Stopping the Mac OS X 10.5 auto-update madness

[AbsolutelyNoFB]

-- This part of the message is directed at the folks who work at Spotify --

Please turn off the auto-update madness for customers using Mac OS X 10.5. All you are doing is breaking their already running Spotify installations.

Frankly, it's just gratuitous cruelty to force a version of the Spotify client on their computers when you know it won't run.

You should make a version of Mac Spotify that runs on Mac OS X 10.5 and has auto-update disabled. It is a hassle for customers to download the old Mac client and manually disable the update. Let the Mac OS X 10.5 users download this special no-update Spotify for OS X 10.5 and enjoy your music service.

-- If you are Mac OS X 10.5 user and neet to get Spotify working again --

As of the v0.8.8 client, Spotify no longer supports Mac OS X 10.5. So you will have to go back to an older version of the client and disable Spotify's auto-update mechanism. This process is tricky. Evelinder and fgmart and Peter all have contributed to getting Mac OS X users running on an older client version. Kudos to them.

As some of the links to the Mac instructions no longer work, try these instructions from fgmart (I've copied them below in case the link gets deleted like some previous ones I posted):

Re: Spotify crashes as soon as it opens

OK everyone, here's the deal.  You have to prevent Spotify from auto-updating.  The way you're going to do this is by sticking two files in the place where it will try to download its auto-update.  You're going to configure these files as read-only and locked, so that when Spotify tries to auto-update it will fail.

Then you will download and install an old version of Spotify that works.  

Because you've previously put these two blocking files in the right place, the newly-installed, old-working version of Spotify will silently try and fail its auto-update, and you'll be happy.

Here we go.

1.  Create the two special files.

Using TextEdit, create a blank file.  Then, go into the Format menu, and choose "Make Plain Text".

Choose File:Save, and uncheck the box that says "If no extension is provided,  use '.txt".  

Enter filename as "Spotify_new.archive", and save it in <Your home folder>:Library:Application Support:Spotify.

Make sure to uncheck the box that adds an extension.  The file cannot have a .txt or .rtf extension!

Now, choose File:Save As, and save it again, in the same folder, but with filename "Spotify_new.archive.sig".  

Yes, you are indeed saving blank files -- that is correct!

2.  Make the files read-only and locked.

Remember, the point of this is to prevent Spotify from replacing them with an actual update.

Using the Finder, locate the Spotify_new.archive and Spotify_new.archive.sig files.  They should be in <Your home folder>:Library:Application Support:Spotify.

One at a time, do a Get Info on them (Command-I), and then:

2a. In the Sharing & Permissions tab, change access privileges to Read only.  This is at the bottom of the get-info dialog.  You will have to click on the little lock icon at the very bottom-right of the dialog and authenticate before you can do this.

2b. Check the box saying "Locked" under the General tab.

When you're done, the dialog should look like this: http://i.imgur.com/XZaNHX5.png

Do this for both the Spotify_new.archive and Spotify_new.archive.sig files.

After you've done this, the files should look like this in your Application Support:Spotify folder: http://i.imgur.com/rpOenQ8.png . Notice the little lock icon by the two files.

3.  Re-install an old/working version of Spotify.

I have the version 0.8.3.222.g317ab79d from CNET, which works fine: http://download.cnet.com/Spotify/3000-2141_4-10912448.html

ANFB: You can also download version 0.8.5.133 from here:

http://mac.filehorse.com/download-spotify/old-versions/

4. Boot up Spotify and you should be all set.

That's it!  I hope this works for you.

[Peter__]

There is now an official non-updating client for Mac OS X 10.5.x posted in the official announcement topic.

Peter

[Vinny1941]

I operate on Mac OSX 10.5.8 on a G4 iMac. I had Spotify on this computer but foolishly followed instructions to update and removed the files from my system. I have been to all the links detailed below but when I try to install the appropriate software it won't let me do it. Instead i get a message saying not supported by this architecture! unusual! I realise this is probably my own stupid fault but wondered if anyone has any ideas as to how I can get Spotify back? Thanks Vince

[Peter__]

I have left a reply on your other post 😉 

Peter

[catchk]

Thanks so much! This has been a right pain in the where the sun don't shine and I was thinking of getting rid of my account because I was just giving them money per month for no service! Why can't they just leave us older comps alone? It's alright when it comes to taking our money!

[catchk]

FYI- I didn't want it to update- it did it by itself. 

P.S. I don't like your lame excuses on why we're having to pay per month for no subscription.

You're lucky this post has probably saved you from losing a few customers.

[mssbastet]

i seriously love you so much right now. thank you!

[Musicismavie]

Thank you sooo much!!! You just saved my life!!

[benrault]

but it also doesn t work on osX 10.6!!!!

Let's all go on grooveshark!

[Peter__]

Current versions of Spotify should run on OS X 10.6. What issue are you having?

[bing2000]

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[bimsbrohm]

It didn't work for me. Spotify kept installing new files called Spotify_new.archive and Spotify_new.archive.sig. As a result, after relaunching the Spotify 0.9.7.16 version it auto-updated again. To prevent this from happening there's a very easy solution: Make the whole Spotify folder in your Application Support folder read-only. Works perfect!

[Skibblez]

Spotify Team,

As a Mac user, I cannot believe that you guys continue to ignore users in the rather large Mac community that are having horrible problems with Spotify running post OSX 10.5.  Client version 9.1 is the last version that works on my Mac and everything after that is broken or at the very least unuseable.  I can't pay for something that doesn't work for me.

You all seem to have a priority problem over there.  For the longest time users requested that they be able to delete radio stations.  That took a very very very long time to finally come about as you yourselves stated you had other things on the front burner to worry about even though you heard everyone's complaints.  Looks like the same issue this time around.

As a businessman myself I understand you have many things that demand attention, but your users are your lifeblood, please consider their  requests.  If not creating a universal udated client that works on all OS platforms, then at least give the option to cancel auto updating.

[croppitt]

This works! Thanks so much - nearly 4 months with constant re-intalling the old version every time I re-started my computer Spotify you really should listen - not everyone wants to constantly update programmes. It it works leave it alone

[joeldg]

Necroposting to bring this back up for the current issue.

[jacobsteel]

Thank you! Again.

My older Spotify (installed as instructed) stopped working, noticed it today. Seems to may have something to do with loading of the people list.

However, reinstalling Spotify-0.8.5 did actually work. 

spotify-0-6-3-37-es-en-mac seems to have stopped working (a bummer, since this is the last version I know that kept the GOOD "back" button on the radio function. Head up to developers, guys! why couldn't you keep a back button... this has been posted a lot.. but I digress).

Either way, the 0.8.5 re-install did actually bring back Spotify today (2015-08-12) on the Mac OS 10.5.8 (no recent updates work here).