Upgrading macOS without an administrator's password

Owned by Kyle Alexander Lovinggood
Last updated: Apr 26, 2024 by Michael Hill
3 min read

On Apple computers, updating the current OS to its latest release does not require an administrator’s password. (for example, updating OS Ventura 13.6.5 to 13.6.6) However, upgrading the OS to the next major release (for example, upgrading from macOS Ventura to macOS Sonoma) does require an administrator’s password by default if you attempt to upgrade through macOS’s System Settings.

Franklin OIT offers a way for users to upgrade the OS to another major release without the need for an administrator’s password, which can be done via the Self Service app, and instructions for this are below. If you are only wanting to update the current macOS to its latest release without performing a major upgrade, instructions for that can be found here.

 

  1. Open the Self Service app, found within the main Applications folder. (it has the UGA arch logo, and may also have en entry in the system dock)
    If the Self Service app is not installed on your Mac, please submit a helpdesk ticket to Franklin OIT so this can be addressed.

    ss-sonoma1.png

  2. Scroll through the alphabetical list of software until you see an entry or entries for “macOS” and click “Update” for the OS upgrade you would like to perform.
    NOTE: The upgrades offered may differ per computer, and none will be offered on computers that are already up to date or incompatible with any major upgrades

    ss-sonoma2.png

     

  3. Please read the warning on the next screen, and save all of your work and close open applications to help ensure the upgrade goes smoothly. Please also make sure you have at least 40GB of free disk space for the upgrade.

  4. Once you’ve confirmed everything in the previous step, click Update

  5. After a few minutes the screen will lock, the upgrade will start, and after a while the computer will reboot to finish complete the upgrade.

  6. You’re done! The upgrade should now be complete.

 

Please note that brand new macOS upgrades are typically released by Apple each fall and often contain several bugs another issues that take time for Apple to discover and address, so for that reason Franklin OIT recommends waiting several weeks or months to install new Apple OS releases. As such, these new releases are not offered in the Self Service app until they have been properly vetted and we consider them safe enough to use.

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