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I cannot update google chrome

cool11

cool11

macrumors 68000
Original poster
Sep 3, 2006
1,839
227
For some strange reason, I can't update google chrome.
I mean, when you go to 'about' section and there it displays the current version,
it checks if there is a new one and then it updates itself.

I tried a lot. Trust me.
I have lulu firewall.
I checked all rules.
I trashed them, anything related to chrome.
Also I disabled temporarily the firewall.
I ended to completely uninstall chrome with an appcleaner application and then installed it again.
But it does not seem to truly completely uninstall, as I found my extensions again, when I re-downloaded chrome and open it again.

Anything I tried, it failed.

I really cannot understand what is wrong.

Any ideas?
 
c.jpg


Of course then I have read the information there

Fix Chrome update problems & failed updates - Google Chrome Help

If you're having problems updating Chrome on your computer, you might see: Update failed: Updates are disabled by administrator Update failed (Error: 3 or 11) An error occurred while checking fo
support.google.com
 
cool11 said:
For some strange reason, I can't update google chrome.
I mean, when you go to 'about' section and there it displays the current version,
it checks if there is a new one and then it updates itself.

I tried a lot. Trust me.
I have lulu firewall.
I checked all rules.
I trashed them, anything related to chrome.
Also I disabled temporarily the firewall.
I ended to completely uninstall chrome with an appcleaner application and then installed it again.
But it does not seem to truly completely uninstall, as I found my extensions again, when I re-downloaded chrome and open it again.

Anything I tried, it failed.

I really cannot understand what is wrong.

Any ideas?
Click to expand...
not sure why you like Chrome, it really kills your RAM.

Have you tried a total delete and fresh reinstall?
 
MarineBand5524 said:
not sure why you like Chrome, it really kills your RAM.

Have you tried a total delete and fresh reinstall?
Click to expand...

My main browser is firefox.
But I run a wordpress site and I have to check it with all browsers.

Yes, I totally trashed chrome with app-cleaners, everything gone, and then manually downloaded the dmg.
Nothing changed.
Also I cleaned all related rules in lulu firewall. But it did not helped.
 
cool11 said:
My main browser is firefox.
But I run a wordpress site and I have to check it with all browsers.

Yes, I totally trashed chrome with app-cleaners, everything gone, and then manually downloaded the dmg.
Nothing changed.
Also I cleaned all related rules in lulu firewall. But it did not helped.
Click to expand...
Do you think running Disk Utility (first Aid) would help at all?

Just out of curiosity, how did you did download and re-install?

Ever thought of using HomeBrew? (brew.sh)
 
Last edited:
cool11 said:
For some strange reason, I can't update google chrome.
I mean, when you go to 'about' section and there it displays the current version,
it checks if there is a new one and then it updates itself.

I tried a lot. Trust me.
I have lulu firewall.
I checked all rules.
I trashed them, anything related to chrome.
Also I disabled temporarily the firewall.
I ended to completely uninstall chrome with an appcleaner application and then installed it again.
But it does not seem to truly completely uninstall, as I found my extensions again, when I re-downloaded chrome and open it again.

Anything I tried, it failed.

I really cannot understand what is wrong.

Any ideas?
Click to expand...
Did you ever figure this out? Mine does this too. It's so annoying. It always fails update even though it knows there is one. I always have to download it again and reinstall it (replacing the old one) to get the latest version. It didn't always do this. Seemed like it happened in the last year.

It drives me insane. I didn't used to do this. I have no idea what's stopping it from getting the update.

Do you have an M Macbook or Intel? I think it actually started happening even when I was on my old the Intel one, but I'm not totally sure.
 
noon11111 said:
Did you ever figure this out? Mine does this too. It's so annoying. It always fails update even though it knows there is one. I always have to download it again and reinstall it (replacing the old one) to get the latest version. It didn't always do this. Seemed like it happened in the last year.

It drives me insane. I didn't used to do this. I have no idea what's stopping it from getting the update.

Do you have an M Macbook or Intel? I think it actually started happening even when I was on my old the Intel one, but I'm not totally sure.
Click to expand...

No, I have not find a solution for updating from inside chrome.
The only way is to download the dmg and overwrite the old .app file.

So, I am not the only one with such a weird problem.
 
cool11 said:
No, I have not find a solution for updating from inside chrome.
Click to expand...
Have you tried deleting ~/Library/Google/GoogleSoftwareUpdate and the Google launch agents from ~/Library/LaunchAgents/ and reinstalling Chrome using the pkg?
 
bogdanw said:
Have you tried deleting ~/Library/Google/GoogleSoftwareUpdate and the Google launch agents from ~/Library/LaunchAgents/ and reinstalling Chrome using the pkg?
Click to expand...

Not sure why my system is different, but on my computer those files are in /Library, not ~/Library. Probably worth checking in both places.
 
svenmany said:
Not sure why my system is different, but on my computer those files are in /Library, not ~/Library. Probably worth checking in both places.
Click to expand...
You probably said “yes” when Chrome asked you to set up updates for all users.
Agree, all should be checked and deleted for a fresh install.
 
I figured it out, though I don't remember exactly how I did it at the moment. Anyway, it was due to somehow installing Chrome only for the admin or something, and not all users. Certain update files were not in the right directories to actually update. I just copy/pasted them to the right spot and it ended up working.

Sorry that I don't recall exactly what I did, but hopefully you can Google about something like "update directories chrome users admin", or something like that?
 
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noon11111 said:
I figured it out, though I don't remember exactly how I did it at the moment. Anyway, it was due to somehow installing Chrome only for the admin or something, and not all users. Certain update files were not in the right directories to actually update. I just copy/pasted them to the right spot and it ended up working.

Sorry that I don't recall exactly what I did, but hopefully you can Google about something like "update directories chrome users admin", or something like that?
Click to expand...

I prefer to have my applications, in folders that I create by myself. Not in the usual 'Applications' folder.
It is not 'windows' with registry problems, so I can do it almost with all applications.
But I never thought that this could ever be a problem for updates.
For example, firefox and opera, properly update, though I have them in subfolders of mine, like 'internet/browsers'.
I am not sure if this is the reason that still, chrome refuses to update with its internal update routine, and I have to manually download the dmg and overwrite the older one.
 
cool11 said:
I prefer to have my applications, in folders that I create by myself. Not in the usual 'Applications' folder.
It is not 'windows' with registry problems, so I can do it almost with all applications.
But I never thought that this could ever be a problem for updates.
For example, firefox and opera, properly update, though I have them in subfolders of mine, like 'internet/browsers'.
I am not sure if this is the reason that still, chrome refuses to update with its internal update routine, and I have to manually download the dmg and overwrite the older one.
Click to expand...
I believe this is related to app translocation. Some programs, when I run them from a place other than the Applications folder, are translocated to a temporary directory and run from there.

Here's a particularly relevant quote at https://mjtsai.com/blog/2023/05/10/app-translocation-in-ventura/

You want to avoid translocation because, even if all your app’s resources are within its bundle, it will interfere with automatic updates.
Click to expand...
 
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cool11 said:
I prefer to have my applications, in folders that I create by myself. Not in the usual 'Applications' folder.
It is not 'windows' with registry problems, so I can do it almost with all applications.
But I never thought that this could ever be a problem for updates.
For example, firefox and opera, properly update, though I have them in subfolders of mine, like 'internet/browsers'.
I am not sure if this is the reason that still, chrome refuses to update with its internal update routine, and I have to manually download the dmg and overwrite the older one.
Click to expand...

I believe this was what I followed to fix it.

IIRC, the /Library/Google/GoogleSoftwareUpdate wasn't created right. I just copied/pasted it from where it was to where it should have existed, and then it worked. I think you need to create the ~/Library/... for your user, rather than just /Library/...

Something like that.

redlinetech.wordpress.com

macOS: Enable Chrome Auto Updates For All Users

Meant to be run after installing Chrome for the first time on a machine to enable auto updates for all users. Creates the /Library/Google/GoogleSoftwareUpdate folder, including “TicketStore&#…
redlinetech.wordpress.com redlinetech.wordpress.com
 
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noon11111 said:
I believe this was what I followed to fix it.

IIRC, the /Library/Google/GoogleSoftwareUpdate wasn't created right. I just copied/pasted it from where it was to where it should have existed, and then it worked. I think you need to create the ~/Library/... for your user, rather than just /Library/...

Something like that.

redlinetech.wordpress.com

macOS: Enable Chrome Auto Updates For All Users

Meant to be run after installing Chrome for the first time on a machine to enable auto updates for all users. Creates the /Library/Google/GoogleSoftwareUpdate folder, including “TicketStore&#…
redlinetech.wordpress.com redlinetech.wordpress.com
Click to expand...

Should I run this script
github.com

Scripts/Chrome Enable Auto Updates/chrome_enable_autoupdates.rb at master · nlscott/Scripts

Scripts. Contribute to nlscott/Scripts development by creating an account on GitHub.
github.com github.com
to terminal?
 
cool11 said:
Should I run this script
github.com

Scripts/Chrome Enable Auto Updates/chrome_enable_autoupdates.rb at master · nlscott/Scripts

Scripts. Contribute to nlscott/Scripts development by creating an account on GitHub.
github.com github.com
to terminal?
Click to expand...
I just looked back at my terminal commands and it looks like i followed this tutorial.
redlinetech.wordpress.com

macOS: Enable Chrome Auto Updates For All Users

Meant to be run after installing Chrome for the first time on a machine to enable auto updates for all users. Creates the /Library/Google/GoogleSoftwareUpdate folder, including “TicketStore&#…
redlinetech.wordpress.com redlinetech.wordpress.com

I ended up running sudo chrome_enable_autoupdates.rb as the last command apparently. I'm guessing I needed to have the files in the right place and then run that. That solved it. Hope this helps.
 
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I appreciate your efforts to help.
Forgive my confussion.
Does chrome in 'applications' folder updates as it should be?
So the problem appears when chrome is located in other user's folders?

Strange behavior thought, as firefox and opera normally update themselves, no matter where I have put their files.
 
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