updating software

[Cindy]

Every month I have a window that pops up and lets me know what needs or should be updated. I've always just closed it and ignored it.
Today I decided I would update three things.... Mac OS X, Ical, and Quicktime. Well, it started to update Quicktime and THREE HOURS later, the thing had barely moved! It would have taken days to update everything.
Is there a better way or does anyone even use the software update deal?
I just closed it down because it was barely moving.
Cindy

 

[jsw]

Cindy,

You don't need to install every recommended update, but it's a very good idea to install most of them.

I'd recommend going to System Preferences [under the apple menu in the upper left hand corner of the screen], clicking on "Software Update", and setting the period to check to "Daily". That way, you won't be surprised by many at once (because you'll tend to see them one at a time).

If you don't have broadband, it can take quite a while to download some of the updates.

You can also download updates directly from Apple if that is more convenient for you.

Please, though, strongly consider installing the recommended updates. Most will result in a better, more secure, and faster system. You can always ask this group about any updates you're unsure of.

 

[Cindy]

I've always just ignored it and so I have NEVER updated anything. How long should I expect it to be to update just a few things?
I only have dial up.
Just for the Quicktime, it was going on 3 hours and it barely moved.

 

[King Cobra]

The first rule of Software Update is: Do not use Software Update to update your software...if it can be found right on Apple's website. If you're on dial-up (such as I am), it's better to go straight to Apple's website and download the packages from HTTP (or FTP), as supposed to Software Update. It's especially useful to save the packages from the Apple website, much less from any website (as I have done as a habit for almost 4 years) so that you don't have to redownload them at a later date. Reason to do this: I refreshed my Hard Drive this past Thursday and didn't want to redownload over 80MB of OS X updates to get back to 10.3.4. That would be a wasted 8 hours. Same goes for having to redownload updates of iTunes, Quicktime, Safari (IF you use it)...that's another 30MB easy. So download from Apple's website (the link is provided below), and save the packages on your Hard Drive for potential later usage.

The second rule of Software Update is: Go to System Preferences > Software Update > Uncheck the checkmark for "Check for updates" <-- That'll get rid of the every month pop-up.

So...the very first place to look for updated Mac OS X software is here: www.apple.com/downloads/macosx/apple/ Mac OS X 10.3.4, iCal, and Quicktime updates are on the first two pages.

Quicktime 6.5.1
iCal

 

[jsw]

The second rule of Software Update is: Go to System Preferences > Software Update > Uncheck the checkmark for "Check for updates" <-- That'll get rid of the every month pop-up.

That's good if and only if you manually do the checks.

Of course, on dial-up, you're significantly less susceptible to the security flaws which many of the larger updates fix.

Another option, if you live near an Apple Store or have a friend with broadband, is to burn the updates (fromt he sites mentioned above) to a CD and then copy them onto your system at home. Do this every once in a while, and you'll be good to go.

 

[jsw]

The first rule of Software Update is: Do not use Software Update to update your software...if it can be found right on Apple's website.

This is likely a good rule for dial-up users, like you and Cindy.

Broadband users probably will have a much easier time just getting the notifications and spending the two minutes to download them.

 

[PowerMacMan]

I've always just ignored it and so I have NEVER updated anything. How long should I expect it to be to update just a few things?
I only have dial up.
Just for the Quicktime, it was going on 3 hours and it barely moved.

I say take it to a friends or family members' house w/ broadband internet and update it there... Dial-up will just waste your time for the software updates...

 

[Cindy]

The first rule of Software Update is: Do not use Software Update to update your software...if it can be found right on Apple's website. If you're on dial-up (such as I am), it's better to go straight to Apple's website and download the packages from HTTP (or FTP), as supposed to Software Update. It's especially useful to save the packages from the Apple website, much less from any website (as I have done as a habit for almost 4 years) so that you don't have to redownload them at a later date. Reason to do this: I refreshed my Hard Drive this past Thursday and didn't want to redownload over 80MB of OS X updates to get back to 10.3.4. That would be a wasted 8 hours. Same goes for having to redownload updates of iTunes, Quicktime, Safari (IF you use it)...that's another 30MB easy. So download from Apple's website (the link is provided below), and save the packages on your Hard Drive for potential later usage.


Okay, you've completely lost me here. I went to Apple's website and started to download the huge update for Mac OS X and the time on it was 7 hours! Can't do that as my dial up disconnects every once in a while. So, I'd have to literally sit at the computer and keep it up and running.
So, I don't know what you're saying when you say you refreshed your HD so you didn't have to download over 80MB of OS X updates (time wise -- too much time!)
Is this the only way I can update??
Someone suggested to have someone burn a cd for me -- I don't know anyone who has a cd burner off hand -- we live in the dark ages. Maybe someone at work....

And someone said it takes 2 minutes to download those huge files with broadband - is that true!? WOW - wouldn't that be grand.
Right now my OS X is running on 10.2.4 --- UGH - way outdated.

 

[Cindy]

The cd is probably the best idea for me. This might be a simple task for all of you but for me.... completely new. So.... say I have this cd - how will this then be copied onto mine? With the downloaded updates - it just updates your original program correct?
How easy or difficult would the cd route be? I've just never done anything like that before.

 

[King Cobra]

Okay, you've completely lost me here. I went to Apple's website and started to download the huge update for Mac OS X and the time on it was 7 hours! Can't do that as my dial up disconnects every once in a while. So, I'd have to literally sit at the computer and keep it up and running.

I recently decided to download the Combo Update for 10.3.4 (an 80+MB package) so that way I wouldn't have to update to 10.3.2, then 10.3.3, and then 10.3.4, as I have those individual update packages already. Point is: I sat through the download, just like almost any dial-up user would.

About your disconnections...call up your ISP and tell them to do all possible phone line checks from their server to your house. That way you might be able to resolve the disconnects as they might stem from the ISP. Better yet, email them. Short story: One time, my ISP, gwi.net, disconnected me 20 times in a day...I sent them an email, and in it, a line that said if the problem doesn't get resolved I'm switching providers. A day or two afterwards, my connection was much more stable. So, again, call up (or email) your ISP and request that they do phone line checks because you keep getting disconnected. In effect, you should be able to get those downloads without being disconnected (eventually...some ISPs are run by lazy idiots).

 

[Applespider]

Is this the only way I can update??

If you don't have broadband (and yes, things do take minutes as opposed to hours on broadband), is there a Starbucks or somewhere else with a wi-fi hotspot near you? They tend to have reasonable speeds (usually at least 512kbps) and although you might have to pay for an hour's access, you'd be all done within that time.

Although I guess if you're not talking about a 'Book, it might be awkward!

 

[Veldek]

Perhaps it would be a good idea to use a download manager, so you can pause and resume the downloads like you want. Then you can download if you have nothing else to do on the net. And if your connection is interrupted, you can resume the download later and don’t lose everything you downloaded so far.

I don’t know about any good managers, though, as I’m one of these 2-minutes-suckers...

 

[Cindy]

I recently decided to download the Combo Update for 10.3.4 (an 80+MB package) so that way I wouldn't have to update to 10.3.2, then 10.3.3, and then 10.3.4, as I have those individual update packages already. Point is: I sat through the download, just like almost any dial-up user would.

About your disconnections...call up your ISP and tell them to do all possible phone line checks from their server to your house. That way you might be able to resolve the disconnects as they might stem from the ISP. Better yet, email them. Short story: One time, my ISP, gwi.net, disconnected be 20 times in a day...I sent them an email, and in it, a line that said if the problem doesn't get resolved I'm switching providers. A day or two afterwards, my connection was much more stable. So, again, call up (or email) your ISP and request that they do phone line checks because you keep getting disconnected. In effect, you should be able to get those downloads without being disconnected (eventually...some ISPs are run by lazy idiots).

How long did that download take you? The dreaded 6-7 hours?
I'll try again -- calling my provider. I called them last year and yes, they are idiots.
Our phone lines tho - are very old and I might not be able to do anything about it yet. With more people moving out here, they have been doing some upgrading on everything. I live out in the boonies and everything is very old.
No cable yet. And very limited on DSL providers! And if you can get DSL like through the local phone company, it's quite expensive.

 

[osprey76]

The cd is probably the best idea for me. This might be a simple task for all of you but for me.... completely new. So.... say I have this cd - how will this then be copied onto mine? With the downloaded updates - it just updates your original program correct?
How easy or difficult would the cd route be? I've just never done anything like that before.

This sounds like a question my mom would ask. I'm the family tech support and after many years of trying to do it over the phone, they got DSL and I figured out how to do port mapping on their Linksys router so that VNC can connect. Much better.

Anyway, what you need is someone (with a fast connection and a CD Burner) to download the updates off of Apple's website (see links throughout the thread.) Once on their computer (which can be a Mac or PC, as long as the PC is configured to leave the downloads alone and just save them) have them burn the updates to a CD-R (CD writable.) Take the CD and put it in your computer. Now, you can run the updates directly from optical disk (slower) or you can copy them to your hard drive (faster) by just dragging the files on the CD to the Desktop (the screen that shows your hard drives, etc.) Once copied, just double-click on the updates and follow the instructions.

 

[King Cobra]

How long did that download take you? The dreaded 6-7 hours?

7 hours and 52 minutes, given that my I read the elapsed time from the Mozilla download manager correctly. For downloads at/over 10MB, I estimate my connection at 10MB/hour.

Our phone lines tho - are very old and I might not be able to do anything about it yet.

That's prob. what your ISP would tell you.

Most ISPs run by idiots will cover their backs by using well-aged excuses, such as everyone's favorite excuse: "You should call the phone company and have them check out the lines as we don't have control over them" Though, if they are seriously old - old as in spiders have been living between line 1 and line 2 for a decade - then upgrade your physical phone wires.

No cable yet. And very limited on DSL providers! And if you can get DSL like through the local phone company, it's quite expensive.

Lucky you...I can't get any broadband where I am (hell).

Edit: Once you have better connections without sudden disconnects, and if you need to download a big update, do what I do and let it download overnight. Just make sure that you set your connection to hang up after a couple of minutes of no activity, as supposed to 10 or 15.

 

[Cindy]

Edit: Once you have better connections without sudden disconnects, and if you need to download a big update, do what I do and let it download overnight. Just make sure that you set your connection to hang up after a couple of minutes of no activity, as supposed to 10 or 15.

Ah, this is a question I have for you... now, why two minutes instead of the 10-15? Right now it's set for 15 minutes of no activity.

 

[Cindy]

After sending two emails to my provider - still no answer
Why doesn't this surprise me. I'll call them if I don't hear back in another day.
Because it sure would be nice to not get disconnected constantly.
I get a window that pops up before disconnecting --says something like keep connected or disconnect (something to that effect) and if I don't hit the "keep connected" button, it will eventually disconnect.
Do any of you get that window?
The issue of downloading large downloads, I can probably do it at work (if there's a cd burner on the computers) as they use Macs and have DSL connections.

 

[telecomm]

From what you describe, sounds like you need to uncheck the "prompt to stay connected" option.

Go to system preferences, select network, double click on "internal modem", select PPP, then there's a button at the bottom of that window that says "PPP Options". Click that and uncheck the second box from the top. Best of luck.

 

[Cindy]

This is what my provider came back with... does any of it sound like it could be the problem with the disconnecting?

Cindy,

I have been looking into this issue. I looked back at the connection logs
for the past month and it looks like all the disconnections were initiated
by your computer. This could be for a number of reasons such as modem
problems, virus, spyware or other malicious programs. As for the modem,
go into its properties and lower the port speed one notch. You may also
want to update the modem driver itself from the manufacturers website. If
its a software issue you can run some free utilities to detect and clean.
For spyware download Spybot at www.safer-networking.org. To do a free
virus check go to http://housecall.trendmicro.com. You may also want to
clean out all your temporary files by opening a browser and going to
Tool--Internet option and click Delete Files. After that it would be a
good idea to run a disk defragmenter. Go to Start--run--and type defrag.
Let me know if yu have any questions.

 

[Cindy]

From what you describe, sounds like you need to uncheck the "prompt to stay connected" option.

Go to system preferences, select network, double click on "internal modem", select PPP, then there's a button at the bottom of that window that says "PPP Options". Click that and uncheck the second box from the top. Best of luck.

oops - didn't see your post til just now.
Yeah, I figured that one out myself by going to the help center in the internet connect.
I unchecked both the "prompt every (30) min. to maintain connection."
And the "disconnect after idle for --- min.".

should I have left the prompt every so many minutes tagged??
thanks for the help.

 

[telecomm]

I unchecked both the "prompt every (30) min. to maintain connection." And the "disconnect after idle for --- min.".

That should do it, are you still having connection problems after unchecking both those options?

 

[7on]

Also, since you have 10.2.4, 10.2.8 is the highest you can go. Also, I remember having dialup problems in 10.2.4 - as in it wouldn't stay connected.

Download Wizard
download this and you can resume downloads if you get disconnected

 

[Cindy]

That should do it, are you still having connection problems after unchecking both those options?

Don't know yet, hasn't happened yet. I forgot after switching it all to re-start the computer so I just did that. I'll let you know in a few....

 

[Cindy]

Also, since you have 10.2.4, 10.2.8 is the highest you can go. Also, I remember having dialup problems in 10.2.4 - as in it wouldn't stay connected.

Download Wizard
download this and you can resume downloads if you get disconnected

So, the computer won't take anything higher than 10.2.8?? Why is that?
Well, that sucks.
that's interesting that you couldn't stay connected in the old 10.2.4 -- again, I wonder why??
I guess I should try then to at least try and update as much as I'm able to then. Where would I get 10.2.8? I think the apple site that I have book marked only has the newer stuff.

 

[7on]

http://www.apple.com/support/downloads/macosxupdatecombo_10_2_8.html

It won't take higher because 10.3 is an upgrade, as in you must purchase it.

10.2.8 is the highest Jaguar went.