citykitty00

Q: I can't dismiss app store update notifications

I have a software update that I don't want to install. It's been sitting patiently in my updates list for months, and until Mavericks came along, when the alert appeared in the top right hand corner of my screen I could dismiss it. Now the options I have are Install or Later. The options for Later are 'in 1 hour' 'tonight' 'remind me tomorrow'. I don't want to have this permanently on my screen and I don't want to install the update. I also don't want to have to dismiss it every day.

 

I don't want to turn off all update alerts, or the automatic downloads, because I do want to be told about every other update to every other piece of software on my computer. I have googled this, and can't find a solution. What are my options?

 

As explanation, the update I DON'T want to install is an Epson printer driver update. The reason for this is that I have read rumours on the internet that Epson has a habit of engineering it's software so that it won't recognise the cartridges of generic inks, so that you have to pay the premium for Epson own brand ink. As I paid a fortune for my Epson printer I would be very annoyed if this happened. If anyone can reassure me 100% that this is a false alarm, I will happily upgrade the driver. In the absence of this I would much prefer to just dismiss the alert in the corner of my desktop about the upgrade.

 

I'd be very grateful for help on this irritating new development.

 

Thanks

iMac (27-inch, Late 2012), OS X Mountain Lion (10.8.5)

Posted on Nov 1, 2013 2:08 AM

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Q: I can't dismiss app store update notifications

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  • by citykitty00,

    citykitty00 citykitty00 Nov 1, 2013 2:11 AM in response to citykitty00
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Nov 1, 2013 2:11 AM in response to citykitty00

    Oh, I should add that the App store does not appear in the notifications preferences panel, so you can't choose which type of notification you would like.

  • by tessmar,

    tessmar tessmar Nov 14, 2013 9:03 AM in response to citykitty00
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Nov 14, 2013 9:03 AM in response to citykitty00

    I'm having the same issue. It is very annoying. While I can just ignore the panel and it will apparently just sit there I can't get it to go away. It is very "Microsoft-like" although theirs is even more annoying.

     

    WHile I do intend to install these updates I donb't need to take up desktop real estate reminding me all the time when the App Store icon in the dock clearly indicates with a number that there are updates waiting. I clone my hard drive every two weeks and after that is when I install updates. IMO the missing option for the "Later" button is "When I choose."

     

    Although I am registered as an Apple developer I'm sure they would consider this an enhancement request and not a bug so I don't think I can file a bug report on it (Not that they have responded to the last bug report I filed ).

     

    Anyone have any opinions about this or a way forward?

     

    Thanks

  • by davernst,

    davernst davernst Nov 14, 2013 5:59 PM in response to citykitty00
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Nov 14, 2013 5:59 PM in response to citykitty00

    I would love this answer too!  I'm not interested in updating my comp to work with a bunch of ******* cameras I don't own!

     

    It was annoying enough before Mavericks made me receive a reminder every day.

  • by citykitty00,

    citykitty00 citykitty00 Nov 16, 2013 2:11 AM in response to citykitty00
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Nov 16, 2013 2:11 AM in response to citykitty00

    What's even more bloody annoying is that I can't even MOVE the notification, so can't access whatever happens to be on the desktop without telling the notification to come back tomorrow. Sort this out Apple!

  • by Riqay,

    Riqay Riqay Dec 11, 2013 10:41 AM in response to citykitty00
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Dec 11, 2013 10:41 AM in response to citykitty00

    I suspect that no one has found a way to modify or improve the Mavericks software update notification—I certainly haven't—but it's nice to know I'm not alone with my frustration. My biggest problem comes from the change in the notification from Mountain Lion. There used to be a button that said "More Info", and clicking it would launch the App Store where you could (a) see what's in the update so you could make an informed decision about whether or not to install the update, and (b) opt to skip an update altogether and thus not be bothered with reminders.

     

    There's a lot of wasted workflow in my having to see the notification, launch the App Store, read the update descriptions (including those that say "we found a bug so don't install this version yet if you want things to work"), and only then actually deal with the notification.

     

    I guess I'm just preaching to the choir here, though, so I'll be pasting this note into a feedback form…

  • by tessmar,

    tessmar tessmar Dec 11, 2013 12:34 PM in response to Riqay
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Dec 11, 2013 12:34 PM in response to Riqay

    I just tried changing the APP Store preferences by unchecking "Download newly availble updates in the background." The line under this option says "You will be notified when the updates are ready to be installed." I have left checked "Automatically check for updates."

     

    Seems to me this should mean I will get notification about available updates but I will have to manually download them (which I am OK with doing), and this should eliminate the annoying "ready to be installed" non-dismissable garbage panel that we can't get rid of for more than a day at a time.

     

    Like others this particular package of updates is stuff I don't use and likely never will.

     

    I'll report back if this works. That panel is so annoying, as we all have noted. Should be able to just say "Yes, I know...leave me alone and I'll install them when and if I want!" and the thing should then just disappear permanently. I'm used to Microsoft treating me like I'm an idiot...but it's disappointing for Apple to copy that insulting approach.

  • by Eric Root,

    Eric Root Eric Root Dec 11, 2013 12:53 PM in response to citykitty00
    Level 9 (72,874 points)
    iTunes
    Dec 11, 2013 12:53 PM in response to citykitty00

    Send Apple feedback. They won't answer, but at least will know there is a problem. If enough people send feedback, it may get the problem solved sooner.


    Feedback

  • by petermac87,

    petermac87 petermac87 Dec 11, 2013 1:56 PM in response to tessmar
    Level 5 (7,402 points)
    Dec 11, 2013 1:56 PM in response to tessmar

    tessmar wrote:

     

    I just tried changing the APP Store preferences by unchecking "Download newly availble updates in the background." The line under this option says "You will be notified when the updates are ready to be installed." I have left checked "Automatically check for updates."

     

    Seems to me this should mean I will get notification about available updates but I will have to manually download them (which I am OK with doing), and this should eliminate the annoying "ready to be installed" non-dismissable garbage panel that we can't get rid of for more than a day at a time.

     

    Like others this particular package of updates is stuff I don't use and likely never will.

     

    I'll report back if this works. That panel is so annoying, as we all have noted. Should be able to just say "Yes, I know...leave me alone and I'll install them when and if I want!" and the thing should then just disappear permanently. I'm used to Microsoft treating me like I'm an idiot...but it's disappointing for Apple to copy that insulting approach.

    This has been the same in the last three OSXs so why would you single out Mavericks? If it stuff you don't use, then uninstall the Apps and you won't be notified of updates. I have never set automatic downloads on any OSX ever. That is a choice. Choose not to as you have done.

     

    Pete

  • by petermac87,

    petermac87 petermac87 Dec 11, 2013 1:57 PM in response to Riqay
    Level 5 (7,402 points)
    Dec 11, 2013 1:57 PM in response to Riqay

    Riqay wrote:

     

     

    (including those that say "we found a bug so don't install this version yet if you want things to work"), and only then actually deal with the notification.

     

     

    Interesting, I didn't see those updates. Can you remember which updates they were?

     

    Thanks

     

    Pete

  • by Riqay,

    Riqay Riqay Dec 11, 2013 6:18 PM in response to petermac87
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Dec 11, 2013 6:18 PM in response to petermac87

    It wasn't with Apple updates, but these have happened in the past. I definitely remember a Civ5 update that had crashing issues on some versions of the OS a while back. More recently, there were cases where third party apps had bugs and the developers posted notes in the update info field because that's all they could do while waiting for Apple to approve a newer version that fixed the bug. (I can't recall the specific apps where I saw that this past summer and so I won't name names for fear of writing something that's wrong.) Since that has happened in the past, I'm very wary of automatically installing every update as soon as it hits the servers. I like the notifications, but want to be able to install updates on my own schedule.

  • by tessmar,

    tessmar tessmar Dec 11, 2013 6:38 PM in response to Riqay
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Dec 11, 2013 6:38 PM in response to Riqay

    The notification I have relates to iMovie, iPhoto, and Disk Diet...none of which I use (I didn't find Disk DIet all that helpful and use Photoshop for image stuff). It also has an OS X update...relating to digital raw compatibility, GMail, iBooks, and Remote Server...again,  nothing I care about.

     

    I do not automatically install updates. On a regular schedule I clone the system with Carbon Copy Cloner to a USB drive, then install what I want and evaluate over the next period before my next cloning job is due (normally two weeks).

  • by fdxsks,

    fdxsks fdxsks Jan 17, 2014 1:08 PM in response to citykitty00
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jan 17, 2014 1:08 PM in response to citykitty00

    I had this same concern.  I finally got fed up and started researching it.  The following method worked for me for some updates like digital camera raw support, but not for certain system updates like Thunderbolt firmware:

     

    1.  Go to the updates section in the App Store. 

    2.  Right click the "Update" badge.

    3.  Click "Hide"

     

    Hope this helps.

  • by tessmar,

    tessmar tessmar Jan 17, 2014 1:41 PM in response to fdxsks
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jan 17, 2014 1:41 PM in response to fdxsks

    Not sure I understand...or that this addresses the problem. First comment is, assuming you mean the App store App on the Mac, there is no action when I right click on that. Second, the issue is not notification...I don't mind that and would lke to know what updates are available and what they are. The issue is that the notification can only be dismissed in two ways: either by clicking on the "Later" button and then selecting the option for notification at some future time (but no later than next day), or by clicking the "Update" button and then clicking to exit the panel it pulls up.

     

    Both these are annoyingly "Microsoft-like" and an insult of the user's intelligence...particularly when it is about the same updates you have seen over and over again and really could care less to install (for example, I do not, and likely never will use iPhoto, iMovies, GarageBand, raw photo images, nor Apple's remote server).

     

    I do backups and upgrades on a particular schedule and other than OS upgrades believe I should have the choice to upgrade or not, and when. I wind up doing the installs (after my backups) just to make the sophomoric notification go away.

  • by aliveonearth,

    aliveonearth aliveonearth Feb 11, 2014 2:47 AM in response to citykitty00
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Feb 11, 2014 2:47 AM in response to citykitty00

    I would also like to add my vote to the removal of this unbelivable and insulting incompetent practice.

    It reminds me of the joke programs people use to write where the close button followed the mouse pointer making it impossible to click on.  It is the same behaviour we expect from adult sites and fake mailware browser popups.  Its obviously also a consious desicion Apple have made not to allow peopel to not install crap on there system. With the options being .... Install or install Later...  Are you serious  ??

     

    In my house we have a bandwidth cap with out providers plan. We exceeded it last month with all the 5GB of mavrics updates and the 3 iphone users all automatically updating with out us asking them to. That cost us money and we lost our internet access because it took the provider 24h to increase our allowance. This was all thanks to apples virus like software downloading updates we didnt not ask it to or want. 

     

    I used to be a big apple fan. However increasingly they are forcing me off their products. with moves like this ... the recent OSX server releases have been rushed  junk.  Their practices of suddely removing apps for exampel any thing to do with bit coin from the app store resulted in me having to buy a samsung device. There are also other concerns as a US company who installs software on your machine with out telling if you are really safe from the ever prying eyes of the US intelligent services. Apparantly if not a US citizen you are free game..  This makes it impossible for people serious about protectign personal privarcy to use non opensource US software provided by large us coperates

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