Mini m4 cant find 26.2 updates, running public 26.1 now

FWIW, if you were running the public beta version of macOS 26.1, you have to turn off System Settings > Software Updates > Beta Updates.

Not sure what is meant by " Mini m4 cant find 26.2 updates, running public 26.1 " ?

There is the Commercially Released Tahoe 26.1 and there is the Public Beta of Tahoe 26.1

Not one and the same thing

Predicated on the computer is running the Commercially Released Tahoe 26.1

Try this Terminal command

softwareupdate --list-full-installers

What exactly does it report back ?

The only thing that comes to mind is trying to run the installer in Safe Mode.

Start up your Mac in safe mode - Apple Support

justin_case wrote:

The Mini is running 26.1, not the beta. Update says Mac is up-to-date.

Full release install using "softwareupdate --list-full-installers" downloads OK. When tiring to run it, after entering PW it says continue, pressing continue asked for password again and again and again...

That command will not download the full installer " softwareupdate --list-full-installers" "

How many Administrator Accounts on the machine ?

Thanks to a respected contributor @leroydouglas

if in doubt about admin from your logged in user account,  from Terminal.app copy and paste —

dscacheutil -q group -a name admin

Depending on the Outcome of How Many Admin Accounts and if so which Admin Account, if more than one Admin account

There is the question of the " Owner Account of this computer " 

Normally the " Owner Account  " is the very first Account used when the Computer was Very First Setup as New and out of the box.

Below links will provide additional insights about the Difference between Admin Accounts and Owner Accounts  

https://eclecticlight.co/2021/07/18/last-week-on-my-mac-the-perils-of-m1-ownership/

https://eclecticlight.co/2024/07/29/ownership-means-two-different-things-in-macs-how-to-tell-them-apart/

This command will pull the full version

softwareupdate --fetch-full-installer --full-installer-version 26.2  

Which would be probably about 17 GB sized

I actually assumed you already downloaded the full installer. Sorry if I was mistaken.

dialabrain wrote:

I actually assumed you already downloaded the full installer. Sorry if I was mistaken.

Actually, from the wording, it could yes or could be no.😎

That's why I posted.