Software Update... Grey

[jackl79]

As the image shows in about this mac my software update is grey and you cant click it any ideas?? (also software update from apple menu doesnt work)

However if i go to system preferences then software update it works fine!

NOTE: More Info... is grey at http://forums.macrumors.com/archive/index.php/t-87497.html

[Hemingray]

Hm, that's strange... is the System Preferences in the Applications folder and not in a subfolder?

[jackl79]

Thanks for your reply yea its in the applications folder, the system preferences all work fine its just the apple menu.

[PlaceofDis]

have you tried repairing permissions?

[jackl79]

yea about 10 times

[Abstract]

I have no clue.

Sorry, I just wanted to bump your thread to the top because I want to know the answer to this one. :confused:

[jackl79]

thanks for looking anyway abstract

[Mitthrawnuruodo]

Edit: Gotta start reading ALL the post before replying... :o

Edit2: New thought: Can you try loggin in as another user (make one if necessary), and see if the problem stays the same...? Helps narrow down where to look... if it works for another user chances are very good that it's a preference problem... then, of course, it's tho issue of finding the right one...

And, related question... Anywhere know the location of the "About This Mac..." window...? Cannot find it among the .nib's (and the window is slightly different than standard about windows, so I suspect it is a bit different)... nor inside the Finder package... it should be possible to open it by running a command named "abtm" but as I don't have path for that command I'm stuck... :confused:

[mad jew]

Are you running antivirus on it? I read something ages ago about some antivirus software doing something like this to a much earlier OSX but it was well before Panther. I'll try finding it for you but it wasn't on the net so I might take a while. I haven't actually ever run into a similar problem myself, but it might be worthwhile getting rid of the AV momentarily... Assuming you have it of course...

[jackl79]

Edit: Gotta start reading ALL the post before replying... :o

Edit2: New thought: Can you try loggin in as another user (make one if necessary), and see if the problem stays the same...? Helps narrow down where to look... if it works for another user chances are very good that it's a preference problem... then, of course, it's tho issue of finding the right one...
:

its the same on all users (even root)

[jackl79]

Are you running antivirus on it? I read something ages ago about some antivirus software doing something like this to a much earlier OSX but it was well before Panther. I'll try finding it for you but it wasn't on the net so I might take a while. I haven't actually ever run into a similar problem myself, but it might be worthwhile getting rid of the AV momentarily... Assuming you have it of course...

yea i have norton installed

I have turned off norton auto protect is there anu other way to turn norton off? as this has made no differnrce

thanks every1 though for your ideas :)

[Mitthrawnuruodo]

Long shot: Try deleting (or maybe better move and rename) /Library/Caches/com.apple.LaunchServices.6B.csstore then reboot...

[jackl79]

Long shot: Try deleting (or maybe better move and rename) /Library/Caches/com.apple.LaunchServices.6B.csstore then reboot...

sadly not :( ...... any other ideas? :rolleyes:

[Mitthrawnuruodo]

I actually have found the "About This Mac" box. It's located inside the package "loginwindow" in CoreServices, full path: /System/Library/CoreServices/loginwindow.app/Contents/Resources/English.lproj/AboutThisMac.nib

If you hold the cursor over the greyed box, do you get a tooltip message saying "This button launches Software Update to check for updated software." or "This button is disabled because there is no Software Update application."?

And you haven't, by accident or on purpose, moved either of the apps "loginwindow" or "Software Update" out of the /System/Library/CoreServices/ folder...?

And have you installed any skins, enhancers or other system changing 3rd party software...?

[jackl79]

I actually have found the "About This Mac" box. It's located inside the package "loginwindow" in CoreServices, full path: /System/Library/CoreServices/loginwindow.app/Contents/Resources/English.lproj/AboutThisMac.nib

If you hold the cursor over the greyed box, do you get a tooltip message saying "This button launches Software Update to check for updated software." or "This button is disabled because there is no Software Update application."?

And you haven't, by accident or on purpose, moved either of the apps "loginwindow" or "Software Update" out of the /System/Library/CoreServices/ folder...?

And have you installed any skins, enhancers or other system changing 3rd party software...?

doesnt show any tooltip on either button

both files are in the folder as shown in attachment

dont think i have any system changing software as such.... can you give me a few examples if possible?

[Mitthrawnuruodo]

doesnt show any tooltip on either button

both files are in the folder as shown in attachment

dont think i have any system changing software as such.... can you give me a few examples if possible?If you have to ask chances are good you don't have any... ;) ShapeShifter (http://www.versiontracker.com/dyn/moreinfo/macosx/21579) is one example, there are others, e.g. most things on www.resexcellence.com

As the about box is located inside "loginwindow" there is a chance that deleting (or the usual move and rename) the systemwide pref file (you did say the problem occured for all users, right?): /Library/Preferences/com.apple.loginwindow.plist

Note that there is no ~ in front this time, i.e. it is not in your home folder (where there actually is another com.apple.loginwindow.plist file), this is the Library folder directly in the root directory (your HD).

[mad jew]

yea i have norton installed

I have turned off norton auto protect is there anu other way to turn norton off? as this has made no differnrce

thanks every1 though for your ideas :)

Nah, sorry, it wasn't Norton. It was some brand that I'd recognize if I saw it but I can't think of it off the top of my head. No luck in finding the old journal either, but it sounds like the antivirus isn't your problem anyway.

Good luck with it though. :confused:

[jackl79]

If you have to ask chances are good you don't have any... ;) ShapeShifter (http://www.versiontracker.com/dyn/moreinfo/macosx/21579) is one example, there are others, e.g. most things on www.resexcellence.com

As the about box is located inside "loginwindow" there is a chance that deleting (or the usual move and rename) the systemwide pref file (you did say the problem occured for all users, right?): /Library/Preferences/com.apple.loginwindow.plist

Note that there is no ~ in front this time, i.e. it is not in your home folder (where there actually is another com.apple.loginwindow.plist file), this is the Library folder directly in the root directory (your HD).

sadly removing that file (and restarting) has made no difference :(

[jackl79]

Nah, sorry, it wasn't Norton. It was some brand that I'd recognize if I saw it but I can't think of it off the top of my head. No luck in finding the old journal either, but it sounds like the antivirus isn't your problem anyway.

Good luck with it though. :confused:

thanks for looking mad jew

[Mitthrawnuruodo]

sadly removing that file (and restarting) has made no difference :(Then we are getting closer to a reinstall, I'm afraid... Apart from replacing the loginwindow.app (can be extracted from the OS X installer using Pacifist)...

Sorry I couldn't help you... :o

[jackl79]

Then we are getting closer to a reinstall, I'm afraid... Apart from replacing the loginwindow.app (can be extracted from the OS X installer using Pacifist)...

Sorry I couldn't help you... :o

ummm think i will wait till 10.4 is out

[jackl79]

How odd this function has started working again since i installed the newest security update (Security Update 2005-003) !!!

Thanks again to all that helped