Updates not installing -- "Insufficient Access Privileges"
When Software Update detects newer versions of software available, users may be required to enter an administrator password and the updater should then apply the updates, sometimes requiring a restart to go into a special "update" mode. Some Mac OS X user
When Software Update detects newer versions of software available, users may be required to enter an administrator password and the updater should then apply the updates, sometimes requiring a restart to go into a special "update" mode. Some Mac OS X users have experienced problems with this procedue, in which trying to install an available update they get a privileges error.
Apple Discussions poster BJ Bignell writes:
"This morning there were four updates available for my Mac...During the install, I received an error message: Some of the checked updates couldn't be saved. You do not have appropriate access permissions."
This problem has affected users through various iterations of Mac OS X, and might apply either to all updates, or to only certain updates while allowing others to be installed properly.
This problem involves the location where the updates are being downloaded to not being accessible by the system. This is most likely due to a permissions problem that can be addressed manually, and as such there are several things users can do:
Fixes: Reset permissions on the updater directory The folder in which Software Update stores updater packages should be readable by the system. As such users should ensure the ownership and permissions for this folder are set properly. To do this, first locate and get information on the /Library/Updates/ folder. At the bottom of the "get info" window the ownership and permissions should be as follows:
- system read/write
- admin read/write
- everyone read
If the permissions are different, click the lock to authenticate and then change the permissions accordingly. Then click the gear menu and choose "apply to enclosed items". When this is completes, try the updates again.
Remove files in the updater directory In addition to resetting the permissions on the updater directory, users can remove all downloaded packages from the folder and re-download them again using Software Update.
Workarounds: Manually apply updates All updates that are available through the Software Update utility should be available for download from Apple's support website. To obtain a desired download, search or browse for it here.
Resources