Repeating popups after installing update!?...

Question

Level 3

511 points

Repeating popups after installing update!?...

Complicated stuff explained request...

The explanations available about popups that repeat over and over after installing the OS X updates assume more than barely knowledgeable users understand about their desktop iMac Apple Computer.

One popup... To use the "java" command-line tool you need to install a JDK. Click "More info..." to visit the Java Developer Kit download website. [More Info...] [OK]

Another popup... this Mac can't connect to iCloud because of a problem with "[...@gmail.com]". Open iCloud preference to fix this problem. [Later] [iCloud Preferences]

How can barely knowledgeable users of desktop iMac Apple Computers deal with repetitive popups?... after installing OS X updates through 10.11.2

How can barely knowledgeable users of desktop iMac Apple Computers deal with repetitive popups?... popups they don't understand in the first place.

What about barely knowable users that don't want to get hung up on java, Java Developer Kit, iCloud, don't want to install anything further for the time being, don't want to fiddle with deeper aspects of their computer they don't understand in the first place yet for fear they might mess up something?...

How can Apple fix the repeating repeating of these popups in the next update?... rather than force users to deal with a popup they don't understand completely.

iMac, OS X El Capitan (10.11.2), .

Posted on Dec 19, 2015 10:21 AM

Reply

Answer 1

a brody

Level 10

83,101 points

Dec 19, 2015 11:13 AM in response to thezak

Go to Apple menu -> System Preferences -> Java and disable the automatic updates. If you need an update to Java, you can always visit http://www.java.com/

Go to Apple menu -> System Preferences -> Software Update and disable automatic updates. If you need an update, you should be backing up your data prior to any update first before allowing updates to happen.

Go to Apple menu -> System Preferences -> Flash Player to disable automatic updates.

Adobe Acrobat Reader has its own automatic built-in updater through its preferences. Look for the same any in any other application that has a popup.

Push updates are some of the most poorly designed software out there, as they run in the background and look for updates. By the same token popups on web browsers make you think an update is available, when it is really someone who wants to install something malicious on your machine. Only trust the source for any good update. And only backup your data for system utilities before doing any update*:

http://www.macmaps.com/backup.html

Apple can't fix other company's desire to institute push updates like these. Sadly Apple has a push update you can't turn off, except to dismiss it in the iOS updater on the iPod Touch, iPad, and iPhone. You just simply dismiss by saying later.

And for anything you can't dismiss or turn off, force quit with command-option-escape on the keyboard. See item 18 on my tip:

How to eliminate slow Mac problems

* Links to my pages may give me compensation

Reply

Answer 2

Linc Davis

Level 10

209,547 points

Dec 19, 2015 11:55 AM in response to thezak

A

If you've installed the Facebook video-calling plugin, and you no longer want to use it, you can remove it as follows.

1. Back up all data.

2. Open the Library folder in your home folder by holding down the option key and selecting

Go ▹ Library

from the Finder menu bar.

3. Move these items from the Library folder to the Trash:

LaunchAgents/com.facebook.videochat.name.plist

Application Support/Facebook

Here name represents your Facebook name.

4. Log out or restart the computer, then empty the Trash.

B

If you do want to use that plugin, or any other software that depends on Java, install the Java runtime distributed by Apple.

C

If you don't have the Facebook plugin and you don't want to install Java, please ask for other instructions.

Reply