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Security Update 2009-001: startup fails
A number of users have reported that system startup fails after installation of Security Update 2009-001. Reader reports include:
- "After the update and reboot, my MacBook Pro stayed on the blue screen with the spinning wheel (not the beach ball). I waited about 20 minutes."
- "I installed the Java 3 update and the 20009/001 security update. When my iMac tried to restart, it failed part of the way through and I got the 'insert boot volume and press any key' message. Nothing I did was able to get it to restart normally."
The first recommended procedure, if you are experiencing this issue, is to simply boot in Safe Mode -- accomplished by holding down the Shift key while your Mac is starting up. After the safe boot, restart normally. A number of maintenance tasks are performed during the safe boot, and you might not need to perform any additional troubleshooting. You might receive a message indicating that the update has finished installing after performing the safe boot.
You can also try temporarily disconnecting any USB, FireWire other otherwise-connected external peripherals then re-attempt startup.
Other possible include resetting the PRAM (hold options-command-P-R keys at bootup until the computer chimes, then resets and chimes again) and SMC resets (Portables, Mac Pro), as well as shutting the computer completely off and unplugging it for a few minutes before starting it back up.
Failing the aforementioned, peruse our tutorial titled "Startup fails (particularly after a system or security update); solving." One of the solutions listed there -- including delete specific caches, rooting out problematic kernel extensions, repairing drive damage, and disconnecting external devices -- might prove successful.
If worse comes to worst, you may need to reinstall the system (even though reinstalling the system isn't that bad), via our tutorial.
Feedback? http://www.macfixit.com/contact.
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best bet
*Restart your computer holding down the: CMD-S untill you get a black screen which all sorts of code scrolls by
you should see a:
YOU/$:- type "FSCK -FY" return
if all goes well, reboot
If "SYSTEM FILE WAS MODIFIED"
Run FSCK once again to make sure
reboot, holding down the shift bar,
until you get a login screen that says "SAFE BOOT"
Log in
Repair Permissions
install update
reboot- let it fully install-many times the screen will go black again-this is normal
personally I do the FSCK and Repair permissions agian after all is done
NEVER had a problem with a Sec Update
IF you still have problems-do the same as above but run the 10.5.x Combo updater
I'm pretty sure that the Safe Boot procedure implicitly runs fsck (among other things) regardless of whether the filesystem was modified.
I used my friends G4 Still no luck. When I try to install anything it says sorry you cannot install in this Hard Drive. I get red flags on HD Icon. So what are you talking about?
After many hours of trying many different solutions, I finally returned my PowerMac G5 to a fully functional state.
I booted my G5 into Target Disk Mode and hooked it up to an older G4 I have laying around. From there I was able to reapply the security update to the G5's hard drive. Then I booted the G5 into single user mode and used Applejack to repair disk permissions. Then, jut to be safe, I did a safe boot, logged into my admin account and restarted the computer normally. Now everything works again.
In the name of full disclosure, before applying the security update, I first tried applying the Mac OS X 10.4.11 Combo update to my G5, while it was in Target Disk Mode. This didn't work on its own, but it may or may not have done something to prime the system for my application of the security update.
Not all of us have an extra G5 lying around so this was not a helpful tip.
Maybe not for YOU but for people who happen to have a second machine or who have friends with a Mac ? this IS helpful advice.
Sorry, I meant to say "then start up in single user mode (Command S held down while starting)" (safe mode is restart with shift held down, which will often work when a normal start won't; this brings up the GUI)
Thanks for the tip. I got the blue screen but Applejack got me right back up and running.
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Model Name: iMac
Model Identifier: iMac7,1
Processor Name: Intel Core 2 Duo
Processor Speed: 2.4 GHz
Number Of Processors: 1
Total Number Of Co
How can u install it? The Mac has a blue screen and you can't proceed any further dummy ! Even after booting in Safe mode.
-Zammie
Updating my Powerbook G4 (400MHz Titanium) hosed my Tiger partition too. It wouldn't reboot in safe mode or in single user mode. In single user mode, it gave some message about locating the boot files and got stuck --- never got a shell prompt.
I still had a Panther and OS9 partition on that disk, so I could reboot into Panther and poke around. I tried deleting some files, but no luck. I ended up reinstalling 10.4.11 and going though 8 Java updates (why no combo updater for Java???)
I finally had enough confidence in the health of the new system, I tried installing Security Update 2009-001 again. This time it started up fine. Although I did boot into single user mode (and ran fsck) and then booted into safe mode before doing a real reboot.
During the reinstallation process, I did have to fix the disk a couple of times. So, I think there was already something wrong with my system. The Security Update just made the problems painfully obvious.
-R.
Everything woks fine.
Usually I let Onyx repair permissions and empty the cache etc, but Applejack is such a neat piece of software that on these occasions it's always my first choice.
Inconveniently, one of my sons apparently disabled the disk drive by stuffing business cards into it, so I can't boot from the OS X disk by holding down -C- during the boot either.
Am I screwed here? Or can I reset the permissions on the command line?
I never did anything special. Just installed from Apple's update and voila! All works perfectly.
- by lazaros February 17, 2009 8:39 PM PST
>>This is a reply to a previous comment by lcpguy
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Showing 1 of 2 pages (23 Comments)Installed the secutity update on three machines (Power Mac dual G4, Powerbook G4 and MacBook Pro 2nd gen) without any problems. However, the update caused my Intel Mac Pro to be unable to reboot: gray screen and spinning wheel forever. Had repaired permissions before and had the package sitting on my /Library/Packages folder, so didn't let Software Update do everything automatically (I know better). Still refused to bring me to the login screen, but could ssh via terminal from another machine, so the system was alive. Ended up booting from an extrenal firewire clone and reapply the update, and then it worked!