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Major 10.7.3 update problem

D

dgwrigley

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Feb 11, 2012
14
0
UK
Hello,
I have a 2009 MacBook Pro (can't tell you any more as 'about this mac' doesn't work.

I undertook the 10.7.3 update and have major problems. I can't open safari, finder, mail, disk utility or system preferences. It just either comes up with the CUI icons or crashes back to login screen.
When I use my Lion boot disk it doesn't show me the screen with 'open disk utility or reinstall lion' etc when pressing option on startup
I have a full backup on a Time Machine but can't get into it due to the problems above.

I can get into terminal with Cmd S on startup but I know very little about terminal!

I have been 2 weeks without my laptop. Apple store is a long way away and I hoped to sort it by asking for expert advice on here.

Thanks!

David
 
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Go and download the 10.7.3 combo update from Apples support page. Or run Software Update and look for the combo.

There were major problems with the delta update and Apple pulled it.

Run the combo update and it should resolve all of your issues.
 
Hi

I can't get safari to open (crashes) and software update says I am up to date. Also cant get safari on recovery HD as it won't boot that either.
 
Terminal crashes from Spotlight too.

I have a PC at home. Is it possible to download the combo update from my PC onto a USB and then use the command you suggested?
 
I put the combo onto my USB and then in terminal (Cmd S on booting) entered the code you advised me and it then did things.
I am not sure what do now though.
I have rebooted into Lion and still cant use anything. I found the disk image in Spotlight and clicked it and nothing happened.
Do I need to do something else or boot it up differently (I pressed the option key on booting and it only ofers me the option of going into my main HDD)

Thanks
 
Ive just thought - do i need to make the USB stick 'bootable'?
How do i do that in terminal? and then how do i add the combo after?
 
Can you get into the recovery partition? Hold option at start and then choose the recovery partition. At that point you can erase and reinstall Lion, restore from Time Machine, and then apply the combo update instead of the one through Software Update. Should work like a charm, even if it takes a bit of time.
 
I can't get the recovery partition to come up when I boot with the Lion disc in my drive.

It just stays on the twirling wheel - I have left it for 8 hours before now and the wheel still turns.
 
dgwrigley said:
I can't get the recovery partition to come up when I boot with the Lion disc in my drive.
Click to expand...

What Lion disc? Lion doesn't have a disc, unless you made one. And your Lion disc isn't the same thing as the recovery partition. The recovery partition is a hidden partition on your HDD.
 
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Apologies. Getting mixed up.

Can't access Recovery HD partition. Doesn't come up when pressing 'option' and can't get into Finder either on main screen.
 
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I'm not sure. I originally Created a boot disc when I upgraded from Leopard to Lion on App Store.
Since upgrade to 10.7.3 I cant open apps or get recovery partition to show
 
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It shows up when i press 'option' then I click on it and the wheel spins for hours and hours and nothing happens.
 
dgwrigley said:
It shows up when i press 'option' then I click on it and the wheel spins for hours and hours and nothing happens.
Click to expand...

It may be corrupted. Did you ever have a time when it worked?

Do you have any friends with a Mac? If so, you can boot your MBP into Target Disk Mode and use your friend's Mac to erase your Mac and reinstall the OS. You might also be able to apply the combo update this way, I'm not sure.
 
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It worked before the 10.7.3 update. It is so frustrating.

I can try and find a Mac friend.

Thanks.
 
Yeah, these things sometimes happen (regardless of OS), but it sucks big time when they do. If you have the original install discs for your computer, you can do it yourself by installing SL, updating to 10.6.8, downloading Lion again, creating your boot disc again (unless you just want to do a straight upgrade), and then applying the combo 10.7.3 update.
 
dgwrigley said:
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It worked before the 10.7.3 update. It is so frustrating.

I can try and find a Mac friend.

Thanks.
Click to expand...

Call AppleCare. They have been known to provide recovery USB sticks for customers who are unable to boot their system from their recovery partitions.
 
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I do appreciate your efforts.

I've still got my SL discs but I'm not sure how to go back to SL. If I boot from it nothing seems to happen.

Also I can't get into Finder following the 10.7.3 update.
 
dgwrigley said:
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I do appreciate your efforts.

I've still got my SL discs but I'm not sure how to go back to SL. If I boot from it nothing seems to happen.

Also I can't get into Finder following the 10.7.3 update.
Click to expand...

With your SL disks, you can boot to the point you have Disk Utility (from the DVD) and you might be able to "Archive and Install" Snow Leopard, then re-download Lion from the App store.

This time STOP and make yourself a FULL LION RECOVERY USB STICK. Inside "Install OS X Lion.app", using show contents, find a file called InstallESD.DMG and use Disk Utility to "restore" it to an empty USB stick that is formatted GUID parition scheme HFS+. You will now have a recovery method that doesn't rely on your HDD. Next you can allow Lion to install over again and this time go and get the combo update.
 
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Thanks.

Do I go back to SL by pressing 'option' on turning on Mac and then choose the disc and wait?
 
as far as what the OP is talking about, I can empathize. What I updated, although I waited till 10.7.3 combo came out, it corrupted my disk in multiple places, and threw my permissions way out of whack. I had to go find my firmware password, boot into the recovery partition, and repair and fix my permissions from there before my computer would function properly. so this could be why the OP is having so much trouble getting the extra update downloaded- makes sense to me.
 
dgwrigley said:
Do I go back to SL by pressing 'option' on turning on Mac and then choose the disc and wait?
Click to expand...

Once you do that, run through the installer process. You'll have to erase the HDD first using Disk Utility since the installer won't install over a newer version of OS X. You can access Disk Utility from the Utilities menu.

And, yes, this time create a full Lion USB install drive before you install Lion. If something like this ever happens again, you'll have a much better time of it.
 
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