Never-ending 10.10.1 10.10.2 process

[InquiringMac]

I believe 10.10.2 update was automatically downloaded from the App Store and the installation process started at which point the following message was issued:

<< “FreeFileSync” prevented update being installed >> presenting “Restart” and “Cancel” choices.

I pressed “Restart” button at this point.

Normal Update screen with a progress bar appeared.

In about 5 minutes the “Restarting…” screen was presented (on a gray background occupying the whole desktop with a changing circle, NOT a “Beach Ball”, underneath).

During the next 25 hours nothing changed – the same “Restarting…” screen with this constantly changing circle underneath.

At this point I attempted to manually restart the system. Neither mouse nor keyboard actions made any effect; only by pressing and holding the power button for about 10 seconds I was able to restart.

A progress bar appeared on a light gray background and in about 5 minutes a normal login screen appeared.

“About This Mac” reports I have 10.10.2 version. Can I be sure this is true?

There is no such thing as “FreeFileSync” among Applications, Widgets or Other (I used AppCleaner application to check this).

Activity Monitor shows no “FreeFileSync” among the running processes. What the hell is this “FreeFileSync” thing?!

Please forgive my ignorance: I am not a software Guru and do need a very simple explanation of what happened and how to fix the problem. Please help!

 

[Weaselboy]

http://www.freefilesync.org/download.php

Looks like this sync software you have installed. Try this. Do a boot to safe mode by holding the shift key at boot. That will prevent the app from launching.

Now install the file search app iFileX and search for the term freefilesync and delete what it finds then restart. Now try the upgrade again.

Some of these app deleting programs don't catch everything and that may be what happened here.

 

[InquiringMac]

"Ghost in the machine"

Thank you very kindly Weaselboy!

Yes, you are absolutely correct: indeed, I installed “FreeFileSync” app, and later removed it using “AppCleaner” app.

Following your directions, I performed the following:

1. Booted to safe mode.
2. Using “iFileX” searched (both in “Contains” and “Is” modes) for FreeFileSync. Result: No matches found.

Just out of curiosity, I checked, using “CCleaner” app, what is going on at startup: no “FreeFileSync” being launched (please see the attached report)!

"Ghost in the machine" indeed!

Did I permanently damaged my trusted Mac? Cursing myself…

Please help me if you can.

 

[Weaselboy]

2. Using “iFileX” searched (both in “Contains” and “Is” modes) for FreeFileSync. Result: No matches found.

Just searching for the app name won't always get everything, because the app may have installed files that don't contain its name, and our search would not find the files.

Let's try this. Run the app Etrecheck and post the output up here so we can take a look at it. That will show us everything that you have running and we can figure out where to look next.

 

[InquiringMac]

EtreCheck report

Problem description:
While you are on this, Weaselboy, could you also please tell me if anything else needs to be fixed (i.e. removed, changed or added) on my Mac?

EtreCheck version: 2.1.8 (121)
Report generated February 3, 2015 at 6:54:36 PM CST
Download EtreCheck from http://etresoft.com/etrecheck

Click the [Click for support] links for help with non-Apple products.
Click the [Click for details] links for more information about that line.

Hardware Information: ℹ️
Mac mini (Late 2012) (Technical Specifications)
Mac mini - model: Macmini6,2
1 2.6 GHz Intel Core i7 CPU: 4-core
16 GB RAM Upgradeable
BANK 0/DIMM0
8 GB DDR3 1600 MHz ok
BANK 1/DIMM0
8 GB DDR3 1600 MHz ok
Bluetooth: Good - Handoff/Airdrop2 supported
Wireless: en1: 802.11 a/b/g/n

Video Information: ℹ️
Intel HD Graphics 4000
HP ZR30w 2560 x 1600

System Software: ℹ️
OS X 10.10.2 (14C109) - Time since boot: 0:12:55

Disk Information: ℹ️
APPLE HDD HTS541010A9E662 disk0 : (1 TB)
EFI (disk0s1) <not mounted> : 210 MB
Recovery HD (disk0s3) <not mounted> [Recovery]: 650 MB
Macintosh HD (disk1) / : 998.97 GB (604.01 GB free)
Core Storage: disk0s2 999.35 GB Online

USB Information: ℹ️
Apple Inc. BRCM20702 Hub
Apple Inc. Bluetooth USB Host Controller
Apple, Inc. IR Receiver
CP1500PFCLCD CRCA102-3I1

Thunderbolt Information: ℹ️
Apple Inc. thunderbolt_bus

Gatekeeper: ℹ️
Mac App Store and identified developers

Kernel Extensions: ℹ️
/Applications/Toast 11 Titanium/Spin Doctor.app
[not loaded] com.hzsystems.terminus.driver (4) [Click for support]

/Library/Extensions
[loaded] com.logitech.manager.kernel.driver (4.10.1 - SDK 10.8) [Click for support]

/System/Library/Extensions
[loaded] com.avira.kext.FileAccessControl (1.0.0d1 - SDK 10.9) [Click for support]
[not loaded] com.roxio.BluRaySupport (1.1.6) [Click for support]

/Users/[redacted]/Library/Services/ToastIt.service/Contents/MacOS
[not loaded] com.roxio.TDIXController (2.0) [Click for support]

Launch Agents: ℹ️
[loaded] com.avira.antivirus.general.agent.plist [Click for support]
[loaded] com.avira.antivirus.ipm.ui.plist [Click for support]
[loaded] com.avira.antivirus.notifications.agent.plist [Click for support]
[failed] com.avira.antivirus.odscan.default.plist [Click for support] [Click for details]
[loaded] com.avira.antivirus.scheduler.agent.plist [Click for support]
[running] com.avira.antivirus.systray.plist [Click for support]
[loaded] com.avira.antivirus.telemetry.agent.plist [Click for support]
[loaded] com.avira.antivirus.update.default.plist [Click for support]
[running] com.logitech.manager.daemon.plist [Click for support]

Launch Daemons: ℹ️
[failed] com.avira.antivirus.dbcleaner.plist [Click for support]
[failed] com.avira.antivirus.ipm.loader.plist [Click for support]
[running] com.avira.helper.watchdox.plist [Click for support]
[loaded] com.google.keystone.daemon.plist [Click for support]
[loaded] com.microsoft.office.licensing.helper.plist [Click for support]

User Launch Agents: ℹ️
[running] com.microsoft.LaunchAgent.SyncServicesAgent.plist [Click for support]
[running] ws.agile.1PasswordAgent.plist [Click for support]

User Login Items: ℹ️
iTunesHelper Application (/Applications/iTunes.app/Contents/MacOS/iTunesHelper.app)

Internet Plug-ins: ℹ️
SharePointBrowserPlugin: Version: 14.0.0 [Click for support]
nplastpass: Version: 3.1.21 [Click for support]
QuickTime Plugin: Version: 7.7.3
Default Browser: Version: 600 - SDK 10.10

Safari Extensions: ℹ️
AdBlock
LastPass
Translate
Ghostery

3rd Party Preference Panes: ℹ️
Logi Preference Manager [Click for support]
Tuxera NTFS [Click for support]

Time Machine: ℹ️
Skip System Files: NO
Auto backup: YES
Volumes being backed up:
Macintosh HD: Disk size: 998.97 GB Disk used: 394.97 GB
Destinations:
Time Machine [Local]
Total size: 1.50 TB
Total number of backups: 56
Oldest backup: 2013-04-29 23:44:34 +0000
Last backup: 2015-01-11 13:43:27 +0000
Size of backup disk: Adequate
Backup size 1.50 TB > (Disk used 394.97 GB X 3)

Top Processes by CPU: ℹ️
4% WindowServer
1% avguard-ondemand-mgmt
0% fontd
0% savapi
0% AppleSpell

Top Processes by Memory: ℹ️
498 MB Finder
464 MB sharingd
429 MB coreservicesd
361 MB savapi
344 MB Safari

Virtual Memory Information: ℹ️
8.14 GB Free RAM
6.53 GB Active RAM
1.21 GB Inactive RAM
1.30 GB Wired RAM
1.49 GB Page-ins
0 B Page-outs

Diagnostics Information: ℹ️
Feb 3, 2015, 06:40:42 PM Self test - passed

 

[Weaselboy]

While you are on this, Weaselboy, could you also please tell me if anything else needs to be fixed (i.e. removed, changed or added) on my Mac?

Looks like you are in good shape. If anything else odd was running, Etrecheck would show it, and I'm not seeing anything.

 

[InquiringMac]

Thank you very kindly!

Thank you, thank you very kindly for your most appreciated help, Weaselboy!

Can I reasonably expect during the next Mac OS update there will be no message telling me something like

<< “FreeFileSync” prevented update being installed >> ?

 

[Weaselboy]

Thank you, thank you very kindly for your most appreciated help, Weaselboy!

Can I reasonably expect during the next Mac OS update there will be no message telling me something like

<< “FreeFileSync” prevented update being installed >> ?

I don't see any trace of anything like that running any longer, so I think you will be fine.

 

[InquiringMac]

Thank you!

For a new-bee like me your help is truly a lifesaver, Weaselboy!