KACE Patching for OSX forces browser restarts
We use the K1000 to patch our Macs and it is forcing browser restarts (without notice), causing our users to lose valuable data. I am fairly certain that it's the Office for Mac updates that cause this. Short of not patching Office via KACE, does anyone have any suggestions to avoid this? Is anyone else experiencing the issue?
TIA,
--Eric
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We patch our macs but have not experienced that. Although we patch when the machines are not in use. Will keep a closer eye and let you know. - Jbr32 10 years ago
Answers (1)
I had the same thing happen, so I started digging. I quickly realized that it could have been avoided if I had noticed the "See Note" that is clearly stated on the office patch.
Upon going into the notes section of the patch I saw that it stated the following...
About This Update:
This update fixes critical issues and also helps to improve security. It includes fixes for vulnerabilities that an attacker can use to overwrite the contents of your computer's memory with malicious code.
Important Note:
Before you install this update, quit any applications that are running, including all Microsoft Office applications, Microsoft Messenger, and Office Notifications, because they might interfere with installation.
System Requirements:
Mac OS X version 10.5.8 or a later version of Mac OS
Microsoft Office for Mac 2011 Service Pack 1 (14.1.0)
So, In relation to this particular instance I would have to say its a non-issue since it is clearly stated that all applications need to be closed before proceeding.
One option would be to create a seperate schedule for Office patches that has a pre-run message informing the user to close all applications before proceeding.
-John
Comments:
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Thanks. While I think your suggestion for creating a separate schedule for Office patches is a good one (in fact, that's exactly the direction I was headed) , I am not sure I agree that it's a "non-issue". Personally, I don't see "might interfere with installation" equating to (some) open applications will/might be force closed without warning. I believe in other instances - Adobe PC updates come to mind - if the application is in use, the patch just won't be applied. I am not aware of any other patches behaving in this manner...and we patch a wide range of applications in our environment. Not Dell/KACE's fault per se. From what I gather, it's an MS on Mac thing -- the font changes are what require that all browsers be closed. - etipton 10 years ago
