Help, my Safari update crashed, now nothing works

[Admiral Beez]

I've got iMac PowerPC G5, running OS X 10.4.11.

I ran an update two days ago (Nov 30, 2009) for iTunes and Safari. The iTunes update installed, but the Safari update failed. Now none of the main Mac software will run, including Update, Mail, Safari, or iTunes. The icons just bounce once and do not proceed with the application. Thank goodness for Firefox.

What should I do? I've downloaded the MaxOSXUpdCombo10.4.11PPC.dmg today, but can't run it. I've already tried to run the auto update through Utility Terminal, and while it said it was updating I'm still not getting anything to open. I tried deleted the Safari phist and and History files from Library Preferences, but that didn't help.

I ran Disk Utility to Verify Disk Permissions and Repair, and everything ran without any error messages. Interestingly, when I click on either of the two disk icons (149.1 GB ST3160023As) and (Macintosh HD), neither will allow the Repair Disk icon on Disk Utility to work, it stays shaded.

I again ran Disk Utility and this time clicked on the top Disk Drive and then clicked "Verify Disk". A window popped up saying "First Aid Failed - Disk Utility stopped verifying Macintosh HD because the following error was encountered: The underlying task reported failure to exit"

Below this, here's what Disk Utility Reported:

Verifying volume “Macintosh HD”
Checking HFS Plus volume.
Checking Extents Overflow file.
Checking Catalog file.
Checking multi-linked files.
Checking Catalog hierarchy.
%)
Checking Extended Attributes file.
Checking volume bitmap.
Volume Bit Map needs minor repair
Checking volume information.
Invalid volume free block count
Invalid volume free block count
%@ instead of %@)",2)
32772515
32772513
The volume Macintosh HD needs to be repaired.
Error: The underlying task reported failure on exit
1 HFS volume checked
Volume needs repair

Please help. Honestly, all I did was run auto update. I have the original system disks, and can run them if someone shows me how to fix this, as long as I'm not risking all my photos and files, etc. Yes, I should buy an external drive, will do.

 

[teapot]

Hi
The first thing I would try is to start up using the original OS X DVD (insert the disk into the disk drive then click restart and hold down the c key to force the computer to start from disk.)
After confirming the language of your choice a menu bar will appear at the topof the screen, from this select disk utility and repair permissions from there. You must select the volume not the disk which in your case the Macintosh HD. If this doesn't solve your problem let me know, we can then think of something else to try.

 

[Admiral Beez]

Hi Teapot, thanks. I just ran this Disk Utility via the start up disk and ran Repair Permissions and Repair Disk, both of which found some errors and repaired them.

However, the Installer is still failing - when I click on the OS X combo update I get the message that it shut down suddenly. Check for Updates, Safari, Mail and iTunes are still not working. What should I do next?

If I just do a complete reinstall of OS 10.4.11 Tiger from the start up disk will I lose all my previous files, e-mails, bookmarks, iPhoto photos, etc? If not, shouldn't I just reinstall Tiger?

 

[Admiral Beez]

I ran Install and Archive of the original OS X disk. After the installation, I clicked on Software Update and it worked, and installed the OS X 4.11 combo update. Now my mail, Safari, etc is running perfectly, and I didn't lose any files.