Apple’s July Updates

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Apple released a series of July updates today. I will be testing the round of updates I have supported devices for this weekend (I will update all devices on Friday night and will report back on Saturday if the updates break anything or if it is safe to update). Here are the updates Apple released today:

macOS 10.14.6: Mostly bug fixes (with restarts and sleep mode, SMB, full screen video, and Boot Camp) and security patches. Also includes enhancements to Apple News+ (Makes downloaded issues available in the My Magazines section of Apple News+, both online and offline, Adds all publications in Apple News+, including newspapers, to the catalog at the top of the News+ feed, Adds the ability to clear downloaded magazine issues in Apple News+ by selecting History > Clear > Clear All; still no way to manually delete individual issues).

iOS 12.4: Bug fixes and security patches again, as well as the same Apple News+ enhancements seen in macOS 10.14.6 (Makes downloaded issues accessible in the My Magazines section, both offline and online, Adds all publications in Apple News+, including newspapers, to the catalog at the top of the News+ feed, Adds the ability to clear downloaded magazine issues by selecting History > Clear > Clear All; again no way to manually delete individual issues). There is also a more easy way to migrate data from an old iPhone to a new one. While not specifically mentioning it, some also believe iOS 12.4 gets the backend ready to support Apple Card (Apple’s new credit card) coming up.

watchOS 5.3: Resolves the Walkie Talkie security vulnerability, includes other bug fixes and security patches, and rolls out ECG support on the Apple Watch Series 4 and irregular heart rhythm notifications to Canada and Singapore.

tvOS 12.4: Apple TV HD and 4K get the tvOS 12.4 update, mainly for bug fixes and security patches.

Devices still running iOS 9 or 10 also receive security patches today surprisingly (I don’t have any older gear to test these out on. The HomePod is also receiving a 12.4 update (I don’t have  HomePod to test yet). The third gen Apple TV is also receiving a software update today (I don’t have a third gen Apple TV any more to test).

In other news, Slack also released a Mac update making the app faster and use less memory. AppleInsider has a great article on force-quitting Mac apps. Macworld has some great articles on iOS 13 copy and paste gestures and iOS 13 AR. More on the Equifax security breach settlement also came down my news feed today.

Nathan Parker

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Myst

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Er… Hmm,..Uh… This afternoon I received a notice that showed up in System Preferences/Updates that, as I understood it, there was an update for the Mac’s Terminal application waiting to be installed. I decided to install it right away, as I use Terminal just about every day. But it turned out to be a whole incremental macOS update to version 10.14.6: Surprise! It took about half an hour to install, following the usual procedure of restarting automatically the machine several times.

So far, so good. And a while ago, the electricity came back to my place after a local blackout that lasted several hours. I still don’t know what caused it, but I don’t think it was related to the update.

 

Ex-Windows user (Win. 98, XP, 7); since mid-2017 using also macOS. Presently on Monterey 12.15 & sometimes running also Linux (Mint).

MacBook Pro circa mid-2015, 15" display, with 16GB 1600 GHz DDR3 RAM, 1 TB SSD, a Haswell architecture Intel CPU with 4 Cores and 8 Threads model i7-4870HQ @ 2.50GHz.
Intel Iris Pro GPU with Built-in Bus, VRAM 1.5 GB, Display 2880 x 1800 Retina, 24-Bit color.
macOS Monterey; browsers: Waterfox "Current", Vivaldi and (now and then) Chrome; security apps. Intego AV

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Nathan Parker

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Terminal will never update itself standalone. It will only be updated through macOS operating system updates. Seems you are updated to 10.14.6. I’ll be testing it this weekend, but glad yours went well.

Nathan Parker

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There was also a major update for Pixelmator Pro today that adds support for an editing extension for macOS Photos. I’ll be talking more about Pixelmator Pro coming up in a future article.

Nathan Parker

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I have an iMAC running the latest High Sierra (10.13.6). Until last night I hadn’t checked for updates since July 21. So, I was expecting to see a Safari update and the 2019-004 security update for High Sierra. To my surprise I did not see the security update or any mention that it had been installed. The App Store did say that the Safari update was installed on July 22, but also said no updates were available.

So, I’m wondering if there’s some way other than through the App Store to check for updates and whether they’ve been installed. And if it turns out there is an available security update is there some way to get it installed other than through the App Store?

Or am I just looking for trouble and should just believe there really are no available security updates for my particular machine? From my reading of the 2019-004 July 22 update on the Apple support site it seems likely that at least some of that update would apply to my machine.

I should also mention that the only thing I do with this machine is try to keep it updated. It’s possible the primary user of the machine did something to delay/avoid/etc. the update, although I have no idea what that action might have been, and if something was done it very likely was inadvertent.

Thanks for any help.

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Look under SYStem Preferences\Software Update for system updates

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DrBonzo

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Thanks, Sorry to be dumb, but I don’t see Software Update under System Preferences. I see App Store and all the settings there are as they were before. Perhaps my issue has to do with a distinction between “macOS Update” and “system file updates” (that’s a paraphrase), the latter set to automatic, the former is not.

But is there a way to check what’s been installed similar to the “check update history” and/or “installed updates” in Win 7? All I get in the App Store is updates for the last 30 days, although as I said earlier, there’s no mention of the 2019-004 update.

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Sorry for the confusion. I have Mojave, and they have added System Software Updates to the System Preferences. I skipped right over you High Sierra information.

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Nathan Parker, DrBonzo

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DrBonzo,

If you look in Finder/Applications and you scroll down the list of installed apps there, do you see one with a icon that looks like a grey cog wheel, not a solid one, but one with a toothy ring and three spokes in the middle? If you do, that one is the icon of “Updates” that PKCano was referring to. I Went directly from Sierra to Mojave, so I do not really know what things are like in High Sierra, but I am guessing that the icon I just described is also used there for “Updates”.

You might also find this explanation of a possible cause of your problem of interest:

https://appletoolbox.com/macos-app-store-updates-not-showing-ghost-fix/

Ex-Windows user (Win. 98, XP, 7); since mid-2017 using also macOS. Presently on Monterey 12.15 & sometimes running also Linux (Mint).

MacBook Pro circa mid-2015, 15" display, with 16GB 1600 GHz DDR3 RAM, 1 TB SSD, a Haswell architecture Intel CPU with 4 Cores and 8 Threads model i7-4870HQ @ 2.50GHz.
Intel Iris Pro GPU with Built-in Bus, VRAM 1.5 GB, Display 2880 x 1800 Retina, 24-Bit color.
macOS Monterey; browsers: Waterfox "Current", Vivaldi and (now and then) Chrome; security apps. Intego AV

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DrBonzo

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I covered this in a previous post, but I’m having trouble finding the thread to link to, so I’ll just briefly remind everyone:

1. Originally macOS updates were handled through the Software Update section of System Preferences.
2. Around Mountain Lion (I believe), through High Sierra, macOS updates were moved to the App Store.
3. In Mojave and later, updates are again handled through the Software Update section of System Preferences.

There is not a security update for High Sierra this round. High Sierra users are fully up-to-date. The only updates I mentioned are the ones I’m aware of, and I also double-checked my High Sierra Mac, and it’s fully up-to-date.

Nathan Parker

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DrBonzo

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Nathan Parker, MrBonzo,

In Mojave at least (I don’t remember if that was the case in Sierra and no  idea about High Sierra) there is also, in the menu that opens when clicking on the little black apple: “About this Mac/Overview”, a “Software Update” button that, clicking on it, lets you know if there are updates for the macOS. (And, maybe, for Safari?) If there are, then one can install them.

Ex-Windows user (Win. 98, XP, 7); since mid-2017 using also macOS. Presently on Monterey 12.15 & sometimes running also Linux (Mint).

MacBook Pro circa mid-2015, 15" display, with 16GB 1600 GHz DDR3 RAM, 1 TB SSD, a Haswell architecture Intel CPU with 4 Cores and 8 Threads model i7-4870HQ @ 2.50GHz.
Intel Iris Pro GPU with Built-in Bus, VRAM 1.5 GB, Display 2880 x 1800 Retina, 24-Bit color.
macOS Monterey; browsers: Waterfox "Current", Vivaldi and (now and then) Chrome; security apps. Intego AV

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@oscarCP, yes I checked for updates via the black apple, and also via the method you suggested earlier via the finder/applications. There is seemingly no trace od Security Update 2019-004 High Sierra on my iMAC, but as you can see from Nathan Parker’s post above, that update never existed in the first place. So, this has apparently all been a false alarm caused by a typo on the Apple Support page!

Thanks for your help.

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Yes, I check for software updates through the App Store. What confused me is that when I check the list of Apple Security Updates here: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201222 I see 2 updates that apparently apply to my High Sierra iMAC, namely an update for Safari (12.1.2) and Security Update 2019-004 for High Sierra, both of which were released on July 22, 2019. But, when I check for updates via the App Store only the Safari update is mentioned; it was installed on July 22. The Security Update 2019-004 High Sierra is not mentioned at all and the only message I get is that there are no updates available.

From what you said in your above post, though, Security Update 2019-004 High Sierra does not exist. That is in agreement with what I found just a few minutes ago – or rather didn’t find – on the Apple downloads page here: https://support.apple.com/downloads. Nowhere on this downloads page is Security Update 2019-004 to be found.

I am curious as to where you found that High Sierra has no current security updates.

Thanks for your help!

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Well, after all of that I guess I’m still confused. When I look here: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT210348, I see a bunch of stuff for a so-called Security Update 2019-004 that is relevant to High Sierra (also Sierra and Mojave). So, it seems that somebody at Apple thinks there really is a Security Update for High Sierra released on July 22, 2019. The above link was published July 26, 2019.

Aha!! a quick search for ‘security update 2019-004 high sierra’ reveals that this update was pulled by Apple 4 days ago because it was causing crashes on Macs when rousted from sleep mode.

Why couldn’t Apple just say that on their update page!!?? The last thing I want is for them to emulate MS!

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Nathan Parker

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DrBonzo: After over two years of using a Mac, I have found that Apple’s explanations of its updates, as provided to users in their update pages, can be overly terse or non-existent. So this is not really something quite new. I am glad you finally found out what you needed to know about this unforthcoming update, and thank you for sharing your experience.

Ex-Windows user (Win. 98, XP, 7); since mid-2017 using also macOS. Presently on Monterey 12.15 & sometimes running also Linux (Mint).

MacBook Pro circa mid-2015, 15" display, with 16GB 1600 GHz DDR3 RAM, 1 TB SSD, a Haswell architecture Intel CPU with 4 Cores and 8 Threads model i7-4870HQ @ 2.50GHz.
Intel Iris Pro GPU with Built-in Bus, VRAM 1.5 GB, Display 2880 x 1800 Retina, 24-Bit color.
macOS Monterey; browsers: Waterfox "Current", Vivaldi and (now and then) Chrome; security apps. Intego AV

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DrBonzo

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Thanks for the update. My sources only inform me when an update actually goes live and isn’t pulled at the last minute, so that’s why I had no record of a Security Update for High Sierra yet. The previous update has occasionally caused my iMac to go into a “sleep of death”, so I hope this update will resolve it once released.

I’m trying to stay on top of Apple updates across devices and post here when updates are available so AskWoody users have a solid source for Apple update news.

In terms of the round of updates I’ve mentioned, so far so good. My devices are still working without issues.

Nathan Parker

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DrBonzo

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[OscarCP]

Nathan Parker and all those that might be interested to know: As an accidentally premature updater, I am doing OK, so far and as far as I’ve noticed… Of course, that is also as far as what I do with my Mac. Those who have to use some other applications and try to do it, might be bringing those and the update together as the two halves of a critical U235 mass, or as kryptonite to Superman’s pillow, and then, well…

Ex-Windows user (Win. 98, XP, 7); since mid-2017 using also macOS. Presently on Monterey 12.15 & sometimes running also Linux (Mint).

MacBook Pro circa mid-2015, 15" display, with 16GB 1600 GHz DDR3 RAM, 1 TB SSD, a Haswell architecture Intel CPU with 4 Cores and 8 Threads model i7-4870HQ @ 2.50GHz.
Intel Iris Pro GPU with Built-in Bus, VRAM 1.5 GB, Display 2880 x 1800 Retina, 24-Bit color.
macOS Monterey; browsers: Waterfox "Current", Vivaldi and (now and then) Chrome; security apps. Intego AV

• This reply was modified 5 years, 9 months ago by OscarCP.

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Nathan Parker, DrBonzo

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@NathanParker – I, for one, appreciate your efforts to stay on top of the Apple updates. I’ve never counted but it seems like a good handful of operating systems, each with a few versions, so that’s a lot to keep track of.

The one update from July 22 that was actually applicable to my High Sierra iMAC was a Safari update, and that seems to be working just fine for the last week.

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Nathan Parker, OscarCP

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[Alex5723]

On July 26, Apple has issued iCloud 7.13.0.14 and iTunes 12.9.6.3 for Windows.
Strangely, when checking iTunes for new updates I got a message that my iTunes 12.9.5 is up to date.
Downloaded, from Apple site, not Microsoft Store, the new versions and installed manually.

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT210356

https://www.apple.com/il/itunes/download

https://support.apple.com/en-il/HT204283

• This reply was modified 5 years, 9 months ago by Alex5723.

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Nathan Parker

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Alex5723 wrote:

Strangely, when checking iTunes for new updates I got a message that my iTunes 12.9.5 is up to date.

I wonder if Apple isn’t pushing out updates over Apple Software Update for Windows quickly anymore now that they offer iCloud and iTunes on the Microsoft Store.

Nathan Parker

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Alex5723

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Seems there’s a supplemental update available for Mojave 10.14.6:

https://www.macrumors.com/2019/08/01/macos-mojave-10-14-6-supplemental-update/

I’ll be testing it tomorrow night. It seems to fix issues with sleeping Macs, although I’m not having the issue myself.

Nathan Parker

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Nathan, I just checked in my Mac and yes: “macOs Mojave 10.14.6 Supplemental update” is now waiting to be installed.

Please, let us all know what happens when you install it. Best of luck. You are in our thoughts.

Ex-Windows user (Win. 98, XP, 7); since mid-2017 using also macOS. Presently on Monterey 12.15 & sometimes running also Linux (Mint).

MacBook Pro circa mid-2015, 15" display, with 16GB 1600 GHz DDR3 RAM, 1 TB SSD, a Haswell architecture Intel CPU with 4 Cores and 8 Threads model i7-4870HQ @ 2.50GHz.
Intel Iris Pro GPU with Built-in Bus, VRAM 1.5 GB, Display 2880 x 1800 Retina, 24-Bit color.
macOS Monterey; browsers: Waterfox "Current", Vivaldi and (now and then) Chrome; security apps. Intego AV

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Nathan Parker

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I installed it tonight (been without power and Internet most of the day but finally back). So far so good. Will test more over the weekend.

My iPad did something strange last night and was totally dead for a bit, requiring a hard reboot to get it back working. Not sure if it’s from 12.4 or not. I recently had a hardware test done on it (before the warranty expired), and it checked out clean. Will continue to monitor it.

 

Nathan Parker

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Myst

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Yes please keep us posted Nathan on that iPad issue, possibly a network problem? Curious, what iPad do you have? I have 12.4 on my iPad Air2 and it’s been doing well.

MacOS iPadOS and sometimes SOS

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Nathan Parker

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I believe the 2019-004 Security Update for High Sierra has been re-released after being pulled for causing sleep mode issues. I haven’t had the chance to see if it’s being offered to my iMAC, but if so, I hope to get it installed this weekend.

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Nathan Parker

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I installed MacOS 10.14.6 on my iMac4k and 15″ MacBook Pro several days ago and haven’t had any problems. Both are also running Parallels VMs.

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OscarCP, Nathan Parker

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I can confirm the 2019-004 Security Update is available for High Sierra. I’m installing it now and will report back.

I have the 10.5″ iPad Pro. One issue I’m having is I’m changing carriers on it from T-Mobile (activated on the embedded Apple SIM) to Verizon (with their own nano SIM), and the Apple SIM is having issues fully deactivating. So it may be throwing some of the issues I’m having.

Nathan Parker

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Myst

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I just installed the 2019-004 Security Update on a High Sierra iMAC. Everything seems to work normally. I put it to sleep for a few minutes and it woke up from that with no apparent issues. It took about 10 minutes to download (1.88GB!) and another 30 from restart to back up and running.

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Nathan Parker

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DrBonzo wrote:

Everything seems to work normally. I put it to sleep for a few minutes and it woke up from that with no apparent issues.

Great. I need to test sleep mode on my old iMac and see if it resolves the sleep of death issue I’ve been having. Hope it does.

Nathan Parker

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DrBonzo

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My iMAC has since woken from a 1 hour, a 7 hour, and a 4 hour sleep with no issues. It typically takes 2 to 4 seconds to wake up and it’s ready to go. Then again, it didn’t have a wake up issue before the 2019-004 update – but at least there’s not been any regression.

Hope yours gets fixed.

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Nathan Parker

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I installed yesterday evening the latest update to the 10.14.6 update of last month, and everything has been going well since then. I had no problems before installing this last patch to the earlier patch and seem to have no problems now. I have been using the Mac normally today, trying to hack an old number-crunching program to do a somewhat different job from the one that it was originally intended. Also I’ve done some Web searches for bits and pieces of information, downloaded two YouTube music videos, done some shopping in Amazon, read the news in a couple of newspapers on line. All that has worked out normally.

Ex-Windows user (Win. 98, XP, 7); since mid-2017 using also macOS. Presently on Monterey 12.15 & sometimes running also Linux (Mint).

MacBook Pro circa mid-2015, 15" display, with 16GB 1600 GHz DDR3 RAM, 1 TB SSD, a Haswell architecture Intel CPU with 4 Cores and 8 Threads model i7-4870HQ @ 2.50GHz.
Intel Iris Pro GPU with Built-in Bus, VRAM 1.5 GB, Display 2880 x 1800 Retina, 24-Bit color.
macOS Monterey; browsers: Waterfox "Current", Vivaldi and (now and then) Chrome; security apps. Intego AV

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Nathan Parker

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Still seeing “sleep of death” on my High Sierra iMac. It is old though and one I don’t use frequently, so I can either keep sleep mode turned off, or just shut it down when not using it. This update didn’t resolve that issue though.

Nathan Parker

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Nathan, I am not sure if this is relevant to your situation, but two days ago I updated the NASA MacBook Pro (NASA still has its Macs running High Sierra) to 10.13.6 and then used it quite a bit doing some work from home via VPN, without any problems. But one difference with civilian Macs is that it hibernates after 15 minutes without any activity from the user and then one has to wake it up by entering one’s PIN number; and so on (and on, and on, and on…) So, for this machine, going into hibernation is not unusual, although it is easily reverted to a full-awake condition, if one enters the correct PIN. In other words: I updated High Sierra in that machine to 10.13.6 and everything I tried to do after that worked out just fine. For a government machine, that is.

Ex-Windows user (Win. 98, XP, 7); since mid-2017 using also macOS. Presently on Monterey 12.15 & sometimes running also Linux (Mint).

MacBook Pro circa mid-2015, 15" display, with 16GB 1600 GHz DDR3 RAM, 1 TB SSD, a Haswell architecture Intel CPU with 4 Cores and 8 Threads model i7-4870HQ @ 2.50GHz.
Intel Iris Pro GPU with Built-in Bus, VRAM 1.5 GB, Display 2880 x 1800 Retina, 24-Bit color.
macOS Monterey; browsers: Waterfox "Current", Vivaldi and (now and then) Chrome; security apps. Intego AV

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Nathan Parker

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I’m almost wondering if I have a background process that’s causing the issue, although I recently did a clean install, so not sure.

Nathan Parker

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