"An error occurred while extracting files from the package "BaseSystem.pkg".

Question

Hello!
I have a
MacBookPro5,5
Prozessortyp:Intel Core 2 Duo
Prozessorgeschwindigkeit:2.26 GHz
Anzahl der Prozessoren:1
Gesamtzahl der Kerne:2
L2-Cache:3 MB
Speicher:2 GB
Busgeschwindigkeit:1.07 GHz
Boot-ROM-Version:MBP55.00AC.B03
SMC-Version (System):1.47f2
Hardware-UUID:A2DD27C4-9829-5A4D-854B-485EF8A6B20F
Problem:
I upgraded Leopard to Snow Leopard. Everything worked fine for a month. To free up disk space I deleted some of the iPhoto flders (modfied and original images). Everything worked still fine. Shut down the computer. Next day it was incredibly slow. At the same time the indexing was running. I stopped indexing, but stll slow. Every operation took minutes. I tried all the tricks that I found in the internet (repaired file permissions, repaired disk, cleared PRAM , moved big filed from desktop, etc.). After 24 full hours of trying all this I decided to erase the hard drive and reinstall, directly from the Snow Leopard Install disk, but it fails after downloading the packages. Below is the part of the log. Then I tried to use the old Leopard install DVD to reinstall Leopard, it then sais estimated time 12 hours or so and eventually crashed, spitting out a lot of "reportcrash" in the log. What is going on? I'm running out of options. Any advice? Would zeroing the hard drive help? If nothing else I plan to buy a new hard drive, since the only explanation I have is that there is a problem with the hard driven although the disk utility says it is OK. I need a bigger one anyway. Any ideas? Thank you!
Aug 16 05:17:31 localhost OSInstaller[139]: IFPKInstallElement (191 packages)
Aug 16 05:17:35 localhost OSInstaller[139]: PackageKit: ----- Begin install -----
Aug 16 05:17:35 localhost OSInstaller[139]: PackageKit: request=PKInstallRequest <191 packages, destination=/Volumes/Macintosh HD>
Aug 16 05:17:36 localhost OSInstaller[139]: PackageKit: Extracting /Volumes/Macintosh HD/Mac OS X Install Data/BaseSystem.pkg (destination=/Volumes/Macintosh HD/.OSInstallSandbox-tmp/Root, uid=0)
Aug 16 05:31:59 localhost Unknown[80]: /SourceCache/AppleFSCompression/AppleFSCompression-24.0.1/Common/DataPool.c:116 : Error: finished pool without filling it
Aug 16 05:31:59 localhost Unknown[80]: /SourceCache/AppleFSCompression/AppleFSCompression-24.0.1/Common/commonUtils.c: 315: Error: fh_pread -1
Aug 16 05:31:59 localhost Unknown[80]: /SourceCache/AppleFSCompression/AppleFSCompression-24.0.1/Common/StreamCompress or.c:236: Error: write failed for /Volumes/Macintosh HD/.OSInstallSandbox-tmp/Root//System/Library/Frameworks/OpenCL.framework/Versi ons/A/Resources/runtime.amdil.bc: Invalid argument
Aug 16 05:31:59 localhost Unknown[80]: /SourceCache/AppleFSCompression/AppleFSCompression-24.0.1/Common/StreamCompress or.c:260: Error: futimes failed for /Volumes/Macintosh HD/.OSInstallSandbox-tmp/Root//System/Library/Frameworks/OpenCL.framework/Versi ons/A/Resources/runtime.amdil.bc: Invalid argument
Aug 16 05:31:59 localhost Unknown[80]: /SourceCache/AppleFSCompression/AppleFSCompression-24.0.1/Common/StreamCompress or.c:829: Error: returning errno 22 from FinishStreamCompressorQueue
Aug 16 05:32:10 localhost OSInstaller[139]: PackageKit: Install Failed: PKG: extracting "com.apple.pkg.BaseSystem"\nError Domain=PKInstallErrorDomain Code=110 UserInfo=0x12c8366a0 "An error occurred while extracting files from the package “BaseSystem.pkg”." Underlying Error=(Error Domain=BOMCopierFatalError Code=22 UserInfo=0x12e703300 "The operation couldn’t be completed. FinishStreamCompressorQueue error") {\n    NSFilePath = "/Volumes/Macintosh HD/.OSInstallSandbox-tmp/Root";\n    NSLocalizedDescription = "An error occurred while extracting files from the package \U201cBaseSystem.pkg\U201d.";\n    NSURL = "BaseSystem.pkg -- file://localhost/Volumes/Macintosh%20HD/Mac%20OS%20X%20Install%20Data/index.pro duct";\n    NSUnderlyingError = "Error Domain=BOMCopierFatalError Code=22 UserInfo=0x12e703300 \"The operation couldn\U2019t be completed. FinishStreamCompressorQueue error\"";\n    PKInstallPackageIdentifier = "com.apple.pkg.BaseSystem";\n}
Aug 16 05:32:10 localhost OSInstaller[139]: install:didFailWithError:Error Domain=PKInstallErrorDomain Code=110 UserInfo=0x12c8366a0 "An error occurred while extracting files from the package “BaseSystem.pkg”." Underlying Error=(Error Domain=BOMCopierFatalError Code=22 UserInfo=0x12e703300 "The operation couldn’t be completed. FinishStreamCompressorQueue error")
Aug 16 05:32:11 localhost OSInstaller[139]: Install failed: Die Installation ist aufgrund eines Fehlers fehlgeschlagen. Wenden Sie sich an den Hersteller der Software.
Aug 16 05:32:13 localhost OSInstaller[139]: Allowing machine sleep.
Aug 16 05:32:15 localhost OSInstaller[139]: Memory statistics for 'Installation ist fehlgeschlagen' pane:
Aug 16 05:32:15 localhost OSInstaller[139]: Physical Memory Allocation:   139 MB wired,   259 MB trapped,   397 MB active,     7 MB inactive,  1246 MB free,  1650 MB usable,  2048 MB total

Answer 1

It sounds to me like your Internal Hard Drive is failing.
I recommend you buy a new one, that is a good candidate for replacing the old one, but install it in an External enclosure and Install a fresh Mac OS X on it from the DVD. You can boot your Mac from any attached drive.
The new System can be used to get some work done, check your emails, and takes the pressure off resolving this immediately. You can also attempt to salvage files off the old drive if needed.
Once things seem to be working, then move the new drive inside the computer. Failures at this point may be due to bad cable, which has been a problem in some of these MacBooks.
Use security erase, write Zeroes, one pass, to re-write every block on the old drive. Any block discovered to be bad will be replaced with spares the drive holds in reserve for this purpose. If more than 10 blocks are pared on one pass, "Initialization Failed!" will be the result. Although you can try the erase again, there is some question whether you want to trust this drive with your precious data.