App Store "Updates" looks very wrong

I'm on a mid-2012 Mac Pro (model MacPro5,1) running the latest version of macOS 10.13.6 (High Sierra). I have not installed any updates since March 31, 2021.

Yesterday (April 7, 2021), I received notification that an update is available, so I opened App Store with the intention of reviewing an installing updates. The Updates tab of App Store is very messed up, as shown in the attached screenshot. I've tried deleting plists, clearing caches, signing out/in, and other suggestions that I found via a Google search. But I'm stumped. Any help will be very much appreciated. Thanks!

Chris

Mac Pro

Posted on Apr 8, 2021 9:30 AM

Top-ranking reply

ChrisPixelZoom Author

Level 1

20 points

Posted on Apr 8, 2021 5:22 PM

Apple support suggested that I reinstall macOS 10.13.6, which I did following the instructions at https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204904. That did not fix the problem, and got me escalated to a tier 1 specialist.

The tier 1 specialist said that she had several reports of this today. We verified that the problem occurs in Safe Mode. This got me escalated to a tier 2 specialist.

While speaking with the tier 2 specialist, I remembered that I have an older MacBook Pro running macOS 10.11.6. This same problem occurs on that device. And there have been no changes to that device is months. So I have 2 older (and different) versions of macOS that spontaneously developed this problem.

On my wife's MacBook Pro running Catalina, there is no problem. On my newer MacBook Pro running Big Sur, there is no problem (and no Updates tab in App Store.)

So here's my theory about what is happening. The Updates tab contacts an Apple server, which responds with markup - probably HTML + CSS. I'll bet that markup is not being tested for older version of macOS, and is now broken. If App Store can't understand the markup (probably the CSS), then that would explain why it looks like a bad HTML page. It's doing its best to display HTML that it doesn't understand.

The tier 2 specialist said that there's nothing more he can do for me, and suggested that I post in this forum. It seems like I'll need to either wait for Apple to fix the problem (either on their server or via a patch), or live with an ugly Updates tab.

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44 replies

pun20

Level 1

9 points

Apr 25, 2021 1:03 PM in response to ChrisPixelZoom

yes this is how my looks

BDAqua

Level 10

250,253 points

Apr 28, 2021 9:53 AM in response to ChrisPixelZoom

👍

BDAqua

Level 10

250,253 points

Apr 28, 2021 10:54 AM in response to steve626

Well put. :)

Apr 29, 2021 6:57 PM in response to ChrisPixelZoom

I understand my machine and its OS are unsupported but they could do us a favor and probably easily fix it. I call it laziness...

MacKai1

Level 1

4 points

May 1, 2021 9:35 AM in response to ChrisPixelZoom

High Sierra 10.13.6

Same problem here

Cecelous

Level 1

4 points

Jun 16, 2021 6:55 PM in response to steve626

Install some beatiful linux distro on your aging machine, and watch it gain a new life. For a more couple years, at least.

BDAqua

Level 10

250,253 points

Jun 16, 2021 8:22 PM in response to Cecelous

👍

mlsmsw

Level 1

9 points

Jun 22, 2021 10:52 AM in response to steve626

The appearance is NOT the only issue. The details that describe the update cannot be accessed, which is the usual information necessary to consider whether or not to proceed with the update.

Jun 30, 2021 9:08 PM in response to mlsmsw

This problem appears to be fixed. I was notified that an update was available, opened App Store, and the Updates tab is now nicely formatted. Thanks Apple!

BDAqua

Level 10

250,253 points

Jun 30, 2021 10:44 PM in response to ChrisPixelZoom

I'll be a monkey\s uncle, thanks my friend! :)

BDAqua

Level 10

250,253 points

Jun 30, 2021 11:54 PM in response to Richard Schletty

Jul 1, 2021 9:07 AM in response to Richard Schletty

Wow, someone woke up in the engineering department! I guess your message helped a bit Richard.

Jun 30, 2021 11:41 PM in response to BDAqua

Excellent! We had almost given up hope. This is a lesson in persistence. There must have been a lot of notes flowing into Apple Feedback. Still, it should not have taken three months to fix this! See how the problem was fixed without us (the client side) having to do anything? It was always a "server side" issue – a CSS file that had been deleted from Apple's s.mzstatic.com server.

We are "back in business" with maintaining our old Mac workhorses. This week, in fact, I am fixing my niece's 2010 MacBook Pro (corrupted rotational hard drive) and my sister's 2010 iMac (won't power on).

Fixing Macs is hardly my main business, however. My profit center is graphic design, web development and music production. I use a lot of different apps, some of which won't run on anything higher than Mohave. My 2009 Mac Pro (48 GB) does not support Metal so I am resting comfortably at what I consider the current "sweet spot" of MacOS versions – High Sierra.

Long live our old Macs!

I sent this note to Apple Feedback just three days ago (my second note, in fact):

Apple must restore CSS to the App Store Updates tab. It has looked wonky for three months on El Capitan, Sierra and High Sierra, on four of my Macs.

Do it NOW!

So many longtime Apple users are upset about what looks like a hacked App Store.

Call me at 612-XXX-XXXX and tell me that at least ONE Apple tech cares about restoring the missing CSS file on your s.mzstatic.com server.

GreatJay

Level 1

30 points

Apr 14, 2021 12:47 PM in response to GreatJay

Mmm... is that link goes?

Anyway, here it is: https://discussions.apple.com/thread/252662463

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App Store "Updates" looks very wrong