I have a MacBook Pro (Reteina, 13-inch, Early 2015) w/macOS Mojave Version 10.14.6 with 159.8 GB available of 250.79 GB. Whether I go to the App Store and 'Get' Catalina or go to 'About this mac/Overview/Software Update' I get the 'update not found' and 'Your Mac is up to date - macOS Mojave 10.14.6' messages. MacOS Catalina apps not working. This is one of the macOS Catalina problems that trails back to macOS Mojave. As you’ve probably heard, app architecture knows 2 types: 32-bit and 64-bit. The 32-bit apps will not be supported on macOS Catalina, period. Sadly, they are not just some lo-fi indie apps, we are talking Photoshop!
- My Mac Will Not Update To Catalina
- Why Will My Mac Not Update To Catalina 10.15.7
- Can't Update My Mac To Catalina
As you try to update to macOS Big Sur, you'll find there are a mess of macOS update stuck problems that stop you from moving on.
Each time a new Mac desktop operating system updates, a flood of Mac users would rush to download and install the macOS. There is no exception for macOS Big Sur, which has just been released as a free upgrade for users. It features with many significant changes or redesigns in Big Sur compared to Catalina, including the new design, Messages new features, faster Safari, enhanced apps, etc.
Many users reported that macOS download stuck, installation failed, an error occurred while installing this update, installation stuck on grey/space screen or failed issue when they attempt to get it upgraded. Concerning such miscellaneous macOS Big Sur update stuck issues, this article covers a collection of macOS Big Sur update failed problems and solutions.
Read more: macOS Big Sur update guide and quick fixes to any Big Sur update problem.
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What Should do Before Upgrading to macOS Big Sur?
Although the every new macOS upgrade comes with certain exciting features, you need to know if your Mac computer can safely be updated (take Big Sur as an example). If you pay no attention to the details, macOS Big Sur update problems come with you for sure, probably your Mac update stuck or Mac failed update won't boot. Here are some of the things that you should look for before you upgrade to the new update.
1.Check compatibility. Big Sur requires any of the following Mac models: iMac; MacBook Pro; MacBook Air; MacBook; Mac Pro; Mac Mini.
2.Check minimum software and hardware requirements. You should have OS X Mountain Lion 10.8 or later. It requires at least 35.5GB of storage space to perform the Big Sur upgrade from macOS Sierra or later, 44.5GB from an earlier release.
3.Backup your Mac. To avoid any possible macOS Big Sur update problems, making a backup of your Mac comes essential. You can backup Mac with Time Backup Machine, iCloud, iTunes, or any other third-party Mac backup tools like MacX MediaTrans.
Common macOS Big Sur Update Stuck Problems & How to Fix Them
1. Big Sur Update Download Stuck
As you attempt to download macOS Big Sur installer, you may be noticed that 'Installation requires downloading important content. That content can't be downloaded at this time. Try again later.', or 'An error has occurred.' Big Sur download times are slow this year and are always failing. It's exceedingly annoying, but there is no way to bypass this step for macOS update.
Usually Mac update download failed error is originated that you download the package from somewhere other than Mac App Store or you just downloaded the Beta version. So you need to go to Mac App Store and download the official macOS Big Sur instead to fix it. Overloaded Apple's server is also a main cause.
2. macOS Big Sur Installation Failed, An Error Occurred
Installation failed, an error occurred while installing this update while upgrading to Big Sur. It got to about 10% or halfway and failed, some users cannot even reconnect. Many users are getting the same error. The macOS Big Sur installation failed error is properly caused by overloaded Apple's server, there are tons of users rushing to download now. You can check on the status on Apple's support system status page. Wait for a while and try again.
Apple resolved the issue, however, some users still get macOS Big Sur installation stuck message. Read more: What to Do If macOS Big Sur Installation Stuck/Frozen/Slow
3. Failed to Update macOS Owing to Insufficient Storage
You know, Big Sur update requires at least 2GB RAM and 14.3GB available storage. So if your Mac computer almost ran out of the storage space, your macOS update stuck at the beginning for sure. To make sure how much space your Mac has left, from the Apple menu, select About This Mac >More Info >Storage.
If your Mac update failed definitely owing to the storage space, the only thing you need to do is to free up the space on Mac. Just make it done by uninstalling unused applications and app caches, deleting old devices backups, deleting unnecessary media files from iTunes, emptying trash can, clearing temporary files, compressing large files to smaller size and so on.
4. macOS Big Sur Update Freezes on Firmware Confirmation
The inability to verify firmware error is the mainly reported macOS update problems. Many users said as they try to update to Big Sur, the installer noticed that there is an error checking the firmware. Actually, it turns out to be a corrupted EFI partition. It's an MS-DOS formatted little slice that's needed when updating the computer firmware.
You can boot into rescue mode, checked the partitions with 'diskutil list' and 'verifydisk' (terminal), and fixed the EFI partition 'diskutil repairdisk (your EFI disk/partition) '.
5. Big Sur Update Installation Stuck with DiskManagement Error
After downloading the new macOS for my MacBook pro (mid-2012) with HDD, the computer restarted but continues to fail during the installation. The error I keep getting is . I completed a disk repair but no errors popped up there, so I assume nothing is wrong with the drive. I tried to reinstall macOS from recovery mode, but I continue getting this same error. Does anybody know how to fix this problem? - Apple Support
As the DiskManagement Error happens, you can try to fix it within the following steps: 1. Start in recovery with ALT+CMD+R > 2. Go to disk utility > 3. Convert the volume to APFS > 4. Restart the installation
6. Big Sur Update Stuck on Gray Screen
It's not always a gray screen, as strange as that may sound. The 'gray screen' problem can also manifest itself as a black screen, space screen with Apple logo, a spinning gear, a spinning globe, or a prohibitory sign. Mac update stuck on gray screen problem can occue right after you start or restart your Mac. It may be caused by a bad peripheral or peripheral cable, RAM issue, Drive issue or whatever.
Before you start to fix the macOS update stuck on gray screen problem, you need make sure what's the cause. Then you can disconnect all external peripherals, remove all but the minimum amount of RAM from your Mac, use Single-User mode to repair a Startup Drive. I think the problem will be fixed.
After you have fixed the macOS Big Sur update stuck problem, you can enjoy the salient new features of Big Sur. But at the same time, some new troubles might trouble you as well, such as like macOS Big Sur running slow, some apps get damaged or non-Apple Apps cannot be opened, Safari crashed, Mac gets overheated, or the Big Sur keeps logging you out etc. So think twice before you upgrade to macOS Big Sur, and if you encounter any Big Sur update problems, pick the macOS update problems and fixes as a reference.
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macOS Catalina updates improve the stability, performance, or compatibility of your Mac and are recommended for all Catalina users. To get these updates, choose System Preferences from the Apple menu , then click Software Update. Learn more about updating the software on your Mac.
For details about the security content of these updates, see Apple Security Updates.
- macOS 10.15
macOS Catalina 10.15.7
macOS Catalina 10.15.7 provides important security updates and bug fixes for your Mac.
- Resolves an issue where macOS would not automatically connect to Wi-Fi networks
- Fixes an issue that could prevent files syncing through iCloud Drive
- Addresses a graphic issue that may occur on iMac (Retina 5K, 27-inch, 2020) with Radeon Pro 5700 XT
Some features may not be available for all regions, or on all Apple devices.
macOS Catalina 10.15.6
macOS Catalina 10.15.6 introduces local news in your Today feed in Apple News and improves the security and reliability of your Mac.
Apple News
- Local news in your Today feed provides extensive coverage of San Francisco, the Bay Area, Los Angeles, Houston, and New York City
- More stories available from local news providers with a subscription to Apple News+
- Your daily newsletter from Apple News can now be personalized with stories that reflect your interests
This update also includes bug fixes and other improvements.
- Adds a new option to optimize video streaming on HDR-compatible Mac notebooks for improved battery life
- Fixes an issue where the computer name may change after installing a software update
- Resolves an issue where certain USB mouse and trackpads may lose connection
Enterprise content:
- When using the built-in keyboard with a non-U.S. keyboard layout on some Mac models, passwords with certain characters are no longer rejected at the Mac login window
- Allows command-line tools that don't use CFNetwork, such as
curl(1), to continue connecting to TLS servers that use certificates issued by the recently expired AddTrust External CA Root - Major new releases of macOS can be hidden when using the
softwareupdate(8)command with the--ignoreflag, if the Mac is enrolled in Apple School Manager, Apple Business Manager, or a user-approved MDM.
This change also affects macOS Mojave and macOS High Sierra after installing Security Update 2020-004.
Some features may not be available for all regions, or on all Apple devices.
macOS Catalina 10.15.5
macOS Catalina 10.15.5 introduces battery health management in the Energy Saver settings for notebooks, a new option to disable automatic prominence in Group FaceTime calls, and controls to fine-tune the built-in calibration of your Pro Display XDR. The update also improves the stability, reliability, and security of your Mac.
Battery Health Management
- Battery health management to help maximize battery lifespan for Mac notebooks
- Energy Saver preference pane now displays battery condition and recommends if the battery needs to be serviced
- Option to disable battery health management
For more information, please visit https://support.apple.com/kb/HT211094
FaceTime Prominence Preference
- New option to control automatic prominence on Group FaceTime calls, so video tiles do not change size when a participant speaks
Calibration Fine-Tuning for Pro Display XDR
- Controls to fine-tune the built-in calibration of your Pro Display XDR by adjusting the white point and luminance for a precise match to
your own display-calibration target
This update also includes bug fixes and other improvements:
- Fixes an issue that may prevent Reminders from sending notifications for recurring reminders
- Addresses an issue that may prevent password entry on the login screen
- Fixes an issue where System Preferences would continue to show a notification badge even after installing an update
- Resolves an issue where the built-in camera may not be detected when trying to use it after using a video conferencing app
- Addresses an issue for Mac computers with the Apple T2 Security Chip where internal speakers may not appear as a sound output device in Sound preferences
- Fixes a stability issue with uploading and downloading media files from iCloud Photo Library while your Mac is asleep
- Resolves a stability issue when transferring large amounts of data to RAID volumes
- Fixes an issue where the Reduced Motion Accessibility preference did not reduce the speed of animations in a Group FaceTime call
Enterprise content:
- Improves performance on certain Mac models when enabling hardware acceleration in GPU-intensive apps such as those used for video conferencing
- Addresses an issue where Microsoft Exchange accounts were unable to sign in during account setup when using Conditional Access
- Apple Push Notification Service traffic now uses a web proxy when specified in a PAC file via the Proxies payload
- Resolves an issue that prevented some displays connected to MacBook Pro (16-inch, 2019) from waking from sleep when the Mac wakes
- Major new releases of macOS are no longer hidden when using the
softwareupdate(8)command with the--ignoreflag
This change also affects macOS Mojave and macOS High Sierra after installing Security Update 2020-003.
macOS Catalina 10.15.4
macOS Catalina 10.15.4 introduces iCloud Drive folder sharing, Screen Time communication limits, Apple Music time-synced lyrics view, and more. The update also improves the stability, reliability, and security of your Mac.
Finder
- iCloud Drive folder sharing from Finder
- Controls to limit access only to people you explicitly invite, or to grant access to anyone with the folder link
- Permissions to choose who can make changes and upload files, and who can only view and download files
Screen Time
- Communication limits for controlling who your children can communicate with and be contacted by throughout the day and during downtime
- Playback control of music videos for your children
Music
- Time-synced lyrics view for Apple Music, including the ability to jump to your favorite part of a song by clicking a line in lyrics view
Safari
- Option to import Chrome passwords into your iCloud Keychain for easy AutoFill of your passwords in Safari and across all your devices
- Controls for duplicating a tab and for closing all tabs to the right of the current tab
- HDR playback support on compatible computers for Netflix content
App Store with Apple Arcade
- Universal Purchase support enables the use of a singular purchase of a participating app across iPhone, iPod touch, iPad, Mac, and Apple TV
Pro Display XDR
- Customized reference modes that you can tailor to specific workflow needs by selecting from several color gamut, white point, luminance, and transfer function options
Accessibility
- Head pointer preference for moving a cursor on the screen based on the precise movements of your head
This update also includes bug fixes and other improvements:
- High Dynamic Range output to HDR10-compatible third-party displays and TVs connected with DisplayPort or HDMI
- OAuth authentication support with Outlook.com accounts for improved security
- CalDav migration support when upgrading to iCloud reminders on a secondary device
- Addresses an issue where text copied between apps may appear invisible when Dark Mode is active
- Resolves an issue in Safari where a CAPTCHA tile may display incorrectly
- Fixes an issue where you may receive notifications for updated or completed reminders
- Fixes an issue with screen brightness for the LG UltraFine 5K display after waking from sleep
Enterprise content:
- Apple Push Notification Service traffic now uses a web proxy when specified in a PAC file
- Resolves an issue where updating the login keychain password after resetting a user password would cause a new keychain to be created
- After enabling ”Search directory services for certificates” in Keychain Access preferences, searching by email address in Keychain Access or Mail now locates a user certificate stored in directory services
- When setting the DisableFDEAutoLogin key in com.apple.loginwindow, you can now sync your FileVault password with the Active Directory user password after updating the user password
- Reinstates the ability to update or restore iOS, iPadOS, or tvOS devices by dragging .ipsw files to the device in an Apple Configurator 2 window
- Addresses an issue where sending the EraseDevice MDM command might not cause the device to be erased
- When logging in as an Active Directory user after using deferred FileVault enablement, the user is now prompted for their password to enable FileVault
Some features may not be available for all regions, or on all Apple devices.
macOS Catalina 10.15.3
The macOS Catalina 10.15.3 update improves the stability, reliability, and security of your Mac, and is recommended for all users.
- Optimizes gamma handling of low gray levels on Pro Display XDR for SDR workflows when using macOS
- Improves multi-stream video editing performance for HEVC and H.264-encoded 4K video on the MacBook Pro (16-inch, 2019)
macOS Catalina 10.15.2
The macOS Catalina 10.15.2 update improves the stability, reliability and performance of your Mac and is recommended for all users.
This update adds the following features:
Apple News
- New layout for Apple News+ stories from The Wall Street Journal and other leading newspapers
Stocks
- Get links to related stories or more stories from the same publication at the end of an article
- “Breaking” and “Developing” labels for Top Stories
- Stories from Apple News are now available in Canada in English and French
This update includes the following bug fixes:
Music
- Restores the column browser view for managing the music library
- Resolves an issue that may prevent album artwork from appearing
- Fixes an issue that may reset music equalizer settings during playback
iTunes Remote
- Adds support for using an iPhone or iPad to remotely control the Music and TV apps on a Mac
Photos
- Resolves an issue that may cause some AVI and MP4 files to appear as unsupported
- Fixes an issue that prevents newly created folders from appearing in Albums view
- Addresses an issue where manually sorted images in an album may be printed or exported out of order
- Fixes an issue that prevents the zoom-to-crop tool from working in a print preview
- Addresses an issue that may cause Mail preferences to open with a blank window
- Resolves an issue that may prevent using undo from retrieving deleted mail
Other
- Improves the reliability of syncing books and audiobooks to your iPad or iPhone through the Finder
- Fixes an issue where reminders may be out of order in the Today smart list in the Reminders app
- Resolves an issue that may cause slow typing performance in the Notes app
Enterprise content
- Fixes an issue where the user password might not be accepted at the login window after upgrading a Mac with an Apple T2 Security Chip to macOS Catalina
- Improves compatibility with video conferencing apps on MacBook Pro models introduced in 2018
- Users logged in as a standard user can now install apps from the App Store
macOS Catalina 10.15.1
My Mac Will Not Update To Catalina
The macOS Catalina 10.15.1 update includes updated and additional emoji, support for AirPods Pro, HomeKit Secure Video, HomeKit-enabled routers, and new Siri privacy settings, as well as bug fixes and improvements.
Emoji
- Over 70 new or updated emoji, including animals, food, activities, new accessibility emoji, gender-neutral emoji, and skin tones selection for couple emoji
AirPods support
- AirPods Pro support
Home app
- HomeKit Secure Video enables you to privately capture, store, and view encrypted video from your security cameras and features people, animal, and vehicle detection
- HomeKit enabled routers let you control how your HomeKit accessories communicate over the internet or in your home
- Adds support for AirPlay 2-enabled speakers in scenes and automations
Siri
- Privacy settings to control whether or not to help improve Siri and Dictation by allowing Apple to store audio of your Siri and Dictation interactions
- Option to delete your Siri and Dictation history from Siri Settings
This update also includes the following bug fixes and improvements:
- Restores the ability to view file names in the All Photos view in Photos
- Restores the ability to filter by favorites, photos, videos, edited, and keywords in Days view in Photos
- Fixes an issue where Messages would only send a single notification when the option to repeat alerts was enabled
- Resolves an issue that caused Contacts to launch to the previously opened contact instead of the contact list
- Adds a two-finger swipe gesture for back navigation in Apple News
- Resolves issues that may occur in the Music app when displaying playlists inside folders and newly added songs in the Songs list
- Improves reliability of migrating iTunes library databases into the Music, Podcasts, and TV apps
- Fixes an issue where downloaded titles were not visible in the Downloads folder in the TV app
Enterprise content
Why Will My Mac Not Update To Catalina 10.15.7
- When using the built-in keyboard with a non-U.S. keyboard layout, passwords with certain characters are no longer rejected at the Mac login window
- When sign in with Apple ID is not allowed by a configuration profile, the Sign In button in System Preferences is now dimmed