Has this fixed the two most annoying Leopard bugs ever?
1) the dock appears after a few minutes while watching movies full screen in QuickTime
Yeah, what's up with the Ghost in the Dock? Didn't happen me with QuickTime, just randomly during regular computer use. And no, it wasn't cause I use that hide/show shortcut. Sometimes it would happen when I wasn't even interacting with the computer at all!
Quote:
Addresses inaccuracies with Calculator when the Mac OS X language is set to German or Swiss German.
What? Haha! Is Apple trying to tell the Swiss and Germans something? What a crazy bug!
Quote:
Originally Posted by MacTel
Fixes issues that could cause Time Machine to state the backup volume could not be found.
That's the one that bit me when I got a brand new system board installed. Good to see it most likely won't happen again.
There's a difference between saying something's fixed, and it being fixed. Just look at mobile me. They've been saying stuff with that is fixed for ages, yet recently it's been worse than ever for me. Although in the last week it's been stable.
People do strange things. despite being told not to by Apple, I've found people moving files that shouldn't be moved. Re-naming others that shouldn't be re-named, etc. This will get people in trouble.
I did that once, I renamed my System folder(don't ask why) and my computer froze within several seconds. Good thing I had a MacBook with firewire and target disk mode.
I started downloading the update at 11:50 CST. The update interface said it was 190 MB. About 39 MB into it my computer, a 2007 MacBook Pro restarted itself. That was about 20 minutes ago. All that displays on the notebook's screen is the installing 1 update/configuring installation indicator. What do I do now?
Yeah I had a similar experience. The update interface said the update was 190MB and that it was "Downloaded". I clicked the install button, and it restarted. An hour later the progress bar showed a small fraction of the install had completed and said that it was "Configuring Installation"
I forced a shutdown, tried again and the same thing happened, although this time I gave up after 20 minutes.
I have a mid 2007 17" MacBook Pro.
Luckily, the laptop still seems to function fine. The About Mac This Mac says 10.5.5 so hopefully it hung at a safe spot.
I think I'll wait a few weeks till the update actually, er, updates...
Read the prior posts. This update takes a long time to run.
I ran the Combo update and this was the first time in Mac OS X history that the Mac failed to reboot after the install was complete. I clicked Restart, got the beach ball for a second or two, then the arrow pointer on my iMac G5, then nothing. No finder, just the background picture. The iMac G4 immediately prompted the notice of boot files being updated and then restarted after a few minutes.
I am still backing up my Home folder before I run the Combo again just to make sure the update installed properly.
Well what do you consider long? I waited for over an hour (after the download was complete) and the progress bar was still stuck on some small fraction (maybe 1-2%) of completion... others seem to have had the same experience.
Looks like someone had success by manually download the combo update. Maybe I'll try that.
Yeah I had a similar experience. The update interface said the update was 190MB and that it was "Downloaded". I clicked the install button, and it restarted. An hour later the progress bar showed a small fraction of the install had completed and said that it was "Configuring Installation"
I forced a shutdown, tried again and the same thing happened, although this time I gave up after 20 minutes..
Yeah, that's EXACTLY what I'm getting. I finally thought I was being impatient so I gave it two hours and it still showed about 2% on the progress bar and stuck in "Configuring Installation."
Is there a way I can erase the original 190MB update and try to downloading it again? Perhaps the file was somehow corrupted? i've tried about 8 times now and it's always the same stall.
No. Software does not corrupt itself; hard drives do not flip bits on their own. People's odd "maintenance" and "tweaking" routines break software.
Well, I disagree. Software does get corrupted "all by itself". HDD do flip bits on their own, so to speak. The oxides break down, all by themselves. Cosmic rays do flip bits in RAM, or on HDD (and Flash). If you think that when people use maintainance programs to check and fix peoblems that that's causing all the problems, think again.
You do know that all storage media loses bits from software on a regular basis? In fact, a HDD put away for five years only has a 50/50 chance of being readable.
Quote:
... And speaking of people's odd maintenance routines, permissions will not affect the installation of an update. Fixing UNIX permissions for everything from graphics corruption, to surround-sound issues, to system instability is voodoo, and a waste of time.
Wrong again! Smart guys like you who read silly articles about this tell people things that are wrong headed at best.
If everything on your drive is just dandy, then nothing you do will improve that before an update. But, if it's not, then running disk utility could save you some grief.
Quote:
With OSes that use protected/virtual memory, software using memory locations that are off-limits is an impossibility, unless you're talking about a kernel-mode driver or something. Software hasn't had the ability to directly address physical frames in system memory since Mac OS X 10.0 and NT 3.5 (to cover the Mac and PC bases).
Wrong again.
Boy, there sure are a lot of myths going around. I guess it's that time of year.
I also had a install failure... it seems to have got 1/2 way through the actual download, then said it had to reboot. It does, and then just hangs on the install screen with 1-2%. This in on an 08 imac 20 inch.
Does anyone know how to delete/cancel the download, as now software update thinks it has the download file, but I know it does not. I am on satellite connection and I can't download a 600mb combo file. It usually takes 2-3 tries just to get a 100mb update...
I think if can get it to download again - the whole package - maybe it will work...
Yeah, that's EXACTLY what I'm getting. I finally thought I was being impatient so I gave it two hours and it still showed about 2% on the progress bar and stuck in "Configuring Installation."
Is there a way I can erase the original 190MB update and try to downloading it again? Perhaps the file was somehow corrupted? i've tried about 8 times now and it's always the same stall.
What gives?
trash the stuff in "Macintosh HD > Library > Updates"
Some people disagree with me on this, but I've been saying for a long time that software in the computer gets corupted over time without our knowing it. Sometimes this has the effect of making an update fail, or otherwise have problems. Bad permissions can cause problems as well.
Also, it's interesting to note that most people do NOT have problems with updates. That means that the update itself is not likely to be the fault for most people who do have problems.
People do strange things. despite being told not to by Apple, I've found people moving files that shouldn't be moved. Re-naming others that shouldn't be re-named, etc. This will get people in trouble.
Also, not all programs are well behaved. Many update problems can be tracked to software that uses memory locations that are off limits, or API's that they shouldn't be using, and so on.
A lot of this, but not all, will be solved with a Combo update, as it replaces all files changed after the original upgrade.
Hi Melgross. Thanks for the insight.
Say, I have a question that perhaps you wouldn't mind shedding some light on; or, perhaps you might know where I might find further details. It concerns the impact an update has on OS X's footprint on a hard drive. The cumulative size of the incremental updates (10.5.0 to 10.5.1; 10.5.1 to 10.5.2; 10.5.2 to 10.5.3; etc.) seems to really add up. Do you know the relationship between the size of a downloaded update and the growth of OS X's footprint on a hard drive?
For instance (all hardware specs and language being equal):
Does the size of OS X increase by the size of an update? For example, will a system running 10.5.5 grow by 372MB after the 372MB 10.5.6 download update is installed and the .dmg file is deleted (a one-to-one relationship)?
Since the download is an image, presumably it contains compressed files. As such, might an update after its install routine finishes increase OS X's footprint by more than the size of the .dmg file?
Also, when using the Combo Update to span more than one generation of updates, how does the OS X footprint vary with the number of generations it spans? For example, will migrating from say, 10.5.4 to 10.5.6 be smaller than from a system migrating from say, 10.5.2 to 10.5.6? Alternatively, as presumably only the requisite files are tapped from the 668 MB Combo Update to bring the OS to 10.5.6, wouldn't the net size of the OS X footprint -- with some self-install cleaning/housekeeping -- be the same, as 10.5.6 is 10.5.6 across the board?
I'm sure this is a Pandora?s box to answer in detail but if it's not too much trouble, can you provide some broad strokes?
Well, I disagree. Software does get corrupted "all by itself". HDD do flip bits on their own, so to speak. The oxides break down, all by themselves. Cosmic rays do flip bits in RAM, or on HDD (and Flash). If you think that when people use maintainance programs to check and fix peoblems that that's causing all the problems, think again.
You do know that all storage media loses bits from software on a regular basis? In fact, a HDD put away for five years only has a 50/50 chance of being readable.
Wrong again! Smart guys like you who read silly articles about this tell people things that are wrong headed at best.
If everything on your drive is just dandy, then nothing you do will improve that before an update. But, if it's not, then running disk utility could save you some grief.
Wrong again.
Boy, there sure are a lot of myths going around. I guess it's that time of year.
I bet you truly believe the shite you write. You almost had me reaching for my tinfoil hat.
Say, I have a question that perhaps you wouldn't mind shedding some light on; or, perhaps you might know where I might find further details. It concerns the impact an update has on OS X's footprint on a hard drive. The cumulative size of the incremental updates (10.5.0 to 10.5.1; 10.5.1 to 10.5.2; 10.5.2 to 10.5.3; etc.) seems to really add up. Do you know the relationship between the size of a downloaded update and the growth of OS X's footprint on a hard drive?
For instance (all hardware specs and language being equal):
Does the size of OS X increase by the size of an update? For example, will a system running 10.5.5 grow by 372MB after the 372MB 10.5.6 download update is installed and the .dmg file is deleted (a one-to-one relationship)?
Since the download is an image, presumably it contains compressed files. As such, might an update after its install routine finishes increase OS X's footprint by more than the size of the .dmg file?
Also, when using the Combo Update to span more than one generation of updates, how does the OS X footprint vary with the number of generations it spans? For example, will migrating from say, 10.5.4 to 10.5.6 be smaller than from a system migrating from say, 10.5.2 to 10.5.6? Alternatively, as presumably only the requisite files are tapped from the 668 MB Combo Update to bring the OS to 10.5.6, wouldn't the net size of the OS X footprint -- with some self-install cleaning/housekeeping -- be the same, as 10.5.6 is 10.5.6 across the board?
I'm sure this is a Pandora’s box to answer in detail but if it's not too much trouble, can you provide some broad strokes?
Many thanks.
It's an interesting question.
It depends on what Apple is doing with the update.
If they are just fixing problems, the size may not vary much. If the code requires additions, then it will expand.
The size of the update doesn't directly give any indication of the final size. Apple will usually rework an entire file for an update, and replace the older one with the newer one. There could very well be a difference in size.
How many files are changed will affect the final size. If Apple is adding some features, as they often do, though minor, that could add to the final size as well.
Sometimes, when an update comes out, it doesn't replace everything, but may add new files to what is already there, so you do get a direct addition to the size from that.
Sometimes older files are left.
A Combo update is usually better, because it replaces all files with entirely new ones from the time of the original upgrade. This results in a cleaner upgrade, and is why it's usually better, which is, of course, why Apple offers it, in addition to it's being easier if you've missed one or more in the middle.
This is very complex, and the results will vary. The reason why the Combo is so much larger, as I've hinted, is because it contains ALL the files updated since the base OS upgrade.
What will the result be? It's hard to tell. I've seen the overall size get smaller with a Combo, as opposed to the incremental updates, and the other way around as well.
There are other factors involved in this. You may have noticed that the incremental updates vary in size depending on the model computer you have. Different computers use different parts of an update, though the core functions being updated are the same.
When using Software Update, Apple determines which model you have, and downloads the appropriate version. The Combo is the same. There's only one. But when it's updating your computer, it will again, update only what your computer needs, though it will, of course, do it from the beginning.
Also, depending on just what software you have apart from the OS, Apple may update with files to benefit them, whereas your friend, who has the exact same model you have, will not get those files installed, as she doesn't have that software. Some of that pertains to Final Cut Studio, and others. It won't be downloading updates to those programs, but to support files in the OS that work with those programs.
As you can see, it can be difficult to tell exactly what the result will be. I'm not sure where to go to find out more from Apple. I've never had this question asked before. Apple will tell what has been updated, but not in that detail.
Perhaps a software developer on the forum will know more.
I bet you truly believe the shite you write. You almost had me reaching for my tinfoil hat.
And I suppose you believe yours?
How about refuting each of my points with some information, rather than with one sentence of garbage? If you can prove I'm wrong, I'll admit it, but you better be right!
Some people disagree with me on this, but I've been saying for a long time that software in the computer gets corupted over time without our knowing it. Sometimes this has the effect of making an update fail, or otherwise have problems. Bad permissions can cause problems as well.
Also, it's interesting to note that most people do NOT have problems with updates. That means that the update itself is not likely to be the fault for most people who do have problems.
People do strange things. despite being told not to by Apple, I've found people moving files that shouldn't be moved. Re-naming others that shouldn't be re-named, etc. This will get people in trouble.
Also, not all programs are well behaved. Many update problems can be tracked to software that uses memory locations that are off limits, or API's that they shouldn't be using, and so on.
A lot of this, but not all, will be solved with a Combo update, as it replaces all files changed after the original upgrade.
I've often read people strongly recommending the use of the Combo Updater over relying on Software Update. I have always relied on Software Update and can't recall ever running into any problems, including with the 10.5.6 update today.
I run Drive Genius 2 every couple weeks (defragging every couple months or so) along with regular Permissions Repair with Disk Utility, so hopefully any of my apps which may have behavioral issues are kept well enough in check. I don't do any of the "strange things" you described either, which also probably helps keep my update experience problem-free.
I didn't time the length of the update process; I clicked to download it (walked away, came back), clicked to install it (walked away, heard two startup chimes from the other room, came back) and beheld the snappiness!
In recent weeks, MobileMe syncing has been very frustrating as seemingly every time I sat down at my iBook G4 syncing would commence, crippling the system for a few minutes. Thus far, this problem (not sure if it was widespread or just me) seems to have thankfully gone away.
Comments
Has this fixed the two most annoying Leopard bugs ever?
1) the dock appears after a few minutes while watching movies full screen in QuickTime
Yeah, what's up with the Ghost in the Dock? Didn't happen me with QuickTime, just randomly during regular computer use. And no, it wasn't cause I use that hide/show shortcut. Sometimes it would happen when I wasn't even interacting with the computer at all!
Addresses inaccuracies with Calculator when the Mac OS X language is set to German or Swiss German.
What? Haha! Is Apple trying to tell the Swiss and Germans something? What a crazy bug!
Fixes issues that could cause Time Machine to state the backup volume could not be found.
That's the one that bit me when I got a brand new system board installed. Good to see it most likely won't happen again.
There's a difference between saying something's fixed, and it being fixed. Just look at mobile me. They've been saying stuff with that is fixed for ages, yet recently it's been worse than ever for me. Although in the last week it's been stable.
No, it's not fixed yet.
Deactivate "Dock Objects" in MobileMe>Sync. That fixes it for me.
Wow clever. So obvious, yet so illusive!
What? Haha! Is Apple trying to tell the Swiss and Germans something? What a crazy bug!
bug ---> if ( language == swiss OR german ) x = random();
People do strange things. despite being told not to by Apple, I've found people moving files that shouldn't be moved. Re-naming others that shouldn't be re-named, etc. This will get people in trouble.
I did that once, I renamed my System folder(don't ask why) and my computer froze within several seconds. Good thing I had a MacBook with firewire and target disk mode.
I started downloading the update at 11:50 CST. The update interface said it was 190 MB. About 39 MB into it my computer, a 2007 MacBook Pro restarted itself. That was about 20 minutes ago. All that displays on the notebook's screen is the installing 1 update/configuring installation indicator. What do I do now?
Yeah I had a similar experience. The update interface said the update was 190MB and that it was "Downloaded". I clicked the install button, and it restarted. An hour later the progress bar showed a small fraction of the install had completed and said that it was "Configuring Installation"
I forced a shutdown, tried again and the same thing happened, although this time I gave up after 20 minutes.
I have a mid 2007 17" MacBook Pro.
Luckily, the laptop still seems to function fine. The About Mac This Mac says 10.5.5 so hopefully it hung at a safe spot.
I think I'll wait a few weeks till the update actually, er, updates...
Read the prior posts. This update takes a long time to run.
I ran the Combo update and this was the first time in Mac OS X history that the Mac failed to reboot after the install was complete. I clicked Restart, got the beach ball for a second or two, then the arrow pointer on my iMac G5, then nothing. No finder, just the background picture. The iMac G4 immediately prompted the notice of boot files being updated and then restarted after a few minutes.
I am still backing up my Home folder before I run the Combo again just to make sure the update installed properly.
Well what do you consider long? I waited for over an hour (after the download was complete) and the progress bar was still stuck on some small fraction (maybe 1-2%) of completion... others seem to have had the same experience.
Looks like someone had success by manually download the combo update. Maybe I'll try that.
Yeah I had a similar experience. The update interface said the update was 190MB and that it was "Downloaded". I clicked the install button, and it restarted. An hour later the progress bar showed a small fraction of the install had completed and said that it was "Configuring Installation"
I forced a shutdown, tried again and the same thing happened, although this time I gave up after 20 minutes..
Yeah, that's EXACTLY what I'm getting. I finally thought I was being impatient so I gave it two hours and it still showed about 2% on the progress bar and stuck in "Configuring Installation."
Is there a way I can erase the original 190MB update and try to downloading it again? Perhaps the file was somehow corrupted? i've tried about 8 times now and it's always the same stall.
What gives?
I've tried updating 4 Macs. 2 PPC and 2 Intel.
The update install has hung on 3 of them. Only 1 of the Intels has successfully updated.
same here gets to config install, then hangs over an hour!
foohey
No. Software does not corrupt itself; hard drives do not flip bits on their own. People's odd "maintenance" and "tweaking" routines break software.
Well, I disagree. Software does get corrupted "all by itself". HDD do flip bits on their own, so to speak. The oxides break down, all by themselves. Cosmic rays do flip bits in RAM, or on HDD (and Flash). If you think that when people use maintainance programs to check and fix peoblems that that's causing all the problems, think again.
You do know that all storage media loses bits from software on a regular basis? In fact, a HDD put away for five years only has a 50/50 chance of being readable.
... And speaking of people's odd maintenance routines, permissions will not affect the installation of an update. Fixing UNIX permissions for everything from graphics corruption, to surround-sound issues, to system instability is voodoo, and a waste of time.
Wrong again! Smart guys like you who read silly articles about this tell people things that are wrong headed at best.
If everything on your drive is just dandy, then nothing you do will improve that before an update. But, if it's not, then running disk utility could save you some grief.
With OSes that use protected/virtual memory, software using memory locations that are off-limits is an impossibility, unless you're talking about a kernel-mode driver or something. Software hasn't had the ability to directly address physical frames in system memory since Mac OS X 10.0 and NT 3.5 (to cover the Mac and PC bases).
Wrong again.
Boy, there sure are a lot of myths going around. I guess it's that time of year.
I recommend SuperDuper's sandbox feature to all users, makes it easy to reverse a troublesome update of any kind should need arise.
Does anyone know how to delete/cancel the download, as now software update thinks it has the download file, but I know it does not. I am on satellite connection and I can't download a 600mb combo file. It usually takes 2-3 tries just to get a 100mb update...
I think if can get it to download again - the whole package - maybe it will work...
Yeah, that's EXACTLY what I'm getting. I finally thought I was being impatient so I gave it two hours and it still showed about 2% on the progress bar and stuck in "Configuring Installation."
Is there a way I can erase the original 190MB update and try to downloading it again? Perhaps the file was somehow corrupted? i've tried about 8 times now and it's always the same stall.
What gives?
trash the stuff in "Macintosh HD > Library > Updates"
Some people disagree with me on this, but I've been saying for a long time that software in the computer gets corupted over time without our knowing it. Sometimes this has the effect of making an update fail, or otherwise have problems. Bad permissions can cause problems as well.
Also, it's interesting to note that most people do NOT have problems with updates. That means that the update itself is not likely to be the fault for most people who do have problems.
People do strange things. despite being told not to by Apple, I've found people moving files that shouldn't be moved. Re-naming others that shouldn't be re-named, etc. This will get people in trouble.
Also, not all programs are well behaved. Many update problems can be tracked to software that uses memory locations that are off limits, or API's that they shouldn't be using, and so on.
A lot of this, but not all, will be solved with a Combo update, as it replaces all files changed after the original upgrade.
Hi Melgross. Thanks for the insight.
Say, I have a question that perhaps you wouldn't mind shedding some light on; or, perhaps you might know where I might find further details. It concerns the impact an update has on OS X's footprint on a hard drive. The cumulative size of the incremental updates (10.5.0 to 10.5.1; 10.5.1 to 10.5.2; 10.5.2 to 10.5.3; etc.) seems to really add up. Do you know the relationship between the size of a downloaded update and the growth of OS X's footprint on a hard drive?
For instance (all hardware specs and language being equal):
Does the size of OS X increase by the size of an update? For example, will a system running 10.5.5 grow by 372MB after the 372MB 10.5.6 download update is installed and the .dmg file is deleted (a one-to-one relationship)?
Since the download is an image, presumably it contains compressed files. As such, might an update after its install routine finishes increase OS X's footprint by more than the size of the .dmg file?
Also, when using the Combo Update to span more than one generation of updates, how does the OS X footprint vary with the number of generations it spans? For example, will migrating from say, 10.5.4 to 10.5.6 be smaller than from a system migrating from say, 10.5.2 to 10.5.6? Alternatively, as presumably only the requisite files are tapped from the 668 MB Combo Update to bring the OS to 10.5.6, wouldn't the net size of the OS X footprint -- with some self-install cleaning/housekeeping -- be the same, as 10.5.6 is 10.5.6 across the board?
I'm sure this is a Pandora?s box to answer in detail but if it's not too much trouble, can you provide some broad strokes?
Many thanks.
Well, I disagree. Software does get corrupted "all by itself". HDD do flip bits on their own, so to speak. The oxides break down, all by themselves. Cosmic rays do flip bits in RAM, or on HDD (and Flash). If you think that when people use maintainance programs to check and fix peoblems that that's causing all the problems, think again.
You do know that all storage media loses bits from software on a regular basis? In fact, a HDD put away for five years only has a 50/50 chance of being readable.
Wrong again! Smart guys like you who read silly articles about this tell people things that are wrong headed at best.
If everything on your drive is just dandy, then nothing you do will improve that before an update. But, if it's not, then running disk utility could save you some grief.
Wrong again.
Boy, there sure are a lot of myths going around. I guess it's that time of year.
I bet you truly believe the shite you write. You almost had me reaching for my tinfoil hat.
Hi Melgross. Thanks for the insight.
Say, I have a question that perhaps you wouldn't mind shedding some light on; or, perhaps you might know where I might find further details. It concerns the impact an update has on OS X's footprint on a hard drive. The cumulative size of the incremental updates (10.5.0 to 10.5.1; 10.5.1 to 10.5.2; 10.5.2 to 10.5.3; etc.) seems to really add up. Do you know the relationship between the size of a downloaded update and the growth of OS X's footprint on a hard drive?
For instance (all hardware specs and language being equal):
Does the size of OS X increase by the size of an update? For example, will a system running 10.5.5 grow by 372MB after the 372MB 10.5.6 download update is installed and the .dmg file is deleted (a one-to-one relationship)?
Since the download is an image, presumably it contains compressed files. As such, might an update after its install routine finishes increase OS X's footprint by more than the size of the .dmg file?
Also, when using the Combo Update to span more than one generation of updates, how does the OS X footprint vary with the number of generations it spans? For example, will migrating from say, 10.5.4 to 10.5.6 be smaller than from a system migrating from say, 10.5.2 to 10.5.6? Alternatively, as presumably only the requisite files are tapped from the 668 MB Combo Update to bring the OS to 10.5.6, wouldn't the net size of the OS X footprint -- with some self-install cleaning/housekeeping -- be the same, as 10.5.6 is 10.5.6 across the board?
I'm sure this is a Pandora’s box to answer in detail but if it's not too much trouble, can you provide some broad strokes?
Many thanks.
It's an interesting question.
It depends on what Apple is doing with the update.
If they are just fixing problems, the size may not vary much. If the code requires additions, then it will expand.
The size of the update doesn't directly give any indication of the final size. Apple will usually rework an entire file for an update, and replace the older one with the newer one. There could very well be a difference in size.
How many files are changed will affect the final size. If Apple is adding some features, as they often do, though minor, that could add to the final size as well.
Sometimes, when an update comes out, it doesn't replace everything, but may add new files to what is already there, so you do get a direct addition to the size from that.
Sometimes older files are left.
A Combo update is usually better, because it replaces all files with entirely new ones from the time of the original upgrade. This results in a cleaner upgrade, and is why it's usually better, which is, of course, why Apple offers it, in addition to it's being easier if you've missed one or more in the middle.
This is very complex, and the results will vary. The reason why the Combo is so much larger, as I've hinted, is because it contains ALL the files updated since the base OS upgrade.
What will the result be? It's hard to tell. I've seen the overall size get smaller with a Combo, as opposed to the incremental updates, and the other way around as well.
There are other factors involved in this. You may have noticed that the incremental updates vary in size depending on the model computer you have. Different computers use different parts of an update, though the core functions being updated are the same.
When using Software Update, Apple determines which model you have, and downloads the appropriate version. The Combo is the same. There's only one. But when it's updating your computer, it will again, update only what your computer needs, though it will, of course, do it from the beginning.
Also, depending on just what software you have apart from the OS, Apple may update with files to benefit them, whereas your friend, who has the exact same model you have, will not get those files installed, as she doesn't have that software. Some of that pertains to Final Cut Studio, and others. It won't be downloading updates to those programs, but to support files in the OS that work with those programs.
As you can see, it can be difficult to tell exactly what the result will be. I'm not sure where to go to find out more from Apple. I've never had this question asked before. Apple will tell what has been updated, but not in that detail.
Perhaps a software developer on the forum will know more.
I bet you truly believe the shite you write. You almost had me reaching for my tinfoil hat.
And I suppose you believe yours?
How about refuting each of my points with some information, rather than with one sentence of garbage? If you can prove I'm wrong, I'll admit it, but you better be right!
Some people disagree with me on this, but I've been saying for a long time that software in the computer gets corupted over time without our knowing it. Sometimes this has the effect of making an update fail, or otherwise have problems. Bad permissions can cause problems as well.
Also, it's interesting to note that most people do NOT have problems with updates. That means that the update itself is not likely to be the fault for most people who do have problems.
People do strange things. despite being told not to by Apple, I've found people moving files that shouldn't be moved. Re-naming others that shouldn't be re-named, etc. This will get people in trouble.
Also, not all programs are well behaved. Many update problems can be tracked to software that uses memory locations that are off limits, or API's that they shouldn't be using, and so on.
A lot of this, but not all, will be solved with a Combo update, as it replaces all files changed after the original upgrade.
I've often read people strongly recommending the use of the Combo Updater over relying on Software Update. I have always relied on Software Update and can't recall ever running into any problems, including with the 10.5.6 update today.
I run Drive Genius 2 every couple weeks (defragging every couple months or so) along with regular Permissions Repair with Disk Utility, so hopefully any of my apps which may have behavioral issues are kept well enough in check. I don't do any of the "strange things" you described either, which also probably helps keep my update experience problem-free.
I didn't time the length of the update process; I clicked to download it (walked away, came back), clicked to install it (walked away, heard two startup chimes from the other room, came back) and beheld the snappiness!
In recent weeks, MobileMe syncing has been very frustrating as seemingly every time I sat down at my iBook G4 syncing would commence, crippling the system for a few minutes. Thus far, this problem (not sure if it was widespread or just me) seems to have thankfully gone away.