macOS Sierra Update 10.12.4 issue and fix

[bryan_feuling]

We have noticed an issue with the new 10.12.4 update and 13" MacBook Pro (w/ touchbar). In order to block this update, without blocking the App Store, we are pushing the following script in a policy:

#!/bin/bash

sudo softwareupdate --ignore "macOS"
sudo softwareupdate --ignore "macOS Sierra"
sudo softwareupdate --ignore "macOS Sierra Update"
sudo softwareupdate --ignore "macOS Sierra Update-10.12.4"

If you need to allow the users to update, after testing, running the following script will reset the software update to allow this:

#!/bin/bash

sudo softwareupdate --reset-ignored

[dpertschi]

@bryan.feuling could you share the issue you're seeing?

[bryan_feuling]

@dpertschi We were seeing kernel panic and/or infinite boot loop on the 13" MacBook Pro's with Touchbar

[hkabik]

We saw the same on one of our 15" MBP with touchbar.

Seems to happen when update is applied via appstore, but not when applied via "softwareupdate" terminal command. Odd.

[bryan_feuling]

@hkabik We had previously ran "softwareupdate" on a 15" MBP w/Touchbar, and it just dropped into the kernel panic/infinit loop.

Our Apple TAM worked with someone that has had the problem, and their recommendation for systems already having the issue is to boot into Recovery Mode > Disk Utility > First Aid and then it worked.

[hkabik]

that did not work for me. I had to completely rebuild the unit.

[ryanstayloradob]

No issues on our end with the MacBook Pro 15 and 13 Touchbar via App Store or using "softwareupdate -ai". My colleague did have weird graphics issues this morning on a non-touch bar new 13" MB Pro. A restart seemed to have fixed the issue, but we're not sure.

That said, I've been having funky wifi issues on a 2015 MB Pro 15" running macOS 10.12.5 beta 1. It doesn't like my home Xfinity wifi router and refuses to connect. A couple of restarts seems to fix it, but it comes back again... The trials and tribulations of running beta software. No biggie.

[koalatee]

Just saw our first issue with this, 13" Retina touch-bar. First Aid on the disk did not work, but we were able to unlock the drive and then run First Aid on the macOS volume/partition - this ran some fixes and the next reboot finished the update.

[chriscollins]

So, we saw this issue with immediately rebooting when attempting to log on after the 10.12.3 update on quite a few TB-MBP machines and in each case, the clock on the computer was set years in the future. If we booted each machine to something external that had network access like a deploy studio netboot and it could reset the clock to the current time, then we could put the machine in target mode and run the combo updater from another laptop while tethered. Once we would restart it out of target mode, it would then finish doing the firmware update for the touchbar and finish doing the OS update.

[bryan_feuling]

@chriscollins Why did you go through that process rather than update the datetime in terminal through the Restore Mode?

[chriscollins]

@bryan.feuling

Because it wouldn't update from restore mode for some reason and it takes us an extra 30 seconds to netboot.

[RobertHammen]

@chriscollins Makes sense that the date/time being off would confuse the update, has to do with the Secure Enclave on these systems.

The bigger question is why the clock settings keep getting blown out by the update process...

[RobertHammen]

Finally Apple posted a KB with the servers and port numbers that the touchbar MBP's require access to:

HT207567

[pchen_plaid]

Just experienced this same issue, I then tried what @koalatee and it worked, thanks!!

[JefferyAnderson]

We've had the same problem with the date showing the year 2037 and then going to a boot loop. Both were 15" 2016 MBP. I've had to wipe both machines and only installed 10.12.3 and they work fine.

What's going to be the best way to get them on 10.12.4 without having these problems?

UPDATE:
Just wiped a machine and reinstalled 10.12.3. Enabled FileVault. Then did the combo update to 10.12.4. When it was done, it went into the boot loop.

So I wiped again and reinstalled 10.12.3. Enabled FileVault. Let encryption complete this time. Did combo update to 10.12.4. Now it boots but the time is off (year is set to 2037).

UPDATE #2:
Downloaded the full Install macOS Sierra version 10.12.4 (4.96GB) file from the App Store and copied it to a bootable USB drive. Booted from that drive on the problematic MacBook Pro. Wiped the machine again and this time installed the full version of 10.12.4 and now it's working. Time & Date is correct and no longer doing the boot loop.

[cbooker]

+1 for me also on a brand new 15" 2016 MacBook Pro with touchbar after failed attempt at updating to Mac OS 10.12.4 continual kernal panic/reboot loop. Trying to run disk first aid after booting from recovery did not work for me. I am reinstalling OS now.

[roiegat]

I only had one machine that had the issue of kernel panic after the update. I ended up re-imaging the machine and that seemed to fix the issue. Otherwise no other issues with 10.12.4.

[geoffrepoli]

Add me to the 2040 SMC bug list. 2016 15" MBP.

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/7904723

[LarryH]

I've seen the date and time issue on two Late 2013 MBP Retina this week, both computers recently updated to 10.12.4. Logging in I'd see the updating Managed Prefrences box for a few seconds and then the date was set to December 2037. I was able to log in as the local admin and go to the Date and Time preferences and uncheck the box to automatically set the date and time, adjust date and time to correct settings, recheck the box to automaticlly udpate date and time and do a reboot of the computer.

[roiegat]

We are up to three machines in our company with this issue. The one fix I found was to boot up in restore paritition and run disk repair on the hard drive and logical partition. Rebooting after that shows the 10.2.4 updating completing and seems to fix the issues.

[JefferyAnderson]

Well, the bug is back. I had made it through about 3 reboots until the final application install before giving it back to the customer and now it's showing the year 2040 (in the menu bar) and 2037 in the Date & Time Preferences panel.

UPDATE:
Right after posting this I looked back at the machine and the year is back to 2017. I did nothing! What is going on here??

UPDATE:
Another reboot. Back to 2040.

[hkabik]

Is there an open bug report about this with Apple yet?

[bryan_feuling]

@hkabik We have submitted something to Apple about this.

[charles_hitch]

I'll throw in there that we have 20 15" TouchBar MBP's that are experiencing this issue. All have run the software update as pushed by Jamf Pro and were running 10.12.3 before the update. We have opened a support case as well.

[chriscollins]

Yeah we also have had this more and more so we blocked the update. Though the source of the update has varied from Software Update to the manual combo updater.

[hkabik]

The problem with blocking the update is it patches a pretty severe vulnerability.

http://blog.talosintelligence.com/2017/03/apple-x509.html
https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT207615

Hopefully Apple does something about this soon so we can get back on track.

[geoffrepoli]

just checking in here: the issue is resolved with an SMC reset. This doesn't address the cause, but, for those of you with Macs that are seeing the issue...

[JefferyAnderson]

SMC and PRAM resets have not helped in our case.

[chriscollins]

SMC will often temporarily resolve it but within the next 4 or 5 restarts it will start up again.

[dan-snelson]

We have three impacted machines (i.e., system clock being 20 years into the future), all of which are "15-inch Retina MacBook Pro with TouchID (Late 2016)" models, running macOS 10.12.4.

Disconnecting USB-C adapters before booting seems to help.

[chris_hansen]

We saw this on a 15-inch Retina MacBook Pro with TouchID (Late 2016)

The Date was flipping between November 13, then December 19 2037 in the system.log, occasionally jumping to the current date.
It was set to autoset from Apple time servers.
Not imaged, just updated to 10.12.4
We saw this behavior when using a Belkin USBC to GB Ethernet.

After I read this discussion, mentioned above
https://discussions.apple.com/thread/7904723?start=15&tstart=0

I followed the suggestion to install the realTek driver for the Belkin chipset inside the adapter from http://www.realtek.com/downloads/downloadsView.aspx?Langid=1&PNid=13&PFid=56&Level=5&Conn=4&DownTypeID=3&GetDown=false and the date problem immediately stopped on this device.

Weird. Hope this helps someone.

[dan-snelson]

AppleCare advised us today:

The product engineering team has made some progress on this issue and a change to ntp is being developed to help address this behavior. We will let you know immediately once this change has been integrated and a beta is available for testing.

[kquan]

@chris.hansen Thanks for the update! I was having that exact issue with the Belkin USB-C to GB adapter and did notice the time fix once unplugged/disconnected. Oh third party products! Surprised Apple hasnt made their "Official" adapter.....

@dan.snelson Thank you for the update!

[dan-snelson]

An update from AppleCare:

macOS 10.12.5 beta 4 is now available to eligible users. The build is 16F67a and it is available to members of the AppleSeed for IT (https://appleseed.apple.com) and Apple Developer seed (https://developer.apple.com/download/) programs. The beta 4 release is expected to address this issue described in this case where the date can randomly jump to twenty years in the future (2040). Please install the 10.12.5 beta 4 release on a test client and let us know if this appears to have addressed the issue.

[dan-snelson]

Results from a single quick-and-dirty test:

On a single test machine, a 13-inch Retina MacBook Pro with TouchID (Late 2016), running macOS 10.12.5, Build 16F67a, the issue appears to be resolved.

[geoffrepoli]

Great news, thanks @dan.snelson

[Bhughes]

assuming you all have seen this?? :

[https://www.jamf.com/jamf-nation/discussions/22727/critical-update-won-t-install-after-imaging](link URL)

[Beeferman]

I've run into a different problem with a MacBook Pro (Retina, 13-inch, Early 2015), since the update to 10.12.4 we've been experiencing total lock-up during random workloads, designing in Adobe Creative Cloud, copying text from a website, clicking between windows on desktop. Can't seem to pinpoint the conflict. Anyone else have heard of similar?

Attached activity monitor screenshot to look for any conflicts.

Thanks.

[nikgio]

@chris.hansen You helped me! I tried installing that Realtek driver for the date/time issue, and it also fixed my not being able to netboot issue! I shared your post on that feed, in case it helped anyone else. Thanks a million.

[geoffrepoli]

FYI: the Tripp-Lite U444-06N-DGU-C adapter will also cause this