Stop upgrade notification to Big Sur in Catalina

[edubfromktown]

I've got something that works!

So here is what I did that appears to keep the pesky BigSur notification away:

sudo softwareupdate --ignore "macOS Big Sur"
defaults write com.apple.systempreferences AttentionPrefBundleIDs 0;killall Dock
defaults delete com.apple.preferences.softwareupdate LatestMajorOSSeenByUserBundleIdentifier

(I also typed the following to refresh the list but not sure if it is necessary)
softwareupdate --list

System preferences should no longer indicate that an update exists

This strategy survived a reboot too! In the future if it does not, you can create an executable file (see below) and add into your login items.

Here is how I created a file with the above commands and made it an executable:

Open terminal
Type:
vi xBigSur and press return

(alternatively, you can use TextEdit or something else)

Press the "i" key (insert)

Paste the following lines into the file:

Press esc
Type shift and : keys simultaneously (change to command mode)
Type wq
Press return

type: chmod +x xBigSur
Press return

type: ./xBigSur
Press enter
enter your login password

Add xBigSur to your login items.

 

[BobG]

Hi!

I am not ready to move to Bog Sur, and I do not want it for now. Period.

However today Catalina greeted me with ‘Updates Availabe’ notification for Big Sur, and usual red circle.

I tried some terminal commands (replacing word ‘Catalina with Big Sur’) in order to stop it, however as far as I understand this no longer works.

Command llines I used were found here: https://www.macworld.com/article/34...-reminder-to-update-to-catalina-in-macos.html

Is there any credible way to remove the unwanted upgrade? I understand Apple pushing security and some other upgrades, however trying to push a new operating system on day one is inbelievable... Not all people want it right away.

I was able to get rid of the red circle in with:


defaults write com.apple.systempreferences AttentionPrefBundleIDs 0

killall Dock

and I also switched off all options under Advanced in Updates.

Will the system still try to ‘notify me’ regarding this OS upgrade? Like - remind me later / install tonight, etc?

P.S. Any way to set system as incompatible with Big Sur maybe?

Do Not Install BigSur. I was using Catalina. I have 3 Macbook Air Computers. Every day for months I got a Notice in the upper right hand corner of my screen near the Menu Bar "Upgrade Available. Install Big Sur". After reading all the bad things about it I decided not to install it. Well, at 82 years old with shaky hands I accidentally clicked on Install instead of Ignore or Remind me Later. Like an Idiot I figured it was inevitable and let it finish. Huge Mistake. My Laptop got so Hot the Fan would start running within a few minutes of startup. The computer then became so hot I could not touch it. I tried everything I could to get rid of it. I even bought a Cooling Pad with two fans to set the computer on. No Help. Now I had both of those fans on Plus the Macbook Air Fan, 3 fans running. Still the Computer was too hot to touch. I called Apple Care and over a period of about 7 workdays I was on the phone with two different Apple "Experts" who kept me on the phone sometimes as long as 3 hours per day. They kept saying Hold On While I check Something. They would Come back 5 minutes later and we would start all over again trying whatever they had just Looked Up. Still Nothing Worked. At the end of each conversation the Apple Person would tell me she is sending her notes to the Apple Engineers and will call me back tomorrow or if it was on a Friday, I had to wait until Sunday or Monday, depending on her schedule. Nothing worked. Finally she said the Apple Stores near me had Just Opened after being shut down for months because of the Virus and she made an appointment for me to take my computer to the Genius Bar on Friday at 2 pm. I took it there expecting them to work on it at the Genius Bar, like they always do, but they were so swamped all they were doing is checking computers in. They told me it would take 3 to 4 days. They were Extremely Busy and Very Understanding and Courteous. They had a big line with 3 Security Guards out front. If you did not have an Appointment, you did not get in. Period. Well the good news is Sunday afternoon they called me and said my Computer was all set; Catalina was reinstalled. I am on my way to pick it up now. The First question I am going to ask is How Can I turn Off the Big Sur Notifications.

 

[Victor Engel]

This is annoying to me because I use multi-boot. I should not be nagged to upgrade to Big Sur if I already have Big Sur installed. Period. End of story. I will boot to Big Sur if I want to use it.

 

[ewu]

you can't say NO to apple. accept it.

 

[posguy99]

I have to say I don't understand why people have so much trouble with this. I did the plist change and it's done.

 

[Susurs]

I have to say I don't understand why people have so much trouble with this. I did the plist change and it's done.

Which exact .plist and what changes?

 

[posguy99]

Which exact .plist and what changes?

Documented all over the internet, but...

defaults write com.apple.systempreferences AttentionPrefBundleIDs 0
defaults delete com.apple.preferences.SoftwareUpdate LatestMajorOSSeenByUserBundleIdentifier
killall Dock


Did this as soon as I installed Catalina, haven't ever seen a pop to install Big Sur.

 

[mork4]

Hi guys ! Is there anything that actually works? I'm using MacOs 10.15.7, thanks.

 

[Susurs]

Following the latest security update I kind of haven’t seen the notification.

Catalina Security update 2021-002. Update nag finally gone?

Yesterday, Apple also released a new security update for Catalina (2021-002). Since then, the outstanding Big Sur update doesn't produce the nagging "1" badge on the system preferences icon in the dock. The update is still shown when you open Software Update. But no red badge anymore. Is that...

forums.macrumors.com

Or maybe it was a temporary ‘bug’… I havent actually been able to check / get to my Catalina mac for few weeks now to test.

 

[big610]

Following the latest security update I kind of haven’t seen the notification.

Catalina Security update 2021-002. Update nag finally gone?

Yesterday, Apple also released a new security update for Catalina (2021-002). Since then, the outstanding Big Sur update doesn't produce the nagging "1" badge on the system preferences icon in the dock. The update is still shown when you open Software Update. But no red badge anymore. Is that...

forums.macrumors.com

A couple of Catalina 10.15.7 Security Updates ago, the Red Dot was fixed by Apple, no longer nag assigned to Big Sur.
Must have been some good email complaints to https://www.apple.com/feedback/macos.html their unit refuses to update to Big Sur, but keeps nagging, the download is to big fails, Big Sur won't run some apps, requires roll back, etc.
To see the Red Dot update for Catalina Security updates & Safari updates, you have to repetitively push thru it about four times to see.

 

[Susurs]

Oh, I see they have just released another one yesterday…. https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT212530

Any changes to the notifications?

 

[big610]

No Red Dot, fine. The Security update, never includes Safari. You will have to also manipulate again, to make the Safari notification show up.

 

[posguy99]

Hi guys ! Is there anything that actually works? I'm using MacOs 10.15.7, thanks.

The trick laid out elsewhere in this thread works just fine. I haven't been prompted that Big Sur is available in months.

 

[big610]

The System Preferences, Red Banner 1 has re-appeared 6/4/21.

 

[posguy99]

The System Preferences, Red Banner 1 has re-appeared 6/4/21.

<shrug> If you applied the Catalina security update, that's why. Apply the same fix as before and the marker will go away again.

 

[nkarafo]

It appeared again today on 29th October 2021. Can we get rid of it? I tried:
defaults delete com.apple.preferences.softwareupdate LatestMajorOSSeenByUserBundleIdentifier
&
softwareupdate --list
but it didn't work.

 

[Susurs]

I did some updates today as there was some Catalina security update and Safari update available and system notified me of it. Instead of the Big Sur there was Monterey now as an option to upgrade in settings panel.

But ater applying secutity update and Safari 15.1 - there was no red dot.

Monterey is there if I open update section but is does not ‘nudge’ me for now and there is no red dot.

 

[Susurs]

It appeared again today on 29th October 2021. Can we get rid of it? I tried:
defaults delete com.apple.preferences.softwareupdate LatestMajorOSSeenByUserBundleIdentifier
&
softwareupdate --list
but it didn't work.

Just for info - there are 2 “&&” in that command

 

[Jack Neill]

I don’t have red dots anymore on 3 different machines not ready for the next macOS. I am wondering if Apple finally fixed it..

 

[nkarafo]

Ok I found a temporary solution that actually works (for me at least). Download BBEdit from here. Install it. Then, open the file "com.apple.dock.plist" with BBEdit that is in the folder:
~/Users/"your name"/Library/preferences/ -> com.apple.dock.plist
and then search for this: <string>com.apple.systempreferences</string>
It is around at the end of the file.
Change it to false, for example to be:
<key>bundle-identifier</key>
<string>com.apple.systempreferences</string>
<key>dock-extra</key>
<false/>
So, if you do this, you will NOT have the red badge outside in Dock which is annoying but you will have it inside when you press System Preferences. This is the only fix that I could done.

 

[Susurs]

I don’t have red dots anymore on 3 different machines not ready for the next macOS. I am wondering if Apple finally fixed it..

I think that it might be only temporary as Monterey was just released - there is some ‘grace’ period during which they will not ‘nudge’ to install it.

 

[Susurs]

Ok I found a temporary solution that actually works (for me at least). Download BBEdit from here. Install it. Then, open the file "com.apple.dock.plist" with BBEdit that is in the folder:
~/Users/"your name"/Library/preferences/ -> com.apple.dock.plist
and then search for this: <string>com.apple.systempreferences</string>
It is around at the end of the file.
Change it to false, for example to be:
<key>bundle-identifier</key>
<string>com.apple.systempreferences</string>
<key>dock-extra</key>
<false/>
So, if you do this, you will NOT have the red badge outside in Dock which is annoying but you will have it inside when you press System Preferences. This is the only fix that I could done.

Does it propose to install Big Sur or Monterey in the system preferences?

 

[Jack Neill]

Does it propose to install Big Sur or Monterey in the system preferences?

12.0.1

 

[nkarafo]

Does it propose to install Big Sur or Monterey in the system preferences?

Yes, macOS Monterey.