security update 2019-004

Thanks for the advice but that didn't work either. I have the boot disk mounted on a PCIE card. This has never been a problem in the past but maybe a glitch with this update. I think I'll try moving the drive back onto a sled and see what happens.

I wanted to install the Securty Update 2019-004 and clicked on the Restart button at the App Store. The screen turned black and the mouse cursor stayed visible. I waited for several minutes and then turned computer off manually. After I turned it on I noticed that the software has not been updated so I clicked on the Restart button again and it again did not want to restart. I have iMac (27-inch, Mid 2010) with macOS High Sierra version 10.13.6.

I could not find any info on the security update notification dated Sept 7/2019 that I received today even though I've installed it 3 times since it was first introduced in the past months. And, that's when I began to have problems with my MacBook pro late 2011 model A1246. My visit to the Apple store and discussion with the Genius tech there was not really helpful as he blamed my graphics card even though tests showed that it was fine. His only advice was to buy a new laptop! Later I was able to start up the laptop and update it and all appeared to be normal but it was not. I still experience unexpected/unexplained crashes or inability to restart after sleep mode. Again, issues I was not having prior to update 2019-004. Recovery also works sporadically and likewise, sometimes I can restart from my HD backup drive and/or my internal SS drive but nothing is consistent. All hardware tests keep coming up with no problems found. I still feel that this is a software issue. And, if I try to disable the automatic switching between graphic cards in the Energy Saver setting, it also crashes my laptop.

Today I tried to download OSx High Sierra to save on a flash drive, hoping to be able to use it to restart when it fails to. But it tried to install and then failed. I was unable to restart after that. I then tried Recovery and it began downloading OSx Mountain Lion! That failed to install ( I had set it up to install on an untitled partition on my internal SSD). I then managed to restart using my external HD backup and that worked today (tomorrow may be different). All hardware tests pass without finding problems.

What's going on? I forgot to mention: I've been running High Sierra without problems since I upgraded to it in 2018.

Same for me--things are still not working as they should--luckily I have a backup disk and I'm running off of that now as it starts easier than my internal drive and since recovery does not work all the time and is a PITA to have to do every time. My MacBook is a late 2011. I've also received a notice from the App store to update again but it only appears on my backup drive--not on the internal drive. All strange and suspicious.

Thanks but I've been through all of this and still have problems. I've been to the extreme of wiping my internal SSD twice and reinstalling High Sierra--not sure if this second attempt will resolve anything. I would have liked it better if we could download the OSx to create our own bootable drives and have managed to do that for my old 2009 white MacBook. I hope to be able to do that for my MacBook Pro 2011 now too. Hopefully it will work. Right now though, there is no way to take it back to the prior version of High Sierra other than erasing the internal drive and installing from an older OSx that I have on CD.

It would be the right thing to do--everything else appears to be geared towards pushing us to buy new computers but, as a pensioner, I don't have the extra cash to buy a new laptop. I have been able to create a bootable flash drive for El Capitan but no luck with High Sierra as it seems that I'd have to disable SIP and I don't want to mess with stuff like that--too risky and if I mess it up, (or let some malware in), I'll be worse off (I think?). Apple needs to read these posts and realize that consumers will go elsewhere in the future. I loved Apple products and was a strong supporter before. Now I feel abandoned by Apple and left to rot. When the only advice I could get from them was to buy a new computer--how would you feel?

Thanks, yes, I've done that on more than one occasion and it changed nothing. However, it does start better when cooled down (although not always). Starting up from my external backup drive works better.

And, this morning an efi.check notice popped up on my screen first thing this morning.

In a nutshell, it ran an efi.check and said it detected a potential problem with my computer and provided a binary number and asked if I wanted to send this report to Apple (which I did).

Here’s what I learned about this online:

https://www.macobserver.com/news/macos-high-sierra-performs-efi-security-check/

It still leaves a mystery which maybe Apple can answer.

But, I also have that 2019-004 update notice appearing from the Apple store that I’ve updated 3 times and I’m reluctant to do it a 4th time.

Maybe armed with this info I can call Apple again and see what they say about it?

Furthermore, I found a discussion about this and learned about a free app that can run a better check:

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/8303249

I have not downloaded it yet but I'm considering it.

In the interim, the notice from the App Store for 2019-004 upgrade still appears on my laptop despite the fact that I have installed it previously on Sept. 1/2019. I'm not sure what to do with that--should I do the update again?

Crystalidea reported temperatures of 48 to 50 for each of the 4 cores. However, the app stopped working after I tried to move it from my desktop to my apps folder. Attempts to reinstall it failed afterward.

In any event, it runs quite cool unless I do some heavy multitasking like when I'm preparing a blog to post.

But the worst is when it tries to start up (or when it tries to start by itself) and I have no idea hot it runs at that time. But that's when I let it cool down before trying again because it will usually shut down by itself.

I've purchased a new SSD and I'm thinking of installing that to replace the current internal drive to see if that changes anything. But, I wonder if I'd be able to even install an older OS like El Capitan on that?

OK--I got it reinstalled and still getting similar readings (44 to48 max). Highest temperature is 62 C for memory slot. Battery max is 32 C with 30 and 32 C for battery sensor 1 and 2. CPU Diode 43, proximity 42, GPU PECI at 44 and GPU Proximity at 37. Heatsink Proximity 37. Palm rest 30, Platform Controller 53 and disk drive at 29

I don't know how hot it got, but last night with the lid closed it did the same thing again: I could hear the fan running at high speed and it was "very hot". When I open the lid the screen was black and nothing worked and a restart was also not possible. So I powered it off and waited until morning. This morning I had to try a variety of things to get it to restart (recovery did not work and went to an all bright blue screen with fine vertical lines after the logo appeared but before the progress bar completed). I tried it again and this time it went to the all light blue screen. At that point I did a battery reset, and option-command+R+P and managed to restart it. Sometimes that works, sometimes it doesn't. Plus this morning I got an efi.check notice again.

The fine vertical lines only show when it displays a blue screen after recovery fails. Using the command+R buttons I was able to restart today and do a fresh restore of High Sierra. Since doing that I've been able to rule out any issues with the SSD as changing that out made no difference. The security notice disappeared as a result as well. I set the energy saver to maintain the screen saver only when not in use and have left the lid open. It runs only slightly warm that way and recovers when I move the mouse. Guess the only thing I won't know until the time comes is if it will restart when I do a full shut down and take it with me somewhere. If the GPU is failing, I'd be prepared to replace that and hang on to this MacBook. I hope to keep it going if only for my music. Then it will be another story altogether whether or not I'll invest in a new MacBook or go back to a Windows-based laptop.

What I have trouble getting my head around is why it would overheat when it's not doing anything and the wifi is turned off? It should stay nice and cool like my old white MacBook does when it's resting. I'd understand if it was tasked with downloading or processing something. Thanks again for trying to help resolve my problem--looks like I've pretty much reached the end of the line. If there was/is malware creating the problem, I'm not able to determine what or where it originates from.

Yes, the last 2 or 3 Sec updates caused lots of headaches, so many that I'm not installing the 004 update until I can afford another Mac.

Did you try ramping up the Fan(s) yet?

Do let us know what is going on.

Right now I am running with the lid open. It's fine with the screen saver and having changed the energy settings to never power down or go into sleep mode. This way no overheating has occurred. BTW: How do you change the fan settings--I did not find a way to speed them up?

Here's another odd thing: Initially when I restored High Sierra, the notice from the App Store for 2019-004 disappears--now it's come back again--that's ridiculous. It's been previously installed 3 times and unless they've come with a "real fix" I can't see how this will improve anything so I'm ignoring it. I may need to talk to Apple and ask them to explain this A reinstallation should automatically be up to date with no requirement to re-do updates.

I might have believed that my AMD card was/is behind most of the issues, but not when I see this notice coming back all the time. And, I don't normally believe in coincidences. And why does the OSx get messed up so bad each time that a recovery/restore is required and then it's fine for a while.

Still seems like a software thing to me.

BTW: How do you change the fan settings--I did not find a way to speed them up?

In MacFans Control click on the Custom button(s), but you may be OK now, what temps do we get?

I wish Apple would work on fixing the OS rather than changing it, like they haven't really done since Tiger.

Well, it did not work. I was unable to get it restarted. Now Im busy trying to restore High Sierra and will see if I can get it up and running again. Nothing seems to work. Perhaps if I can get an installation disk or flash drive with High Sierra installed on it I can switch out the hard drive and get it to work? Other than that I think the only other way is a circuit mode.