"A
window popped up on my
computer asking me if I wanted to update it's software - should
I do this?"
The
answer is maybe...
Automatic Software
Updates
Many software vendors and
computer manufacturers (including Apple) have built automatic updating
into their software - the software uses your internet connection to check
to see if you're running the most recent version. If not, the software
asks
if you want
to download the version du-jour.
In theory this could be a
great thing - your software would always kept up to date with a minimum
of effort on your part. New features added by the software/hardware
manufacturer would be available to you as soon as possible. Bugs would
be fixed quickly.
In practice, software updates,
especially operating system updates, can be problematic. Some updates
cause as many problems as the bugs they claim to fix. Undoing a software
update
can
be very
complicated,
if not impossible (without a good backup).
I have seen software updates corrupt machines so badly they would
no longer boot. Ick.
If It Ain't Broke,
Don't Fix It
As you can see, software updates are a double-edged sword. If my machine
is humming along just fine, I'll usually wait until there is some compelling
reason to update something, especially the operating system. If it
ain't broke...
Then again, it's a good idea
to keep software relatively current on your machine so things don't
fall too far behind. Future upgrades can be problematic if you try
to jump from version 2 of a program to version 5, with tout going through
version 3 or 4 in between.
How long is too long? That
depends on the particular program in question. Some software
vendors release updates as often as monthly. In that case it's probably
a good
idea
to keep
somewhat up to date with the currently shipping version.
Update Checkup
There are several sites on the web where users post their experiences
with software updates. Users often write reports minutes or hours
after software updates are released, telling their experience of
how the software performs, compatibility issues, any problems during
installation and other things to be aware of. This is an excellent
way of finding out
more
information
*before* you decide to run an update. Let someone else be on the
bleeding edge...
Two of my favorite sites for
this type of information are MacInTouch and Apple
Discussions
Backup First
It is important to backup before you
run any software updates. I recommend running a Bootable backup (more
info on backup here) so you can simply
reboot from your backup if something goes south for the winter during
the update.
Play Around in a Sandbox
One ingenious strategy
for installing and testing software updates is built into a backup
program called SuperDuper.
The 'Sandbox'
feature allows you to make a backup copy of your system
to an external FireWire hard drive before you run the software update.
Your personal data remains in it's original location on your main hard
drive while you boot the computer from
the external
drive.
Here's
an excerpt from the user's guide:
"A Sandbox is a bootable copy of your system, stored on another hard
drive or partition, that shares your personal documents and data with
the original. In the past, you might have stored this copy away in
a drawer as a backup. With SuperDuper, you actually use the Sandbox
as your startup
volume.
You can safely install
any system updates, drivers or programs in the Sandbox, without worrying
about what might happen to your system.
If anything goes wrong, you can simply start up from the original system.
SuperDuper has preserved it in its original, pre-disaster state – but
all your new and changed personal documents are totally up to date.
Within minutes, you’re up and running again – without having
to go through a difficult and time-consuming restore process."
Repair Permissions
When you do decide to install an update, particularly if it's
an operating system update, it's a good idea to repair permissions first.
Repairing permissions makes sure the computer knows who (system, user,
group) has access to which files on the drive. The process only takes
a few minutes and tends to yield a happier software update.
To repair permissions on your
drive, insert your current OS X CD/DVD. When the disc appears on the
Desktop, restart the machine. Hold down the C key on the keyboard while
the machine restarts to boot from the disc.
Choose Utilities>Disk Utility
(10.4 - Tiger) or Installer>Open Disk Utility (10.3.x - Panther) Disk
Utility and
then
follow
the steps
below:
 |
1. Select
your hard drive in the column on the left
2. Click 'Repair Disk
Permissions
3. Wait a bit
for the process to complete... |
Check
Your Disk
Before you install new software, it's a good idea to know that your
hard disk is healthy. To that end, I recommend using Disk Utility
to verify/repair
the startup disk before you run any operating system updates. To
repair your startup disk, start up
from your Mac OS X Install disc and open Disk Utility as noted above. Select
your drive from the column on the left and click 'Repair Disk' in the
lower right.
Power Up
If you're using a PowerBook or iBook, make sure your power supply
is connected during the software update process. Running out of battery
power during a software update would yield unexpected results and is not
recommended!
Software Update vs. Standalone
Installers
Some people have better experience downloading 'standalone' installers
directly from Apple's website rather than using 'Software Update' from
the Apple menu. You can download most updates as individual installers
from Apple here.
Rinse, Lather, Repeat
After running a software update, it's a really, really good idea
to repair permissions again. You'd think all would be well after running
an installer program, particularly and Apple installer, but that's
often not the case. Follow the directions above to repair your disk permissions
once more.
In Summary...
Doing
a bit of research and maintenance before installing a software
update will make your machine run more reliably and keep you up to
date with current software, features and reliability.
Please feel free to contact me for
more information about software updates for Macintosh
desktop and portable systems.
LANsharks
Consulting - 510-601-5475
About the Author:
Kirk
van Druten is the owner and founder of LANsharks
Consulting, a Macintosh network and consulting
firm, serving Northern California clients since
1994.
© Copyright 2005.
Please don't duplicate or re-publish this without asking first. Thanks. |
