Often, this traps users in a loop of trying to install this “critical software update” that never seems to work, essentially locking down the Mac (not the first time Macs have encountered issues). Mac users have recently begun to run into an issue that prevents them from using MacOS effectively: When they try to turn their Macs on, they get a message that says, “A critical software update is required for your Mac, but an error was encountered while installing this update,” with an additional note that warns, “Your Mac can’t be used until this update is installed.”