# "Software Update" not working!



## mickyd24969 (Jan 13, 2008)

Folks,

This is driving me crazy!  Getting the message when I try to use Software Update (Leopard 10.5.1) "Software Update can't find the update server. Make sure you're connected to the Internet then try again"

I had the issue with Tiger and was hoping Leopard would address it, but no luck - I'm connected to the Internet using Telstra Bigpond Cable

The network diagnostics passes everything except the server connection.

All my other internet connections work ok

Help Please!!!


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## Soulwar (Jan 13, 2008)

I don't believe there is an OS issue here. It seems the ISP you use, is somewhat known for problems. 
 You might want to try going to the Apple website itself for updates. Might not be easier, but it should work...


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## Satcomer (Jan 13, 2008)

You can read the Apple document "Well Known" TCP and UDP ports used by Apple software products and see that Software Update uses the same port as http traffic. So something else is going on.

Now we need some information from you. What Mac do you have? How did you install Leopard, standard update or erase & install? Do you have any third party Ram installed?

We want to help you. So with a little information we can fix this.


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## mickyd24969 (Jan 14, 2008)

Folks, good news.  I was able to resolve the issue by deleting the preferences file - found this solution on another forum!

Thanks for your help.


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## nady (Jan 24, 2009)

Hi, i have the same problem, where is the preference file i need to delete please?

Thanks


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## Satcomer (Jan 24, 2009)

nady said:


> Hi, i have the same problem, where is the preference file i need to delete please?
> 
> Thanks



What Software Update will not download before crashing? To answer you question the Preference file he probably was talking about (along with other programs) reside in the folder /YourHardDrive/Users/YourUserName/Library/Preferences/ and the one for Software Update is called com.apple.SoftwareUpdate.plist . 

Deleting a Users Preference file is an old but still useful way to reset a program to default.


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## nady (Jan 24, 2009)

Thanks ! i tried that file and it's just the same?



> Software Update cant find the update server. Make sure youre connected to the Internet, then try again.



I have a mac book pro (2.4ghz Intel Core 2 Due) - with leopard 10.5.6

To get the normal updates i have to download them individually.

I am connected to the internet via my wireless router. which is set to auto detect (if that helps)


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## Doctor X (Jan 24, 2009)

*_Scratches Head_*

Is that not the highest update?  Or are you trying to update other things like *QuickTime*?

--J.D.


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## nady (Jan 24, 2009)

Yes that s the highest update, but i want it to automatically updates as it should for the future.  Also i am having the same problems when trying to install googles Picasso software for image sharing etc.

Is there anything else i could try? I am unsure how i have set up the connection as it automatically picks it up, so not sure if there are any other settings i might have to activate?


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## macaple (Feb 5, 2009)

you have  to go to safari proxies 
  open safari/preferences/ make sure u r on advance page / then press buttom "change setting " / choose page  "proxies"/  and then uncheck box "web proxy HTTP/''   make  sure box  " proxy requires password" unchecked  2 .....    

 good  luck !!!!


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## nady (Feb 6, 2009)

Thanks, Yes all those suggestions were implemented  I also noticed that apple talk was not on, turned it on and it all works 

Cheers


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## Giaguara (Feb 6, 2009)

Whaaat? I've got to try that AppleTalk thing on a Mac that I've struggled to get the iTunes 8.something update to install for month. AppleTalk is off for sure as it's pointless to have it on in an environment of hundreds of Windows + Server, random Linux and less than a handful of Macs in total. So afp off for me and smb on - I'll try next week...
How on earth have they managed to get SOME of the software updates to need afp??


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## nady (Feb 6, 2009)

I know, i though appletalk was an old technology, not needed these days LoL

But it worked, i even double checked, turning it off and back on and it was definitely that!


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## sprale (Feb 6, 2009)

On a similar issue...
on a Tiger system, I've seen the update app end up with incorrect permissions and become unable to launch. After repairing permissions, or fixing the permissions of the app directly, it will launch and update properly again.


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## nady (Feb 6, 2009)

We have a G5 at work with Tiger 10.4.09 - will not get updates (firewall problem, IT are useless bunch of MS monkeys) but even when we down load the updates manually and open the dmg file which opens the drive icon, nothing happens, when you double click it nothin???? any ideas??

I have repaired permissions, but still nowt!!!


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## Giaguara (Feb 25, 2009)

Ok back to this old thread. 

I had occasional problems with software update on the Macs at work, and I get the error -1001, software update timed out, in all of them.

I've had this on 10.4 machines but they were all upgraded.
So all are 10.5.4 or 10.5.6 now.
But most of the updates fail.

All iTunes updates fail.
Updating the software manually from Apple website is a sucky solution.

Also software update via command line fails.

I've tried with AFP on and off, removing [hd]/library/preferences/ softwareupdate.plist and restarting.
I've tried with AppleTalk on and off, with proxies changed , with AirPort on and off.
I've launched the software update from Apple menu, system preferences, used it via command line and nothing makes a difference. 
All software updates are while connected to an ethernet cable and LAN.  
Now there is a huge list of software updates that fail -- Any iTunes update, Java updates, seems any iLife update... 
What do I have left? It's not an option to download these apps via wireless as it's barely existing here. It's on all Macs, same software...

25/02/2009 11:20:30 sudo[442]     anna : TTY=ttys000 ; PWD=/Users/anna ; USER=root ; COMMAND=/usr/sbin/softwareupdate -a -i 
25/02/2009 11:20:32 installdb[447] Opened receipt database on '/' with schema 17. 
25/02/2009 11:20:33 Software Update[442] Package Authoring Error: installation-check results requires a message 
 25/02/2009 11:20:34 Software Update[442] __choice_su_visible returned error: Undefined value 
25/02/2009 11:20:34 Software Update[442] __choice_su_visible returned error: Undefined value 
25/02/2009 11:45:30 Software Update[171] Package Authoring Error: installation-check results requires a message 

Terminal gives

waiting iMac EFI Firmware Update 
Downloading Keynote Update 
Package failed: timed out

waiting Keynote Update 
Downloading Pages Update 
Package failed: timed out

Those applications (as said, most) don't add any errors in console, system or install logs.

What am I missing here?
Always error -1001.
I have softwareupdate set to manual (but even that seems to make no diffenrece).


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## nady (Feb 25, 2009)

I'd love to know the answer,  i am sure it a firewall problem, as when i take the mac book pro home, the updates work fine on the wireless. Maybe it's just a simple thing, like getting the hardwired firewall to except .dmg files maybe?

I get - 

&#8220;A networking error has occurred: forbidden (-1102). Make sure you can connect to the Internet, then try again.&#8220;

Have tried most things like you. As a long winded work around i download the updates manually, but it's such a pain.


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## Giaguara (Feb 25, 2009)

Ok some more testing.

DNS had only 10.x addresses internally. I added 208.67.222.220 and .222 to the dns list.
This resulted in the same error with softwareupdate, both via terminal and gui.

swcdn.apple.com returns valid results with ping from Terminal.

traceroute: Warning: swcdn.apple.com has multiple addresses; using 69.28.154.170
traceroute to apple.vo.llnwd.net (69.28.154.170), 64 hops max, 40 byte packets
 1  10.16.153.254 (10.16.153.254)  0.707 ms  0.377 ms  0.330 ms
 2  10.16.141.209 (10.16.141.209)  1.031 ms  0.979 ms  0.828 ms
 3  10.16.141.230 (10.16.141.230)  2.258 ms  1.546 ms  2.132 ms
 4  10.16.141.126 (10.16.141.126)  0.331 ms  0.312 ms  0.282 ms
 5  63.228.185.161 (63.228.185.161)  0.670 ms  0.674 ms  0.528 ms
 6  ldn-edge-01.inet.qwest.net (63.225.65.97)  17.799 ms  17.859 ms  17.779 ms
 7  ldn-core-01.inet.qwest.net (65.120.24.61)  19.295 ms  17.907 ms  17.992 ms
 8  jfk-core-01.inet.qwest.net (67.14.5.2)  85.963 ms  85.958 ms  85.955 ms
 9  jfk-brdr-03.inet.qwest.net (205.171.30.2)  86.170 ms  86.575 ms  86.548 ms
10  63.146.26.226 (63.146.26.226)  86.538 ms  86.427 ms  86.952 ms
11  te3-1-10G.ar6.NYC1.gblx.net (67.16.131.110)  86.386 ms  86.375 ms  86.451 ms
12  LIMELIGHT-LGA.TenGigabitEthernet3-3.ar6.NYC1.gblx.net (207.138.144.150)  87.178 ms  86.939 ms  86.716 ms
13  ve2002.fr3.lga.llnw.net (69.28.171.201)  89.376 ms  86.779 ms  86.731 ms
14  cds170.lga.llnw.net (69.28.154.170)  86.997 ms  87.399 ms  86.663 ms

From one system, another Mac gave traceroute for 64.86.71.83, and 64.215.158.65, 64.215.158.33  etc  instead, and via a different path. All different IPs solve to a950.g.akamai.net or apple.vo.llnwd.net (or at least from around 10 different IPs I only get those).

So.. um, what kind of load balancers do they have on Apple's site? I suspect all the software updates that fail are located on the same servers on their side. Still I don't get why on these systems it fails while on the majority of the systems it works. If 4 Macs out of 4 have the same problem there has to be something...

I deleted also the softwareupdate cache (in ~/Library) but since the timeout occurs also on  root that made no difference.


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