Apple regularly releases Updates and major Upgrades for macOS. Running Updates through System Settings is the preferred method for Updates and Upgrades. UWEC requires these updates to be applied within 7 days to protect university computers and data. When an update is required, you will receive notifications reminding you to install it before a deadline.
UWEC macOS Declarative Update Notifications
The following buttons and controls are available within the notification window.
- Open Software Update: This will launch the macOS Software Update settings from within System Settings where you will be able to select Update Now or Restart Now to begin installation immediately. More information on this process below.
- Remind Me Later: This is an acknowledgment that you understand the expectation to update and will close the update notification window.
- ?: Provides information about your username, computer name, and the version of this application as well as contact information for LTS for assistance and links to this knowledgeable article.
As the deadline for the macOS update approaches, the behavior of this window will change. There are three important time windows to consider.
- Normal: You will have the option to Remind Me Later. The notification will reappear at least every 6 hours but will respect meeting detection.
- Imminent: During the final 24 hours, only the Open Software Update option is available and the background will blur. Meeting deferrals are also ignored.
- Deadline Time: Computer will restart to apply the update.
macOS updates are required 7 days after release by Apple and will automatically install and restart your computer at that time. On the day of the deadline you may receive similar required update notifications once an hour and then at 60, 45, 30, 15, 10, 5, and 1 minute(s) before the computer will automatically restart to apply the required update. The required update deadline will initially be timed to install during the nightly maintenance window of midnight to 6am but if the computer is unavailable during that time, the update will proceed when the computer is next available.
Laptop computers ideally should be plugged into power before continuing and should remain plugged in while the updates are applied. The update may reboot the computer several times. During that process, you should see the Apple logo and a progress bar with the estimated time remaining. Please note that the displayed estimate may not be accurate and will likely take less time to complete.
Once your computer has returned to the login window, you may login and use it normally. Please be aware that some updates have an additional process that runs after login and you may see an additional Apple progress bar before the computer fully signs in. Normally that second process and window take less than 10 minutes.
Previous Nudge Notifications (soon to be deprecated):
The following buttons and controls are available within the notification window.
- Install Update Now: This will launch the macOS Software Update settings from within System Settings where you will be able to select Update Now to begin installation immediately. More information on this process below.
- I understand: This is an acknowledgment that you understand the expectation to update and will make several deferral options available.
- More info: This is a link to this KnowledgeBase article.
- ?: Provides information about your username, computer name, and the version of this application.
- Defer: Once you select I understand you will be presented with the options to defer for One Hour or One Day. You may continue to defer up until the deadline.
As the deadline for the macOS update approaches, the behavior of this window will change. There are three important time windows to consider.
- Normal: You will have the option to defer for One Hour or One Day. If you do not select anything, the window will move to the front every 100 minutes.
- Imminent: During the final 24 hours, only the One Hour defer option is available and if the window is not deferred or the Install Update Now button selected, the window will move to the forefront every ten minutes.
- Past Due: The window will go into a persistent mode during which all active windows are hidden when this window is active and will come to the forefront every 5 minutes. Defer options are no longer available.
Install Apple macOS Updates and Upgrades Through System Settings
If you are prompted that an update is available or would like to check to see if updates are available for your computer, please use System Settings.
- Click the Apple menu .
- Select System Settings.
- Select General.
- Select Software Update.
- Wait while your Mac checks for updates.
- Click Update Now or Restart Now if an update is available.
- Follow any prompts and restart if requested.
- If you don't see an update listed but you know one should be available, please restart your computer and check again in Software Update.
- If you are prompted for an administrative account after proceeding, please first try your normal UWEC credentials.
- The update may reboot the computer several times. During that process, you should see the Apple logo and a progress bar with the estimated time remaining. Please note that this estimate may not be accurate and will likely take less time to complete.
- Once your computer has returned to the login window, you may login and use it normally.
- Please contact the LTS Help Desk if you need further guidance.
Apple's macOS Background Security Improvements
Background Security Improvements are smaller security updates released by Apple between macOS updates. These updates help protect your Mac from newly discovered security vulnerabilities and should be installed as soon as possible.
Pending Update in System Settings. Background Security Updates now appear in a different section of System Settings. Please go to System Settings, Privacy & Security, Background Security Improvements and press Install for any pending updates.
Requirements
Apple's guidance is that only the most current highest numbered macOS version provides all available security patches. New major macOS versions (i.e. macOS 27) are releases each fall by Apple but UWEC LTS blocks the initial release until compatibility testing has been completed and release bugs have been addressed. Typically that occurs with the next minor version (i.e. macOS 27.1) at which point the upgrade will be released and required for campus.
UW System Administrative Procedure 1042.A requires security vulnerability and patch management processes for all UW systems. While this can be disruptive to users, these processes are required to protect UWEC owned computer systems and data. The notification window is designed to be informative and provide users with clear instructions and expectations and will only appear when an update is required. Key information on the notification window is the required OS version for update, current OS version, number of days left until updates must be installed, and the time the updates will be enforced if not updated sooner.