Can't install Yosemite - failing packages

If you have a large enough USB stick to hand, I think you can create your own USB installer. Do you have physical media you can boot to to run Disk Utility?

Same issue, Late 2013 iMac. I have tried installing from a USB stick, I get the same error about Essentials.pkg. The net install freezes at 60% and requires a hard reset. The iMac is completely unusable at this point.

MotasR, do you have any 3rd party memory installed? If so, check out Update failing at unpacking "essentials.pkg"

Didn't see this thread and created a new one with a similar situation. Essentials.pkg is not extracting at all for me. I haven't tried USB, will do so tonight. Running on a '12 MBA.

Successful attempt by using a live USB and a clean install. What I did:

1. Create the bootable USB with Yosemite installer using DiskMaker X (Apple probably frowns upon this, but whatever).

This is done by downloading the Yosemite installer app from the App Store to /Applications. Make sure you have a >8 GB flash drive or external.

Open DiskMaker and locate the app and let it do its thing (takes awhile). It will let you know when its done.

2. Boot into it by holding the 'option' key at startup. Open Disk Utility and erase Macintosh HD (assuming you have a Time Machine backup to restore data).

From there, the install should run smoothly. Just use the Migration Assistant to restore your data from the Time Machine backup.

EDIT: looks like the DiskMaker X homepage is throwing a server error for now. Here's the direct download link to the version I used:

http://diskmakerx.com/downloads/DiskMaker_X_for_Yosemite_BETA_4b2.zip

I tried precisely what you describe, Maharbal, with the Diskmaker X and a usb flash drive. On Friday, 17 Oct 2014.

And successfully got the yosemite upgrade on the third flash drive I tried.

It continued with the exact same "unpackaging Essentials.pkg" error at precisely the same 19-minute point.

Malfunctioned in precisely the same way as it had with the download.

This was my post earlier today on the same error in upgrading to Yosemite.

vetusvates

Oct 22, 2014 3:46 PM

Re: Update failing at unpacking "essentials.pkg"

Re: Update failing at unpacking "essentials.pkg"in response to hknobbe

""Had the original same error code (update failing at unpackaging "essentials.pkg"), and was on the phone with apple for 4.5 hours on Friday, 17 Oct 2014.

I have two aluminum 21.5" iMacs, side by side. One is late 2009 (Intel Core 2 Duo processor) and the other is middle 2011 (i5 Quadcore processor).

Both have had their original memories, since purchase, upgraded to 16gb, (non-factory-native).

The older iMac (core 2 duo) upgraded to Yosemite seamlessly,...flawlessly, on Friday 17 Oct.

The newer iMac (quadcore) is the computer that stops at 19 minutes with the error code discussed here. Luckily from time machine, directed by the patient senior apple tech, I could return to 48-hour-earlier Mavericks. And I am still there with the 2011/newer/quadcore. Still awaiting a solution.

The senior tech who stuck with me for almost 5 hours, noticed another tech on the phone with an individual with the same identical error code and problem on the evening of 17 Oct...

I said then that I suspected that this would become an evolving and broader problem.

He agreed, and the two senior apple techs linked their reports to go higher with/in the Apple System.

I do not know if I have 2009 or 2011 original memory sticks conveniently laying around somewhere.

Did not need it, obviously, for the older iMac.

And decline to use it if I have it on the newer iMac.....if when I return the full 16gb ram, I will get error codes.

So.

Still waiting for a solid sound (more profound and broadsweeping) solution from Apple, Inc.

I have the quadcore iMac I want to ugrade, and a 2009-ish Macbook I want to upgrade.

To Yosemite.""

Update.

So.

I tried again with all fresh new ingredients.

I downloaded (again, but the newest) DiskMaker X app from the link provided above.

I downloaded (again) fresh new Yosemite install from app store. (Took some time.)

I used the new DiskMaker X app to put the new Yosemite on a new fresh clean USB drive. (Really took some time.)

Booted quadcore iMac while pressing alt/options.

Used Disk Utility to "erase MacIntosh HD" (nervously).

Then proceeded to attempt (again) to install/upgrade said quadcore iMac to Yosemite OS.

Field started at 16 minutes remaining, then 15 remaining, then 14, then 13,.....then stopped....same error of 'update failing at unpacking "essentials.pkg" '.

So.

Now.

Again, using Time Machine Backups to restore to hours-ago-version of Mavericks. (Taking some time.)

(Note, there was a time when an "upgrade" and a "clean install" were two different things. Required different things. Is this no longer so?)

I am hoping for any response or help from Apple to use their/our new Yosemite product.

Any help or assistance or response from Apple will be appreciated.

So, I thought for the sake of completion that I would place this post here, from the other very similar thread.

I had success.

Not overwhelming success, but pretty close.

vetusvates

vetusvatesNov 8, 2014 7:09 PM Re: Update failing at unpacking "essentials.pkg"
Re: Update failing at unpacking "essentials.pkg"

in response to hknobbe

So.

Yesterday I had another evening that I was willing to sacrifice on/for the "yosemite project".

Leaving no stone unturned, I thought I had narrowed the 2 x 2gb original iMac ram sticks down to 4 ram sticks (in my collection of various ram sticks).

With a little googling I narrowed it down to the two I believed came with the i5 quadcore.

Took the 4 x 4gb out, put the 2 x 2gb in.

And.....

Yosemite successfully installed...!!!...

Thank you all very much for your input, and "robfromdingley village" pushed me over the edge...of willingness to try the long road...which became the short road.

As well as the successful road.

Returned the 4 x 4gb upgrade, and computer continues to work.

Excellent.

The only oddities I am seeing are :

1) occasional (more than rare) Safari browser crashes...and

2) some apps are slow to respond (for example "Contacts")...and

3) the moderate use temperature often runs high : 135F - 145F.

The slow apps, and force quit "reports" seem to be going to Apple,

as well as the Safari closing down "reports".

So, hopefully these kinks and herky jerky movements will be remedied in the near future.

Again, I thank all of you for your encouragement.

You too, "zephyr".

(I will post this on the other similar thread, too.

Anything that might help another...well...that was me who needed the help this time.

Next time maybe the next person.)

I spoke too soon.

Problem(s) remain unresolved.

I was very disappointed this morning to wake up to this.

Yosemite was not stable--had to revert to Mavericks :

OK, I tolerated the occasional (more than rare) Safari crashes with Yosemite on my i5 quadcore.

But this morning, that iMac did not even power up at designated time. Would not power up. Many times I tried--would not complete boot and come on.

In the back of my mind I had been thinking about a likely distant (now not so distant) outcome of having to go back to Mavericks on this particular iMac, while the older Core 2 Duo upgraded and runs like a charm. (My ESP regarding the i5 seems to be working just fine, too.) 😉 😎

So. I first tried reboot from earlier time machine Yosemite backups, to be thorough. It would not work.

So. I rebooted from a recent good sound Mavericks time machine back up. And here I am.

Cleaned everything up, disk warrior, onyx (sparingly...carefully), and native "disk utility" app.

Looks like I'll be enjoying Mavericks for a while on the nice i5 quadcore.

All of this is for the sake of thoroughness and completion.

I am not boasting.

Complaining....?....a little....maybe more than a little.

MotasR -- I feel your pain, and sympathize.

Sincerely.

Yes, here I am...still patiently(?) and frustratedly waiting to upgrade my quadcore iMac from Mavericks to Yosemite. Waiting for an upgrade solution. No one, from Apple...to sea to shining sea,...has prescribed the right antidote to what seems to be a problem that Apple is at a minimum ignoring and at a maximum has built in to require the purchase of new iMac computers. I am, as I'm sure Mr. Jobs is, sorely disappointed by Apple having dropped the ball on this one.

Try booting into the Safe Mode and doing the installation there.

Safe Mode

Safe Mode - Mavericks also Yosemite