Cannot install any Software updates

[ergdegdeg]

Since before the Magic Mouse update, I cannot install any new updates anymore. Software Update finds and downloads the updates just fine but when I click on the "Install" button, it greys out for a few seconds and then nothing happens, i.e. the install process is never triggered.

The same thing happened for the Magic Mouse update, iTunes 9.0.2 and the latest Parallels update.

When I wanted to create a new account to see if the same thing happens there, System Preferences wouldn't let me authenticate. When I clicked the lock symbol, nothing happened.

I also repaired disk in Disk Utility and although errors were reported and repaired, it hasn't changed anything. Downloading the updates from Apple's website produces the same results, the "Install" button is unresponsive.

I'm pretty much out of ideas here as I can't even log in as a different user. I'm on a mid-2007 MBP running 10.6.1. Anyone have suggestions?

Thank you.

 

[pdjudd]

Did you check permissions?

 

[wrldwzrd89]

Sounds like something's wrong with the administrator authentication mechanism. Can you authenticate by using sudo at the Terminal? For example:

sudo bash
Password: (type your password, it won't be displayed at all)

If the $ symbol at the Terminal prompt changes to a #, then it worked. Type

exit

...to get out of the root shell, since you only went in there for testing purposes.

 

[ergdegdeg]

Did you check permissions?

Yes, no problems there.

Sounds like something's wrong with the administrator authentication mechanism. Can you authenticate by using sudo at the Terminal? For example:

sudo bash
Password: (type your password, it won't be displayed at all)

If the $ symbol at the Terminal prompt changes to a #, then it worked. Type

exit

...to get out of the root shell, since you only went in there for testing purposes.

I can log in no problem.

Thank you for your help.

 

[calderone]

Similar things have come up before, it seems removing the byhost preferences have done it for some.

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/774615/

 

[wrldwzrd89]

Also check your Keychain for errors. This can be done from Keychain Access in your Utilities folder.

 

[ergdegdeg]

Similar things have come up before, it seems removing the byhost preferences have done it for some.

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/774615/

Interesting. I trashed the files and rebooted. My keyboard input was reset to Austrian (I have an Austrian keyboard). I tried authenticating in System Preferences and it worked. When I reset the input language to U.S. (which is what I want to use), I couldn't authenticate anymore.

Also check your Keychain for errors. This can be done from Keychain Access in your Utilities folder.

This, unfortunately, didn't help.

 

[wrldwzrd89]

Interesting. I trashed the files and rebooted. My keyboard input was reset to Austrian (I have an Austrian keyboard). I tried authenticating in System Preferences and it worked. When I reset the input language to U.S. (which is what I want to use), I couldn't authenticate anymore.

This, to me, suggests that, though you're typing your password correctly, you have an input method/language mismatch. This is easily corrected in System Preferences -> International (or whatever they renamed it to in SL).

 

[ergdegdeg]

This, to me, suggests that, though you're typing your password correctly, you have an input method/language mismatch. This is easily corrected in System Preferences -> International (or whatever they renamed it to in SL).

I'm not sure if that's the problem. English is set as my System Language. I was never even prompted for my password. The button just greyed out for a few seconds and then nothing happened, no password box appeared.
I guess in the meantime I will just have to repeat this process when I want to install software updates and then switch back to US keyboard layout.