{"id":122634,"date":"2025-03-28T13:25:15","date_gmt":"2025-03-28T17:25:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/jumpcloud.com\/?post_type=support&p=122634"},"modified":"2025-03-28T13:25:18","modified_gmt":"2025-03-28T17:25:18","slug":"troubleshoot-macos-update-installation-failures","status":"publish","type":"support","link":"https:\/\/jumpcloud.com\/support\/troubleshoot-macos-update-installation-failures","title":{"rendered":"Troubleshoot: macOS Update Installation Failures"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

macOS updates require a healthy secure token to successfully install. This article helps you troubleshoot macOS update installation failures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Symptoms<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If the secure token for the current user isn’t healthy (for example if it’s missing, corrupted, or not properly associated with the user account), you’ll encounter an error message during the macOS update process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Error Message:<\/strong> <\/strong>Installation Failed. In order to continue installing, you need to be an owner.<\/kbd>
\"\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cause<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

macOS updates require a secure token to unlock the locked, signed OS partition via the macOS softwareupdate process. Local system updates require user authentication, even for non-admins applying minor updates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An MDM-initiated update process doesn\u2019t prompt for the user\u2019s authentication because it can use a bootstrap token to unlock the system volume.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Resolution<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If you encounter this error, it indicates the current user account either doesn’t have a secure token or the existing token isn’t functioning correctly. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

To troubleshoot this error<\/strong>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  1. Verify the service account is healthy<\/strong>. See Troubleshoot: macOS Service Account<\/a> to learn more.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. Check the device’s secure token status<\/strong>.\n