Here’s how to change the frequency of Software Update check in OS X Mountain Lion, which does not allow the user to change it via System Preferences.
OS X Mountain Lion launched with 200+ user features, back in July, but then, there were some of the basic, less used features removed from the system. We’ve already been writing some tutorials on this, and today, this quick tutorial will let you set the update frequency that the OS has to follow to check for new software updates.
By default, Mountain Lion checks for Software Update every 7 days, but this can be overridden by changing the number of days via Terminal using a small command. But then, checking for new software update once in a week is more than sufficient for a normal user. If you still want to change the frequency of the software update, and play around, just follow the steps below:
How to change the update check frequency in OS X Mountain Lion?
- Launch Terminal (From Launchpad or from Spotlight)
- Past the following command into Terminal
sudo defaults write /Library/Preferences/com.apple.SoftwareUpdate ScheduleFrequency 4 - Press Enter, and key in your password
- And that’s it! You’re done!
The number 4 at the end of the command is the number of days after which the OS will check for Software Update. If you want to revert back to original state, just change the number to 7, and it would go back to normal! Here’s the video explaining this trick: