Think Twice Before Updating
All of you Mac users out there are surely familiar with the ubiquitous Software Update screen that pops up regularly on your desktop. Using it to update individual apps is one thing, but think very carefully before initiating one of the incremental OS X system updates that are sporadically released by Apple. Basically, within a given version of OS X (Tiger, Panther, etc.) your updating philosophy should be “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”
I speak from experience, because I recently ignored that concept and paid the price. I’ve been using 10.4.8 for a while now, and all my music software was functioning nicely. Software Update had been pestering me about 10.4.9 for a while, but I held off (I have a Power Mac G5). One of the sequencers I use the most is Pro Tools LE, and I know that Digidesign doesn’t immediately put new Apple System updates on it’s list of approved system versions. So I waited and waited, and then one day last week, I deemed that enough time had passed and hit the update button for 10.3.9. Big mistake. The ironic part was that the program I had the most trouble with wasn’t Pro Tools LE, which ran fine, but rather Apple’s own Logic Pro. Go figure?
I couldn’t even get Logic to open. It kept crashing while it was launching. The problem appeared to have to do with plug-ins, as it was trying to re-validate (using the AuVal utility) all of my AU plugs, but couldn’t get through the list without crashing.
I searched the problem on Google, and found relevant hits on some of the user groups–such as KVR–which told of similar problems. Some people were also having trouble with their PACE copy protection software when running 10.3.9. Several users suggested using Apple’s Combo Update (separate versions are offered for PPC and Intel users) rather than the one offered on Software Update. I downloaded and installed that, but still had the same problem. Then I noticed that Logic was getting hung up while trying to evaluate a particular third-party plug-in. So I went to the Web site of that plug-in developer and downloaded the latest version of the plug. After that, Logic made it past that plug-in but got hung up on another one. I repeated the same process, with the next plug-in and after updating a couple more (most of my plug-ins didn’t need updating), Logic was good to go.
By that point, I had spent hours troubleshooting a problem that could have been avoided by simply staying with 10.4.8. So as a general rule, I advise thinking long and hard before updating your system, unless there’s a compelling reason that you need to do so.
Related Topics: Mike Levine, Emusician
June 5th, 2007 at 1:26 pm
I couldn‘t disagree more, Mike. I think the trick is to always accept every update as soon as it‘s available. In my experience, you‘ll have a lot more problems by skipping updates and then performing subsequent updates. I think that‘s where Mac OS X‘s Software Update utility gets its bad rap. I always install every update the day after it becomes available (to give reports of any problems a 24-hour chance to surface online), and I have never had any problems–not one–with system updates.
June 10th, 2007 at 2:02 pm
I agree Mike. If you have a setup that uses a lot of plug-ins and third party software there is no coordination between the developers that make the upgrade process troublelshooting free. Even Apples own departments. These upgrades generally don’t have musicians in mind as the end users. All it takes is one small miscommunication between drivers or the software communication protocol and you will be spending hours attempting to get your equipment back into a state of functioning operation. These problems are only discovered by the end user and if you are conducting a recording session or preparing to, this is a Nightmare on Elm Street. As a musician, engineer and producer I agree “if it ain‘t broke, don‘t fix it.”
June 11th, 2007 at 8:16 pm
A timely post. I just let software update bring my Macbook up to 10.4.9 (and a “pro applications update” this morning. I did notice Logic went through the whole AU validation routine, which is a bit time-consuming, but everything does appear to be working correctly. Knock on wood.
rudy
June 13th, 2007 at 5:39 am
i’m with you, mike. i made the same mistake while waiting for my m-powered pro tools to arrive. i still don’t have a functioning pro tools. as i am on the road, my 10.4 disks are at home, and i haven’t been able to go backwards. to make it worse, as i can’t register my protools, i won’t be able to update when a new version does come out. i guess i’ll just have to wait until i get home- and the whole idea was that i would have it to play with while on the road… logic does work, though.
June 13th, 2007 at 7:53 am
Mike, I’m synched with you. Updates can be pure buzz-killers, especially with deadlines looming. I’m such a Luddite: I still keep an old hot-rodded G3 running OS 9 with a Digi001/Pro Tools system running in the background, just in case the flagship OS X system takes a torpedo (er, update). With the old system, I haven’t had to update anything in about 3 years. It’s bliss.
June 13th, 2007 at 1:08 pm
I agree for the most part. I do practice the idea of regularly updating whenever possible, as I do seem to find that the little bugs int the OS get fixed with the updates.
However, I recently had similar trouble - except this update did not bother Logic, but ProTools. I don’t typically run any third party plug-ins, which could be why Logic did not hang up on the 10.4.9 update. But when I opened ProTools the next time, it completely crashed, so I followed digidesign’s advice and downloaded the standalone installer, which fixed the ProTools problem.
The other interesting thing was that my drivers for M-Audio interfaces needed updating, which I didn’t know until I updated the OS, and then needed to download the update.
The one thing that has really not been good was that my ADAT HD 24 Fireport simply stopped recognizing the drive. I use this for 24 track recording, then typically dump the tracks into a DAW, so this completely stopped a workflow I needed. There still is not an update.
Now I have to find a way to easily get back into 10.4.8 and hopefully not have to re-install drivers again.
June 13th, 2007 at 5:38 pm
So, does that mean I’ve just been lucky? I have dozens of audio programs, and hundreds of plug-ins in every conceivable format. I’m constantly installing and updating software, yet I’ve never had the kinds of problems discussed here (knock on wood). So, if extreme caution is a superior tactic, what have I been doing right to avoid catastrophe?
June 17th, 2007 at 9:55 am
I’m in the middle on this one. On the one hand, incremental updates fix bugs, and those bugs often apply to music apps. At the extreme we’d all stay at 10.X.1 until the next major upgrade — probably not a good idea. On the other hand, like Mike and others, I’ve had OS X update nightmares; one time in particular, I got the multilingual “your computer must shut down” message on four restarts before the computer booted. Often some music application or some plug-in (very often) doesn’t work after updating and I have to disable it or go searching for a fix. So I usually let a few weeks go by and search the forums for the apps I use most. I also always to a full clone of my startup drive on a separate, removable drive just before I update. I use SuperDuper!, but I’m sure there are other good programs for that.
In short: I wait, backup, and cross my fingers …
Len
June 20th, 2007 at 11:00 am
You might want to post this on macfixit.com (a part of version tracker) I have always gotten
great help from them. I too wait a bit on system updates and security updates and
check macfixit first to see if anyone’s mac went on the blick do to a particular update
just a thought.
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