10.14 Mojave Archives - Mr. Macintosh

Can’t Accept iCloud Terms after macOS Install. Agree Button Greyed Out!

After installing macOS Sierra, High Sierra, Mojave and Catalina you can’t continue past the iCloud terms and conditions window because they Agree button is greyed out.

UPDATED 1/10/23

Users started reporting this issue late last week.

A quick summary of the issue.

The issue is triggered after attempting to sign into iCloud at the setup assistant window after installing macOS with the following OS listed below. You will be unable to continue past the screen, because the Agree button is greyed out.

The issue affects the following macOS versions 👇

1. macOS Catalina 10.15
2. macOS Mojave 10.14
3. macOS High Sierra 10.13
4. macOS Sierra 10.12
5. OS X El Capitan 10.11
6. OS X Yosemite 10.10
7. OS X Mavericks 10.9

My quick video demonstrating the issue

Reproducing the issue.

The issue can be reproduced every time by attempting to sign into iCloud in the setup assistant window.

How to Fix the Issue

The fix is very simple, all you need to do is click the back button. Then click “Set Up Later” at the top of the Sign In with Your Apple ID window.

Click “Set Up Later” to bypass the issue.

Walk though the rest of the macOS setup assistant until you get to the desktop.

You can still sign into iCloud once you get into the OS.

The good news is that you can sign into iCloud in system preferences after the setup assistant.

What is causing the issue?

Unknown at this time. Could it be a server side issue? I will update if I find any further info.

macOS Upgrade to Big Sur Failed! Stuck Progress Bar fix & Prevention!

MrMacintosh.com - macOS Mojave or Catalina to Big Sur Upgrade Progress Bar Stuck Fix. — macOS Mojave or Catalina to Big Sur Upgrade Progress Bar Stuck Fix.

MacOS Big Sur currently has an upgrade issue. In certain situations, the upgrade will fail and then get stuck with a neverending progress bar.

UPDATED 12/13/21

UPDATE! This issue is fixed in both the Monterey 12.1 and Big Sur 11.6.2 Full installer.

I’ll start with a quick summary of the macOS stuck progress bar situation.

If you are upgrading from macOS High Sierra, Mojave, or Catalina to Big Sur your upgrade could fail if it matches a very particular condition.

If folders in multiple directories in the location below

/private/var/folders/*/*/C/com.apple.metadata.mdworker

have more than 20,000 files your upgrade could fail.

In some situations users have reported 500,000 – 2,000,000 files!!!

This is the reason why the problem could never be reproduced.

If you build a fresh system the file counts for spotlight will be very low. You might have 20-400 entries. This would allow the upgrad to finish properly.

Different situations. The macOS stuck progress bar issue has many different situations.
How can I check how many mdworker files my system has before an upgrade.
I have more than 20,000 files. How do I clear them out before the upgrade?
The files have been deleted! Now what?
What if you booted your failed Mac into safe mode after having the issue?
Will Apple fix this problem?
Final Thoughts
Thank you!

Big Sur Upgrade not Enough Free Space = Serious Issue & Possible Data Loss! UPDATED

The macOS Big Sur upgrade is not checking to make sure enough free HD space is available. The upgrade will start, then run out of space and fail. If FV2 encryption is enabled, you will be locked out of your data!

UPDATED 10/07/21 – Latest Updates!!! – For the latest information be sure to check the UPDATES section below.

Quick Summary – When you start the macOS Big Sur upgrade, the installer should first check to make sure your Mac has enough free space available. If the installer finds that you do not have enough free space for the upgrade, it will stop and not let you continue. You should see a pop up message showing you how much space is needed before you can attempt the upgrade again. This free space check is NOT working. The upgrade will start even if you only have 1% of free space left and will fail. Your hard drive is now 100% full and the installer is now stuck in a boot loop attempting to finish the install. This leaves you unable access your data! I will go over all the details below and show you a fix at the end.

I’ve been trying to get a handle on this issue for over a month now. The first signs that this is becoming a larger issue came after the macOS Big Sur 11.2 update was made available. Reports started to roll in saying that the Big Sur Upgrade failed and the only way to fix it was to erase and reinstall macOS. I noticed an increase in traffic to this article. >

https://mrmacintosh.com/reinstalling-big-sur-on-apple-silicon-macs-with-11-0-20a2411-error/

The reason behind the traffic increase was because the M1 personalization error message was very close to the new error.

Big Sur Upgrade out of space error = An error occurred preparing the software update.

Big Sur Upgrade out of space error = An error occurred applying the software update.

Apple Silicon M1 personalization error = An error occurred preparing the update.

This led me to investigate this issue further.

Mr. Macintosh Full report and Deep Dive into the issue + Multiple fixes and workarounds to save your data and let the Big Sur Update finish!

Big Sur Internet Recovery Unavailable! Replaced with Catalina

Starting in early December, macOS Big Sur Internet Recovery was replaced by Catalina as the newest version available.

UPDATE 01/10/21: Apple has restored access to macOS Big Sur Recovery and it is now available to all compatible Intel Macs again!

Some of the first reports came from MacAdmins Slack members Calvin Cliff, Marcus Ransom and Eric Holtam. They confirmed that only Catalina Internet Recovery was available on Big Sur Compatible Macs. Any Mac that has Big Sur installed on it should be able to boot Big Sur Internet Recovery.

Note: This issue is only for Intel Macs. Apple Silicon M1 Macs do not have Internet Recovery.

Mr. Macintosh Video that goes over the Big Sur internet recovery issue.

How is the macOS internet recovery version determined?

It all depends on what model Mac you have and the keyboard command used.

From Apple

By default, macOS Recovery installs the latest macOS that was previously installed on your Mac.* You can get other macOS versions using one of these methods: On an Intel-based Mac, you can use Option-Command-R at startup to upgrade to the latest macOS that is compatible with your Mac.
Exceptions
If macOS Sierra 10.12.4 or later was never previously installed, you will receive the macOS that came with your Mac, or the closest version still available.
If your Mac has the Apple T2 Security Chip and you never installed a macOS update, you will receive the latest macOS that was installed on your Mac.
https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204904

If you use Option-Command-R you should get the latest macOS version of Internet Recovery*

2013-2017 Mac = Big Sur 11.1
2018-2020 T2 Macs = Latest version of OS that is installed. (Example if Catalina 10.15.5 is installed, you will get 10.15.5 recovery) The version is based on the version of BridgeOS Installed.

Another example would be if you have a 2019 T2 Macbook Pro with Big Sur 11.0.1 installed. If you used Option-Command-R you should get 11.0.1 Big Sur Recovery.

Problem – All Macs are now getting Catalina Internet Recovery.

Why did Apple make this change? I didn’t report on this earlier because I figured it was a server side issue. Apple would probably fix it pretty quickly. The problem is it’s been almost a month now. Could this be a permanent change or is Big Sur Internet Recovery still having issues?

MacAdmins forum user gepeto42 had some information to share on this issue.

Apple is aware, they are telling me it is a server side issue that is being worked on right now. No ETA at all, on my side I will try when I get back from Holidays around Jan 4-5.
gepeto42

This sounds like Apple is aware and is working on fixing this issue. I will keep you updated as more info comes in.

Security Update 2020-001 for Catalina & 2020-007 Mojave + Safari 14.0.2

MrMacintosh.com - Security Updates 2020-001 for Catalina & 2020-007 Mojave — Security Updates 2020-001 for Catalina & 2020-007 Mojave

Security Updates 2020-001 for macOS Catalina (19H114) & 2020-007 Mojave (18G7016) & Safari 14.0.2 are now Available.

Apple has released Security Updates 2020-001 (Catalina) and 2020-007 (Mojave). MacOS High Sierra is now officially unsupported by Apple. The 2020-006 Security Update was High Sierra’s final update. Mojave has taken its place as the 3rd supported version of macOS behind Catalina.

Since this security update is Catalina’s first it was named 2020-001. Mojave has had 7 Security Updates so the version is 2020-007. Next year they will both be named 2021-001.

Mr.Macintosh 2020-001, 2020-007 & Safari 14.0.2 Security Update video

Automatic Update Snapshots

With the move to Security Updates, Catalina does not support Automatic Update Snapshots. You can read more about this here > https://mrmacintosh.com/10-15-3-combo-security-updates-are-not-creating-backup-snapshots/

Mojave however still does! The 2020-007 security update creates a snapshot and does NOT purge previous snapshots.

I really wish Apple could get this feature working again.

The Safari 14.0.1 upload issue is not fixed in 14.0.2.

A simple example of this is using Gmail in Safari. If you update to Safari 14.0.1 or 14.0.2 you will be unable to attach anything to an email The only work around right now is to use Chrome or Firefox.

New workaround = drag and drop the file into the window.

Install Process Fixed!

With the release of 2020-006, Apple has changed things up. In the past you could have the base version of Mojave, 18G103 for example and the latest security update would show as available and you could update right to it. With 2020-006 you will need to be on 2020-005 first before you can update to 2020-006! This is a huge pain if you have systems that are behind in build versions.

Example.

If you have a fresh build of macOS Mojave 10.14.6 (18G103) and you want to get to 2020-006.

1. Install Security Update 2020-005 first.
2. After installing 2020-005, you will now see 2020-006 available for instal in software update.

With the release of the new 2020-001 and 2020-007 Security Updates, Apple now lets you jump straight to the latest update.

Updated Fixed Example

If you have a fresh build of macOS Mojave 10.14.6 (18G103) and you want to get to 2020-007.

Install 2020-007 = Done

Testing the Security Update Install Process

After all the problems of the 2020-005 Security Update for Mojave caused, I wanted to again make sure everything was ok with 2020-001 & 2020-007. I’ve installed both the 2020-007 and Safari 14.0.2 updates and have not found any issues. You can safely install both of them together.

Click “Continue Reading” to read the rest of the article.

Security Update 2020-006 for Mojave & High Sierra + Safari 14.0.1

MrMacintosh.com - 2020-006 Security Update for Mojave & High Sierra + Safari 14.0.1 — 2020-006 Security Update for Mojave & High Sierra + Safari 14.0.1

Security Updates 2020-006 for macOS Mojave 10.14 (18G6042), High Sierra 10.13 (17G14042) & Safari 14.0.1 are now Available.

With the release of macOS Big Sur, Apple also released Security Updates for both macOS Mojave and High Sierra. Catalina was issued a 10.15.7 Supplemental Update to address the same security issues in 2020-006.

NOTE: Apologies for the tardiness of this article, Big Sur and Apple Silicon really took my attention away. I didn’t forget about everyone who asked me when my Security Update article would come out. I will always test the update out first so you don’t have to deal with issues.

You can read more about the 10.15.7 Supplemental update below.

mrmacintosh.com/catalina-10-15-7-supplemental-update-19h15-released/

The 2020-006 Security Update will also be macOS High Sierra’s final update. Mojave will take its place as the 3rd supported version.

Safari 14.0.1 for Mojave and High Sierra was also released. It has some issues that you can read about below.

Previous issues with the 2020-005 Security Updates on Mojave

HP Printer Driver Certificate Issue! “Driver will Damage your Computer”

MrMacintosh.com - HP Printer Driver Certificate Issue — HP Printer Driver Certificate Issue

On Friday October 23rd, HP printer owners started reporting that they couldn’t print. The error message = HPDeviceMonitoring.framework will damage your computer.

UPDATE: 10/28/20 – I just finished my new video that goes over the issue. I also give a live demo of how to uninstall the bad HP drivers. In the second part, I go over 5 different ways to reinstall new HP drivers. (Video is below this paragraph)

UPDATE: 10/28/20 – I’ve added multiple new instructions to #8 Workarounds / Fixes section.

UPDATE: 10/27/20 – HP has posted a new community knowledge article on the issue with full install instructions. I posted the link in section 8 (Workarounds/ Fixes).

An issue like this is normally something that I would be immediately reporting on, but I was away from my Mac until late Saturday. I started to investigate the issue as soon as I returned. One thing I noticed right away was that the signature was valid! Howard Oakley covered this issue extensively since Friday. I asked Howard to check the signature again and sure enough he confirmed it was good. I figured it was case closed, and shelved the article.

NOPE!

Many users are still reporting printing problems. This time around though, it seems like a different cert issue. Plus users are reporting errors from other frameworks and services like scanning.

Mr. Macintosh HP Printer Driver Certificate Issue overview, How To & Workaround + Fixes video.

Below are a few of Howard’s articles covering this issue.

1. HP Printer Driver Certificate Problem Error Messages
2. Affected macOS Build Versions
3. Affected Mac Hardware
4. What is the error message “X will damage your computer” means.
5. User Reports
6. HP & Apple Response?
7. Replicate the issue.
8. Investigation
9. Workarounds / Fixes
10. If you are seeing this issue, please let Apple know.
11. HP Printer Driver Certificate Problem links
12. Hat Tip/Credits

1. HP Printer Driver Certificate Problem Error Messages

If you are having the issue, you might get one of the error messages below.

1. “HPDeviceMonitoring.framework” will damage your computer.
2. “hpPostProcessing.bundle” will damage your computer.
3. “HPDM.framework” will damage your computer.
4. “Matterhorn.framework” will damage your computer.
5. “Productimprovementstudy.hptask” will damage your computer.
6. “HP Scanner 3” will damage your computer.
7. “inkjet1.driver” will damage your computer.
8. “HP Utility” will damage your computer.
9. “PDE.plugin will damage your computer.
10. “ScanEventHandler.app” will damage your computer.
11. “FaxArchive.task” will damage your computer.
12. “inkjet3.driver” will damage your computer.
13. “commandtohp.filter” will damage your computer.

2. Affected macOS Build Versions

This issue affects the following macOS Build Versions.

macOS Catalina
macOS Mojave
No reports so far of this happening on macOS High Sierra 10.13.

If you are on macOS High Sierra 10.13 and are having this issue, let me know in the comments.

3. Affected Mac Hardware

Past problems would only happen with certain hardware models. Not this time, if you running Catalina or Mojave with an HP Printer, you might be having problems.

4. What is the error message “X will damage your computer” means.

From Apple

Safely open apps on your Mac macOS includes a technology called Gatekeeper, that’s designed to ensure that only trusted software runs on your Mac.
support.apple.com/en-us/HT202491

For this particular error the article says this.

MrMacintosh.com - What a user would see if they had malware! — If macOS detects that an app has malicious content, it will notify you when you try to open it and ask you to move it to the Trash.

If Gatekeeper detects a problem with an application, it will give you this warning.

5. User Reports

The first reports came in on Friday October 23rd 2020.

I spent a while with Apple Support, Something this morning (10/23/20) broke the HP printing drivers framework on Catalina OS 10.15.7. They have received many calls with different items related to HP informing it will damage your computer, My printer does not print. I have a Laserjet 4200 with all kinds of options (envelop feeder, etc.) It is a vicious circle – Apple says to call HP as they need to provide the drivers, I have not been able to speak to anyone at HP that can help.
MacRumors Forum User likegadgets

More reports started to roll in on the Apple Discussion Forums.

I’m getting the exact same popup, I know its not malware. because it’s part of my printer software downloaded from Apple Mac store but apple not updated my software a few OS’s ago and have Malwarebytes Premium installed for a few years now. I have not downloaded anything in past 24-48 hours. somehow I think its a MacOs compatibility issue apple will need to address
Apple Discussions Forum User alistairmck

After over a year with having two HP printers in use, this morning, 10/23/2020 after startup of my Mac, I started getting this same pop-up. In searching for a cause, I saw where to look in the ~/Library/LaunchAgents folder and indeed this file was put there yesterday, 10/22/2020, at 10:00 AM: com.hp.devicemonitor.plist I deleted this file from the ~/Library/LaunchAgents folder, which resolved the pop-up box from coming up, however now my HP Envy 7640 printer will not work. Our other HP printer does continue to work. Hoping Apple will come up with suggestions on this.
Apple Discussions Forum User REW1027

Thomas Reed started to see a bunch of support tickets due to this problem.

We're seeing a significant influx of support cases where users are seeing macOS identify what appear to be legit processes as malware, exactly what is being reported here:https://t.co/vPojXGukzp
— Thomas Reed (@thomasareed) October 23, 2020

We've got quite a few cases continuing to come in to support on the HP software issue. Even though the cert has been un-revoked, some folks still see the issue. Folks are either angry that we didn't detect the "malware" or because they think we're detecting it erroneously. ?
— Thomas Reed (@thomasareed) October 26, 2020

6. HP & Apple Response?

HP has sent a response to The Register.

We unintentionally revoked credentials on some older versions of Mac drivers. This caused a temporary disruption for those customers and we are working with Apple to restore the drivers. In the meantime, we recommend users experiencing this problem to uninstall the HP driver and use the native AirPrint driver to print to their printer.
A HP Inc spokesperson to the Register.

Link – theregister.com/2020/10/23/hp_printer_macos/

No response from Apple at this time.

7. Replicating the issue.

When issues like this have come up in the past, I always attempt to replicate the issue. When I got back late Saturday night, it seemed like the issue was resolved. I checked the certificate/signing and it looked good! The cert was showing as invalid earlier in the day. After this, nothing I could do could reproduce the issue on my home HP printer. This might mean that new users might not have the issue. It’s still unknown at this time.

I was able to get the error on a network printer using a spooler driver. I would get the same error. After clicking OK, the print que would stop with an error.

It looks like this issue can no longer be reproduced. From what we know so far, you would have needed to have your Mac online from October 23-24th and already have the printer drivers installed. If you try the same thing now, printing will be fine.

8. Investigation.

Let’s try to figure out what happened here.

1st Issue – (Friday – Late Saturday)

Howard was able to check the HP Utility.app using is home built free app ArchiChect. This is what the application reported.

MrMacintosh.com - HP Utility spctl error

The application signature check has FAILED! The check reports that the certificate was REVOKED!

2nd Issue – Late Saturday, I ran the same check and this is what it reported.

Looks good right? I thought that HP had reissued the cert and everything was good to go!

I started to receive more and more reports saying that the issue was still NOT fixed.

Let’s take a closer look.

If we run the same check on one of the frameworks we get this

MrMacintosh.com - source=Unnotarized Developer ID — source=Unnotarized Developer ID

The same thing happens if we run the command manually on the HP Utility.app

– spctl --assess --type install --context context:primary-signature -v /Library/Printers/hp/Utilities/HP\ Utility.app

/Library/Printers/hp/Utilities/HP\ Utility.app: rejected

Source=Unnotarized Developer ID

2. – spctl --assess --type open --context context:primary-signature -v /Library/Printers/hp/Utilities/HP\ Utility.app

/Library/Printers/hp/Utilities/HP\ Utility.app: rejected

Source=Unnotarized Developer ID

3. – spctl --assess --type execute --context context:primary-signature -v /Library/Printers/hp/Utilities/HP\ Utility.app

/Library/Printers/hp/Utilities/HP\ Utility.app: accepted

Source=Developer ID

9. Workarounds / Fixes

1. Use AirPrint – AirPrint is the future of printing on macOS. (NO DRIVERS NEEDED!) If your printer supports AirPrint use it. For more info check out this link >

support.apple.com/guide/mac-help/print-wirelessly-mac-airprint-printer-mchl3c1a7aef/mac

support.hp.com/us-en/document/c02623193

2. Let macOS install the correct driver for you! After deleting the hp folder and removing the printer. Plug in your printer in via USB. You will get a popup like this

macOS detects that it does not have the driver for this HP printer.

Click “Install” to let macOS attempt to find and install the HP printer driver.

When the install is complete the printer will show up in System Preferences > Printers & Scanners! Simple as pie right ?

3. Uninstall and then reinstall HP drivers. This is also is a proven workaround.

1. Delete the /Library/Printers/hp folder

2. Delete Printer from System Preferences > Printers and Scanners

3. Install HewlettPackardPrinterDrivers.dmg from Apple (Link below)

4. Add printer back in System Preferences > Printers and Scanners by hitting the + button. You should see your printer listed under USB

5. Test print!

Depending on your printer model, you should only need to install the Apple HP Printer Drivers 5.1.pkg. (HP printers from October 2017 and below)

https://support.apple.com/kb/dl1888

4. HP Easy Start – If your HP printer was released after October of 2017 you will need to install drivers direct from HP.

https://support.hp.com/ca-en/drivers/printers

5. HP Easy Admin – If HP Easy Start does not have your driver you can download it manually with HP Easy Admin.

https://support.hp.com/us-en/document/c06164609

6. HP Community Knowledge Article –

https://h30434.www3.hp.com/t5/Printers-Knowledge-Base/quot-HPxxxxx-framework-quot-will-damage-your-computer-quot/ta-p/7825233

10. If you are seeing this issue, please let HP know!

The only way to let HP know that this is a big issue is to file a ticket.

11. HP Printer Certificate Problem on macOS Catalina & Mojave Links

This is a list of all the reports of issues with HP Printer Certificate Problems on macOS Catalina & Mojave.

Ececticlight.co – Howard Oakley – eclecticlight.co/2020/10/23/why-have-my-hp-printers-stopped-working-how-to-check-their-software-signature/
The Register – theregister.com/2020/10/23/hp_printer_macos/
TidBits.com – tidbits.com/2020/10/26/code-signing-snafu-breaks-many-hp-printers/

HP.com – Official Forum

AppleInsider.com

Reddit.com

Apple Discussion Forums

discussions.apple.com/thread/251948941

MacRumors.com Forum

forums.macrumors.com/threads/hp-driver-framework-broken-in-catalina-10-15-7.2262865/

12. Hat Tip!

Howard Oakley – @howardnoakley
Thomas Reed – @thomasareed

Contact Me

VMware Fusion Player 12 is FREE! Test macOS, Linux or Windows 10

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.

my.vmware.com/web/vmware/evalcenter?p=fusion-player-personal

MrMacintosh.com - Register your VMware account. — VMware registration page

Once registered you will see your license key, be sure to document this somewhere as you will need it when you install VMware Fusion Player.

If you didn’t and need to find your license key later, use this link.

my.vmware.com/group/vmware/evalcenter?p=fusion-player-personal&cmp=EMC-FusionPlayerEvalActivation&li=license

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!

MrMacintosh.com - VMware Fusion Player 12 - Select Install Method — 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.

MrMacintosh.com - Select Install image — VMware Fusion Player 12 – Select Install image

You will now see a final finish screen, before you start to configure the VM.

MrMacintosh.com - VMware Fusion Player 12 - Finish — Finish of the VM setup wizard.

The next screen will tell you that VMware Fusion Player is creating installation media.

MrMacintosh.com - VMware Fusion Player 12 - 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.

MrMacintosh.com - VMware Fusion Player 12 - You are running this virtual machine with side channel mitigations enabled. — 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.

MrMacintosh.com - VMware Fusion Player 12 - Booting to the macOS Installer. — 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.

Boot your macOS VM to Recovery Mode

Quick Way – sudo nvram "recovery-boot-mode=unused" && sudo reboot

To get back to macOS out just reboot!

Thanks for the tip Mike! More info here – https://mrmacintosh.com/boot-to-internet-recovery-recovery-partition-or-diagnostics-from-macos/

2. Long Way.

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.

If you have any questions, leave a comment below!

VMware Fusion Player macOS

How to Downgrade Safari – Supported & Unsupported Options

MrMacintosh.com - Do you need to downgrade Safari from version 14.0 to 13.1.2? I will show you 2 ways to do it. — 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 are missing 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
4. Reboot
5. Download Safari 13.1.2
6. Safari 13.1.2 = http://swcdn.apple.com/content/downloads/38/62/061-98246-A_DETHLIXKPC/njpb63acy0z0rgpdpewxts5rfjlkhtdvcy/Safari13.1.2MojaveAuto.pkg
7. Download AppCleaner v3.5 – https://freemacsoft.net/appcleaner/
8. Download Pacifist v3.6.2 – charlessoft.com/cgi-bin/pacifist_download.cgi?type=dmg
9. Install both apps
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.

Safari 14.0.3 Download for Catalina – http://swcdn.apple.com/content/downloads/15/11/071-10831-A_F9U2DK6CTY/iiqyne50g2xt78rc08bnt49yykpo4n3cg7/Safari14.0.3CatalinaAuto.pkg

Safari 14.0.3 for Mojave – http://swcdn.apple.com/content/downloads/44/11/071-10830-A_HVHGD91GPY/cr9a8oy39eao60prj4iwtho4s7w7l5cmm7/Safari14.0.3MojaveAuto.pkg

FOR TESTING – Safari 14.1

Safari 14.1 for Catalina

http://swcdn.apple.com/content/downloads/62/62/071-00728-A_5SWQUDK0WB/jyq47oimzangibo4lmyevte0ezlrg8w8s9/Safari14.1CatalinaAuto.pkg

Safari 14.1 for Mojave

http://swcdn.apple.com/content/downloads/36/06/071-02600-A_V0GH526IV1/1cn8scgv7ujlqsglord2zkdyy3ho2ebunz/Safari14.1MojaveAuto.pkg

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
4. Safari 14.0.1 Beta Seed 2 – http://swcdn.apple.com/content/downloads/17/19/001-52276-A_BBHPSL2B2P/ymw96wmqb7aaypn8v3wcdv6gcu9fb4o9ug/Safari14.0.1MojaveAutoSeed.pkg
Mojave 2020-004 Security Update download from Apple.com – https://support.apple.com/kb/DL2045
Mojave 2020-005 Security Update download from Apple.com – https://support.apple.com/kb/DL2054

Mojave Supplemental Update (Safari 14) Released to Fix Previous Issues

MrMacintosh.com - Apple has just released the macOS Mojave 10.14.6 "Supplemental Update" which is a fixed version of Safari 14.0. It address the problems of the previous 14.0 release. — 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.

mrmacintosh.com/mojave-2020-005-security-update-causing-major-problems-updated/

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

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!
4. macOS Mojave 2020-005 Security Update Re-Released
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.

MrMacintosh.com - running softwareupate -l to check the names of the updates. — 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

From – support.apple.com/en-us/HT211872

MrMacintosh.com - macOS 10.14.6 Supplemental Update (Safari 14.0) Details. — 6. Confusing? Yes, I will explain.Contents of the 10.14.6 Supplemental Update (Safari 14.0)

macOS Mojave 10.14.6 supplemental update includes Safari 14 and bug fixes for your Mac.

Resolves an issue that could impact app performance
Addresses a stability issue with Migration Assistant
Fixes an issue that may prevent user account creation

3. I’ve tested this update and have confirmed that it fixes most of the issues! (Memory issue needs more testing)

As you can see in the first 3 patch notes, this update looks to resolve our memory issues, account creation issues and the migration assistant issues!

I have confirmed that this update at the very least fixes the following.

UPDATE! 10:30PM – I am seeing multiple reports that all memory problems are fixed after installing the new Supplemental Update!

Account creation issues
Migration assistant crashing
Software Update errors
Time Machine Local Snapshot errors.
The Memory issues looks to be sorted out (From multiple user reports!)

4. macOS Mojave 2020-005 Security Update Re-Released

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?

MrMacintosh.com - macOS 10.14.6 Supplemental Update (Safari 14.0) inside Details. — 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?

MrMacintosh.com - macOS 10.14.6 Supplemental Update #2 inside Details. — 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.

MrMacintosh.com - Did you install ONLY install - Safari 14.0? — 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?

MrMacintosh.com - Did you install ONLY install - 2020-005 Security 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?

MrMacintosh.com - What you would see in SU if you previously installed both problematic updates. — *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?

MrMacintosh.com - 11. Did you not install either of the updates? — 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

sudo softwareupdate -ignore "Security Update 2020-005"

If so, see below

13. I ran softwareupdate –ignore “Security Update 2020-005”

In my previous post, I showed you how to ignore the problematic security update by running

sudo softwareupdate -ignore "Security Update 2020-005"

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.

About the Supplemental Update = support.apple.com/en-us/HT211872
Direct Safari 14 download link from SUS – http://swcdn.apple.com/content/downloads/08/46/001-55225-A_FKPERA412C/z81r8bvj47p12e0pvcz9dj33l43z7h201b/Safari14.0MojaveAuto.pkg
Safari 13.1.2 – http://swcdn.apple.com/content/downloads/38/62/061-98246-A_DETHLIXKPC/njpb63acy0z0rgpdpewxts5rfjlkhtdvcy/Safari13.1.2MojaveAuto.pkg
Direct 2020-005 Security Update link from SUS – https://updates.cdn-apple.com/2020/macos/001-48329-20200924-122a4260-eb65-4492-b08e-f69dfa22c2dc/SecUpd2020-005Mojave.dmg
Mojave 2020-005 Security Update download from Apple.com – https://support.apple.com/kb/DL2054

17. Security Content of macOS 10.14.6 Supplemental Update

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT211872

18. Final Thoughts

Wow… what a week. After breaking this story on Sunday, many mainstream Apple websites started to pick up on this.

macrumors.com/2020/10/01/apple-pulls-macos-mojave-security-update/

9to5mac.com/2020/10/02/apple-releases-new-macos-mojave-10-14-6-supplemental-update-with-important-bug-fixes/

appleinsider.com/articles/20/10/01/apple-pulls-buggy-macos-mojave-security-update-safari-14

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.

Users started reporting this issue late last week.

Reproducing the issue.

How to Fix the Issue

You can still sign into iCloud once you get into the OS.

What is causing the issue?

MacOS Big Sur currently has an upgrade issue. In certain situations, the upgrade will fail and then get stuck with a neverending progress bar.

Table of contents

The macOS Big Sur upgrade is not checking to make sure enough free HD space is available. The upgrade will start, then run out of space and fail. If FV2 encryption is enabled, you will be locked out of your data!

Starting in early December, macOS Big Sur Internet Recovery was replaced by Catalina as the newest version available.

How is the macOS internet recovery version determined?

Problem – All Macs are now getting Catalina Internet Recovery.

Security Updates 2020-001 for macOS Catalina (19H114) & 2020-007 Mojave (18G7016) & Safari 14.0.2 are now Available.

Automatic Update Snapshots

The Safari 14.0.1 upload issue is not fixed in 14.0.2.

Install Process Fixed!

Testing the Security Update Install Process

Security Updates 2020-006 for macOS Mojave 10.14 (18G6042), High Sierra 10.13 (17G14042) & Safari 14.0.1 are now Available.

Previous issues with the 2020-005 Security Updates on Mojave

On Friday October 23rd, HP printer owners started reporting that they couldn’t print. The error message = HPDeviceMonitoring.framework will damage your computer.

Table of Contents

1. HP Printer Driver Certificate Problem Error Messages

2. Affected macOS Build Versions

3. Affected Mac Hardware

4. What is the error message “X will damage your computer” means.

5. User Reports

6. HP & Apple Response?

7. Replicating the issue.

8. Investigation.

9. Workarounds / Fixes

10. If you are seeing this issue, please let HP know!

11. HP Printer Certificate Problem on macOS Catalina & Mojave Links

12. Hat Tip!

VMware Fusion Player 12 is now free for personal use on the Mac!

Create a New VMware Account.

Install VMware Fusion Player 12

Snapshots

Boot your macOS VM to Recovery Mode

If you recently installed the Mojave Supplemental Update and were surprised to see Safari 14.0 installed, you are not alone.

Supported and Unsupported

The following instructions are only for macOS Mojave.

Supported Way = Reinstall macOS Mojave

Unsupported Way = Uninstall Safari

Download Links

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.

Table of Contents

1. Name of the Update?

2. Details of the macOS Mojave Supplemental Update

3. I’ve tested this update and have confirmed that it fixes most of the issues! (Memory issue needs more testing)

4. macOS Mojave 2020-005 Security Update Re-Released

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 2020-005”

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