macOS Sonoma 14.4.1 Released with USB, Java and other Bug fixes

On March 7, 2024, Apple released macOS Sonoma 14.4. Many have loved the new emojis, but some also reported issues since they upgraded to the new MacOS Sonoma 14.4.As soon as the people started experiencing the new macOS 14.4, Apple support communities, Quora, Reddit and other forums felt bombarded with reports of USB, Java and other issues. So much so that Apple had to roll out a new updated macOS Sonoma 14.4.1 update on 25th march just 18 days after the earlier release of Sonoma 14.4.

Through sonoma 14.4.1 release notes, Apple provided information about the issues that were fixed.

• “USB hubs connected to external displays may not be recognized.
• Copy-protected Audio Unit plug-ins designed for professional music apps may not open or pass validation.
• Apps that include Java may quit unexpectedly.”

The Problems Reported with macOS Sonoma 14.4:

So, what are the issues reported and claimed to have been fixed by Apple’s update with Sonoma 14.4.1

Problem with USB Hub and Monitor Ports:

Several users over different forums have reported that USB devices on their Macs stopped working after the installation of Sonoma 14.4.

Some users over the Reddit threads reported issues on Samsung, Dell and Gigabyte monitors. A few users even have reported that their monitors became unresponsive.

Issue with PACE/iLok protected Products:

Some website and forums have reported issued with Pace.

For instance Joey Sturgis Tones, Neural DSP, Universal Audio even have  made public statements and advisory notes about the issue with Pace/iLok products.  . Pace has also acknowledged the issue and said apple will fix the issue. The issue probably relates to compatibility between Sonoma 14.4 and the Pace protected Products.

 iCloud Drive not able to preserves saved versions of a file:

Howard Oakley of The Eclectic Light Company from The Eclectic Light Company has tested out that after upgrading to Sonoma 14.4, iCloud can no longer preserve the saved version of a file. Okaley has also confirmed through their testing that backup software cannot restore the lost version.

Previous Sonoma versions used to preserve the saved file versions even if the file was removed from the local storage in iCloud Drive. You had the option to download the file from iCloud any version saved on Mac was still accessible. You can no longer perform the same process on Sonoma 14.4, all previous version are now lost forever.

Java terminating unexpectedly:

There are confirmed reports that some issues within macOS Sonoma 14.4 causes unexpected termination of Java related processes. It particularly happens with Java 8 to some builds of JDK 22. Oracle has already reported the issue and advised Java users to avoid updating to macOS 14.4 just yet.

Oracle’s Senior Director of Product Management Aurelio Garcia-Ribeyro on 15th March, 2024 had already advised to delay to macOS Sonoma 14.4 update for now. Oracle has also said that they had notified the Apple about the issue.

Printer not working:

The newly released Sonoma 14.4 is also being criticised for messing up with the Printer drivers and functionality on Macs. One Reddit post says that Sonoma 14.4 is responsible for removing core CUPS software, which is essential software for printing. What this means is that it actually puts users in a situation where they can’t fix the issue on their own.

macOS Sonoma 14.4.1 Is Released to fix the reported issues:

Apple generally prefers being tight-lipped about the bug fixes. This time though, they have not only addressed most of the issues reported with macOS Sonoma 14.4, they have also been vocal about it. Through their released notes Apple states that they have addressed USB hubs, Copy-protected Audio Unit and Java related issues. Apple also stated that the newly released macOS 14.4.1 comes with security updates affecting CoreMedia and WebRTC. The bug related to iCloud and macOS 14.4 not being able to store previous version of files is not listed with their notes. The problems related to the printer issue are also not mentioned. But they might still have fixed the issues, so don’t lose hope yet, unless you have updated to the new Sonoma 14.4.1.

How to install new macOS Sonoma 14.4.1?

You too might have faced some of these issues if you have already installed Sonoma 14.4.

It is simple and straight forward.

1. Go to “System Settings” on your Mac
2. Navigate to  “General” and  “Software Update”
3. Click the Update or Upgrade button, to see the available updates. 
4. click update