Summary: This post explains why you encounter "A critical software update is required for your Mac" on Monterey, Big Sur, Catalina, or other macOS versions. Besides, it offers 9 solutions to resolve the error.
The message reading, "A critical software update is required for your Mac. To install this update you need to connect to a network. Select a Wi-Fi network below, or click Other Network Options to connect to the Internet using other network devices" usually occurs on MacBook Pros with a Touch Bar when starting up or rebooting your Mac.
A Critical Software Update Is Required For Your Mac, But
However, you often fail to get the update but encounter the error "A critical software update is required for your Mac, but an error was encountered while installing this update." It is often accompanied by a further note saying that "Your Mac can't be used until this update is installed." and the options to Shut Down and Try Again.
Here, we will discuss the possible solutions to get you out of the endless "A critical software update is required for your Mac, but an error was encountered while installing this update." loop.
If a valid preflight doesn't exist, your Mac will require an internet connection, prompts the Setup Assistant, and asks you to install the critical software update, which is essentially the update for Touch Bar's embedded OS.
Based on the posts of affected users, the 'A critical software update is required for your Mac' error usually occurs after the Touch Bar stops working, wiping the whole startup disk, an unexpected shutdown, or a recent macOS reinstallation or upgrading (possibly failed), especially after updating to macOS Monterey.
If you can't pass the critical software update loop, but the Touch Bar still works fine, try pressing the power button to forcibly shut down your Mac and connect it with an Ethernet cable. After that, you can restart your Mac and select Ethernet in "Other Network Options" to continue the installation.
Suppose the Ethernet connection isn't helping or available; try connecting to another WiFi network or using your mobile hotspot to install the update. Chances are, the unstable internet connection is the only thing you need to deal with.
External peripherals, including USB hubs, monitors, hard drives, etc., also may prevent macOS from loading the separate OS (bridgeOS) for Touch Bar to start. So, suppose you are using multiple external devices when experiencing "A critical software update is required for your Mac." on Monterey. In that case, it's worth unplugging them (particularly the webcam cable), force shutting down your Mac, and trying again.
Another fix to "A critical software update is required for your Mac" is to boot into Safe Mode first, which prevents third-party software from starting up, clears the caches, and checks & repairs your startup disk.
After that, you can restart your Mac and continue the update if asked. If that does nothing, go back to Safe Mode and update to the latest macOS from System Preferences > Software Update if any update is available, then restart and retry.
In some cases, users reported fixing the error by uninstalling the software associated with the MacBook Pro critical software update. If that also happens to you, it's advisable to uninstall it using its uninstaller, as you can't delete the hidden files by simply deleting the app.
Some users have managed to fix "A critical software update is required for your Mac" by resetting the SMC (System Management Controller), which restores the default settings related to low-level functions, such as the battery, keyboard backlighting, etc.
Resetting the SMC seems rather helpful if you don't have enough battery when installing the critical software update. Besides, don't forget to keep the power cord plugged in while the update is ongoing.
If you still experience "A critical software update is required for your Mac," on Monterey or other macOS versions, try installing the macOS using a bootable USB installer with the steps below. This would be especially helpful if the error started after you wiped the whole disk, which likely has deleted the EFI partition.
It's possible that the Touch Bar flex cable is broken or loosely connected somehow, resulting in the "A critical software update is required for your Mac" on your 2017 MacBook Pro. In this case, you need to replace or reseat the flex cable. If you are not confident opening your Mac, you can find a professional to do the job.
Since the MacBook Pro critical software update error is a failure to repair the bridgeOS, you can restore it using another Mac in DFU mode. Note that this only applies to MacBook Pros released in 2018 and later. You can first try reviving your Mac, which updates the firmware without erasing the data.
If it fails to resolve the issue, switch to restore, which updates the firmware and wipes your Mac. To mitigate the risk of data loss, you are recommended to back up your Mac in Safe Mode before getting started.
You can't bypass the critical software update on Mac. If your Mac keeps asking you to install the software update and you can use your Mac after several attempts, you can reinstall macOS without erasing your startup disk to see if it still shows up.If it won't allow you to use your Mac but pops up the "A critical software update is required for your Mac, but an error was encountered while installing this update." error, follow the solutions in this post to get it fixed.
From my experience, I assume you may be on a touchbar Mac that's needing a firmware update for the touchbar OS. Make sure your computer is on a network that isn't restricting access to certain documented Apple hosts. Also, if your network uses a proxy to connect to the internet, that can make the firmware update fail to apply automatically.
A critical software update is required for your Mac. To install this update you need to connect to a network. Select a Wi-Fi network below, or click Other Network Options to connect to the internet using other network devices.
Unfortunately, it seems if you are using Internet Recovery and wipe the entire disk, the critical update component will still be needed to complete, even though Internet Recovery has an internet component.
A critical software update is required for your Mac but may not be compatible with your current operating system. This update is required in order to continue using your Mac and is recommended for all users. This update improves the stability of your Mac and is recommended for all users.
A critical software error is an error that causes a software program to malfunction. The program may either crash or produce incorrect results. Critical errors can be caused by bugs in the code, by incorrect user input, or by hardware problems.
A bug in MacOS has prevented Mac users from using it to their full potential. You must have a critical software update installed on your Mac, but you may encounter an error while installing it. In the meantime, you may need to take a few precautions to ensure that you are not affected by this malfunction, as there may be several possible causes. If you can log in to MacOS for a short period of time, you can delete recently installed apps. Apps may communicate with Apple servers in bizarre ways in some cases, and they may have access to Apple updates. To resolve this issue, you should completely reinstall MacOS.
A critical software update is required for your Mac Monterey in order to keep your computer running smoothly and efficiently. This update will ensure that your computer remains compatible with the latest software and hardware, as well as providing security patches and bug fixes. It is important to keep your computer up-to-date in order to avoid any potential problems that could arise from using outdated software.
If you have an earlier version of macOS, please visit the App Store to download macOS Monterey. Go to the App Store on your Mac to download a free app. By clicking the App Store icon on the dock, you can access the App Store. To update your app in the App Store, go to the Updates tab. To obtain software updates, go to the Updates tab and click on Get. To obtain macOS Monterey, open the Get macOS Monterey dialog box and enter your Apple ID and password. It is critical that you select the Mac that you wish to upgrade if you have more than one computer. When creating an iCloud account, enter your iCloud password. You must now click OK. The Mac OS X Monterey software will be installed as soon as it is downloaded.
Your Mac touchbar requires a critical software update in order to continue functioning properly. This update will address a number of critical issues that have been identified, and will help to keep your touchbar functioning smoothly.
A critical software update issue is an error or flaw in a software program that could potentially cause serious harm to a computer system. In some cases, a critical software update issue may be caused by a security vulnerability that could allow a malicious attacker to take control of a system. In other cases, a critical software update issue may be caused by a bug that could cause a system to crash or malfunction.
Keeping your software up to date is one of the most important things you can do to maintain the security of your Mac. That includes installing all security updates and other macOS software updates, and making sure that your Mac is set up to get these background updates promptly:
Security-configuration updates help make your Mac more secure by identifying malicious software and preventing its installation. When you restart your Mac, these updates also remove any malicious software that is identified but already installed. These security-configuration updates are installed in the background:
During the macOS update process, your Mac can also boot into an interface with error messages of four or five languages: You need to restart your computer. Hold down the Power button for several seconds, or press the Restart button. 2ff7e9595c
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