Restart Required on IT-managed Macs - Desktop Alert Update

Announced on: Thursday, Jan. 04, 2024

Beginning on January 2, the Division of Information Technology will be rolling out new software that allows desktop notifications on Mac computers for Chico State Alerts, our system to notify students and employees in real time during emergencies. The AppArmor Desktop Alerts application was successfully installed on all PCs managed by Information Technology Support Services (ITSS) during the fall semester, and we will now be installing it on all IT-managed Macs. (If you have a property tag on your machine, it is managed by Chico State ITSS. (Desktop alerts are not available for personal devices.) 

The software will be remotely installed on all IT-managed Macs starting on Tuesday, January 2. A restart will be required within 72 hours of a successful install (and noted by a countdown timer), and restarts will be automatically initiated for any computers that have not yet restarted. Please be prepared for this mandatory restart and save any open files in advance. Computers that are in sleep mode or powered off during the January 2–5 timeframe will initiate the installation once they are turned back on.

As the software rolls out, Mac users will see a colored triangle with an exclamation mark in the top right menu bar. Once the installation is complete with a restart, the icon will be red or green based on the connection. If yours disconnects (red), logging out and back in should reconnect (green).   

IT-managed PC users will not see any changes during this time, as their software installation already completed in September of 2023.

When an emergency desktop alert is activated by the University, computers must be on and active to receive an alert. If so, a full-screen alert will appear with incident information and the option to click a link for more details. The full-screen alert will stay on the user's screen until clicking for more information, dismissing it, or the incident has concluded. To dismiss the alert without seeking more information, click "acknowledge and close."   

If you have any technical issues with your IT-managed device, please contact Information Technology Support Services (ITSS) by calling 530-898-4357 or by emailing itss@csuchico.edu. With any questions about Chico State Alerts, please reach out to the Environmental Health and Safety Administration by emailing EHSAdmin@csuchico.edu.