MacOS – Mac App Store app can’t be uninstalled, won’t finish installing

applicationsinstallmac-appstoremacos

So I went to download and install McSolitaire thinking it might be a fun game. Well, something went wrong during the install process. Now I've got a half-downloaded app in my Applications and the Purchases tab encourages me to re-install it, noting in red that an error has occurred. Deleting the app from Applications and returning to the App Store causes the app to reappear in Applications, still with the small slider indicating still copying.

At this point I just want it to be installed or gone. I don't really care if I play Solitaire using the app.

What do I do now?

Some screenshots for the discerningly minded:
What it shows in Finder

and
The App Store

Clicking install says:
Useless error message

and below that …
enter image description here

Best Answer

Seems to me you should contact apple support.

I can think of several diagnostics here.

  1. Is it apple ID specific?
  2. Is your DNS servers having trouble or not local enough so apple knows where you are and which CDN node to use? Make sure you use the ones from your ISP.
  3. Lastly, you may want to test with another user account, and make sure the app store functions correctly there.
  4. If you can get away with it, does it work in Safe Mode? (holding down shift at boot)
  5. When you run a traceroute, is the latency really high? What about speed?
  6. What OS are you using? Snow Leopard, Lion or Mountain Lion. Mountain Lion probably has a much more integrated app store, and it might work better for you. (major surgery though.)
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