Blog - Archived Entries

April 30, 2021:
Apple has officially pulled the following updates:

Safari 14.1 for macOS Mojave (Update Product ID: 071-02600)
Safari 14.1 for macOS Catalina (Update Product ID: 071-00728)

These Safari versions appear to be affected by critical issues regarding the support of the WebAuthn authentication standard. It is expected that revised updates will be published shortly.

April 29, 2021:
We are releasing System Monitor version 4.1 through the Mac App Store:

Added compatibility regarding symbol font changes in macOS 11.3 and future versions of macOS.
Added a FAQ section on autostart to the reference manual.
Corrected a build issue which resulted in the security features for “hardened runtime” not to take effect. The build was now created with a revised version of Xcode.
Fixes a rare memory management issue caused by an undocumented change in macOS Big Sur. This could result in unexpected program termination if any of the “top 5 processes” features was enabled by the user.

System Monitor is an application for the menu bar of macOS, designed to inform you unobtrusively about the activity of your computer. A Trial Version is available as free download.

April 29, 2021:
Apple releases new software via macOS Software Update:

Apple XProtect Configuration Data version 2145 (Update Product ID: 071-32468)
Apple XProtect Configuration Data for OS X El Capitan or later, version 2145 (Update Product ID: 071-32470)
Apple Malware Removal Tool (MRT) version 1.78 (Update Product ID: 071-32467)
Apple Malware Removal Tool (MRT), for OS X El Capitan or later, version 1.78 (Update Product ID: 071-32469)

XProtect and MRT are part of the built-in antivirus software of macOS. The packages do not appear in the Software Update section of System Preferences (or App Store in older versions of the operating system). macOS is updating the software automatically in the background if you have granted the system permission to download system data files and security-related files.

April 27, 2021:
We are releasing System Monitor version 4.0 through the Mac App Store:

Fixed an issue where a wrong item of the configuration window could be selected under specific circumstances.
Fixed some minor issues with the layout of the configuration window.
To avoid problems with the service management of macOS, which could launch the menu-bar part twice or could unexpectedly duplicate menu-bar items under specific circumstances, the app no longer uses separate processes for configuration window and menu-bar.

System Monitor is an application for the menu bar of macOS, designed to inform you unobtrusively about the activity of your computer. A Trial Version is available as free download.

April 27, 2021:
We are releasing TinkerTool System 6 version 6.98:

Added support for Security Update 2021–003 for macOS Mojave and Security Update 2021–002 for macOS Catalina.
Added new feature for users of upgrade licenses: An administrator who activated the application via a upgrade registration file can now create a “single-step ticket” that combines the information about the upgrade license and the license for a prerequisite product into one file. This file can be used to re-register the application in a single step without having to prove upgrade eligibility again, e.g. when migrating to a new computer.
The application uses more detailed error messages if removing a bad startup job fails for some reason.
Fixed a problem where candidates of software components pre-selected for deletion by the Uninstallation Assistant have been shown with type information in the wrong language.
User guidance for evaluation mode uses better wording in the English user interface.

TinkerTool System 6 is a collection of system utility features helping you in performing advanced administration tasks on Apple Macintosh computers.

April 26, 2021:

We are releasing TinkerTool System 7 version 7.2:

Added support for macOS 11.3.
Added new diagnostic feature to show the health status of original Apple SSDs or Apple flash storage. This includes the estimated consumed lifespan.
Added new feature to fix a problem with the App Store application when users receive incorrect update notifications for Apps that have already been updated. The App Store can be reset for one or all users of a Mac.
Added new feature to display the list of macOS installer Apps that are available for direct download from Apple. Users can now simply select and fetch an installer.
Added new feature to create ISO disk images from a macOS installer App. An ISO image can be used to install OS X or macOS in Virtual Machines.
Added new feature to repair the defective October 2019 edition of the macOS installer App for macOS 10.12.6. After repair, TinkerTool System can accept the App as source to create installation media for macOS Sierra.
Added new feature to launch applications with special options, e.g. with hidden windows, without a Recent Items entry, or as multiple copies.
Added new feature for Apple Silicon Macs to clear the accessible parts of the NVRAM (not necessary for Intel-based Macs).
Added new feature for users of upgrade licenses: An administrator who activated the application via a upgrade registration file can now create a “single-step ticket” that combines the information about the upgrade license and the license for a prerequisite product into one file. This file can be used to re-register the application in a single step without having to prove upgrade eligibility again, e.g. when migrating to a new computer.
The Time Machine parts of the application have been rewritten completely. The program now uses different panes when operating Time Machine in macOS 10 mode (HFS+ destination), or macOS 11 mode (APFS destination), respectively. Support for network-based backup destinations has been re-established.
The Time Machine comparison feature has moved from the Diagnostics pane to the Time Machine pane.
The application uses more detailed error messages if removing a bad startup job fails for some reason.
The application uses more detailed error messages when a third-party application has deactivated the security environment of TinkerTool System.
The application has been made more robust against bugs in other third-party applications that misidentify the security component of TinkerTool System as adware.
Adds a workaround for a bug in macOS Big Sur where communication with external programs could fail if they have been called in rapid succession.
Fixed a problem where candidates of software components pre-selected for deletion by the Uninstallation Assistant have been shown with type information in the wrong language.
Fixed a problem where setting the startup language failed with the message “file doesn’t exist” on specific system configurations.
User guidance for evaluation mode uses better wording in the English user interface.

TinkerTool System 7 is a collection of system utility features helping you in performing advanced administration tasks on Apple Macintosh computers.

April 26, 2021:
Apple releases new software via macOS Software Update:

macOS Big Sur 11.3 update (Update Product ID: 071-29172)
Safari 14.1 for macOS Mojave (Update Product ID: 071-02600)
Safari 14.1 for macOS Catalina (Update Product ID: 071-00728)
BridgeOS Customer Update 11.3 (Update Product ID: 071-29167)
Security Update 2021-003 for macOS Mojave (Update Product ID: 071-05277)
Security Update 2021-002 for macOS Catalina (Update Product ID: 071-29320)
iTunes Security Update 12.8.3 (Update Product ID: zzzz041-56362)
Command line tools for Xcode 12.5 (Update Product ID: 071-29699)

The updates address many product defects and security issues.

April 22, 2021:
Apple releases new software via macOS Software Update:

Update for the macOS 11 Installation Assistant (Update Product ID: 001-39386)
Mobile Device Update (Update Product ID: 001-97151)

The updates prepare older versions of macOS for the upgrade to upcoming versions of macOS 11 and add support for new iPad Pro and iPhone models. They are usually installed automatically as hidden updates.

April 15, 2021:
Apple releases new software via macOS Software Update:

Apple XProtect Configuration Data version 2144 (Update Product ID: 071-27954)
Apple XProtect Configuration Data for OS X El Capitan or later, version 2144 (Update Product ID: 071-27955)
Apple Malware Removal Tool (MRT) version 1.77 (Update Product ID: 071-25056)
Apple Malware Removal Tool (MRT), for OS X El Capitan or later, version 1.77 (Update Product ID: 071-25054)

XProtect and MRT are part of the built-in antivirus software of macOS. The packages do not appear in the Software Update section of System Preferences (or App Store in older versions of the operating system). macOS is updating the software automatically in the background if you have granted the system permission to download system data files and security-related files.

April 12, 2021:
We are releasing Battery Monitor version 4.0 through the Mac App Store:

In cases where the combination of Macintosh model and operating system no longer permit that Apps can access battery manufacturer and manufacturing date reliably, the application will now show the battery lot codes and version numbers instead.
The display of the battery serial number has been simplified.
Fixes a problem where the computer model was not shown as descriptive text for a few of the latest Macintosh series.

Battery Monitor is a powerful App to display the charge state of portable Macs in the Dock, to display internal battery information, to capture charge and discharge curves, to keep logs of the aging process of the battery, and to add notifications via Notification Center or speech output.

April 1, 2021:
Apple releases new software via macOS Software Update:

Apple XProtect Configuration Data version 2143 (Update Product ID: 071-25055)
Apple XProtect Configuration Data for OS X El Capitan or later, version 2143 (Update Product ID: 071-25057)

XProtect is part of the built-in antivirus software of macOS. The package doesnot appear in the Software Update section of System Preferences (or App Store in older versions of the operating system). macOS is updating the software automatically in the background if you have granted the system permission to download system data files and security-related files.

Blog - Archived Entries - April 2021