(No restart) Apple Software Updates Failed. Apple Software Updates installation failed to complete. Version 5.1.0-RC4

[griffinpage1]

One of my test macs constantly receives a message to install a non-system update, will fail, then try again. I've reset SUPER a few times, including just as part of updating the version.

The messages:

softwareupdate --list does not see any updates available:

username@hostname ~ % sudo softwareupdate --list
Password:
Software Update Tool
Finding available software
No new software available.

---

super.log:

Thu Mar 05 10:59:10 hostname super[41395]: Status: Restrictions configuration profile is deferring macOS major upgrades for 15 days.
Thu Mar 05 10:59:11 hostname super[41395]: Status: Restrictions configuration profile is deferring macOS minor updates for 3 days.
Thu Mar 05 10:59:11 hostname super[41395]: mdmclient: Waiting for available updates listing...
Thu Mar 05 10:59:15 hostname super[41395]: softwareupdate: Waiting for available updates listing...
Thu Mar 05 10:59:17 hostname super[41395]: Disallowed: "over-the-air" macOS minor update is available but not allowed: macOS Tahoe 26.3.1
Thu Mar 05 10:59:17 hostname super[41395]: Target: Non-system update 1 of 1 is:
Thu Mar 05 10:59:17 hostname super[41395]: Warning: Failed to install all non-system macOS software updates, re-trying installation workflow.
Thu Mar 05 10:59:17 hostname super[41395]: softwareupdate: Starting non-system macOS software updates installation workflow, check /Library/Management/super/logs/msu-workflow.log for more detail.
Thu Mar 05 11:01:18 hostname super[41395]: Error: Installation of non-system macOS software updates failed to start after waiting for 120 seconds.
Thu Mar 05 11:01:18 hostname super[41395]: Warning: Apple no longer allows for restarting of software update services on macOS 14.4 or newer. The system may need to be restarted for software update to function properly.
Thu Mar 05 11:01:18 hostname super[41395]: Status: Restrictions configuration profile is deferring macOS major upgrades for 15 days.
Thu Mar 05 11:01:18 hostname super[41395]: Status: Restrictions configuration profile is deferring macOS minor updates for 3 days.
Thu Mar 05 11:01:19 hostname super[41395]: mdmclient: Waiting for available updates listing...
Thu Mar 05 11:01:23 hostname super[41395]: softwareupdate: Waiting for available updates listing...
Thu Mar 05 11:01:26 hostname super[41395]: Disallowed: "over-the-air" macOS minor update is available but not allowed: macOS Tahoe 26.3.1
Thu Mar 05 11:01:26 hostname super[41395]: Target: Non-system update 1 of 1 is:
Thu Mar 05 11:01:26 hostname super[41395]: Warning: Some non-system macOS software updates did not complete, trying again in 60 minutes.
Thu Mar 05 11:01:26 hostname super[41395]: IBM Notifier: Failure notification.
Thu Mar 05 11:01:26 hostname super[41395]: Exit: super is scheduled to automatically relaunch at: 2026-03-05:12:01:00
Thu Mar 05 11:01:26 hostname super[41395]: **** S.U.P.E.R.M.A.N. 5.1.0-rc4 - EXIT CLEAN ****

---

msu-workflow.log:

Thu Mar 05 10:57:10 hostname super[41395]: **** S.U.P.E.R.M.A.N. 5.1.0-rc4 - INSTALL NON-SYSTEM UPDATES VIA SOFTWAREUPDATE START ****
Software Update Tool

Thu Mar 05 10:59:10 hostname super[41395]: **** S.U.P.E.R.M.A.N. 5.1.0-rc4 - INSTALL NON-SYSTEM UPDATES VIA SOFTWAREUPDATE FAILED ****

Thu Mar 05 10:59:10 hostname super[41395]: Error: Installation of non-system macOS software updates failed to start after waiting for 120 seconds.

Thu Mar 05 10:59:17 hostname super[41395]: **** S.U.P.E.R.M.A.N. 5.1.0-rc4 - INSTALL NON-SYSTEM UPDATES VIA SOFTWAREUPDATE START ****
Software Update Tool

Thu Mar 05 11:01:18 hostname super[41395]: **** S.U.P.E.R.M.A.N. 5.1.0-rc4 - INSTALL NON-SYSTEM UPDATES VIA SOFTWAREUPDATE FAILED ****

Thu Mar 05 11:01:18 hostname super[41395]: Error: Installation of non-system macOS software updates failed to start after waiting for 120 seconds.

---

If any further logs are needed, let me know. I haven't received tickets regarding this issue from my community, so it can't be that widespread, but I do see it constantly on my mac.

[dlb-bt]

We've had several users reporting this same issue at our org.

~dlb

[stefanhirt]

Sadly same issue here.

[Macjutsu]

Looks like ther is no target?

Thu Mar 05 10:59:17 hostname super[41395]: Target: Non-system update 1 of 1 is:

Can you share your msu-list.log?

[stefanhirt]

`No new software available.
Software Update Tool

Finding available software`

That is all in the msu-list.log

[griffinpage1]

I don't see that log file in Library/Management/Super/Logs/

The popup did also go away, I think after a System Update to 26.3.1 I wonder if it's some kind of bug with deferrals? This is a machine in a pilot group with a 3 day delay for minor updates. The non-system popup appeared every hour from 4 March after failure until the 6th of March, then it installed 26.3.1 and it disappeared.

[mgortonaptos]

We are also seeing this and using the RC2 version of the script, so it may not be a new bug.

[stefanhirt]

Did a simple test with one mac today which kept failing 26.3.1 (a) update. This mac had a 5 day delay for minor updates, removed the delay and the update wen't smoothly then.

[Macjutsu]

Was the deferral a super setting or a native Apple config profile?

[stefanhirt]

A native Apple config profile

[griffinpage1]

My deferrals are also native macos config profile deployed via Intune.

[griffinpage1]

I waited until it popped up again and the MSU-List.log says the same as Stefan's above:

No new software available.
Software Update Tool

Finding available software