How to change the day of the week for Software Update checks?

fessen · Sep 17, 2013

I've got Software Update set to run weekly checks for available updates, which I can download when it's convenient.
Unfortunately, the system always decides to check at a time that's not convenient, and there is often an annoying performance hit during the checks.

Is there a built-in way to set the day of the week (and time of day) for when the checks are run?

Mac OS X 10.6.8 Snow Leopard

Gregg2 · Sep 18, 2013

Although I'm not at my Mac to check, I believe that would be in System Preferences. Open that and find the Software Update icon. You should be able to reset the date and time there. However, for 10.6.8 I wonder if there are any more updates that you would need. I suppose you might have some software that is still being supported by Mountain Lion, but I imagine you have a boat load that is not.

fessen · Sep 18, 2013

There is nowhere to select day of the week or time of day that I have found in the options panel in System Preferences (see attachment). The choices are limited choosing among daily, weekly, and monthly updates.

I get software updates regularly. They just pushed an OS X security update the other day, along with a Safari update. (Admittedly, though, most of the updates are for iTunes, which I don't use -- which is what makes being interrupted for updates all the more annoying.)

Gregg2 · Sep 19, 2013

Well, what happens when you click that "Scheduled Check" button? Sorry, not at my Mac when I'm on the forum.

fessen · Sep 19, 2013

It's not a button; it's a tab.
When you are on Scheduled Check, you see the screen that is posted in the image. Alternatively, you can click the Installed Software tab, which will show you the updates (software name and version number) that have been installed to date.

If you click Check Now under the Scheduled Check tab, it will manually launch an immediate search for available updates.

Duff-Man · Sep 19, 2013

Duff-Man says...I think I may have found what you are looking for.

I opened up the "com.apple.scheduler.plist" file (in ~/library/preferences) and it contains these keys:

date 2001-01-01T08:00:00Z
repeatInterval 604800

So, 604800 is the number of seconds in a week, mine is set for weekly check...fairly simple. I've not tried it but changing the date from "monday Jan 1 2001 1:00:00am" to something else that you want may be your solution.

As always, keep a backup of the plist file in case you get messed up....

Let me/us know if that does it for you.....oh yeah!

Gregg2 · Sep 21, 2013

Could it be as simple as setting it to Monthly, and then the next day, setting it back to Weekly? Would this change the day of the week it checks?

fessen · Oct 5, 2013

Duff-Man said:
Duff-Man says...I think I may have found what you are looking for.

I opened up the "com.apple.scheduler.plist" file (in ~/library/preferences) and it contains these keys:

date 2001-01-01T08:00:00Z
repeatInterval 604800

So, 604800 is the number of seconds in a week, mine is set for weekly check...fairly simple. I've not tried it but changing the date from "monday Jan 1 2001 1:00:00am" to something else that you want may be your solution.

As always, keep a backup of the plist file in case you get messed up....

Let me/us know if that does it for you.....oh yeah!

Nope. That didn't work.
Still getting the update checks at the same time and same day of the week as before, despite several attempts to change to a different day of the week.
(Or do I also need to issue some terminal command to make sure the plist change is recognized and acted on?)

Duff-Man · Oct 6, 2013

Duff-Man says...well then I think the solution is really quite simple. If it's not checking when convenient for you then turn off auto-check and just manually check and update when *you* want to...that's what I do anyway....oh yeah!

benji888 · Oct 6, 2013

Gregg2 said:
However, for 10.6.8 I wonder if there are any more updates that you would need. I suppose you might have some software that is still being supported by Mountain Lion, but I imagine you have a boat load that is not.

Apple fully supports 10.6.8, gives out security updates when the current OS X is updated, the current version of iTunes works with it...in fact, many OS X apps are compatible with it. Personally, I would go back to it if I could as 10.8.4-.5 have been giving my MBP a workout, for no apparent reason, plus the battery life was much better & speed was too w/10.6.8.

Duff-Man said:
...
I opened up the "com.apple.scheduler.plist" file (in ~/library/preferences) and it contains these keys:
...

I would try unchecking "Check for updates...", click on "Check now" at a time of the week you prefer, then click for weekly checking. ...If that doesn't work, uncheck "check for updates", delete the "com.apple.scheduler.plist" file, log out or restart your Mac and then turn it on at your preferred time of the week?

Gregg2 · Oct 7, 2013

Gregg2 said:
Could it be as simple as setting it to Monthly, and then the next day, setting it back to Weekly? Would this change the day of the week it checks?

benji888 said:
I would try unchecking "Check for updates...", click on "Check now" at a time of the week you prefer, then click for weekly checking. ...If that doesn't work, uncheck "check for updates", delete the "com.apple.scheduler.plist" file, log out or restart your Mac and then turn it on at your preferred time of the week?

I think that's brilliant!

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