This update ate my Mac!

Do not read this tip, unless you want to be left with no excuse for an unsuccessful update or upgrade.
Because you won't install anything until you KNOW if it will eat your Mac, your cat, or a school bus
You have Time Machine and Time Machine is good, but it's not the same as a bootable clone. Each have their own strengths and purposes.
The clone is a file for file copy of your entire hard drive. With a clone, if your hard drive fails you can just boot from it and keep on right on working, until you have the time to repair or replace the main drive.
There are many cloning apps to choose from, you can do it through Mac OS X in Disk Utility as described in Disk Utility Help, However Disk Utility won't update the clone.
There are other cloning utilities you can use, but both SuperDuper or CarbonCopy Cloner seem to be the most reliable and simplest to use, as reported by users here. You can also use them for incremental backups. CCC is free for backup, while SD is shareware for the backup feature. Also be sure to run Disk Utility/Disk repair before cloning and that there are no issues you know of.
Why it's guaranteed not to eat your Mac....
Because the next time you install, you will startup from your clone, by selecting it in System Preferences > Startup Disk. (At the same time in System Preferences choose Time Machine and turn it off, remembering to turn it back on when you return to your main disk.)
Now, install your test software and try it out. (Remember to Repair permissions after all installs.)
After that, you can be very sure if it works, or if there are issues. If it runs well, boot back to your main disk and install the software.
-mj

I see that as related but not the same.
Not so much the other side of the coin but certainly from the same set of coins.
7:24 PM Sunday; November 28, 2010

Similar Messages

Firefox keeps crashing and I am on a MAC. I go to about:crashes and there are NO reports there. This update is a piece of crap. I have always liked Firefox, but I am seconds away from getting it off my computer forever! FIX it or at least do not send

No matter what page I try to go to the FIREFOX crashes. I go to about crashes it tells me there are no reports. I am on a MAC. The previous version of Firefox worked great ...this update is CRAP! How can you possibly put out a software update that is this bad? Are your programmers trying to put you out of business? This is the worse update that I have ever tried to work with since using a computer.... FIX this pathetic piece of software you call an update....... You help pages are worthless...they just send you in circles and never answer the question. I am on a MAC....I don't need to watch a vide on a PC! FIX your update!!!!!!!!
== Crash ID(s) ==
It never gives me one!
== User Agent ==
Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; Intel Mac OS X 10_6_4; en-us) AppleWebKit/533.16 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.0 Safari/533.16

about:crashes only lists crashes that you have reported using the [[Mozilla Crash Reporter]] which comes up after a crash. Because there are so many possible reasons for a crash, getting the crash ID really helps volunteers find the cause quicker.
That doesn't mean we can't help without a crash id. :-) No crashes here, but I'm also on Snow Leopard and using Firefox 3.6.6.
Are you using Firefox 3.6.6? The most common cause of crashes on Mac is the Flash plugin. Are you using the latest version of Flash? You can check at http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/plugincheck/
Do you remember any specific circumstances about when the crash occurred? What sites you were on?

HT1349 hi guys i have 2 ? 1 my daughters iphone is trying to update on my mac cant get it off help please ,,, 2 i have an old apple id and when i try to up date it keeps looking for the password how do i delete this old apple id help

hi guys i have 2 ? 1 my daughters iphone is trying to update on my mac cant get it off help please ,,, 2 i have an old apple id and when i try to up date it keeps looking for the password how do i delete this old apple id help

Hi.
I had a similar problem myself. This is what helped me.
I went to the App store app, scrolled to the bottom, logged out of the account, re logged in with my Apple ID. Then went back to app updates. Once I put in my ID password all was fine.

Can't add music my iPhone from iTunes. When I try to drag a song over to my phone, I get the circle w/ the syncing line through it, but it does not update/load. [Manually manage music and videos] is checked. And, this is the only Mac I have ever used to

Can't add music my iPhone from iTunes.
When I try to drag a song over to my phone, I get the circle w/ the syncing line through it, but it does not update/load.
[Manually manage music and videos] is checked. And, this is the only Mac I have ever used to add music to my phone.
Also, just updated the phone's software today, and iTunes' software is already up to date.

Hi Gregg,
Have you tried resetting the device (nothing will be lost): Hold down the Home and Power buttons at the same time and continue to hold them down until the Apple appears (up to 30 seconds). Once the Home screen redisplays, see if your Music app is behaving normally.
Cheers,
GB

TS4083 My folders that message rules divert emails to don't update when I open Mail on my iPad or iPhone. Only the inbox does. I have to click on each folder for it to update. Is there a way around this? The folders update on my mac fine when i check mail

My folders that my message rules on iCloud divert emails to don't update when I open Mail on my iPad or iPhone. Only the inbox does. I have to click on each folder individually for it to update. A real pain as I have about 30 folders. Is there a way around this ? The folders update on my mac fine when i check mail without having to select each one of them. Can the iPad and iPhone do the same thing?

My Mac has 4 mail accounts coming into it, but you are correct, one of them is a POP account, (and unfortunately it is the main @ account, and is the one associated with my apple id, since we've had it for years). I couldn't figure out how to replace this with the Imap version, short of deleting that account entirely.
Is this what I have to do?
Thanks for your help!

I want to turn off auto updating on my Mac 10.4.11 How do I do this?

# Question
I want to turn off auto updating on my Mac 10.4.11 How do I do this?
When firefox tries to upgrade (without asking) it tends to upset my Mac's usual functioning.

You can go into Edit, then Preferences, then Advanced, then update, and set your update settings there.
Also, FYI, [https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/firefox-no-longer-works-mac-os-x-104-or-powerpc-pr https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/firefox-no-longer-works-mac-os-x-104-or-powerpc-pr]

HT201364 Hello ! i have a question about my Hard's Disc storage space. I have Mac book Pro 11" Retina with hard disk 120 GB . I want to make this update but its impossible because of no free space. And now i want to ask. Its 120 GB full space but i dont k

Hello ! i have a question about my Hard's Disc storage space. I have Mac book Pro 11" Retina with hard disk 120 GB . I want to make this update but its impossible because of no free space. And now i want to ask. Its 120 GB full space but i dont know how. It tells me lets say i have 30 GB movies but i dont have anything ! Can you help me with any way ? If i can do something to see what movies let's say means !
Thank you !!

Hope this helps.
1. Empty Trash.
    http://support.apple.com/kb/PH10677
2. Start up in Safe Mode
    http://support.apple.com/kb/PH11212
3. Delete "Recovered Messages", if any.
    Hold the option key down and click "Go" menu in the Finder menu bar.
    Select "Library" from the dropdown.
    Library > Mail > V2 > Mailboxes
    Delete "Recovered Messages", if any.
    Empty Trash. Restart.
4. Repair Disk
    Steps 1 through 7
    http://support.apple.com/kb/PH5836
5. Disk space / Time Machine ?/ Local Snapshots
   http://support.apple.com/kb/ht4878
6. Re-index Macintosh HD
   System Preferences > Spotlight > Privacy
   http://support.apple.com/kb/ht2409
If this does not help, you have to buy an external HD and move your movies photos.etc to
the external HD.

HT1338 I purchased keynote, numbers, and pages when i bought my macbook air. However, the December update will not update because it says I do not own the software, but I do. What can I do to get the software to load? This is my first Mac so I am still le

I purchased keynote, numbers, and pages when i bought my macbook air in late september. the december update will not load because it says i do not own the software and returns an error messgae 100. i have read manuals and looked over the web but i cannot figure out how to get this software update to identify that i do own these three pieces of software. they are installed and usable. any ideas would be appreciated before i call apple support.
This is my first mac so i am still learning...
thanks

First, make sure you are logged into the App Store with the same AppleID that you used to purchase the apps.
If that is not it, look in the App Store under Purchases. Are they there?
If not, go into your account in App Store and click the link to show hidden purchases.
If they are still not there, use the support link in the App Store.
If they do show up, copy all the apps to an external drive, then remove them from your Mac. Go to the App Store, Purchases, and install from there.

I purchased a new Mac Air. I try to update apps and I get this:This update is not available for this Apple ID either because it was bought by a different user or the item was refunded or cancelled. They do not show up in 'Purchases'.

I can't update iMovie, Garage Band, Numbers, Pages, Keynote, and iPhoto. on my new Mac Air. 11". I had hoped when I updated to OS X Yosemite that would solve the problem. It didn't. I get this: This update is not available for this Apple ID either because it was bought by a different user or the item was refunded or cancelled. I went to the app store, as was suggested in someone else's post, using the only ID I've ever had, and went to the purchases tab, to "accept" the apps. That didn't work, because they weren't there to 'accept'. They did come with my purchase, however. Please advise.

It appears Best Buy is up to their old tricks of palming off returned units as new. Take it back for a complete refund of your money. If they give you any static escalate your problem to management immediately.

I have deleted safari on os x 10.7.1 , and now I can not install it , he say " This update requires mac ox 10.6 "

I have problems in the Safari browser , and I have deleted the program using the "Clean My Mac" App and now I can not install it , he say " This update requires mac ox 10.6 "
I would like to install the Safari browser on my system Lion os x 10.7.1 …..

Upgrading to Snow Leopard
You must purchase Snow Leopard through the Apple Store: Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard - Apple Store (U.S.). The price is $19.99 plus tax. You will be sent physical media by mail after placing your order.
After you install Snow Leopard you will have to download and install the Mac OS X 10.6.8 Update Combo v1.1 to update Snow Leopard to 10.6.8 and give you access to the App Store. Access to the App Store enables you to download Mountain Lion if your computer meets the requirements.
     Snow Leopard General Requirements
       1. Mac computer with an Intel processor
       2. 1GB of memory
       3. 5GB of available disk space
       4. DVD drive for installation
       5. Some features require a compatible Internet service provider;
           fees may apply.
       6. Some features require Apple’s MobileMe service; fees and
           terms apply.
Actually, you cannot download Snow Leopard. You downloaded a Snow Leopard updater.

...desperating trying to install itunes 10.7, but it asked me to install Mac OS X 10.6.8. I did, but then it said that I needed to install Java for Mac OS x 10.6. I did that and now it keeps saying 'this update requires Mac OS X version 10.6??

....desperating trying to install itunes 10.7, but it asked me to install Mac OS X 10.6.8. I did, but then it said that I needed to install Java for Mac OS x 10.6. I did that and now it keeps saying 'this update requires Mac OS X version 10.6??

Upgrading to Snow Leopard
You must purchase Snow Leopard through the Apple Store: Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard - Apple Store (U.S.). The price is $19.99 plus tax. You will be sent physical media by mail after placing your order.
After you install Snow Leopard you will have to download and install the Mac OS X 10.6.8 Update Combo v1.1 to update Snow Leopard to 10.6.8 and give you access to the App Store. Access to the App Store enables you to download Mountain Lion if your computer meets the requirements.
     Snow Leopard General Requirements
       1. Mac computer with an Intel processor
       2. 1GB of memory
       3. 5GB of available disk space
       4. DVD drive for installation
       5. Some features require a compatible Internet service provider;
           fees may apply.
       6. Some features require Apple’s MobileMe service; fees and
           terms apply.
Actually, you cannot download Snow Leopard. You downloaded a Snow Leopard updater.

HT3421 I get this error This update requires Mac OS X Tiger 10.4.11 or newer or Mac OS X Leopard version 10.5.6 or newer.

I need to download this: (http://support.apple.com/kb/DL788) because my macbook wont turn on unless its charged. I did all the resets like VPRAM, SMC, and I forgot the other one.
My pack thingy is 0002 and it says that if its 0003 then you dont need the update but I do need the update.
I get this error:
This update requires Mac OS X Tiger 10.4.11 or newer or Mac OS X Leopard version 10.5.6 or newer.
I purchased the battery in December. It worked fine but now its happening again! Please help! Its annoying and the nearest Apple store is 2 hours away!

Please help me!

IPhoto update can't be installed on my MAC ref. "This update is not available for this Apple ID either because it was bought by a different user or the item was refunded or cancelled." this is not possible help?

Recent upgrade to OS X Yosemite on my MAC and iPhoto update can not now be installed msg reads, "This update is not available for this Apple ID either because it was bought by a different user or the item was refunded or cancelled." this is not possible help?

That error message can be misleading. It means, that iPhoto on your Mac is not associated with your Apple ID.
Either you did not set up your Mac using the same Apple ID - did someone help with your setup and use a different ID? Perhaps a family member? Or did you let someone borrow your installer disks?
Or did you not yet "Accept" iPhoto and other iLife apps to your Apple ID? Check the "Purchased" tab of the App Store, if any applications are waiting to be accepted. If you see "Accept" buttons, press them.
You may be unable to "Accept" now, if you missed the update to iphoto 9.5.1 on Mavericks. You could try to buy iPhoto, however. If you are lucky, it may show for free.
Backup your iPhoto library, if you do not have a current backup.
Uninstall iPhoto by deleting it from the Applications folder, but do not empty the Trash, so you can put it back,if need be.
Launch the App Store, click the "Store" menu, and sign in with your current AppleID.
Open the main page "Featured" of the App Store and search for iPhoto.
If iPhoto is listed as "Free", click the "Free" button to buy it with your current AppleID.
If it is not showing as free, there is no help but contacting the App Store Support to sort out the AppleID. Use this link: http://www.apple.com/support/mac/app-store/contact/

HT6114 my audio is being funny on my mac. It is brand new, and hasn't had trouble since this update. It gets stuck at full blast with a / though it. then no audio comes out. Once I turn it off it fixes it self thouhg.

my audio is being funny on my mac. It is brand new, and hasn't had trouble since this update. It gets stuck at full blast with a / though it. then no audio comes out. Once I turn it off it fixes it self thouhgh, or if I wait a while it finally fixes it's self. If this happening to anyone else?

I don't think that is normal behavior. The long press is possibly causing the system to force power down, which would then allow it to power back up.
Just to make sure, all drivers are up-to-date? Are there pending BIOS updates? If so, you'll want to make sure it can restart properly before applying the BIOS update
Try an Ubuntu LiveUSB or LiveCD to rule out software issues.
If that doesn't work, try taking out the battery and AC, pressing the power button ten times, then holding it for ten. This is usually the remedy for another issue, but try it anyway.
If that doesn't work, then try resetting the BIOS settings. Then try unplugging the CMOS battery overnight. Otherwise, might have to call for warranty.
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I can't update becuase my mac says this, This software requires Mac OS X version 10.6.8 or later.

I can't update becuase my mac says this, This software requires Mac OS X version 10.6.8 or later. any ways to update my iTunes?

You need to call 1 800 My APPLE and ask for Snow Leopord disk.
The cost is $29 I believe.
all iOS 6 OS and hardware announced (iphone5, new nanos, etc) require at least 10.7 version of itunes.
iTunes 10.7 requires OS 10.6.8

This update ate my Mac!

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