Welcome to the MacNN Forums.

If this is your first visit, be sure to check out the FAQ by clicking the link above. You may have to register before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages, select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below.

You are here: MacNN Forums > Software - Troubleshooting and Discussion > macOS > software update in Snow Leopard won't check automatically

software update in Snow Leopard won't check automatically
Thread Tools
Le Flaneur
Senior User
Join Date: Oct 1999
Location: Austin, TX 78751
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Feb 10, 2010, 12:13 PM
 
Snow Leopard 10.6.2, squeaky clean install. Software update is set to check for updates daily, but it won't. It seems only to check manually.

Never had this problem in Leopard.

What could be the cause?
     
Cold Warrior
Moderator
Join Date: Jan 2001
Location: Polwaristan
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Feb 15, 2010, 12:21 PM
 
Delete the com.apple.SoftwareUpdate.plist files. I have three: /Library/Preferences; ~/Library/Preferences; ~/Library/Preferences/ByHost/

If that doesn't help, download and install the 10.6.2. combo updater.
     
Le Flaneur  (op)
Senior User
Join Date: Oct 1999
Location: Austin, TX 78751
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Feb 17, 2010, 01:30 AM
 
Here's a question. If, say, the last software update (manual) occurred yesterday at 2:36pm, and today at 2:36pm my Mac was asleep, would software update run as soon as my Mac was woken up? My guess is that it would not, and that the software update mechanism in Snow Leopard is more conservative about running than the mechanism in Leopard.

Am I wrong?
     
seanc
Moderator Emeritus
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Cambridge, UK
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Feb 17, 2010, 03:05 PM
 
Software update seems to pop up when it feels like it on my MBP... when did Software Update last pop up automatically for you?
     
Le Flaneur  (op)
Senior User
Join Date: Oct 1999
Location: Austin, TX 78751
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Feb 17, 2010, 04:46 PM
 
I tend to run update before SU pops up (and I only started running Snow Leopard after 10.6.2 had been released. Hard to say. What I'm going by is this:


Click for full size

Is it normal that I'm set for daily updates, but that the last check occurred on Monday?
( Last edited by Le Flaneur; Feb 17, 2010 at 11:46 PM. )
     
Rainy Day
Grizzled Veteran
Join Date: Nov 2001
Location: Oregon
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Mar 12, 2010, 06:20 AM
 
Originally Posted by Le Flaneur View Post
I tend to run update before SU pops up (and I only started running Snow Leopard after 10.6.2 had been released. Hard to say. What I'm going by is this:


Click for full size

Is it normal that I'm set for daily updates, but that the last check occurred on Monday?
I’m still using Leopard, but as far as i can see, it’s the same as your screenshot above. Even though i have run Software Update many times manually (from the Apple Menu), System Preferences tells me my last check was back in 2008! That was probably the last time i manually ran Software Update via System Preferences. So i think the last check date only applies to the last time you clicked the “Check Now” button in System Preferences, and not the last time it was otherwise run. Guessing that would apply to automatic checks too (although i wish it really reflected the last time it was run, by whatever means.)

However, that said, i have to say i have my computer is set to check daily, but it never does (at least, it never notifies me when updates are available). I always figured it was due to a bug in Software Update which didn’t automatically check from a non-Admin account. I don’t use an Admin account for daily use as this is a security risk.

Originally Posted by Le Flaneur
Here's a question. If, say, the last software update (manual) occurred yesterday at 2:36pm, and today at 2:36pm my Mac was asleep, would software update run as soon as my Mac was woken up? My guess is that it would not, and that the software update mechanism in Snow Leopard is more conservative about running than the mechanism in Leopard.
If you click on the little question mark help button, it’ll bring up a page which answers that question. In Leopard it reads: “Your computer will not check for updates if it turned off during the scheduled time.” In my opinion, this is dumb, because Apple supposedly designed launchd to handle situations where cron wouldn’t run because the computer is sleeping, so it should just work.
     
   
Thread Tools
 
Forum Links
Forum Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts
BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Top
Privacy Policy
All times are GMT -4. The time now is 05:10 PM.
All contents of these forums © 1995-2017 MacNN. All rights reserved.
Branding + Design: www.gesamtbild.com
vBulletin v.3.8.8 © 2000-2017, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.,