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Installing OS X Updates: Does Order Matter?

micpoc

micpoc

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Jun 3, 2015
20
1
New Orleans
After an apparent hard drive failure necessitated replacement, I have now performed a clean install of Snow Leopard on a 2010 MBP. I'm doing this in preparation for (finally) updating to Yosemite. So, now I have to perform the SL updates, and I'm curious how important the order I install them is. If I recall correctly, I will first have two updates listed, then after they are installed, there will be six or seven further updates. The order they appear in isn't alphabetical, so is this a preferred order, or does the order not matter? Also, is it better to install each one individually, or is doing them all at once better?
 
Install SL
Run Software Update, let the listed updates install, and your MBPro will restart.
Run Software Update after the restart. Let the listed updates install. Rinse, lather, repeat :D
That's pretty much it.
The order is taken care of by Software Update.
You CAN do each update, one at a time, but absolutely makes no difference in the end - except for the situation where you want to avoid updating some individual Apple app, like iTunes - but that would be your choice, and the order of installation isn't affected anyway. (Issues that might mean not updating iTunes are probably not relevant any longer, except for some tiny subset of users - I just mentioned iTunes as an example)
So, to answer your question - sequence of installs makes no difference whatsoever. Better to just let all updates install when listed.
And, On the chance that you have already downloaded the Yosemite installer, and have a prepared bootable Yosemite installer, then you don't need to do the "install SL/Update/Update task" anyway. Just boot to your Yosemite installer, and move past SL.
 
DeltaMac said:
The order is taken care of by Software Update.
You CAN do each update, one at a time, but absolutely makes no difference in the end…
Click to expand...
Thanks, DeltaMac, that was what I wanted to know; much appreciated. I've heard some people say that you should install the updates that require a restart FIRST, then move onto the others. This seems much easier.
DeltaMac said:
On the chance that you have already downloaded the Yosemite installer, and have a prepared bootable Yosemite installer, then you don't need to do the "install SL/Update/Update task" anyway. Just boot to your Yosemite installer, and move past SL.
Click to expand...
Frankly, that is what I'd LIKE to do, but this whole new hard drive/reinstall cycle began with my inability to get Yosemite downloaded in the first place. I don't know if it was some problem on the hard drive itself (Disk Utility said it was fine), or an Internet connection problem, but it happened a few times, then my original installation got messed up (would only boot up in Safe Mode), I couldn't reinstall from the original Installation discs (Installer would get hung up in the file copying process), etc., etc. A new hard drive seemed like the easiest solution.

And the only real reason I want to install Yosemite is so I can install the latest version of Logic.
 
Eithanius said:
A new drive doesn't come with Recovery Partition on its own, does it...?
Click to expand...
No, it does not.

Have you tried just doing Internet Recovery? If you've already "purchased" Yosemite you should be able to just skip Snow Leopard all together and install Yosemite.
Click to expand...
Problem is, I've had difficulty downloading Yosemite; whenever it nears completion, it fails.
 
Internet recovery connects to Apple's servers, and you don't need anything installed locally.
Internet Recovery, on your 2010 MBPro, would likely offer you Lion - I think.

Make sure to try a wired (ethernet) connection. You may be having problems with a Wifi connection, and a wired may work better.
 
DeltaMac said:
Internet recovery connects to Apple's servers, and you don't need anything installed locally.
Internet Recovery, on your 2010 MBPro, would likely offer you Lion - I think.

Make sure to try a wired (ethernet) connection. You may be having problems with a Wifi connection, and a wired may work better.
Click to expand...

I'm also on a 2010 MPB and it offers me Yosemite. I'm pretty sure it checks for your most recent "bought" OS since it asks you to login with your Apple ID connected to the MAS.

Internet recovery has nothing to do with the drive. It should still work even on a blank never before used drive.

Edit: Ignore me I was wrong.
 
Last edited:
superstrikertwo said:
I'm also on a 2010 MPB and it offers me Yosemite. I'm pretty sure it checks for your most recent "bought" OS since it asks you to login with your Apple ID connected to the MAS.
Click to expand...
Are you sure you aren't booting from the normal Yosemite Recovery partition? It will still ask for your Apple ID to download Yosemite.

  • If you use the Recovery System stored on your startup drive to reinstall OS X, it installs the most recent version of OS X previously installed on this computer.
  • If you use Internet Recovery to reinstall OS X, it installs the version of OS X that originally came with your computer. After installation is finished, use the Mac App Store to install related updates or later versions of OS X that you have previously purchased.
Click to expand...
 
Ah. I stand corrected. I had assumed the point of logging into your Apple ID was to download the most recent OS you purchased.

Thanks for clarifying!
 
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