Critical software update required, but an error was encountered... Stuck

App & System Services Core OS
Uelsimon OP
Created Aug ’18
Replies 51
Boosts 4
Views 85k
Participants 70

Installed Mojave, and worked fine at first. Did a restart and now I can't get past the following message.


It boots,. WiFi setting screen appears, then when I try proceed it says:


A critical software update is required for your Mac, but an error was encountered while installing this update.

Your Mac can't be used until this update is installed

[Shut down] [try again]



But it never passes that point.


Any thoughts?


I can't reinstall high Sierra either.

Replies  51
Boosts  4
Views  85k
Participants  70
Guillerzf OP
Jan ’25

Bypass Critical Update: A Workaround

I’ve discovered a method to bypass the critical update screen. Here’s how you can do it:

When the update screen appears:

  • Press Ctrl + Alt + Command + T to open the Terminal.
  • Run the following commands:nwindow su <admin_user> sudo killall loginwindow

This will bring up the normal login window, allowing you to use the computer

Persistent Fix (Avoid Repeating the Process on Reboot):

  • Follow the same steps to open Terminal when the update screen appears.
  • Then, execute these commands:

su <admin_user> sudo dscl /Local/Default -delete /Users/_mbsetupuser sudo killall loginwindow

Issues Encountered:

  • Touch Bar, Touch ID, and Camera: These features stopped working for me after applying this fix.
  • Authentication in System Preferences: Clicking the lock icon in System Preferences does not prompt the authentication dialog, which is a significant issue.

Question:

Has anyone found a way to resolve the authentication problem in System Preferences or encountered similar issues? Any suggestions or alternative approaches would be appreciated!

Critical software update required, but an error was encountered... Stuck
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