Your MacBook update is stuck. The download goes no further, the progress bar has been in the same place for hours, or you get a message that the installation failed. A macOS update that will not complete is frustrating, but there is usually a solution without losing your files. This article explains step by step what to do when downloading, when installing and if the MacBook no longer starts afterwards.
Blue Apple repairs MacBooks in Amsterdam. First the steps you can do yourself.
First: patience
A big update can take long, especially on an older MacBook. The time macOS shows is often wrong. A bar that stands still for half an hour is not always stuck. Leave the MacBook on the charger and wait, for a big update easily a few hours, before stepping in.
The download gets stuck
- Check your internet connection; try another network or a cable. See Wi-Fi keeps dropping.
- Make sure there is enough free space: a big update needs tens of gigabytes.
- Restart the MacBook and start the update again via System Settings, General, Software Update.
- Temporarily turn off a VPN or security program.
Installing gets stuck
- Wait at least a few hours. Check whether the bar still moves.
- If nothing really happens any more, hold the power button for ten seconds, wait a moment and turn the MacBook on again. macOS often tries to finish the installation.
- If it starts normally, check in Software Update whether the update succeeded, and otherwise try again.
The update keeps failing
- Install the update from safe mode. See safe mode.
- Check the drive with First Aid. See Disk Utility and First Aid.
- Disconnect external drives, docks and hubs.
- Reinstall macOS from Recovery mode; your files stay. See reinstalling macOS.
The MacBook no longer starts after the update
If the MacBook no longer starts, or hangs at the Apple logo, try Recovery mode and reinstall macOS. If Recovery does not work either and you have a Mac with an Apple chip, reviving via DFU can help. See DFU mode.
You do not see the update?
If your MacBook does not support the newest macOS, it does not appear in Software Update. See updating an old Mac and updating your MacBook to the newest macOS.
Prevention
- Make a backup before a big update. See backing up.
- Update on the charger, with a stable internet connection.
- Keep enough space free on your drive.
- With a big new macOS version, preferably wait a few weeks if you depend on certain programs.
Postponing or skipping an update
If you do not want a big new macOS version yet, you do not have to install it. In Software Update you can choose only the security updates for your current version. Turn off automatic updates in the Software Update options if you like, but keep security updates on.
When is it hardware?
If the update keeps failing at the same point, First Aid finds errors it cannot repair, or the MacBook does not start properly even after reinstalling, the storage or another part may be faulty.
What we do at Blue Apple in Amsterdam
We reinstall macOS, revive the firmware if needed and test the storage, keeping your files as far as possible. You hear beforehand what it costs. More on our page about MacBook repair in Amsterdam.
Frequently asked questions
Do I lose my files if the update fails?
Usually not. Reinstalling keeps your files. Still, always make a backup first.
May I turn off the MacBook during an update?
Preferably not. Only if nothing really happens any more after a few hours.
How much space do I need for an update?
For a big macOS version easily twenty to thirty gigabytes free.
