Software Update preference pane Click to see a larger image

Apple regularly updates their software. Some updates add new functionality. Others fix bugs (things that were broken). Other updates are security updates to make your Mac more secure.

In Snow Leopard, Apple also sends printer driver updates through Software Update to make sure you have the right software you need to use your printer.

Most of the time, these updates are a good thing and you want to install them. Once in a great while, an update will cause more problems than it fixes and Apple has to pull the update and send a new one. For this reason, some people prefer to wait a few weeks after an update appears before they install it.

You can get to Software Update from the Apple Menu, but you should set it to run regularly as well.

You can set options for Software Update by going to System Preferences from the Dock or the Apple Menu.

The Software Update preference pane offers two options:

• Check for updates Daily / Weekly / Monthly.
• Download updates automatically.

I recommend that you set Check for updates to Weekly and check the box to Download updates automatically.. Downloading updates automatically makes them immediately available when you run Software Update.

When Software Update runs, you get three options. Show Details shows a list of items available to update. You can check or uncheck the items you do or don't want to update. Not Now cancels the updates until the next time Software Update runs. Install and Restart just starts the updates with no further information. Personally, I like to Show Details so I can see what is about to be uptated.

In the Details list, some items to update have a grey circle with a triangle in it. That means that you will have to restart the Mac after the updates are complete. Before installing updates that require a restart, make sure you have saved all your documents. Closing all your open applications will ensure that you have no unsaved data.

Once you click Update, most of the time you are asked for your account password. This helps ensure that no one can run the updates without your permission. The updates will then install. Installing updates can take quite a while so you might as well go do something else while you wait. When the updates are completed, the Mac will restart (if needed).

Note that if your user account is a standard or managed account rather than an admin account Software Update will never run automatically and if you run it from the Apple Menu you will need an Admin name and password before proceeding.

Related Items: Software Update | User Accounts