Please help! Installer not working!

[misoshiru]

Hi, I've had this problem for about the past month and it's really bothering me. I'm not sure when it started, but now whenever I want to install something or use an application that requires permission (as in entering the username and password), the permission does not appear and just leaves me with it loading forever. Then I'm forced to just close the installer window. I am the admin of the computer, so I'm able to type in the password and username, but it never prompts me. I haven't been able to download anything and its becoming incredibly annoying. I backed up my drive, deleted OSX and then reinstalled OSX, but it didn't work. I tried Pacifist but it won't work either, it just freezes the same way the installer.app does. Does anyone know if I could reinstall the installer.app in any way??? Or how to fix the problem? Thank you!!!

The file attached is what I'm trying to download, and I'm able to get up to this step before the application freezes. This is the same for any other application I try to install.

 

[Cory Cooper]

Hello and welcome.

-Which model Mac?
-Which version of OS X?
-How did you perform the deletion/reinstall of OS X?

You should try repairing disk permissions first, using Disk Utility in the Applications > Utilities folder.

C

 

[misoshiru]

Hello and welcome.

-Which model Mac?
-Which version of OS X?
-How did you perform the deletion/reinstall of OS X?

You should try repairing disk permissions first, using Disk Utility in the Applications > Utilities folder.

C

The model is an iMac (21.5-inch, Late 2013). The OSX version is Yosemite ver. 10.10.3. I performed the delete and reinstall by backing up my data into the time machine, and then erased all my data in my hard drive. Then, I reinstalled OSX Yosemite, and used restored what I had saved in the time machine.

I made a partition earlier today and installed OSX yosemite on it, and tried installing it there. It worked, so I copied the installer program onto an SD card and rebooted the partition that was having the problem. Even with the new installer, it wouldn't work. I have repaired disk permissions multiple times now, and nothing has changed. I believe there is something wrong with my permissions, since the prompting window for typing in my username and password never appears. Do you think there are files that I don't have or etc? Thanks.

 

[misoshiru]

Also, whenever I try to change settings in System Preferences, I press the lock to unlock it but it just leaves it with it 'Authenticating...' and it never ends up letting me change anything. The files attached is what I'm talking about.

 

[honestone]

A couple of things might help, if I may.

First of all, you should download the OS 10.10.4 Combo Updater. You can get it from here:

https://support.apple.com/kb/DL1820?locale=en_US

Don't forget to save it on your backup drive also.

Secondly, when using any Appel software for repairing permissions, it does it only for Apple software. An excellent freeware program that has Repair Permissions as one of its features is the venerable gem Onyx. You can get the Yosemite version from here:

http://www.macupdate.com/app/mac/11582/onyx

For Onyx, you'll need to install it, and after you launch it and let it check your disk, click on the "Maintenance" icon. When you see the next screen, the second "utility" on that screen is "Permissions". You will most likely need to execute it at least twice to properly set the permissions for all software.

By the way, as you'll see, Onyx has quite a few extra features that are very, very beneficial.

If you are still having issues after all that, you might want to start over again. That is, use Disk Utility to Erase your hard drive, but let it do a "3 pass", at least. That will take some time (I just did it yesterday on a 256 gig SSD inside my Mac Mini, and it took over 3 hours). Once that's done, partition the drive (one partition only), then run through the installation of OS 10.10. As for the next step, you could either reboot the machine, apply the OS 10.10.4 Combo Updater, and then use Migration Assistant to migrate all your non-system files, folders, etc. from your backup, or use Migration Assistant first, then re-boot your machine, and then apply the OS 10.10.4 Combo Updater.

 

[misoshiru]

A couple of things might help, if I may.

First of all, you should download the OS 10.10.4 Combo Updater. You can get it from here:

https://support.apple.com/kb/DL1820?locale=en_US

Don't forget to save it on your backup drive also.

Secondly, when using any Appel software for repairing permissions, it does it only for Apple software. An excellent freeware program that has Repair Permissions as one of its features is the venerable gem Onyx. You can get the Yosemite version from here:

http://www.macupdate.com/app/mac/11582/onyx

For Onyx, you'll need to install it, and after you launch it and let it check your disk, click on the "Maintenance" icon. When you see the next screen, the second "utility" on that screen is "Permissions". You will most likely need to execute it at least twice to properly set the permissions for all software.

By the way, as you'll see, Onyx has quite a few extra features that are very, very beneficial.

If you are still having issues after all that, you might want to start over again. That is, use Disk Utility to Erase your hard drive, but let it do a "3 pass", at least. That will take some time (I just did it yesterday on a 256 gig SSD inside my Mac Mini, and it took over 3 hours). Once that's done, partition the drive (one partition only), then run through the installation of OS 10.10. As for the next step, you could either reboot the machine, apply the OS 10.10.4 Combo Updater, and then use Migration Assistant to migrate all your non-system files, folders, etc. from your backup, or use Migration Assistant first, then re-boot your machine, and then apply the OS 10.10.4 Combo Updater.

I'm going to try downloading the Combo update and Onyx. If nothing seems to work, I will try your last suggestion. Thank you!!

 

[misoshiru]

Well, I tried OnyX, and repaired the permissions with it and did a couple other things, but it didn't seem to fix anything. Then, I downloaded the Combo update, and I couldn't download it since it uses the installer that won't work... So at this point i'm out of ideas.

honestone, do you think you could help me through starting over? I've been using this computer for about 2 years now and I don't really mind cleaning up. Thanks again.

 

[misoshiru]

Do you know any way to backup all my data without backing up the applications that already came with the computer? I would really appreciate it.

 

[honestone]

Sorry you are having so much trouble. Not sure if trying Disk Utility would resolve the issues.

In any event, the first thing you should do is use the free version of SuperDuper! to make a complete bootable clone/backup of your system on an external device. You can get it from here:

http://www.macupdate.com/app/mac/13803/superduper

I'm assuming that inside your applications folder, you already have the original "Install OS X Yosemite" file, along with Onyx installed. Also, you have the original Onyx file and that Combo OS 10.10.4 Updater file saved somewhere. And, also another copy of the "Install OS X Yosemite" file saved somewhere else too.

After the backup completes, reboot your machine, but do it from that just completed SuperDuper! backup. Just go to System Preferences, click on Start Up Disk, and you should see an icon for the SuperDuper! OS 10.10.x backup. Click once on it, and then click Restart.

Once the backup boots, go to the Applications folder there and launch Disk Utility. Select the internal drive on your iMac, select Erase, but then click Security Options, and on the next screen, move the slider over until it says something like "3 Pass". That process will make 3 passes at cleaning off everything from that disk. Once it starts, you might want to be doing something else. as it takes about 3 to 4 hours (at least for a 256 gig SSD, as I just did that the other day) for that process to complete (depending on the type of internal disk you have). For a non-SSD (and especially if it's large), it will take longer. You might want to consider doing this process while you sleep for the night, especially if you have a large capacity non-SSD drive.

Next, partition the drive with one partition only. Give it whatever name you like (you might want to use the same original name you made before it was erased).

After that completes, quit Disk Utility, and then launch the "Install OS X Yosemite" application. Select your iMac's internal disk, and let it install OS 10.10.

Next, when you are asked whether you want to migrate any files, folders, etc., select the SuperDuper! backup as the source for that. From what I understand, Migration Assistant is "smart enough" to just migrate non-Apple/non-system files, folders, etc., so it should just migrate all the non-Yosemite applications (like Onyx) from the Applications folder.

Once that completes (will take some time), reboot your iMac from its internal drive. Once that completes, select the OS10.10.4 Combo Updater to update Yosemite to version 10.10.4.

That is about as "clean" as you can get your system.

 

[misoshiru]

Sorry you are having so much trouble. Not sure if trying Disk Utility would resolve the issues.

In any event, the first thing you should do is use the free version of SuperDuper! to make a complete bootable clone/backup of your system on an external device. You can get it from here:

http://www.macupdate.com/app/mac/13803/superduper

I'm assuming that inside your applications folder, you already have the original "Install OS X Yosemite" file, along with Onyx installed. Also, you have the original Onyx file and that Combo OS 10.10.4 Updater file saved somewhere. And, also another copy of the "Install OS X Yosemite" file saved somewhere else too.

After the backup completes, reboot your machine, but do it from that just completed SuperDuper! backup. Just go to System Preferences, click on Start Up Disk, and you should see an icon for the SuperDuper! OS 10.10.x backup. Click once on it, and then click Restart.

Once the backup boots, go to the Applications folder there and launch Disk Utility. Select the internal drive on your iMac, select Erase, but then click Security Options, and on the next screen, move the slider over until it says something like "3 Pass". That process will make 3 passes at cleaning off everything from that disk. Once it starts, you might want to be doing something else. as it takes about 3 to 4 hours (at least for a 256 gig SSD, as I just did that the other day) for that process to complete (depending on the type of internal disk you have). For a non-SSD (and especially if it's large), it will take longer. You might want to consider doing this process while you sleep for the night, especially if you have a large capacity non-SSD drive.

Next, partition the drive with one partition only. Give it whatever name you like (you might want to use the same original name you made before it was erased).

After that completes, quit Disk Utility, and then launch the "Install OS X Yosemite" application. Select your iMac's internal disk, and let it install OS 10.10.

Next, when you are asked whether you want to migrate any files, folders, etc., select the SuperDuper! backup as the source for that. From what I understand, Migration Assistant is "smart enough" to just migrate non-Apple/non-system files, folders, etc., so it should just migrate all the non-Yosemite applications (like Onyx) from the Applications folder.

Once that completes (will take some time), reboot your iMac from its internal drive. Once that completes, select the OS10.10.4 Combo Updater to update Yosemite to version 10.10.4.

That is about as "clean" as you can get your system.

Thank you so much. I will try it out.

 

[honestone]

Thank you so much. I will try it out.

Good luck! Hopefully, it will cure your issues.