Bmachine
Level 1 (4 points)

Q: How to disable OS update notifications in non admin accounts?

Hello.

 

I have noticed that in 10.8, the Notification Center will send an alert whenever a new OS update is available.  Fine.

 

The problem is that if you have multiple users on one Mac, all of them get that annoying message, even my kids who have no idea why this is popping up in there account.  Worse, if I then install the update as an admin, the notification disappears from my account but remains in all others!  And when I click on the "Details" option in their account, I have to enter the admin pwd only to see the App Store app load up and tell me that there are no new updates available!

 

After searching on this board, I understand one can disable ALL notifications for individual account by using the following method:

 

  • Open Terminal and enter the following command:

launchctl unload -w /System/Library/LaunchAgents/com.apple.notificationcenterui.plist

  • Next type the following command to kill NotificationCenter:

killall NotificationCenter

  • Finally, quit out of Terminal and return to Finder

- See more at: http://osxdaily.com/2012/08/06/disable-notification-center-remove-menu-bar-icon- os-x/#sthash.WdKyAhfB.dpuf

 

But how can I simply tell the Notifications center to realize that if I install the OS update in the admin account, I shouldn't need to go into each user account and turn off that **** alert message without turning off the useful notificatiosn like new mail etc...

 

Thanks a lot for any help.

 

Bo

Aperture 3, OS X Mountain Lion (10.8.2)

Posted on Feb 27, 2013 8:57 AM

Close
Bmachine

Q: How to disable OS update notifications in non admin accounts?

  • All replies
  • Helpful answers

  • by macjack,

    macjack macjack Feb 27, 2013 9:11 AM in response to Bmachine
    Level 9 (55,709 points)
    Mac OS X
    Feb 27, 2013 9:11 AM in response to Bmachine

    System Preferences > Software Update > Automatically check for updates?

  • by Bmachine,

    Bmachine Bmachine Feb 27, 2013 9:14 AM in response to macjack
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Feb 27, 2013 9:14 AM in response to macjack

    Thanks Mac.  Bu that is for checking if updates are avaialble and what to do about it.  Which is a separate issue.

     

    My question is specifically about notification messages in non admin accounts.

     

    Bo

  • by Joseph Booth,

    Joseph Booth Joseph Booth Aug 30, 2013 1:33 PM in response to Bmachine
    Level 1 (5 points)
    Aug 30, 2013 1:33 PM in response to Bmachine

    I have to agree with Bmachine... notify the admin account and leave the standard users and parental controlled accounts alone. They're being notified about something they can't even act upon.

     

    This needs to be addressed. Should be a simple control on the admin panel under notifications that turns off notifications for the Mac App Store that relate to the OS. For real... seriously.

  • by Old Toad,

    Old Toad Old Toad Aug 30, 2013 2:07 PM in response to Bmachine
    Level 10 (141,773 points)
    Photos for Mac
    Aug 30, 2013 2:07 PM in response to Bmachine

    I agree with macjack  If you go into the System/System Updates preference pane in each of those accounts and uncheck this checkbox

    Screen Shot 2013-08-30 at 2.03.55 PM.jpg

     

    and then lock the System Preferences that account should not get OS update notifications.

     

    OT

  • by Bmachine,

    Bmachine Bmachine Aug 30, 2013 2:57 PM in response to Old Toad
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Aug 30, 2013 2:57 PM in response to Old Toad

    Thanks as always, OT.  But unfrotunately that checkbox is system-wide.  If you turn it off for one account, it turns it off for all accounts.  There is no way (that I know of) to do that on a per-account basis.  I'd love to be proven wrong though....

     

    Bo

  • by Jeremy Gore,

    Jeremy Gore Jeremy Gore Apr 26, 2014 12:50 PM in response to Bmachine
    Level 1 (65 points)
    Apr 26, 2014 12:50 PM in response to Bmachine

    This is an issue that I encounter a lot.  My wife and I both use my laptop (and switch between our sessions using fast user switching), but I am the only one with admin privs for the system and I am the only one that can upgrade the apps I bought through the app store.  Why is she getting these notifications at all? Uncharacteristically clumsy of Apple really. 

     

    Likewise if my wife ever bought an app through the app store I would not want to see the update messages.