Internet connectivity remains active throughout the incidents

- Consistently stops/hangs at a certain point (i.e. 430 of 453 MB)

p.s. thanks to everyone taking the time to read, even if you haven't posted a feedback; it's very much appreciated. 🙂

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Answer 7

Delete Toast Author

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Nov 9, 2013 9:01 AM in response to Delete Toast

So the lobby has a wireless network and using my MacBook I was able to manually download the OS X Update Combo 10.6.8 v1.1 just as I expected.

Seeing as how the problem seems to be solely based on how this establishment decided to setup their TCP/IP configuration, and that I probably won't be staying in the guest house more than a month, I don't see the need to spend anymore time or effort trying to figure this out (unless someone already figured it out, then let me know please?)

Thanks to Roger and FrenchToast for the feedback!

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