A macOS update has just been announced, but your Mac can’t seem to find it. Here’s what to try next, so you can bring your Mac up to date. Includes details of log entries during a normal check.
softwareupdate
The commands to use with softwareupdate to download and install different types of update and complete macOS installers. And how to deal with XProtect in Sequoia and later.
Adds reporting to both text and JSON files, runs from standard user accounts, and fixes several other issues. For Apple silicon Macs only, macOS 15.6 and later.
Completely rewritten using SwiftUI, this now excludes macOS updates from those it downloads and installs, and caters better for Apple silicon Macs running Sequoia and later. Please give it a try and comment.
During a macOS update, the progress bar tells you each of the phases as they’re completed. This explains how you can track progress and make more sense of what’s happening.
How SilentKnight came about, and how it knows – most of the time – which version of XProtect and other security data your Mac should be using.
Has Apple inadvertently released the full installer for macOS Sequoia 15.7.5? It’s only available as a full installer, not an update, but it’s real.
What to do when you know there’s an update available, but Software Update pretends that it can’t find it. With details of undocumented options for softwareupdate command and more.
When the architecture of macOS switched to the Signed System Volume in Big Sur, it brought major changes in how macOS is updated, as detailed here.
After logging in, macOS may check for system software updates, run an initial Time Machine backup, and run XProtect Remediator scans. This is how those happen.
The Eclectic Light Company 