App Store installing iMovie. Again. and Again..
 

and again and again and again....

and again....etc...

what does it take for this OS X rig to get the concept: it's installed already!?!

it's a 1.36 GB install. it's already there. I see it with my own human eyeballs: iMovie 9.0.8! I've launched it. I've used it.

App store still insists I need to be "upgraded" to 9.0.8

Since app store refuses to sit down and shut up, I've been advised to "let" it "install" imovie again.

I will, just this once, put up with more malarkey. but after, if app store still wants to "install" things which are already installed, can I modify my OS System to make app store sit down and shut up?

I have done a completely totally pure install of Mt. Lion.

Pure = Nothing from an old user. Erase and Install. Nothing migrated. ALL software programs freshly installed as though never installed before by me. All settings hand-typed freshly. Nothing moved from the old, except for mail. (forgive me O computer gods).

Yes. my email. My safari bookmarks only. (need I flail myself for forgiveness?)

it's like I have a 10 mile wad of toilet paper permanently stuck to my shoe with this OS X thing. always something torpedoes my install and I'm told, "well you might have to re-install the whole OS again." I haven't even had the "joy" of doing something truly demanding with this mac "pro" such that a hosed system could be understandable.

owing to my work schedule, this high-dollar rig pretty much sits here, does email and a little surfing.

am I really and truly the only one on this planet suffering this never-ending malarkey?

I've done multiple layers of troubleshooting. My hardware has been tested. 3 times. All 3 times, it has been found to be absolutely 100% in accordance with every and all parameter handed down by Apple. Even if Steve Jobs was here with Woz, Spock, and Cmdr Data, and a batallion of apple engineers with pocket protectors, my hardware wouldn't test any better. (they say...)

are there any answers to stop this plague of annoyances?

thank you!

acme

Sounds like App Store plist have gone haywire. But strange on fresh install.
Are you using multiple Apple IDs on machine for purchasing ?

I must admit i only run retail version of iLife 11 apps so do not have MAS issues. However I have seen the similar issues on a few of my clients machines.

You can turn on debug mean and see if it gives you any clues and reset MAS.
I wonder if it is a spotlight issue as MAS uses that and xattr.

Hope you get past your annoyances.

I do have 2 macs using app store. 1 ID for both.. the snip of code you supply, are you saying I should run that now? or, wait to see if the current "install" of iMovie solves the problem and if not, THEN use that code snip?

thank you for the well wishes..I hope so, too!

acme

OK..I "let" app store "install" imovie 908 again.

app store informs me that I must install iMovie 908, again.

So, retardo OS X is again having a problem whihc apples solution is reinstall the whole system.

which, I can testify, doesn't actually work. I've done clean reinstalls at their suggestion no fewer than 6 times.

It

simply

does

not

work.

help!

a

another choice for you would be to click the X next to the Update button for iMovie, which would remove that entry (and no longer shows iMovie). You can manually restore it at another time by going to your account, and choosing that option to restore hidden items.
Yes, doesn't really "fix" your issue, but does let you ignore it more easily.

Since everyone seems to be ignoring it, and I suspect that it's the real problem, I'll copy what agentx said again:

Why don't you try moving the app store plist file to another location (preferably when App Store is not running) and relaunch App Store?

Trevor

There's also a hint on the main site about resolving some problems with the App Store:

http://hints.macworld.com/article.ph...21012020512148

If I saw an X, I'd be a clickin' mo fo, but there simply is no X for me to click! I see the Update button. No "x" to click.

a

You have to mouse across that line.
If no "X", is there any menu that appears when you right click on that iMovie line?

I'm mousing all OVER that app store window..on the imovie entry, it's update button up down all around right left.

no X.

Also, the apple genius advisor senior dude had me boot into test user and the problem was there too..he said "oh, it's system-wide."

does this mean the OS X install is truly hosed? if so, how can that happen on a barely used fresh install?

are the other suggestions here useless if it's some system wide failing causing this?

a

You suspect that your OS X install is "Hosed?"
It's an update report, for one app -
Do you somehow feel compelled to install that, even though you know that you already have it ... ?
Or, you could tell us what you get when right-clicking on that line?

Let me get some time to do some screengrabs to show what I'm seeing. I suspect the system is "hosed" because of what the apple senior advisor said: that a complete re-install appeared to be needed to solve the app store problem. Not my choice; their prognosis.

It wouldn't bug me so much if the little reminder thing wouldn't pop out every day or so, with only these 2 choices:

1. update

or

2. restart

Neither one of which satisfactorily resolves the "issue" that I must make a decision on an erroneous update need report.

Right clicking doesn't make any hidden X /dismiss buttons appear.

and O joy, it seems that both of my mt. lion-using macs both have "false update disease."

So I just don't know what to make of this. If I could shut off the app store and/or make it stop acting dumb, I'd do so.

a

Turn off "Automatically check for updates" in your Software Update pref pane?

ah..see it, unchecked it. I'll look forward to no more nags..and thank you!


now, is there anything to the apple advisor's contention that something underlying the system is "broken" such that only a re-install can fix it?

a

It sounds to me more like a statement that the issue is presumably somewhere in /System and/or /Library (I guess one of the by-default hidden folders may be a source, too), and since the source of the problem is unknown, a system re-install should fix it. The problem is that no one has been able to identify the cause. Maybe it's an easily deleted cache file, maybe it's something that could be resolved with Pacifist. Maybe a full system re-install is the only cure. No one knows.

If I were in your position, I'd be content with what is overall a functioning system and I'd wait to see if something like 10.8.3 corrects this. Heck, you're only about 9 months from 10.9.

good one!

a

relative to the "X" I've been advised to click to dismiss the un-needed updates, here's a screen grab of what my app store looks like:


http://coffeeonmars.com/screenshots/appUpdates.png

Ah, OK. I wouldn't expect you to be able to change from that screen.
Should work on the "Purchases" screen.
I don't have Mountain Lion, so I don't know if the Apple apps will show on the Purchases screen, but that should be where you can remove items if you want.

Well, more on the saga, did a disk warrior routine and came up that app store plist was broken somehow and not able to be fixed.

Can I drag the app store plist to the trash and not suffer for it? Something a apple tech genius wizard said suggested the app store was woven throughout the system such that the oceans could drain into space if you tinker with it.

slight exaggertion there... :p

thanks!

a

Turn on debug menu and clear caches/reset application and remove plist if need be.

I did say last week to remove the appstore plist !!!!!

AND OVERALL YOU WILL VERY RARELY NEED TO REINSTALL OS X especially to sort out trivial issues

app store program has a debug menu?

uh huh.

well, check this out. Last year, while trying to un-hose my email issues, an apple tech wizard genius had me do a "simple, harmless" move that ended up borking my whole entire computer system.

Next thing, he sez, "oh, you're going to have to back up your files and re-install your OS X to solve this."

And just 2 weeks ago, another wizard genius at apple told me after 2 or three little experiments trying to make app store shut up, that "well, if this doesn't work your going to have to re-install OS X"

Now, don't get me wrong. I like the sound of what you say: Just drag the offending part to the trash and problem solved.

But I have way too many experiences with procedures sold as innocuous that lead to a complete and total trainwreck on the Mac..

Hours of trubbleshooting...hours of fails...hours of backing up and reformatting.

Great when it works, but I think they got them a OS that's so fussy a speck of dust can wreck it.

And I say that because there seem to be many "little" things in OS X which are "woven throughout the system." That's like a thread on your shirt where you give it a little tug and your sleeve unravels!

a

Your Disk Warrior log should show the path to the location of that .plist file.
If it is in your user Library (probably the Preferences folder), then there should be no problem to delete that file, which would be re-created the next time you launch the App Store.
If the .plist file is inside the App Store package, then it might be best to remove the App Store app, and restore that from your OS X installer.

OK found app store plist in prefs. trashed. no change. rebooted. no change.

app store STILL thinks I need iMovie 9.0.8.

on the up side, last week it stopped thinking I needed 10.8.2, so that is progress.

thank you.

a

Does the App Store show the same results, if you open App Store when you are logged in to a different user account on your Mac?
This can a good opportunity to create a new user account, just for this purpose.

yeah, the apple genius wizard person had me try that..log out and back into a test user, same BS: I need iMovie 9.0.8

that's when he said the part about system-wide problem and you need to re-install your OS X.

How's a practically brand-new install barely used get all hosed up like that?

and such a small problem on a small application?

I was tellin' my wife, if your car has a dead battery you don't put in a whole new engine, you just put a new battery...but apparently in OS X, the app store is one of the pillars of the OS.

sounds pretty screwy to me..

The engine/battery is probably not a relevant illustration in this case.

And, a reinstall does not necessarily mean "Erase and Install"
Boot to the Recovery partition, and choose reinstall OS X.
You will get a fresh install of the OS X system - similar to the older Archive & Install in older OS X versions. Your own stuff, applications that you have installed, documents, etc, would all stay as is.
Run Software Update (App Store) when the install completes. There are normally a few updates for you to do at that point.

And, finally, being a relatively minor problem, you would need to decide if the result is worth your time (if you have no other problems)

I know and you are right to point that out. I guess I'm happy not to have the admin credentials-demanding nags...

a

It is all related to the fact that Apple Support "Engineers" are following a script and if they cannot solve your problem they will tell you to re-install in reality it is a very rare thing to do. Not saying it does not happen.....ie when someone sets 777 permissions on a boot drive !

A seasoned professional will look for problems and solve rather than just wiping.
The core OS OS is pretty damn stable but things in your user folder can mess up.

see post #2 for Apple Store debug menu

Can i ask is this a Retail version of iMovie from (iLife11 disk/installer) or an App Store version of iMovie that came with your machine ?

Have you ever used 2 Apple IDs ?
Have you totally removed iMovie ?

DO NOT RE-INSTALL FFS !

I bought an iMovie upgrade from the apple app store.

to my knowledge, 1 apple app id

I haven't totally removed iMovie because I use it and have ongoing projects.

what IS "ffs?"

It's the nags AND the queasy feeling I get when I hear "system-wide problem."

things in my experience that were like that: font issues...mouse the wrong font out of the wrong face and you have system-wide problems serious enough that re-install is your only workable option.

Quicktime/iTunes components: move or de-install the wrong thing (even tho there's an online tip about it) and you face system-wide problems; re-install city is your next stop.

some of these things are User dumbness; other things are OS booby traps, but when you think you have a "system-wide problem," there's the lingering fear that this problem, whatever it is, will manifest right when you're in the middle of an important client project that you HAVE to get done.

So you think, well...better deal now than later. But with this app store thing I'm having, the problem sprouted right off, when the MT. Lion install was brand new, so you think if THAT got hosed when brand new, then what fix in re-installing it all over again?

Since my under-the-hood chops are nowhere near most of you guys's, I'm just left with this weak hope that some hail mary pass will save the day, but those often also lead into a pit of despair.

a

how to re-subscribe to a thread
 

I accidentally clicked unsusbscribe in an email; is there a button in that thread to re-subscribe me?

thanks!

a

OK just delete the App from /Applications and reinstall
Shoudl be fine after that and doing the debug menu resetting etc.

FFS = FOR F**KS SAKE ;-)

There are two com.apple.appstore.plist files. One is in ~/ library/cookies & the other ~/library/prefs.

I recently had a problem with the App Store and trashed both of them without a problem. The appstore still notifies me of updates, so i shouldnt worry too much about pulling the plug :D

Do you have any other hard drives attached, besides the boot drive, which might have a second, older version of iMovie installed?

I may have bumped onto the answer to this dumb problem: there was, on my drive, in the downloads folder, an older copy of iMovie..ie older than 9.08

I tossed it and after that, the little "1" on the App Store Updates Icon vanished!

So..Good and Dumb both...if it's not in the Applications folder, why should the App Store tell me I have or don't have it?

Maybe there's a very good reason I haven't considered...

Thank you heartily to all who chimed in on this issue...

a

Mac App Store is "intelligent" it will find (using spotlight indexes) any version of software on any disk and sees if it needs updating. This is also true for the Install Mac OS X.app as well. If it finds it on an external it will UPDATE the contents of it.

as such in this case @jeffshenk hit the nail on the head.