Update Tiger OS 4.11 bricks my PowerBook G4

[mwolfe]

Apple Software Update automatically prompted me to update to 4.11 last Thursday. This update plugs more than 42 security holes and upgrades Safari to 3.0.

When the installation was finished, I had to restart, and got as far as the Apple Logo and the spinning wheel.

I did a cold shut-down and restarted. Same result. Safe-mode start (Cmd-v); it ended with a Bus error.

The update had warned that it might brick any machine with 'unauthorised' modifications, but I didn't think I had any. In any case, my PowerBook G4 was bricked.

I then used my emergency backup system to download the full 4.11 Combo update. Naturally, Apple Software Update wanted to update my emergency backup system, but I declined the offer.

I then installed the downloaded 4.11 Combo on my bricked laptop, after which it booted.

Apparently, part of the problem was Etisalat, whose unreliable connection downloaded a corrupt update, and part of the problem was Apple Software Update, which does not verify downloaded updates before trying to install them.

This has happened to me before, but not in such a severe fashion. Updates to QuickTime, Safari, and iTunes have sometimes caused the programs to stop working, but, since my laptop still operated, I was able to download the full updates with an error checking download package and then apply the full, un-corrupted update to get QT, Safari, and iTunes working again.

But when it bricked my laptop, I panicked, and it took a while before I calmed down enough to get my emergency backup system in place and, as I had done before, download the full update and apply it.

[Magnus]

Sorry to hear about the problems but glad it worked out. These kinds of updates are usually available as stand alone downloads in which case I download the updates. It's also good to have these files around.