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Mac Software Updates

Contents:

Summary
How Will I Know When an Update is Available?
What Do I Need to Do?
How Can I Change How Often My Computer Checks for Updates?
How Can I Manually Check for Updates?

Summary

Your Mac receives important software updates and security patches through a program called Software Update. It will cause an icon to bounce in your dock when updates are ready, and will install the updates after you go through a series of screens. Software Update can be configured to check for updates on a daily, weekly or monthly basis. OMT recommends you set your Mac check for updates DAILY for maximum security.

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How Will I Know When an Update is Available?

If your Mac is connected to the Internet, it will check for new updates at an interval you specify. When new updates are available, the Software Update icon (below) will begin to "bounce" up and down in your dock until you click on it. Please click on the icon as soon as it appears.

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What Do I Need To Do?

Here is a typical sequence of screens you will see after clicking on the Software Update icon:

Check all updates you would like to install. OMT recommends you install all updates even if you do not actively use the program that will be updated. Updates that will require you to reboot will have a gray arrow icon next to their listing.

Software Update will prompt you to enter your password to continue. If you do not have administrative access on the machine, someone with those privileges must enter their username and password for you. (Note: You do not have to re-login to the computer if this is the case.)

You will now see the progress of the update download and installation. You may work with other programs while this occurs.

When each update is complete a green check will appear. If you need to reboot, you will be prompted to do so.

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How Can I Change How Often My Computer Checks for Updates?

Click on the blue Apple in the upper left menubar. Choose "Software Update." While the program checks for updates, select "Preferences" from the "Software Update" menu. You will see the screen below. Change the drop-down box to specify how often your computer should automatically check for updates. OMT strongly recommends that you set it to DAILY for optimum security.

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How Can I Manually Check for Updates?

Click on the blue Apple in the upper left menubar. Choose "Software Update." Software Update will open and immediately check for updates.

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Posted: 08/16/2005

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