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Cannot apply ANY OS X system updates via App Store

Mactabulous

Mactabulous

macrumors member
Original poster
Dec 23, 2011
69
0
I am, and have been for the last few months, completely unable to install ANY OS X related system updates via App Store. Firstly, I'm often presented with the following pop-up error, stating: "An error has occured. Can't load data from the Apple Software Update Server".

Secondly, when I hit the Update button for any of these OS X related system updates, it momentarily shows the progress bar, but then it reverts to it's default state by showing the Update button again. Apparently it fails to even start the download, and much less apply it.

Lately I have resorted to manual downloads, so there's always that. Ideally I'd like to have the App Store function properly. Other updates to Apple applications or third-party developers install as they should. Any system updates, however, simply do not install from within the App Store.

I have tried resetting the App Store and a couple of other hints I found online, but the issue prevails like the plague. Any help would be greatly appreciated!
 
Can you re-install the OS by having someone else download an installer or do you have a backup from when it was working?

What else have you tried?
 
I can do a clean install, of course (I have the Yosemite install file tucked away somewhere). If it can be avoided, that'd be great. But as a last resort, sure.

I have followed a few tips online that suggested deleting a couple of plist files in conjunction with resetting the App Store (in user Library). None of these tips were specifically linked to my issue, and none of them resolved it. It was worth a shot, I figured. I have yet to find a similar case posted online (that's not to say that it doesn't exist, but I certainly haven't found one, yet).
 
Might sound stupid, but have you accepted the latest terms and conditions, verified your payment method, etc etc. You should get pushed to either of these when you try to make a purchase but sometimes it fails, and I don't think clicking update automatically does it...
 
JonLa said:
Might sound stupid, but have you accepted the latest terms and conditions, verified your payment method, etc etc. You should get pushed to either of these when you try to make a purchase but sometimes it fails, and I don't think clicking update automatically does it...
Click to expand...

When it comes to this, nothing is stupid. Thanks, I'll look into that. I did manually log via App Store a few days ago, but I was not redirected to any new term and conditions.
 
Mactabulous said:
I am, and have been for the last few months, completely unable to install ANY OS X related system updates via App Store. Firstly, I'm often presented with the following pop-up error, stating: "An error has occured. Can't load data from the Apple Software Update Server".
Click to expand...

Try this:
In terminal, either copy and paste the following, or type it in. (the last character is a lower case L.)
Code: 
sudo softwareupdate -l
Enter your admin account password when prompted. This runs the command line Software Update app (which is what the App Store application is actually doing) and should provide a little more detail. The lower case L only lists the updates available. If you want to go ahead and install all the updates that it finds, you'd enter:
Code: 
sudo softwareupdate -ia
again entering your password if prompted, and restarting the computer when prompted.
You may also want to enter this:
Code: 
defaults read /Library/Preferences/com.apple.SoftwareUpdate CatalogURL
This error sounds as if your computer may not be looking at the default Software Update Server, and this last command will report which server it's set to use.
 
At least the commands work, sort of. It's capable of listing available downloads, but when running the install command, I get this in Terminal:

Error downloading OS X Update: The file couldn’t be saved because you don’t have permission.
Click to expand...

I verified/repaired disk permissions yesterday, so everything should be in order.

I have also verified correct payment information and reset warnings in App Store.
 
I forgot to mention that the last command doesn't work unless I remove "CatalogURL" from the string. And in doing so, I guess the command is not doing what was intended. I get this error when using the full command:

2015-01-29 03:23:08.536 defaults[2278:764248]
The domain/default pair of (/Library/Preferences/com.apple.SoftwareUpdate, CatalogURL) does not exist

Don't know why, but the output places a comma between com.apple.SoftwareUpdate and CatalogURL.
 
Mactabulous said:
I forgot to mention that the last command doesn't work unless I remove "CatalogURL" from the string. And in doing so, I guess the command is not doing what was intended. I get this error when using the full command:

2015-01-29 03:23:08.536 defaults[2278:764248]
The domain/default pair of (/Library/Preferences/com.apple.SoftwareUpdate, CatalogURL) does not exist

Don't know why, but the output places a comma between com.apple.SoftwareUpdate and CatalogURL.
Click to expand...
That's fine, it's what it should do if nothing is set there.
Most likely there is a temporary file in /private/var/folders which can't be overwritten and is blocking your updates. Try running the command line install command with Console running to see if you can identify the issue with more detail.
 
Thanks for following up, I really appreciate that. Here's Console:

29/01/15 14:37:21,501 sudo[1394]: Mactabulous : TTY=ttys000 ; PWD=/Users/Mactabulous ; USER=root ; COMMAND=/usr/sbin/softwareupdate -ir

29/01/15 14:37:23,000 kernel[0]: BUG in process suhelperd[255]: over-released legacy external boost assertions (1 total, 1 external, 0 legacy-external)

29/01/15 14:38:00,687 locationd[64]: Could not write data to disk /var/folders/zz/zyxvpxvq6csfxvn_n00000sm00006d/C/cache.plist (CULPRIT?)

29/01/15 14:40:57,610 bird[228]: Assertion failed: ![_xpcClients containsObject:client]

29/01/15 14:40:58,304 com.apple.appkit.xpc.openAndSavePanelService[1403]: assertion failed: 14B25: libxpc.dylib + 97940 [9437C02E-A07B-38C8-91CB-299FAA63083D]: 0x89

29/01/15 14:42:24,045 com.apple.xpc.launchd[1]: (com.apple.imfoundation.IMRemoteURLConnectionAgent) The _DirtyJetsamMemoryLimit key is not available on this platform.

29/01/15 14:42:50,165 sharingd[226]: 14:42:50.164 : Stopping Handoff advertising
Click to expand...

Some of these entries are shown multiple times with different time signatures, so I chose the first of every instance in that case. Not sure if every entry is relevant to App Store. Furthermore, Terminal did not give any errors this time, it just reverted to the default $
 
Mactabulous said:
Thanks for following up, I really appreciate that. Here's Console:



Some of these entries are shown multiple times with different time signatures, so I chose the first of every instance in that case. Not sure if every entry is relevant to App Store. Furthermore, Terminal did not give any errors this time, it just reverted to the default $
Click to expand...

Yes, the cache.plist is a very likely place to start. You may be able to get rid of it by starting the computer in "Safe Boot" by holding the shift key through the startup process, otherwise you'll need to manually remove it.
EDIT: no, that isn't part of software update. Look in /private/var/folders/zz/ to see what else is in there.
You can also filter Console on software update to see if it makes anything clearer.
2nd edit: note that the problem is not the App Store app, but rather the background softwareupdate process that the App Store app initiates.
 
Last edited:
Will deleting it suffice? Either in Finder or using the rm command? No matter, it's gone. Time to restart :)
 
chrfr said:
Yes, the cache.plist is a very likely place to start. You may be able to get rid of it by starting the computer in "Safe Boot" by holding the shift key through the startup process, otherwise you'll need to manually remove it.
EDIT: no, that isn't part of software update. Look in /private/var/folders/zz/ to see what else is in there.
You can also filter Console on software update to see if it makes anything clearer.
2nd edit: note that the problem is not the App Store app, but rather the background softwareupdate process that the App Store app initiates.
Click to expand...

Alright. Inside zz there are some 24 randomly named folders (and within those a plethora of some possibly several hundred folders altogether). What exactly am I looking for? Needle in the haystack!

Edit: I think I have located the "main" Software Update folder inside zz, but I have no clue what actions to take or how to meaningfully convey what's inside the folders without creating a lightyear long post.
 
Last edited:
For my part, I'll probably be doing a clean install to resolve this. I've also tried installing the OS X 10.10.2 update manually, but even that won't install (the computer reboots without installing the update). Seems I have a major issue somewhere.
 
I did a clean install when 10.10.1 came out... Sucks having to do a clean install anytime updates come out. Other updates also won't install.
 
Mactabulous said:
Interesting. I have no issues with third-party updates. The plot thickens.
Click to expand...

Third party (and Apple application) updates don't use the "softwareupdate" process that Apple system updates use, so that isn't surprising. Have you tried the safe boot?
I still think it's a "stuck" update in /private/var/folders but it can be difficult to find anything in there, as you've discovered. If you look in that folder and enable "calculate all sizes" in Finder's view options, you might find something if you sort by size.
 
Just found this and it worked!

sudo chown -R _softwareupdate:_softwareupdate /var/folders/zz/zyxvpxvq6csfxvn_*
 
Good that you managed to get it to work, however you should've (recursively) changed the owner and group to _softwareupdate for /var/folders/zz/zyxvpxvq6csfxvn_n00000s0000068 only as another similar directories should ideally have different ownership. Now, something else might be broken instead.
Code: 
drwxr-xr-x  6 root             wheel            204 Oct 27 00:02 zyxvpxvq6csfxvn_n0000000000000
drwxr-xr-x  3 _networkd        _networkd        102 Oct 27 00:00 zyxvpxvq6csfxvn_n000003000000r
drwxr-xr-x  4 _appleevents     _appleevents     136 Oct 27 00:00 zyxvpxvq6csfxvn_n000006w00001q
drwxr-xr-x  4 _mdnsresponder   _mdnsresponder   136 Oct 27 00:00 zyxvpxvq6csfxvn_n0000084000021
drwxr-xr-x  4 _spotlight       _spotlight       136 Oct 27 00:00 zyxvpxvq6csfxvn_n00000b400002s
drwxr-xr-x  4 _securityagent   _securityagent   136 Oct 27 00:04 zyxvpxvq6csfxvn_n00000bh00002w
drwxr-xr-x  4 _atsserver       _atsserver       136 Oct 27 00:00 zyxvpxvq6csfxvn_n00000c4000031
drwxr-xr-x  4 _softwareupdate  _softwareupdate  136 Oct 27 00:00 zyxvpxvq6csfxvn_n00000s0000068
drwxr-xr-x  4 _coreaudiod      _coreaudiod      136 Oct 27 00:01 zyxvpxvq6csfxvn_n00000s800006_
drwxr-xr-x  4 _locationd       _locationd       136 Oct 27 00:00 zyxvpxvq6csfxvn_n00000sm00006d
drwxr-xr-x  3 _timezone        _timezone        102 Oct 27 00:04 zyxvpxvq6csfxvn_n00000t800006k
drwxr-xr-x  4 _cvmsroot        _cvms            136 Oct 27 00:00 zyxvpxvq6csfxvn_n00000th00006m
drwxr-xr-x  3 _usbmuxd         _usbmuxd         102 Oct 27 00:00 zyxvpxvq6csfxvn_n00000tm00006n
drwxr-xr-x  4 _netbios         _netbios         136 Oct 27 01:28 zyxvpxvq6csfxvn_n00000vr00006y
drwxr-xr-x  4 _assetcache      _assetcache      136 Oct 27 01:49 zyxvpxvq6csfxvn_n00000xc00007b
drwxr-xr-x  4 _iconservices    _iconservices    136 Oct 27 00:00 zyxvpxvq6csfxvn_n00000y000007h
drwxr-xr-x  3 _distnote        _distnote        102 Oct 27 00:00 zyxvpxvq6csfxvn_n00000y400007j
drwxr-xr-x  3 _nsurlsessiond   _nsurlsessiond   102 Oct 27 00:00 zyxvpxvq6csfxvn_n00000y800007k
drwxr-xr-x  3 _nsurlstoraged   _nsurlstoraged   102 Oct 27 00:01 zyxvpxvq6csfxvn_n00000yc00007l
 
legaleye3000 said:
Just found this and it worked!

sudo chown -R _softwareupdate:_softwareupdate /var/folders/zz/zyxvpxvq6csfxvn_*
Click to expand...

Can you provide a source for this command? Where did you find it?

Update: I applied the command only to the folder in question, and it has indeed resolved the issue. Still, I'd like to know where the solution came from.

Chrfr: thanks so much for following up on this, much appreciated!
 
Last edited:
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