app store update page looks strange

I am very curious to see when someone at this high-price company will finally get round to taking care of the problem. After all, this is not the first time this problem has occurred. I have the suspicion that there is intention behind this. I now find Apple's convenience to be nothing short of impertinent.

Same problem with the update tab. And i'm stuck on 10.13.6 because I'm using the server app to run my mail server, as I have been for over 10 years, but Apple decide to drop the support for the server app 5.6.3 on newer versions of MacOS, and the support of most services on the newer server apps, without providing tools to migrate to standard versions of the public domain mail services (dovecot/postfix). There were some guidelines for other services, like DNS, but not for the mail.

Bug report with Apple filed.

People with sufficient knowledge can install and discover updates via Terminal.app, but this is an incredibly hostile environment for Apple's less technical users.

More elderly customers are those most likely to remain on legacy systems, hence most likely to see these sort of errors and most likely to get agitated by them. I can speak from experience as repeatedly over the last few weeks I've been called by more elderly people worried that "my computer has a virus".

This sort of neglecting of older OSes and devices damages the Apple brand as it completely destroys the "it just works" mythology. To be fair that's been increasingly eroded over a number of years, but honestly it's starting to get rather embarrassing.

I've provided Mac support in some professional capacity now for nearly 30 years. It's getting to the point where I having to seriously think whether I should start suggesting customer's replace their old Macs with Windows, because the hardware is supported by Microsoft and 3rd party developers for much much longer. And the old "Macs are more reliable" argument has been battered over the last few years.

Be interesting to see if Apple actually fix this, and other bugs such as the problems with Safari 14.1 on Catalina in a timely fashion. 3 weeks and counting at present...

A Server Side problem? All around the world? This thread is growing on an almost daily basis, it's turning up in USA as well as in Holland, and we're made to believe it's a server problem? I do not believe that. A phonecall seems the thing to do, and a call with a good friend who knows all about Apple, Microsoft, servers etc., I cannot accept that exactly the same issue happens everywhere in the world. To say the least, a highly unsatisfactory answer.

I read a more satisfactory answer some time ago, that Apple was waiting until there would be sufficient response to react accordingly, just to see if these were localized incidents but that it would be looked into when there would be lots of cases popping up everywhere. I would rather stick to that thank you.

I just tried your solution: elegant and not difficult,

here a screenshot of the result.

However, the appearance of the App Store page is not solved by this - altho I have found in the recent past that available updates on that strange looking page could be installed without any problem.

So this is NOT a "server side" problem?

Thank you for your helpful solution!

The point is probably not really how the page looks but can one still do updates. I have been able to do several updates with the strange-looking page, so as long as that keeps working we don't really have to worry. I suppose...

You're in the fortunate position to have enough patience and gumption to look for answers as to why it's doing this.

I'm conceited enough to think I'm not a complete computer idiot. Lots of people aren't, assume it's a "virus" or something they've done wrong and get stressed about it. Then they find some dodgy support number on the internet, who then gets remote access to their computer, who them scams them out of money.

Sounds like a stretch? I've had a more elderly customer screwed in exactly this fashion.

FWIW I assumed that it was completely stuffed and won't not work because no updates were showing after some minutes of waiting. Hence looking for CLI solutions.

I engaged with apple support about 5 weeks ago and they knew about the issue then, told they were not in any hurry to sort the issue out - the consequence of having a very old laptop and that I should rather engage in this forum to find a solution. Alas, I’m not hopeful that Apple are going to prioritise a solution any time soon

"We can do nothing".

Sorry, I don't give up that easily, not even with multi-nationals like Apple.

Apple have crossed the line here, and I won't accept it, you shouldn't either.

There's a principle/fundamental issue at stake here.

High Sierra is out of support, Apple may no longer offer updates for High Sierra, but (and this is the crux) the page that tells you and millions of Apple users that informaton should show this clearly for the life of the machine. This version of macOS is currently operating against a string of UK laws including the UK's Equality Act.

The whole thing makes a mockery of the UK's National Cyber Security Centre for a start, why I brought it to their attention.

What's the point of having a very expensive high profile Government funded body to mitigate the effects of viruses and alike, when on the other side of the coin, we allow companies like Apple to causually trash the formatting of the App Store Update page, which means many non-techical types will just either not bother applying the updates that are there through this garbled mess or worse, be subject to one of those telephone tech scams.

For any Cyber security policy to work at the National level, uou have to have these two policies connected, and this shows they aren't.

As said, I won't let this lie.

Even if it means writing to both NCSC and the Competition and Markets Authority, because this also can be seen as an 'anti-competitive action' against third party resellers of second-hand Apple Equipment, making their job harder, by having macOS show garbled update pages, once a version of macOS is out of support, giving rise to those customers purchasing said equipment, returning the items in belief they are infected with a virus.

As others have pointed out, this is the perfect exploit to take advantages of non-technical folk, where people will be cold-called and they explain that the update page can be repaired remotely for a fee. An actually even technical folk, because I spent more than a week on this trying as many different scenarios, to attempt to resolve it.

Apple need to put this right NOW, this is no joke, it's a serious fundamental issue. Apple have crossed the line here.

Time is running out for Apple to correct this because as time carries on, it will be seen as deliberate by the regulatory authorities.

As of today 10th May 2021, this is still an issue. Seems to me they just need to re-install their .css file.

*BUT* the functions still seem to work.

Using the web v1.0 buttons - I updated:

• Security Update 2020-006: recommended for all users and improves the security of macOS.
• iTunes, Version 12.8.3: This release includes security updates.
• macOS Supplemental Update: This update resolves an issue with launching certain 32-bit apps.

I understand support expiry etc. But this just makes Apple seem like a low quality outfit to many of their oldest loyal customers on older versions of the MacOs. Huge marketing fail.

Henry, Henry,Henry....

In all most likelihood, unless by miraculous happenstance - you won’t talk with the exact, same person. Not even in a possible transferred call situation.

If you were to talk with the same person... generally... it would be done with a “call back,” and they would be from a different, higher level of support.

And if by chance the person provided you a (quote/unquote) ...”direct” number, perhaps also an extension? ...you’d only get voicemail, which then again, by default, would result in a call back.

Now you’ve officially been, what they call -“LOOPED.”

But then... next week, everything I said will have changed. That’s an Apple thing, too. Apple will say they don’t have “policies,” but they do... and can change with less than a days notice.

Just trying to set your expectations accordingly. <— Hey that’s an old Apple “line,” too. The randomness is real, and the venue of communication, with no actual given time line ... is always in Apple’s control.

Believe me - sadly, this comes from a former Apple employee.

*AND*.... if I’m wrong regarding current events and the state of operations —

I will default to one of my “idioms” that... Apple policies and operation formats can change within less than a day. Im saying this and also with my very last post - in fun.

But deliriously /seriously we should set our expectations pretty low with this one. Obviously - Apple already has.

Ya just have to laugh at the situation, that’s all. Or you’ll go bonkers going in circles with Apple.

Hello Berry with an A,

The only thing I have against this is this:

My name is not Henry but Harry. (with an A)

Even so pleased to meet you!

But all the rest must be true I am afraid. I have little or no expectations for myself since I am working on a mid 2009 Macbook - running El Capitan - that's a laugh in itself, but it's a shame I read comments here by people who run updates all the way up to 2015 and even younger machines - and they have the same issues? Well, if you are a former Apple employee or know one who told you this it's sad - however, it's interesting to read all this and see how this has grown from just a handful of people 3 months ago to more than 300 now.

Let's do what you suggest and take it with a laugh.

Thanks for writing!

My apologies. There's a large A/V meeting company in my area that's actually called "Henry V" - so Henry was stuck in my head.

But while I'm here on the forum -- I can confirm one of our other Mac we keep in separate spare work area running El Capitan has the same issue, so we'd never noticed. But hey - No surprise there!

I just wonder if this is going to start being issues with other macOS's? We have other olde Macs running Catalina (no longer updatable) and are just bracing for Apple to neglect those versions of Mac and macOS. [sigh]

Same issue here. I just completely erased the SSD and re-installed High Sierra from scratch via option-command-R on my MBP 2011. Same issue.

I can see this also appearing on an old iMac running the latest version of High Sierra.