Mac won't let me install or update anything!!

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Soundtech98

25 posts

Geek

#123411 6-Jul-2013 17:25

Hey there, my Mac is a late 2006 iMac.
It won't let me install/download anything and external USB drives are not being mounted (the USB ports work though) there are a few pictures to show this. The CD/DVD drive on the side is not working either.
I don't know what happened or what I have to do.

The USB's I tried to "mount" in Disk Utility but it said that it cant be mounted, so I tried to format the external drive into other formats too but this didn't fix anything.

The most concerning to me it the problem with the installing of software, which doesn't work (both from the internet and from the mac app store) so what do I do here? I am sure it has nothing to do with the settings and the system and admin (me) is permitted to read and write the internal HDD.

Please help me out here!!!
Thanks so much in advance..

Dairyxox

1594 posts

Uber Geek

#850345 7-Jul-2013 10:16

Can you boot off the disc and in the disk utility do a repair permissions?
Might help.

Goosey

2834 posts

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Subscriber

#850348 7-Jul-2013 10:30

What are the specific error messages that you are getting?
As above, try reparing permissions etc.

What is the OS version you are using?
How much HDD space do you have left?
Are all your software updates up to date i.e. software update.

sir1963

3264 posts

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Subscriber

#850356 7-Jul-2013 10:58

apart from repairing permissions

Boot into single user mode (Reboot your machine while holding down Command-s)

Wait until all the unix text scrolls pass.

When it gets to a command prompt type

fsck -fy

This will check your disk directory structures and a range of other issues that are important to the health of your machine.

A REALLY useful tool I have installed on over 100 machines is an application called applejack

This give you a "menu" driven set of tools while in single user mode for checking your disk, repairing permissions, checking preference files and so on. Its is extremely useful and I would recommend it to everyone.

Soundtech98

25 posts

Geek

#850389 7-Jul-2013 11:50

Cant boot of the disk beacause the cd dvd drive is not working and I cant plug an external one in cause it wont be recognized by the mac.

Soundtech98

25 posts

Geek

#850392 7-Jul-2013 12:04

The error messages I am getting are posted in my gallery, sorry but I am new to geekzone and still dont know how everything works and what you guys can or cant see.
But the message I am getting is:
None of the selected updates could be installed.
The update could not be expanded, and may have been corrupted during downloadind. The update will be downloaded and checked again the next time that Software Update runs.

That is the error message I get everytime for every update.
I have another 60GB of free HDD
Currently have Mac OS X 10.6.8 Snow Leopard.
Those updates cant be installed for some reason and I doubt that the OS has anything to do with it.
And what about the USB problem?

Soundtech98

25 posts

Geek

#850414 7-Jul-2013 13:39

Sir1963, how do I stop that script from starting everytime I start up my mac?

gehenna

8520 posts

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Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#850462 7-Jul-2013 15:37

Before trying to do any disk or permission utilities, which only really help when dealing with a file or application related problem, you should try an SMC (system management controller) reset first.

This has solved 90% of my hardware related issues in the past. If it can't be solved by an SMC reset then the next step is usually a reinstall of the OS and following that it would need servicing by AppleCare, or replacement.

See the below link for details on how to perform the SMC reset on a range of Macs.

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT3964?viewlocale=en_US&locale=en_US

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Move to New Zealand's best fibre broadband service (affiliate link). Free setup code: R587125ERQ6VE. Note that to use Quic Broadband you must be comfortable with configuring your own router.

sir1963

3264 posts

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Subscriber

#850474 7-Jul-2013 16:43

Soundtech98: Sir1963, how do I stop that script from starting everytime I start up my mac?

It only loads when a shell is opened and applejack is just a front end to system shell scripts
so its not a problem.

Have a read.

http://applejack.sourceforge.net

Soundtech98

25 posts

Geek

#850487 7-Jul-2013 17:32

What do you mean by when a shell is opened?

Soundtech98

25 posts

Geek

#850496 7-Jul-2013 17:47

After holding down command - s at start up, I typed in that stuff that you have posted. Then the iMac displayed a few things and I typed in "exit". it sayed that i have to restart the computer (i did) and after it started up, it didnt get to the log in screen it went straight to a grey screen that says Panic.............
.................
....Random stuff....
Mac OS version:
Not set yet

Is this the problem. And why cant I just start from the partition that I used to boot from?

sir1963

3264 posts

Uber Geek

Subscriber

#850510 7-Jul-2013 19:01

Soundtech98: After holding down command - s at start up, I typed in that stuff that you have posted. Then the iMac displayed a few things and I typed in "exit". it sayed that i have to restart the computer (i did) and after it started up, it didnt get to the log in screen it went straight to a grey screen that says Panic.............
.................
....Random stuff....
Mac OS version:
Not set yet

Is this the problem. And why cant I just start from the partition that I used to boot from?

Sounds like you have some corrupted system/corrupted preference files files among other issues.

Do you have another Mac ?

if so boot the faulty mac up in target mode (Hold town the t key on start up), then plug it into another Mac via Firewire or Thunderbolt cable. This will treat your mac as an external hard drive, you can then access all of your files and make a back up of them.

Find someone with an external DVD that you can borrow, and reinstall your system software. Your User data and applications 'should' be preserved when you reinstall the OS, but I make no guarantees about this.

I would strongly suggest that if you have a local Mac users group near you that you see if there is someone with more experience than you to assist now as it sounds as though this is way out of your depth. If you were in Palmy I'd be happy to help, I also have software such as Diskwarrior, Drive Genius, Techtool pro and others.