VMware Fusion Player 12 is now free for personal use on the Mac!
Last month VMware announced VMware Fusion 12. The new version includes macOS Big Sur support for host and guest. VMware also announced that the Mac version is now FREE ($149 Normal Price) for personal use! Previously the Free VMware player was only available on Windows. You can use it to test macOS, Windows 10, or Linux. If you’ve always wanted to set up a macOS VM, now is the time. It’s never been easier to build a test VM, so let’s get started!
How To Register, Download, Install & Configure VMware Fusion Player 12 – Mr. Macintosh Video.
Create a New VMware Account.
VMware notes that the free version is available for the following situations.
Fusion Player offers a Personal Use License, available for free with a valid MyVMware account. Home users, Open Source contributors, students, and anyone else can use Fusion Player Free for Non-Commercial activity.
VMware.com
If you are one of those, head over to the registration site.
This link also has a download area to get the the 600MB .dmg installer.
Install VMware Fusion Player 12
Open the .dmg and install Fusion Player 12. NOTE: VMware Fusion 12 requires macOS Catalina or newer. Once complete, open the application and you will be prompted to enter in the license key.
When you first start VMWare Fusion you will get a Select Install Method Screen. In the past you needed to run through a bunch of steps to create a macOS Install .ISO file. Not anymore, you can just drag and drop the full Install macOS Install.app (or Windows iso or Linux .iso) over to this window to begin!
VMware Fusion Player 12 – Select Install Method
The next screen will let you select macOS installer.app file. You will normally only see the one that you just dragged over. In my case, I have already installed 10.14, 10.15 and 11.0. Click Continue.
VMware Fusion Player 12 – Select Install image
You will now see a final finish screen, before you start to configure the VM.
Finish of the VM setup wizard.
The next screen will tell you that VMware Fusion Player is creating installation media.
VMware Fusion Player 12 – Creating Installation Media
You will get a warning about running this VM machine with side channel mitigations enable. It says that side channel mitigations provide enhanced security but lower performance. You can change the settings when the VM is not running in the Advanced panel of the VM.
VMware Fusion Player 12 – You are running this virtual machine with side channel mitigations enabled.
The new macOS VM is booting to the installer! Once booted, it will be just like you booted into the recovery partition. All you need to do is select Install macOS to begin.
VMware Fusion Player 12 – Booting to the macOS Installer.
30 Minutes or so later you will be at the Setup Assistant Screen.
Congratulations! You’ve just built your first macOS virtual Machine!
Snapshots
One of the best features about having a macOS virtual machine is snapshots. You can build out a fresh OS and then take a snapshot before you make any changes to the system. Did the test not work? No big deal! Instead of reinstalling the OS to test again, just revert back to a previous snapshot! It’s literally that simple. You can access snapshots from the Virtual Machine menu bar item.
Snapshots!
Boot your macOS VM to Recovery Mode
Quick Way – sudo nvram "recovery-boot-mode=unused" && sudo reboot
If you need to boot the VM to macOS Recovery mode, all you need to do is edit the .vmx file located in /Users/youruserfolder/Virtual Machines/vmnamehere
Right on the file and then select “Show Package Contents”. Inside will be your vmnamehere.vmx file. Right click on that file and edit it with your favorite text editor. Add this line at the very end of the file and click save.
macosguest.forceRecoveryModeInstall = "TRUE"
Start up the VM an you will now be in recovey mode.
To boot back to macOS, open that same file and delete the line that you just added above and click save.
The final step is to delete the .nvram file in that same directory.
NOTE: 10/07/20
I am having trouble booting to recovery with Big Sur Beta, I’m going to run a few more tests. This works fine on 10.14 and 10.15.
Do you need to downgrade Safari? I will show you 2 ways to do it.
If you recently installed the Mojave Supplemental Update and were surprised to see Safari 14.0 installed, you are not alone.
UPDATE 4/30/21 – This article explained originally how to downgrade from Safari 14.0 to 13.1.2 due to a problem. Apple has pulled the Safari 14.1 Update for both Catalina and Mojave. Users are reporting the error Safari 14.1 = webpage loading errors “a problem repeatedly occurred”. You can attempt to use the same instructions to downgrade from Safari 14.1 to 14.0.3. I’ve included Safari 14.0.3 download links at the bottom
Confirmed the following after reinstall of 10.14.6 over the top of current install (retains user data) Build Version (18G103) Safari 12.1.2 Software Update shows Security Update 2021-003 & Safari 14.0.3 Good workaround until Apple releases a fix ? Should be the same for 10.15
You are probably asking yourself, why would anyone want to downgrade from Safari 14 to 13. Safari was offered as a separate download in software update so users could remain on Safari 13 if they wanted. This was fine until the 2020-005 Security Update started to break systems. After issue, Apple re-issued Safari 14.0 but renamed it “Mojave Supplemental Update”. This caught many off guard because they didn’t understand that installing this update was actually installing Safari 14.0.
Readers wrote in and asked me if there is a way to downgrade Safari. Many still needed Flash, others had website compatibility issues. Some just really missed Top Sites. Another big problem was that some users upgraded to Safari 14.0.1 Beta. They are still broke because the supplemental update did not include 14.0.1 as a compatible upgrade version. I recommend that you do anything possible so you don’t need to downgrade. Most users will be just fine with Safari 14. The new version includes user privacy improvements and security fixes.
Mr. Macintosh How to Downgrade Safari 14.0 to 13.1.2 video.
Supported and Unsupported
I will show you 2 different ways to downgrade from Safari 14.0 to 13.1.2.
1. Supported Way – Reinstall (not erase and install) macOS Mojave 10.14.6 (18G103) = Safari 12.1.2
2. Unsupported Way – Disable SIP protection > Remove Safari 14.app and Files > Install Safari 13.1.2 > Enable SIP again = Safari 13.1.2
When I say Supported I mean this is what Apple would recommend and is the best path forward. Unsupported is what some users have done the past that might or might not have some compatibility issues. Consider this a warning. I have tested this multiple times and not had an issue, but you might! So please backup before you test this path. You can always install Safari 14.0 again if needed.
The following instructions are only for macOS Mojave.
I did not test this on Catalina or High Sierra, but I’ve included download links below if you would like to try. Readers who have contacted me were only asking about Mojave because of the Supplemental Update naming issue.
Supported Way = Reinstall macOS Mojave
The is pretty cut and dry, you will reinstall macOS Mojave 10.14.6 over the top of your current version of Mojave. An example of this that you are running 10.14.6 (18G6032). This is the latest version of Mojave available and includes all the security fixes in the 2020-005 Update. If you want to see a full listing of macOS versions, take a look at my macOS System Status and Versions Page. After reinstalling macOS Mojave you will be at version# 10.14.6 & BuildVersion number (18G103). Safari will be at 12.1.2.
1. Backup all your files (always a good thing just in case)
2. Reboot to the Recovery Partition (Command R)
3. Click Install macOS
4. You are now at macOS Mojave 10.14.6 BuildVersion 18G103 and Safari 12.1.2
5. Install Safari 13.1.2 (download link below)
6. Install Security Update 2020-004
7. NOTE: I did NOT test installing the 2020-005 Security Update after. The Safari 13.1.2 + 2020-004 Security Update install order was offered by Apple when the 2020-005 update was pulled. This was a tested path by them and is supported.
You are back on Safari 13.1.2! Keep in mind you aremissing important security updates. I hope that you can fix any compatibility issues that you may have and get on the latest version.
Unsupported Way = Uninstall Safari
As mentioned above, this is an unsupported path. Please backup your files or run a time machine before attempting this. Another thing you could do is run a tmutil localsnapshot /. You could immediately revert back to before any changes if needed. Remember the localsnapshots only last for 24 hours! I have tested this multiple times and have not found any issues, but you might! Let’s get started.
1. Make a backup first!
2. Disable SIP
3. Boot to the recovery partition > Open Terminal > Type in csrutil disable
10. Use AppCleaner to remove Safari 14.0 – Go to preferences and uncheck “Protect default OS X apps”. Drag safari.app over to the app then select all files. then click remove.
11. Install Safari 13.1.2MojaveAuto.pkg using Pacifist.app – Drag Safari13.1.2MojaveAuto.pkg over to the app. A new window will pop up. Highlight the main pkg in the list then hit install. You will see 2 admin prompts and a prompt to overwrite files, select overwrite all.
12. Reboot to recovery and re-enable SIP. Open Terminal > Type in csrutil enable
13. Reboot back to macOS. You are now back to Safari 13.1.2
Download Links
You might need to cut and paste the link in a new browser tab.
1. Safari 13.1.2 for Mojave – UPDATE LINK DEAD! added link above. http://swcdn.apple.com/content/downloads/38/62/061-98246-A_DETHLIXKPC/njpb63acy0z0rgpdpewxts5rfjlkhtdvcy/Safari13.1.2MojaveAuto.pkg
2. Safari 14.0 for Mojave – http://swcdn.apple.com/content/downloads/08/46/001-55225-A_FKPERA412C/z81r8bvj47p12e0pvcz9dj33l43z7h201b/Safari14.0MojaveAuto.pkg
3. Safari 14.0 for Catalina – http://swcdn.apple.com/content/downloads/00/48/001-50020-A_14M4NE130Q/q4lojf164rqsmp57dawdtgs25ut2d1j44m/Safari14.0CatalinaAuto.pkg
Apple has just released the macOS Mojave 10.14.6 “Supplemental Update” which is a fixed version of Safari 14.0
The macOS Mojave 10.14.6 Supplemental Update is Live! It includes a fixed version of Safari 14.0. The update also address the problems of the previous release. Security Update 2020-005 was also re-released.
Apple has just released a Mojave Supplemental Update that address all the problems that the previous Safari 14.0 and 2020-005 Security Updates! This news comes one day after Apple pulled both software updates from the software update catalog.
You can find a full summary of the issue in the link below.
UPDATE 10/08 11:30PM – Safari 14.0.1 Seed 2 was just released today. Mr. Macintosh reader Joe wrote in to let me know that after he installed Seed 2 over Seed 1 all of his problems went away! This will be a perfect fix for anyone who installed Safari 14.0.1 Seed 1 and were still having problems (since the Supplemental Update was not compatible with 14.0.1).
UPDATE 10/03 3:00PM– I’ve added a direct download link to the safari 14.0 package from the software update service in section 16 below. Apple has also added back the Mojave 2020-005 Security Update back to Apple.com downloads. The security update link is also in section 16 below.
UPDATE: 10/02 3:00PM – NOTE: Apple still has an old link to the Supplemental Update from 9/26/19 up on the the Apple downloads site. This is NOT the update you need. Apple has not released a stand alone download for this update yet. The update is only available from software update.
UPDATE: 20/02 10:30AM – I’ve added section 5 to make sure you know that the Supplemental Update will install Safar 14.0. This is important to understand in case you needed to remain on Safari 12 or 13. Some users are asking me what they should so if they installed Safari 14.0.1 Beta. I’m looking into that now.
You can also check out my new update deep dive video below.
Mojave Supplemental Update (Safari 14) Mr. Macintosh Video
Table of Contents
1. Name of the Update?
2. Details of the macOS Mojave Supplemental Update
3. I’ve tested this update and confirmed that it fixes most issues!
5. The Supplemental update will install Safari 14.0!
6. Inside the macOS 10.14.6 Supplemental Update
7. Which update does your Mac need?
8. Did you ONLY install – Safari 14.0?
9. Did you ONLY install – 2020-005 Security Update?
10. Did you install BOTH Safari 14.0 & Security Update 2020-005?
11. Did you not install either of the updates?
12. Not seeing the 2020-005 Security Update?
13. I ran softwareupdate --ignore "Security Update xx" now what?
14. Did you install Safari Beta 14.0.1 ?
15. Did I cover all the situations that you could be in?
16. 10.14.6 Supplemental Update Links
17. Security Content of macOS 10.14.6 Supplemental Update
18. Final Thoughts
19. Thank You
1. Name of the Update?
Apple calls this update “macOS 10.14.6 Supplemental Update” Which is a bit confusing. In this particular case, the naming might make sense. Even though the update only includes a fixed Safari pkg, it also includes fixes that repair previous install OS level issues.
softwareupdate -l shows the name. It’s technically called Safari14.0MojaveAuto-10.14.6
NOTE!!! The update also includes a required restart. (Normal Safari Updates do not require a restart.)
2. Details of the macOS Mojave Supplemental Update
Along with the new Supplemental Safari Update, the Mojave 2020-005 Security update was re-released back into the software update catalog.
5. The Supplemental update will install Safari 14.0!
I need to make this clear, If you do not want Safari 14.0 don’t install the new macOS Supplemental update! I’ve heard from a few users who need to remain on the old version. Only update when you are ready to make the jump to Safari 14.0
6. Inside the macOS 10.14.6 Supplemental Update
So if this is not a normal supplemental update, what is it?
This is what’s inside of the macOS 10.14.6 Supplemental Update (FIxed Safari 14.0)
As you can see, this update only has the fixed version of Safari 14.0 inside! NOTE: this update has a REQUIRED RESTART!
What does a normal supplemental update look like?
This is what’s included in a full Supplemental Update. This is the 10.14.6 Supplemental Update #2
As you can see a normal “Supplemental Update” includes a bunch of stuff. I just wanted to clear up any confusion that you might have. (I was confused when I first saw the update.)
7. Which update does your Mac need?
We have multiple scenarios to work with here. I have used a test Mac to go over the many situations that a user might be in so you are not left wondering what to do!
1. Did you install ONLY install – Safari 14.0?
2. Did you install ONLY install – 2020-005 Security Update?
3. Did you install BOTH Safari 14.0 & Security Update 2020-005?
4. Did you not install either of the updates?
Below is a screenshot of what About This Mac > System Report > Installations will look like.
System Report – This is what it would look like after installing both problematic updates then installing both fixed updates.
8. Did you only install – Safari 14.0?
Let’s say that you installed Safari 14.0 a few days ago but heard the news about all the problems that the 2020-005 security update was causing.
Your Safari Version is = 14.0 (14610.1.28.1.9)
You will see the following in Software update.
This is what you will see if you only installed the old version of Safari 14.0
The following will happen in this scenario.
Fixed version of Safari Supplemental Update + fixes update will be installed
The Re-Released version of Mojave 2020-005 Security Update will install
Reboot
You are now fully up to date with no issues!
Mojave will be on the same Build Version 10.14.6 (18G6032)
Safari version is UPDATED – 14.0 (14610.1.28.1.10)
You are good to go!
9. Did you only install – 2020-005 Security Update?
Let’s say you need flash and you didn’t want to install Safari 14.0. But you did see the Security Update 2020-005 and installed it. In this situation, you would still be fine (maybe) even if you installed the old version of Safari 14.0. The problem would only happen if you installed Safari 14.0 first then the 2020-005 update.
What would you see in software update?
You only need to install the Supplemental Update (Safari 14.0 Fixed) and will be good to go!
In this case you would only see the fixed Safari 14.0 Supplemental Update.
Once installed you are good to go!
10. Did you install BOTH Safari 14.0 & Security Update 2020-005?
Let’s say that you had automatic updates set and you got both updates. Your system is in a broken state.
What would you see in software update?
What you would see in SU if you previously installed both problematic updates.
The following will happen in this scenario.
Fixed version of Safari Supplemental Update + fixes update will be installed
Reboot
You are now fully up to date with no issues!
Mojave will be on the same Build Version 10.14.6 (18G6032)
Safari version is UPDATED – 14.0 (14610.1.28.1.10)
You should be fixed!!!
11. Did you not install either of the updates?
Let’s say that you heard of the news of the problematic updates and were able to save your Mac.
What would you see in software update?
This is what you would see on a mac with 10.14.6 (18G6020) and Below.
You would see both updates
The following will happen in this scenario.
Fixed version of Safari Supplemental Update + fixes update will be installed
The Re-Released version of Mojave 2020-005 Security Update will install
Reboot
You are now fully up to date with no issues!
Mojave will be Build Version 10.14.6 (18G6032)
Safari version now – 14.0 (14610.1.28.1.10)
You are good to go!
12. Not seeing the 2020-005 Security Update?
You might have either installed the update or ignored it by running
If you would like to install the re-released version of the 2020-005 Security Update, all you need to do is run this command.
sudo softwareupdate --reset-ignored
The security update will now show up in software update for you to install.
14. Did you install Safari Beta 14.0.1 ?
I am testing this situation out now.
Yikes, looks like the Supplemental Update does not show up if you have installed Safari Beta 14.0.1. The installer will let you install the Supplemental Update over the top of the 14.0.1 Beta, but does not actually install.
15. Did I cover all the situations that you could be in?
Did you have an install scenario that I missed. I attempted to cover and test them all. Let me know!
16. 10.14.6 Supplemental Update Links
Apple has not released a standalone installer or pkg for the supplemental Update. I’ve included direct links from the Software Update Service below. Apple has added the Mojave 2020-005 Security Update back to the Apple.com downloads page.
It was really cool to see this little blog mentioned. 🙂
With that said, I think Apple handled this pretty good. They might have taken a bit to pull the update, but they came out with a fix only one day later!
Hopefully we can get a closer eye on update quality moving forward.
19. Thank You
I wanted to thank all of my Mr. Macintosh readers, Twitter followers, YouTube Subscribers and those who emailed me. You have shared so many of your thank-you notes, comments, tips and fix stories. I really appreciated reading them all, I created this blog for you! I am finally at a point in my life where I can take all of the knowledge that I’ve learned along the way and share it with you.
Today Apple released macOS Big Sur Beta 9 (20A5384c) to Developers
MacOS Big Sur 11 Beta 9 (20A5384c) was released on September 29th, 2020 only one week after Beta 8! We are starting to get weekly beta releases. MacOS Catalina had 11 beta releases including the gold master, so again we are getting very close to release. Beta 7 & 8 did not get a full installer so hopefully we get one this time around. I’m still waiting to see if any changes are listed around screen recording, I will update as soon.
UPDATE: 10/05 – softwareupdate --fetch-full-installer does not work in Big Sur Beta 9
UPDATE: 9/30 – Apple has just released a Beta 9 Full Installer!!!
Released on 9/30 at 12PM CST a Beta 9 Full Installer!
UPDATE 9/29 – Items not found in Big Sur Beta 9 official patch notes
Beta 9 does not have a full installer available 🙁
We now control screen recording access for standard users with MDM! (More information available in the AppleSeed patch notes)
Active Directory login is still not working in Beta 9. Hopefully it’s fixed in the next release. The plugin was working fine in Beta 6 and 7.
Xcode command line tools are now available for 12.2 Beta 2
Setup assistant bug where you could not hit continue = Fixed.
Beta 9 seems to take longer to prepare the install (30min+)
2. Updating to macOS Big Sur 11 beta from previous versions of macOS might take significantly longer than expected. Data loss could occur if the update is interrupted. (59101197)
Previous Big Sur 11 Beta Releases
9. Big Sur 11 Beta 9 (20A5384c) – 09/29/20 – Current Release
Now that macOS Big Sur 11.0 Beta is live, start testing as soon as you can! You will want to submit any bugs that you find into Apple ASAP. If you get bugs in quickly, they could be fixed in the current beta cycle instead of waiting until after the public release. If not, you could be waiting months before the fix is put into a dot release combo update.
macOS Big Sur 11 Beta 9 (20A5384c) Release Notes
Overview
The macOS 11 SDK provides support to develop apps for Macs running macOS Big Sur 11. The SDK comes bundled with Xcode 12.2 beta, available from Beta Software Downloads. For information on the compatibility requirements for Xcode 12.2, see Xcode 12.2 Beta Release Notes.
Catalina 10.15.7 Update = accountsd using 400% CPU if using iCloud
Catalina 10.15.7 Update is causing problems with the accountsd process. The issue only seems to happen if you use iCloud Drive, Mail, Calendar or Internet Accounts.
Something is wrong with the iCloud sync process. Users are saying that after they installed the 10.15.7 update, the accountsd process runs up to 400%+ in Activity Monitor. When the issue starts, it slows the Mac down to a crawl. This causes the Mac to quickly drain the battery, heat up and kick the CPU fans into high gear. Another process that could be acting up is suggestd.
UPDATE 9/29 10:00AM – I’ve added 2 new fixes in the workarounds section below. One kills the cm.apple.iCloudHelper process and recreates the .sqlite database. The other was to remove Find My Mac then re enable it.
This comes after I reported major problems with the macOS Mojave 2020-005 Security Update that came out on the same day. Apple has pulled both the Safari 14.0 and Mojave 2020-005 Security Updates.
If you use iCloud – Drive, Mail & Calander and you have installed the 10.15.7 update, you might have problems. Finder will be sluggish and general system speed is slow. If you open up Activity Monitor and then select the CPU tab, you might see accountsd taking up a huge amount of CPU. It might be running at over 400%, you can see what that looks like in the screenshot below.
accountsd taking up over 400% CPU
2. Affected macOS Build Versions
This issue affects the following macOS Build Versions.
macOS Catalina 10.15.7 Update(19H2) – Released on September 24th, 2020
macOS Catalina 10.15.6 and below, as I noticed a few reports from 10.15.6 around the 25th. For 10.15.6 users, sometimes just updating to 10.15.7 fixes the issue for them.
No reports so far of this happening on macOS Mojave 10.14 or High Sierra 10.13.
Looks like a variant of this issue goes all the way back to the Catalina 10.15.1 Update. But most reports disappeared until it came back after installing 10.15.7.
3. Affected Mac Hardware
Past problems would only happen with certain hardware models. Not this time, if you installed the Catalina 10.15.7 Update on a compatible Mac you might have problems. As I noted in the Affected macOS Build Versions above, the issue could be affecting 10.15.6 and below users.
4. What is the accountsd process?
From Apple
Help users access and manage their external accounts from within your app, without requiring them to enter login credentials. The Accounts framework provides access to user accounts stored in the Accounts database, which is managed by the system. An account stores the login credentials of a particular service, such as Twitter, and you use those credentials to authenticate with the service. When you integrate the Accounts framework into your app, you don’t need to store account logins yourself. Instead, the user grants your app access to use their account login credentials, bypassing the need to type their username and password. If no account for a particular service exists in the user’s Accounts database, you can let them create and save an account from within your app.
The first reports came in on Friday, one day after Apple released the Catalina 10.17.5 Update.
accountsd process is eating 500% cpu and making macbook pro 15,1 useless after Catalina 10.15.7 update. Even if you force this process to quit it comes back at ~500% CPU and make lots os apps to hang.
More reports started to roll in on the Apple Discussion Forums.
Same here, upgraded to 10.15.7 and CPU usage spikes. Seems that the processes ‘accountds’/ ‘commerce’ are responsible for this and killing the process ‘commerce’ is a only a temp ‘solution’ for minutes and then same problem appears again. Tried also SMC reset without success!!!
I just updated to Catalina last month. Everything was running smooth and fine under 10.15.6. I did the 10.15.7 update yesterday first through the normal way –> system preferences – Software update and then the trouble with the accountsd-process has also begun.
Additionally, boot time is slower, logging in is slower and when doing so I’m met with a blank desktop which needs 7-8 seconds before icons finally appear. Everything feels sluggish, and applications also take more than twice as long to start up.
After reading multiple reports I felt that it was time me to take a closer look.
6. I’m trying to replicate this issue now.
When issues like this have come up in the past, I might not be able to reproduce them. I have to go purely on user reports, which at times can be tough. I want to make sure the reporting is very accurate.
The test Mac was setup with the exact settings that most of the users have reported.
1. Install 10.15.6
2. Set Up iCloud Drive, Mail and Cal
3. Install 10.15.6 Update > 10.15.7
4. Test settings.
I’ve been unable to reproduce this issue. I had the article ready for this weekend but did not have enough solid reports of the issue. Now enough reports have come in to solidify the issue as a problem for users.
7. Workarounds / Fixes
This list of workarounds will start from the very simple to more advanced.
You do NOT have to follow the list until the end, just stop when one of the solutions fixes the issue for you (starting from #1).
1.Reboot! Yes multiple users have mentioned that a simple reboot fixes the issue.
2. Cycle Wifi off then back on. (I said we were starting out simple.. )
3.Sign out of iCloud then reboot.
4.Sign back into iCloud – For some users they are able to sign back in and not have any issues. If you sign back in and are still having issues keep going down the list.
5.Are you on 10.15.6 with this issue? Install the 10.15.7 Update.
6.Disable iCloud Drive Options > Internet Accounts > iCloud > Options Button > unselect all options – Restart
6. Disable iCloud options – Internet Accounts > iCloud Uncheck all – Photos, Mail Contacts, Calendars, Reminders, Safari, Find My Mac, Notes & Keychain – Reboot – If you get any popup messages asking if you want to keep the items on your Mac. Make sure you select “Keep on This Mac” if you need to save your keychain passwords for example. After this if the problem goes away you can attempt to re enable them.
7. Sign out of all System Preferences > Internet Accounts > added email addresses. This includes any IMAP, POP, Gmail, Yahoo. Office365 o365 or Exchange accounts. Reboot – Then see if the issue comes back. If not then attempt to re add the email accounts.
Below are medium skill level fixes
7. Delete local Mail store & preferences – Disable iCloud Mail Sync – then delete /Users/yourhomefolderhere/Library/mail & /Users/yourhomefolderhere/Library/containers/com.apple.mail – Enable iCloud Mail Sync.
8.Delete Local Items Keychain folder (BACKUP ANY PASSWORDS FIRST) – Users/yourhomefolderhere/Library/Keychains – It will be the blue folder with the UUID looking numbers. Delete this folder and immediately reboot.
9.Reset iCloud settings when you can’t sign out.
If you run this command it will do the following.
1. Kill the com.appleiCloudHelper process
2. Move your iCloud .sqlite database to a new backup folder
3. kill accountsd process
4. reboot
Open the terminal.app, then cut and paste the command below.
Below are more advanced level fixes that hope you don’t have to do.
9. Do you have time machine backups? Restore from your last good backup.
10. Reinstall (Not Erase) macOS Catalina 10.15.7 – This workaround will reinstall macOS Catalina 10.15.7 and you will be able to keep all your files and applications. All you need to do is download the Catalina Full installer from the App Store and reinstall. You can also do this by booting to recovery. Restart your mac and hold down Command R. This will boot you to recovery, just select Install macOS Catalina.
If you need any help with any of the above workarounds let me know in the comments.
Update Automatic Snapshots
Automatic Update Snapshots was introduced as a feature in macOS High Sierra. You can read about them below. This was one of the best features that Apple has ever added to macOS. Sadly this will not help you in this situation as they only work for 10.13 and 10.14 Security Updates. Apple disabled this option in 10.15 Catalina Combo Updates.
After updating MacOS 10.15.7, accountsd's CPU utilization spiked to almost 500%. I tried rebooting several times, but it didn't fix the problem. As accountsd is icloud sync process, I signed out from iCloud and re-signed in. And then, everything got back to normal. v(´-ω-｀)v
If you install Security Update 2020-005 for Mojave, you could run into major issues!
Multiple reports are coming in from users who are starting to have major problems after installing the latest Mojave 2020-005 Security Update.
UPDATE #8 – 10/01 10:00PM –Apple has just released a fix and I’ve just finished an article going over all the details. I tried to test and figure out every scenario that you might be in, so you know exactly what will happen.
UPDATE #5 – 9/28 7:30PM – I have added 3 new sections below. The first one shows you how to ignore the Mojave 2020-005 Security Update. The second will show you a very quick way to find out if your Mac is affected by this issue. In the 3rd, I will show you 4 different install scenarios. We now know the issue only happens if you install Safari 14.0 first, then install the 2020-005 update after. An example of a Mac that would unaffected by this issue would be if you installed the 2020-005 Security Update first, then the Safari 14.0 update after.
UPDATE #4 – 9/28 12:30PM – I have reproduced the install problem flow Please read section #5 below for more info. You can install the Mojave 2020-005 Security update WITHOUT Safari 14.0 and not have any issues. You can even Install Safari 14.0 after and not have any issues. It’s only when you install Safari 14.0 first then install 2020-005 after when the problems start! I will continue to test this and post updates.
UPDATE #3 – 9/28 11:30AM – After running some more tests, Safari 14.0 could be one of the problems. The next test performed was to build a fresh 10.14.6 Mac and install only the 2020-005 Security Update = No problems. I then installed Safari 14.0 = No problems. Then I reinstalled 2020-005 again = All Problems are back!!! I am going to check the order, maybe if Safari 14.0 is being installed first with softwareupdate this could be part of the problem. I am going to continue to test to find out more.
9/27
UPDATE #2 – 9/27 5:00PM – I am keeping an eye on Apple’s Software Update Server to see if they pull the update. I will update if they do.
UPDATE #1 – 9/27 3:30PM – A few users have asked if they can install the 2020-004 update over the 2020-005 update. They mentioned being able to do this in the past. Usually you can’t go backwards using Apple’s .pkg installers. I tested this out and sure enough, the installer says that a newer version of this update is installed. Apple didn’t design the installers to undo newer security updates. This is unlike the full .app installer which can replace all OS level files.
This article will include will be continually updated with the latest information on this issue.
I have some workarounds and fixes that could help you if you already installed the Mojave 2020-005 Security Update.
macOS Mojave 2020-005 Security Update Causing Major Problems Mr. Macintosh Video.
Past macOS Security Update Issues
This is not the first time that I’ve reported on update issues. Below you can read a few of the major issues that I’ve written about.
3. How can I tell if my mac is affected by this issue?
4. How can I ignore this update in software update?
5. How to Reproduce – Install Order
5. User Reports
6. This time around the issue can be reproduced
7. Fix! Rolling back with Automatic Update Snapshots. (within 24 hours of install)
8. Workarounds
9. If you are seeing this issue, please let Apple know.
10. Mojave 2020-005 Security Update Issue Links
11. Hat Tip/Credits
1. Mojave 2020-005 Security Update Problems
What are the reported problems with this update?
1. Memory issues – Reports of large increases of memory usage = no free memory and a large amount of compressed memory.
2. Slow boot & High fan speed
3. System slowness / stalling in finder
4. New local user can not be created through Users & Groups.
5. Migration assistant crashes to login window when started.
6. Large amounts of system.log entries – Class asn1SetToken is implemented in both /System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/StoreServices.framework/Versions/A/StoreServices
7. Errors when using tmutil localsnapshot /
8. Error when running softwareupdate -l (not sure if it causes any issues with the softwareupdate binary)
9. System locks up in Desktop & Screen Saver > Screen Saver when trying to select a picture type screen saver.
10. WindowServer Process using 4 times amount of memory. Should be anywhere between 40-125MB after the update it jumps to 400MB
11. cDock 4 – Dock customization app becomes unusable.
12. Menu bar sometimes does not change after switching from applications back to the finder.
1. Affected Safari & macOS Build Versions
This issue affects the following Safari & macOS Build Versions.
Safari 14.0 – September 16th, 2020
Mojave 10.14.6 Security Update 2020-005 (18G6032) – September 24th, 2020
No reports so far of this happening on macOS High Sierra 10.13.
2. Affected Mac Hardware
Past problems would only happen with certain hardware models. Not this time, if you installed the Mojave 2020-005 Security Update on a compatible Mac you might have problems.
3. How can I tell if my Mac is affected by this issue?
Very simple, just open up the terminal.app and run softwareupdate -l
If you get this error your Mac is affected.
Class AMSupportURLConnectionDelegate is implemented in both /System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/EmbeddedOSInstall.framework/Versions/A/EmbeddedOSInstall (0x1130cec58) and /System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/OSPersonalization.framework/Versions/A/OSPersonalization (0x112f31358). One of the two will be used. Which one is undefined.
4. How can I ignore this update in software update?
All you need to do is use the softwareupdate ignore option.
I discovered last night that on my Mojave test Mac that I couldn’t reproduce the issue even though I could on my 2nd test Mac. I realized that I only installed the 2020-005 Security update and NOT the Safari 14.0 update. This is when I restored back to the previous snapshot and tried again. For the next test, I let software update install both updates. Safari 14.0 was first then 2020-005, after the reboot I had the problem. Let’s go over a few of the install scenarios below.
Scenario #1 How to install both Updates and be affected by the issue.
1. 10.14.6 (18G103) Base Install
2. Use software update to install both Safari 14.0 and 2020-005 Updates
3. After the restart = You will have the problem.
Scenario #2 You installed Safari 14.0 as soon as it came out on 9/16
1. 10.14.6 (18G103) Base Install
2. Install Security Update 2020-005 + Reboot = You will have the problem
Scenario #3 How you can install both updates with NO PROBLEMS
1. 10.14.6 (18G103) Base Install
2. Install Security Update 2020-005 ONLY + Reboot = No Problem
3. Now Install Safari 14.0 = No Problem
Scenario #4 How you can install both updates with in the correct order and still have the problem
1. 10.14.6 (18G103) Base Install
2. Install Security Update 2020-005 ONLY + Reboot = No Problem
3. Now Install Safari 14.0 = No Problem
4. Install Security Update 2020-005 AGAIN + Reboot = You will have the problem (NOTE: the same problem happens if you use the 2020-004 installer in this step)
3. User Reports.
The first report came in on Thursday, just 4 hours after Apple released the Mojave 2020-005 Security Update.
Is anyone getting really low free RAM after applying this update? Activity Monitor says I have 12GB of RAM used right after I launch it after logging in.
I applied the 2020-005 Security Update today to my MacBook Pro running Mojave (10.14.6) and after it restarted, I started experiencing problems. The first and most obvious is the Dock crashes repeatedly. I have also noticed that when running applications, the menu bar does not display the app’s menus, but stays showing Finder menus. I downloaded the .dmg file with the updater on it and applied it again, thinking perhaps something went amiss the first time, but it did not resolve the issue.
After doing this job for many years, I get an sense when things are starting to become an issue. Just to be sure, I always wait for more reports and attempt to reproduce the issues myself before reporting.
Additionally, boot time is slower, logging in is slower and when doing so I’m met with a blank desktop which needs 7-8 seconds before icons finally appear. Everything feels sluggish, and applications also take more than twice as long to start up.
After reading multiple reports I felt that it was time me to take a closer look. Sure enough, more users have started to report the same issues.
4. This time around the issues can be reproduced
When issues like this have come up in the past, I might not be able to reproduce them. I have to go purely on user reports, which at times can be tough. I want to make sure the reporting is very accurate. Especially when I am recommending that users not install a security update. This time around is different, I have tested the update on multiple Macs and can reproduce most of the issues. I also found a few that have not been reported on the forums or twitter.
5. A Fix! Rolling back with Automatic Update Snapshots. (within 24 hours of install)
Do you have time machine backups?
If you do, just restore and you are good to go! Now would be a good time to start. If not keep reading.
Automatic Update Snapshots was introduced as a feature in macOS High Sierra. You can read about them below. This was one of the best features that Apple has ever added to macOS. Sadly they only work for 10.13 and 10.14 Security Updates and not 10.15 Catalina Combo Updates.
Automatic Update Snapshots could save you, if you installed the Mojave 2020-005 Security Update in the last 24 hours. That’s the problem with tmutil localsnapshots they only last 24 hours!!! So if you installed the update you might still be able to roll back to the previous Mojave Security Update 2020-004 (18G6020).
Steps to restore from an Automatic Update Snapshot.
Reboot to recovery. Hold down Command R
Once in recovery select “Restore from Time Machine Backup”
On the next screen select “Macintosh HD”. If your Mac is filevault encrypted you will be asked for your password.
On the next screen, if you have a snapshot available it will look like this.
If you have an automatic update snapshot available, this is what it will look like.
5. Select it and hit continue! Your Mac will now restore back to the snapshot taken just before the 2020-005 Security Update was installed.
But what if 24 hours has past since you installed the update? Keep reading below.
6. Workarounds
If you don’t have an Automatic Update Snapshot available, hopefully one of the following options will help you.
Upgrade to Catalina. This was recommended by Apple Support. If don’t want to upgrade to Catalina yet, scroll down to option #2.
We’d like to see how we can help. We recommend upgrading to the latest macOS Catalina by following the steps in this link: https://t.co/cCbnQHhGBJ
This workaround will reinstall macOS Mojave 10.14.6 (18G103) and you will be able to keep all your files and applications. All you need to do is download the Mojave Full installer from the App Store and reinstall. To keep your Mac protected, you can install Security Update 2020-004 and not have any issues.
You can also perform an erase and install if you have all your files backed up.
@Apple I installed the 2020-005 Security Update for my MacBook Air and now the computer is super slow, has no free memory left even when it just booted up, and it takes ages to start up programs. Can you give me instructions on how to uninstall the update?
Multiple Hat tips go out to my website and twitter followers for reporting the issue to me so I could take a closer look. Special thanks to Hyram Hakkenbecker for double-checking my articles for any grammar issues that sneak past!
UPDATE 9/26/20 – Some users have reported major problems after installing the update!
Today, Apple released macOS Security Update 2020-005 for High Sierra and Mojave. The 2020-005 security update will most likely will be the end of the line for macOS High Sierra. After macOS Big Sur is released, Apple will no longer support High Sierra.
Below you will find Build Versions, Download Links, Update Sizes and previous Security Update Links.
What’s New in the macOS 2020-005 Security Updates – Mr. Macintosh Video.
The 2020-005 Update fixes & reverts the 2020-003 changes made to the –ignore flag. After installing the update, you can now ignore major upgrades again.
UPDATE 9/24/20 – The 2020-004 update was said to fix this but it actually did not work properly. If you had a UAMDM (User Approved Mobile Device Management) Enrolled Mac the --ignore option did NOT work. The 2020-005 update fixed this and now works properly. Big hat tip to @pcrandom for doing a ton of testing. He was able to confirm that this issue was fixed.
After installing 2020-004 on 10.14 & 10.13 you can once again block major upgrades (Catalina). I mentioned this change in my Catalina 10.15.6 Patch Notes Article.
NOTE: This change is ONLY for UAMDM (User Approved Mobile Device Management) and Supervised Macs. If your Mac is not Supervised or part of an UAMDM you will not be able to ignore major updates.
In macOS Big Sur softwareupdate --ignore is deprecated and no longer works. You will only be able to block minor and major updates for 90 days using MDM.Please file feedback NOW, if you need the ability to block minor & major updates in macOS Big Sur!Thanks for the clarification @mboylan!
How do I keep track of all the macOS Build Versions?
I document all of the macOS Build Versions like the latest Mojave 2020-005 High Sierra 2020-005 along with most Apple Applications, XProtect, Gatekeeper and MRT updates in one database. You can check out the link below.
What’s New in the macOS Catalina 10.15.7 Update (19H2)?
macOS Catalina 10.15.7 Update is now Available!
For the first time since Mac OS X Snow Leopard, Apple has progressed past a .6 point release! I’m very happy with this change, as it’s easier to understand dot releases compared to supplemental updates. This is the 21st update overall for macOS Catalina.
UPDATE! 9/29/20 – I just posted an article talking about the Catalina 10.15.7 Update accountsd process using 400%+ CPU.
UPDATE! 9/27/20 –A few reports are coming in that the 10.15.7 update is causing some problems with the accountsd process. After the installing the 10.15.7 update, accountsd runs up to 400% in Activity Monitor. The issue might happen for some users that are using iCloud for Drive, Mail or Cal. Other reports say the issue can happen if you are using internet accounts with Gmail. This issue causes system slowness until resolved. Most fixes say to log out of iCloud or Gmail then restart.
Let’s take a look at the macos Catalina 10.15.7 update changes.
What’s New in the 10.15.7 Update Mr. Macintosh video.
10.15.7 Update = accountsd process using 400%+ CPU if using iCloud Mr. Macintosh Video.
The macOS Catalina 10.15.7 Update includes the following fixes.
macOS Catalina 10.15.7 provides important security updates and bug fixes for your Mac.
Resolves an issue where macOS would not automatically connect to Wi-Fi networks
Fixes an issue that could prevent files syncing through iCloud Drive
Addresses a graphic issue that may occur on iMac (Retina 5K, 27-inch, 2020) with Radeon Pro 5700 XT
Apple’s Public Patch Notes / Release Notes Documentation
NOTE: Apple Documentation takes a little while to show up online after release. I will update when the new articles are made available.
Today Apple released macOS Big Sur Beta 8 (20A5374i) to Developers
UPDATE 9/23/20 – Beta 8 Issues
Big Sur Beta 8 does not have a full installer, hopefully we will get one when Beta 9 hits in a week or two.
No changes or additional notes to Screen Recording controls, it was noted in Beta 7 that we would get some sort of MDM controls for this for standard users.
Active Directory login is not working in Beta 8 after an upgrade. Was working fine in Beta 6 and 7.
You can take a look at my Beta 7 article, it has a list of current standing issues that might not have been fixed in Beta 8 yet.
MacOS Big Sur 11 Beta 8 (20A5374i) was released on September 22nd, 2020 only 7 days after Beta 7! MacOS Catalina had 11 beta releases including the gold master, so we are getting close to release. Beta 8 is very small and only includes one noted fix in the developer notes. I am still waiting to see if any changes are listed around screen recording or if we get a full installer. I will update as soon.
During the Big Sur beta release cycle, only the current beta patch notes are available. When a new beta is released the previous patch notes are overwritten. I compare both sets of release notes so I find the changes.
1. Note: Apple did not provide a full installer for Beta 8.
2. Updating to macOS Big Sur 11 beta from previous versions of macOS might take significantly longer than expected. Data loss could occur if the update is interrupted. (59101197)
Previous Big Sur 11 Beta Releases
8. Big Sur 11 Beta 8 (20A5374i) – 09/22/20 – Current Release
Now that macOS Big Sur 11.0 Beta is live, start testing as soon as you can! You will want to submit any bugs that you find into Apple ASAP. If you get bugs in quickly, they could be fixed in the current beta cycle instead of waiting until after the public release. If not, you could be waiting months before the fix is put into a dot release combo update.
macOS Big Sur 11 Beta 8 (20A5374i) Release Notes
Overview
The macOS 11 SDK provides support to develop apps for Macs running macOS Big Sur 11. The SDK comes bundled with Xcode 12.2 beta, available from Beta Software Downloads. For information on the compatibility requirements for Xcode 12.2, see Xcode 12.2 Beta Release Notes.
General
Known Issues
Important
Updating to macOS Big Sur 11 beta from previous versions of macOS might take significantly longer than expected. Data loss could occur if the update is interrupted. (59101197)
macOS Big Sur 11 beta 8 is designated as qualifying for the 50% Apple Security Bounty bonus payment for issues that are unknown to Apple or reintroduced in this release. See Apple Security Bounty for more information.
Installer and Software Update
Known Issues
When updating from macOS Big Sur 11 beta 2 to macOS Big Sur 11 beta 3 or later, you might be offered an unexpectedly large download rather than an incremental software update. (65753086)Workaround: Under the “Another update is available” text, click the “More info…” link. This will reveal the incremental update where you can click the Install Now button.
You might need to adjust Energy Saver settings so your Mac doesn’t go to sleep while preparing to install macOS Big Sur 11 beta. (63166401)
If macOS Big Sur 11 beta is installed into the same APFS container as previous versions of macOS Catalina 10.15, system software updates can no longer be installed on the previous versions of macOS. (64411484)Workaround: Update the previous version of macOS Catalina to 10.15.6.
Kernel
Resolved in macOS Big Sur 11 beta 8
An issue with the kernel no longer causes applications to quit unexpectedly. (69093270)
SwiftUI
Known Issues
ProgressView generic type signature has changed, adding the currentValueLabel generic parameter. This change doesn’t require any source changes, but will cause apps compiled using an earlier beta SDK to quit unexpectedly. (63580200)Workaround: Re-compile apps for macOS Big Sur 11 Beta 6 or later to resolve this issue.
Drag-and-drop actions can sometimes fail when dropping on dynamic view content. (68281403)
Dynamically updating OutlineGroup content can fail to update correctly or cause an application to quit unexpectedly. (58820037)
DisclosureGroup’s isExpanded binding does not work as expected in a List. (58820037)
Some standard menu items, such as Open Recents or Window menu items, are missing from the main menu. (63998004)
Third-Party Apps
Known Issues
You might experience kernel panics when using earlier versions of Parallels Desktop 16. (67358596)Workaround: Upgrade to the most-recent version of Parallels Desktop 16.
Some third-party scripts might produce unexpected results due to the change in macOS version from 10.x to 11. (62477208)Workaround: Set SYSTEM_VERSION_COMPAT=1 in the calling environment, for example: $ SYSTEM_VERSION_COMPAT=1 legacy_script.pl
isPassLibraryAvailable() doesn’t ensure uniform availability of pass library functionality between platforms and devices. (60697880)Workaround: Call a more specific API to check available functionality, such as canAddPasses().
Xcode
Known Issues
Legacy Xcode versions prior to 11.5 might unexpectedly quit when launched. (59991056)Workaround: Run the following command in Terminal: defaults write com.apple.dt.Xcode DVTDisableMainThreadChecker 1, then deselect Main Thread Checker in the Diagnostic tab of the Run and Test actions for each scheme in your project.
The Command Line Tools package for Xcode 12.2 beta isn’t currently available. (69012274)
Downgrade Big Sur T2 BridgeOS Beta to a Production Catalina version of BridgeOS.
Using Apple Configurator, you can now downgrade T2 BridgeOS Beta to a Production version of BridgeOS.
Downgrading the version of your T2 BridgeOS has never been possible. Developers and customers could only get a NEWER version of BridgeOS when updating or upgrading macOS. The ability to downgrade BridgeOS on a T2 Mac was simply not possible. This new change to Apple Configurator 2 most likely happened between version 2.12 – 2.12.1.
My quick 4 min video on how to boot your into DFU mode + restore / revive BridgeOS.
Deep Dive explanation on how to boot your Mac into DFU Mode + How to Reinstall BridgeOS with Apple Configurator 2 – Mr. Macintosh YouTube live demo.
Table of Contents
1. Why would you want to downgrade from a beta version of BridgeOS?
2. Can you Downgrade to a Lower Production version of BridgeOS?
3. Problems Running Catalina with a Big Sur Beta BridgeOS Version.
4. Closer look at BridgeOS versioning
5. The Big Sur installer is now using DeviceIDs compatibility checks.
6. BridgeOSUpdateCustomer updater
7. How to Downgrade a Beta Version of BridgeOS to a Production Version.
8. The Revive Option (for science)
9. Final Notes
1. Why would you want to downgrade from a beta version of BridgeOS?
Let’s say that you installed Big Sur Beta 6, and are now having a ton of problems. You probably want to downgrade to Catalina so you can work again. The only problem is, you are still on Big Sur Beta 6 BridgeOS version 18.16.12370. Keep in mind, your Mac SHOULD still work fine with this version. An example of this is if you have Catalina 10.15.6 installed on your Mac, your BridgeOS version is 17.16.16610. Let’s say that you need to test something on version 10.15.3. After installing Catalina 10.15.3, your BridgeOS version will NOT be downgraded to the period correct version of 17.16.13050. It will run just fine on the 10.15.6 version of 17.16.16610 BridgeOS. The same is the case if you have a Big Sur Beta version of BridgeOS and you downgrade to Catalina.
2. Can you Downgrade to a Lower Production version of BridgeOS?
If you are running macOS Beta, then you can use Apple Configurator 2 to downgrade your T2 BridgeOS to a final or production version of BridgeOS.
What about if you are running a production version of macOS? You can downgrade BridgeOS with Apple Configurator 2, but only for 1 week after a new macOS software update. Apple will unsign the previous version of BridgeOS along with previous iOS updates.
3. Problems Running Catalina with a Big Sur Beta BridgeOS Version.
Let’s say after you downgraded from Big Sur Beta to Catalina 10.15.6, you are now having problems. You might start to see weird issues or crashes? Normally you would have to wait until the next beta or the production version of Big Sur to get a stable version of BridgeOS on your Mac.
Looking at the xml file, I need to find my 2019 16″ MacBook Pro. Regular Model Identifiers or BoardIDs are not used here. You need to find the iBridge ProductID. Below is a snippet of the above .xml file. Below the version of BridgeOS = 17P6610
5. The Big Sur installer is now using DeviceIDs compatibility checks.
A change to the macOS Installer Beta was noticed by @grahampugh. He noticed that the new Big Sur installer now looks at the Mac DeviceID for T2 Systems and BoardID for older 2017 and below Macs.
6. BridgeOSUpdateCustomer updater
Now that we have the DeviceID, how do we know which version of BridgeOS is compatible for this model? The xml file gives us a clue BuildVersion 17P6610. I am used to keeping track of the BridgeOS Boot Rom version which is listed like this 17.16.16065.
The BuildVersion/BuildNumber is located inside the BridgeOSUpdateCustomer > BridgeOSUpdateCustomer.pkg > BuildManifest.plist.
BuildIdentities
ApBoardID 0x3E ApChipID 0x8012 ApSecurityDomain 0x01 Info
Apple Configurator 2 offers two options to Reinstall/Downgrade BridgeOS. Only the Restore option will help you downgrade and stay on the Catalina specific version.
Restore = ERASES YOUR HARD DRIVE + Downgrade BridgeOS
If you want to downgrade to macOS Catalina and a Catalina version of BridgeOS, the fastest way is to use the Restore option. Once the restore is complete, you will be on a the Catalina Production Version of BridgeOS and will have empty hard drive. You can now use Internet Recovery to reinstall macOS Catalina.
What happens if you chose the Revive option?
8. The Revive Option (for science)
As noted above, you have no real reason to use this option. But for science, what would happen? If you are on Big Sur Beta want to downgrade T2 BridgeOS Beta using the Revive option, you will leave your Mac in a non bootable state. This is because you are now running a BridgeOS version that is OLDER than the required Big Sur Beta BridgeOS. The good news is, your T2 Mac is smart enough to repair itself! As soon as the revive option finishes, your Mac will boot to a flashing folder alert or the Internet Recovery boot menu. If it boots to the flashing folder, just boot to Command Option R or Command R and you will get the menu below.
Internet Recovery Boot Menu
Connect to the internet and let it continue. You will be brought to a message that says,
You will get this message as soon as you are booted to the Internet Recovery environment.
A software update is required to use this startup disk.
Click Update and your mac will download the correct build of Big Sur Beta BridgeOS.
On this screen your Mac is updating Bridge OS to a Big Sur compatible BridgeOS.
Once complete, the Mac will boot back to Big Sur. The only way to avoid this would be to boot the Mac to Target Disk Mode so you could erase the drive and reinstall Catalina. That’s why if you want to have BridgeOS and Catalina on the same version the Apple Configurator RESTORE option is the way to go. Just make sure to backup everything before you start as all data will be lost.
9. Final Notes
It should be pretty rare that you should ever need to downgrade BridgeOS from a Beta version. Keep in mind this will ONLY work for beta versions. As I noted above you can’t downgrade from a 10.15.6 version of BridgeOS to say a 10.15.3 version. With that said I would love to be able to downgrade to a previous version. If it’s your job to test OS Updates, once you update one test T2 Mac it’s done. It will not perform the BridgeOS update again until the next update. I really like that Apple let’s us downgrade from a beta version of BridgeOS, the more ways for customers to fix their devices the better! A big hat tip goes out to Mr. Macintosh reader thomas089 for first testing this and commenting in my main article!
