macOS 10.14.6 Mojave - can't update mac apps from the Apple Mac Store

I thought I had posted this reply a little earlier but doesn't seem to have gone through (Edit: now it's showing up after I posted this.) I tried use the workaround again and I couldn't find appstoreagent, even under Network, but saw usereventagent, so I killed that and it seemed to allow the button to open the apps after I restarted my computer but they didn't function, and after closing the app store and opening it again it was back to the previous nonfunctioning download buttons. I tried the process again and I briefly saw appstoreagent, but then it disappeared, seemingly replaced with usereventagent. I'm not sure what's going on with that.

@red,

Might be a dumb question, but you have you tried typing "apps" in the search field on the upper right of the Activity Monitor window. If the process appears when you launch and then disappears, but you don't have the name listed in search as a filter, it might just be getting lost among all the other zero or low cpu cycle processes.

Hi Marek_137! You, sir, are a genius!! Thank you so much...your solution works beautifully! I was finally able to update WhatsApp. Let's hope Apple get this sorted out in an update or a patch! Regards, Ian.

I thought they used to be a way to edit posts but don't see that function now. I wanted to edit a typo or two and mention that Mavericks is running on an older computer, not the one I'm using now, but I guess that's an obvious since I said I was still using Mojave. PS now I see where the edit function is, under the down arrow below the post. I think it used to be somewhere else, maybe; I don't it's, been a while since my last post here.

@vapresto,

I wouldn’t take that chat too much to heart. I’ve been working with Apple Engineering and have an open case with their enterprise team.

They have never mentioned Big Sur and given that Mojave remains a supported OS it would be surprising and unacceptable to tell individuals and companies they have to suddenly and without warning shift to a new OS just to keep using Applications that were previously working.

keep the faith...this should get fixed

I'd prefer not to get someone into trouble over it, but I've just checked the transcript and the Apple Support person suggested that I try in Safe Mode first, but if that didn't work they said "But to me it sounds like you need to upgrade".

I objected quite strongly, but no apology was made, or any reference to looking into a fix of any description.

PS. My software was also described as my "outdated version".

I have to say I'm seriously considering whether to persevere with Apple in future: we're back to the early days now, where 3rd party software is all designed for Windows and developers resent bringing out Apple versions and/or they have reduced functionality. Now that Aperture has gone, there's no real advantage any more and I notice more and more Pro Togs have switched back to Windows, where there's more choice of hardware and software, you don't need a port adapter for every bloody device and ethernet (or a dock), and they still have SD card slots and DVD drives built in, in most cases!

I can also confirm that this works. I've been practically tearing my hair out as I needed to install some software that was only available on the AppStore and it simply would just stick on a revolving circle with no progress.

I did a re-install of Mojave - should have searched the community first. I do hope that Apple fix this soon. I'm still using Mojave on this machine as my printer isn't supported in later versions of the OS and although I will replace it, it just isn't practical at the moment.

Two days ago I also called AppleCare. The first adviser was clueless; I asked to speak to a senior adviser, and after a few minutes one came on the phone, and I went through the issues again. It seems like it takes them a while to understand what the issue is. He said he never had any complaints about that, and didn't know anything about it. After I mentioned I think it happened after the last security update and wondered if it was intentional, he asked if you had a hole in your backdoor wouldn't you patch it? Ridiculous stuff like that. I told him if it was unintentional they need to fix it. If it is intentional that's outrageous because there are numerous people that can't up date passed Mojave for various reasons. I also wondered why they had to deactivate 32-bit apps in the first place. He wanted to do a screen share to see the problem, and I said I'm not going to do that and I just described it again in detail, and I told him the workaround although I wasn't sure I wanted to at first (in case it is intentional and they negate the workaround). I asked if my complaint will be passed on. He said he was making notes, but I asked is this being handled as a complaint, and it seems like he had to do something different to do that and create a case number, but I had asked him a few times before I wanted to file a complaint. I told him that someone in chat was told that they weren't going to fix it and to update to Big Sur; at the end he said his recommendation is to update to Big Sur, and I got rather angry and said if I have to do that I'll have to buy another computer and keep this one as it is. I had also mentioned a previous issue with not being able to update my mid 2012 MacBook past Mavericks, or thinking I couldn't, not sure if El Capitan would work with the app I need, but definitely can't after Mojave (which I discovered would work with a slightly later version of the still obsolete app) because the app can't be replaced or updated, and explained what it did. I told him his insistence on updating to Big Sur after I explained the situation was being passive aggressive and he said he wasn't being passive aggressive, just giving Apple's protocol.

If Apple did this intentionally (which I still don't think they did but who knows), for the purpose of making someone go out and spend their hard earned dollars to replace perfectly good hardware, then F--- them.

I got tired of waiting around to see if Apple would fix this issue, so I decided to tinker...

Yep, that's Big Sur 11.2.2 running on a 2010 Mac Pro. Mojave was the last supported OS for this machine, but two can play at this game...

Very Interesting! I just tried this and was able to download one of my apps.

I had this problem before i did the 2021 security update, I do not believe the security update had anything to do with it.

Perfect, worked for me!