Google-chrome – Why Google Chrome can not Update it-self

I know this is an old question, but I have run into this issue over and over again while running various versions of Chrome on OS X 10.9. I too tried the solutions at https://support.google.com/chrome/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=1367288 and http://productforums.google.com/forum/#!topic/chrome/t9iK_JcJsuA but never had any luck. I would always resort to downloading and installing the latest from Google. Today, ran into the issue again and decided that there HAD to be a solution.

After the most recent failed update attempt, I turned to the Console. A quick search for "chrome" revealed the following GoogleSoftwareUpdateDaemon error:

2/21/14 5:18:33.570 PM GoogleSoftwareUpdateDaemon[1784]: -[KSInstallAction performAction]
    KSInstallAction install script failure. (productIDs: com.google.Chrome)
    [com.google.UpdateEngine.CoreErrorDomain:2307 - '/tmp/KSInstallAction.6E6RqXqHyw/m/.keystone_install']
    ("dirpatcher.sh: can't patch nonexistent or irregular file /Applications/Google Chrome.app/Contents/Versions/32.0.1700.107/Google Chrome Framework.framework/Resources/am.lproj/locale.pak\n.keystone_install: dirpatcher of versioned directory failed, status 12\n"
    [kKSInstallScriptErrorDomain:12])

A closer inspection of the "nonexistent or irregular file" in the error revealed that it had to do with a localized version of Chrome. While conducting a deeper Google search, I found a similar error message with this comment: "Do you have an application installed that removes localizations from application packages?" It was then that it dawned on me that I had been using CleanMyMac to, among other things, remove "unneeded" localization files from my machine! And, sure enough, it was removing all but the required en.lproj resources from Google Chrome, including the am.lproj folder that the updater was complaining about in the error.

My solution: Download and install the latest version of Google Chrome and either turn off any localization removal settings in cleaner apps you may use or, like I did, add an exception to ignore Chrome during cleaning.

Good luck!

Google Update Services are both disabled. (gupdate and gupdatem)

This is likely the guilty, as it seems to cause the policy settings to be ignored (source). So you shouldn't disable the services (set both to Manual instead).

Second, a few comments regarding the proposed registry settings:

• UpdateDefault can be set to 3 in order to prevent updates for all Google software (source)
• AutoUpdateCheckPeriodMinutes is not interpreted the same when machines are not in a domain (source)
• Update{8A69D345-D564-463C-AFF1-A69D9E530F96} is a Chrome-specific override for UpdateDefault. Either set to 3 or remove if UpdateDefault is present and set to 3 (i.e., inherit the default)
• Install{8A69D345-D564-463C-AFF1-A69D9E530F96} is a Chrome-specific override for InstallDefault. Either set to 0 or remove if InstallDefault is specified and set to 0 (i.e., inherit the default)
• Chrome Binaries policy also needs to exist and the "two need to match in order for auto-update policies to work correctly" (source)

Based in the above, a script was created (which also updates services and scheduled tasks):

@echo off

rem | References:
rem | https://support.google.com/chrome/a/answer/6350036#Registry_Settings
rem | http://stackoverflow.com/a/28356336/1111895
rem | http://superuser.com/questions/645845/how-do-i-disable-google-chrome-silent-updates

echo Stopping and setting Google Update services to manual . . .
rem | don't disable the services as it seems to cause the policy settings to be ignored
rem | https://bugs.chromium.org/p/chromium/issues/detail?id=512627#c158
for %%i in ("gupdate" "gupdatem") do (
  "%windir%\system32\net.exe" stop %%~i>nul 2>&1
  "%windir%\system32\sc.exe" config %%~i start= demand>nul
  if errorlevel 1 pause
)

echo Stopping and disabling Google Update tasks . . .
rem | avoid overhead and help preventing the services configuration from being reset
for %%i in ("GoogleUpdateTaskMachineCore" "GoogleUpdateTaskMachineUA") do (
  "%windir%\system32\schtasks.exe" /end /TN "\%%~i">nul 2>&1
  "%windir%\system32\schtasks.exe" /change /disable /TN "\%%~i">nul
  if errorlevel 1 pause
)

echo Updating Google Update policy . . .
set TARGET_KEY=HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Google\Update
for %%i in ("Update" "Install") do (
  rem | GUIDs mean "Google Chrome" and "Google Chrome binaries", which must be consistent
  rem | https://support.google.com/chrome/a/answer/3204698#auto-updates
  rem | Tip: to affect other Google Update packages, add "Default" to the list
  for %%j in ("{8A69D345-D564-463C-AFF1-A69D9E530F96}" "{4DC8B4CA-1BDA-483E-B5FA-D3C12E15B62D}") do (
    "%windir%\system32\reg.exe" add "%TARGET_KEY%" /v "%%~i%%~j" /t REG_DWORD /d 0 /f>nul
    if errorlevel 1 pause  
  )
)
rem | for machines *not* in a domain, this is limited to 77 hours (even when set to 0!)
rem | https://www.chromium.org/administrators/turning-off-auto-updates
"%windir%\system32\reg.exe" add "%TARGET_KEY%" /v "AutoUpdateCheckPeriodMinutes" /t REG_DWORD /d 0 /f>nul
if errorlevel 1 pause
rem | disable the auto-updater
rem | http://googlesystem.blogspot.pt/2009/05/customize-or-disable-google-update.html
"%windir%\system32\reg.exe" add "%TARGET_KEY%" /v "DisableAutoUpdateChecksCheckboxValue" /t REG_DWORD /d 1 /f>nul
if errorlevel 1 pause

echo Done!
rem | ~3s delay (backwards-compatible with Windows XP)
"%windir%\system32\ping.exe" -n 4 127.0.0.1>nul 2>&1

Save the text-area contents to a windows command script file (for example, GoogleChrome-DisableUpdates[RunAsAdministrator].cmd) and run as Administrator.

Tip: (partially stated in script comment above) to affect other Google Update packages, in step Updating Google Update policy add Default to the list, as in:

for %%j in ("{8A69D345-D564-463C-AFF1-A69D9E530F96}" "{4DC8B4CA-1BDA-483E-B5FA-D3C12E15B62D}" "Default") do (

That will cause updates policy to apply not only to Google Chrome but to all products supported by Google Update, provided that other product-specific keys (Update{GUID} and Install{GUID}) are not overriding these settings (source).