Update macOS to the latest version, unless it isn’t compatible with the app you’re trying to use. Developers typically list the recommended operating software wherever you download the app from. Check for updates in macOS by clicking the button in the menu bar and selecting About This Mac Software Update. You need to do a quick google search or visit Apple Update docs to check if your device is supported or not. For macOS Catalina following devices are supported: MacBook Pro (mid 2012 onward) MacBook Air (mid 2012 onward) iMac (late 2012 onward) Mac Mini (late 2012 onward) Mac Pro (late 2013 onward) 12-inch MacBook (early 2015 onward) iMac Pro.
In this post, you will learn about the solution related to Mac Air Stuck at Progress Bar Loading. The reason I am doing this post is that my Mac Air had been showing the same behavior for the last several months and I was able to finally fix it. I am hoping that the solution does help someone. Anyways, in the whole process, I started my Mac Air several times in voice-over mode and became expert at it.
Commands/Solutions which didn’t work
I contacted Apple customer service two times and they said that it looks to be a software problem after I tried all the steps they suggested. I was asked to contact the local Apple authorized centers.
The following are the commands which didn’t work:
- SMC Reset (CTRL + Option + Shift + Power Button for 15 seconds) multiple times
- PRAM Reset (Command + Option + P + R) multiple times
- Safe mode (Shift + Power)
- Recover (Command + R)
- Internet recovery (Command + Option + R)
- Single User Mode and fsck -fy command
- Starting with an external display
- Starting from an external disk (with Option command)
- Removing mbr_cache in single user mode
- Executing command such as the following in single user mode: “mount -uw /”, sync, reboot
- Removing kext files from extensions folder in single user mode
Apple Authorized Centers said: Replace Motherboard
They said, replace motherboard. I was devastated as the motherboard costs around 45K INR.
I have gone and met with two of the Apple Authorized Centers (Conquer Technologies And Apple Aptronix Gachibowli in Hyderabad) and both of them suggested the replacement of the motherboard. The only reason that I am trying too hard is that after being visited Conquer technologies, Hyderabad office and the solution being suggested as Motherboard replacement, I was able to start my Mac in a proper manner. That said, it again went back to the same stage of getting stuck as the progress bar.
My second visit was to Aptronix Gachibowli Hyderabad where I was told to replace the motherboard. Interestingly, they told that my motherboard was found to have a drop of water on the motherboard.
With both of the above, one thing which was found to be common is that my Mac Air was passing all the hardware tests (pressing D key). Also, its working fine in Voice over mode.
I tried all different things mentioned on this page. Nothing worked.
Solution – How I got it fixed without replacing Motherboard
I started the Mac Air and even before I heard the chime, I closed the lid of the Mac Air. Then, I put the Mac Air in the cover and put it within a place where it could get heated and the fan could start. The thought was to try and see if we could get rid of the moisture on the motherboard. After half an hour, when I checked, the fan was on as the Mac got heated.
I shut it down forcefully. Waited for few minutes. And, then, started the Mac. AND, THERE YOU GO. I GOT MY MAC BACK.
Hope the above could be a genuine solution. But, then, this is something which worked for me. Hope it helps someone else as well.
References
Here are the bookmarks which I am going to use to fix the problem:
- Understanding Mac Boot Process: Great post on understanding the Mac boot process. Understanding the boot process would help you isolate the problem.
- Fixed vs Random vs Mixed Effects Models – Examples - November 29, 2020
- Hierarchical Clustering Explained with Python Example - November 26, 2020
- Negative Binomial Distribution Python Examples - November 24, 2020
Have you had your Mac system stuck in the middle of the macOS Catalina update process? Are you seeing a warning stating ‘The macOS installation could not be completed’? You are not the only one facing this problem. A lot of other Mac users have also gone through the same trouble. If you are unable to fix the issue that Mac is stuck when upgrading macOS 10.15 Catalina, this guide is going to help you with that.
There are basically three situations can be classified. You can just turn to the scenario you have met, specific solutions are listed to help you figure out how to bring your frozen Mac back to normal during upadating macOS Catalina.
1. Mac Gets Stuck When Downloading macOS Catalina
Downloading the new macOS version is the first step of the updating process, many Mac users have been reported that their devices were stuck when downloading the macOS 10.15 Catalina. Let’s find out the reasons and learn how to fix it.
Why Does the Downloading Become Problematic?
If you have a newer version of macOS that you are attempting to download shortly after the release, there is a chance that quite a lot people are accessing the server at the same time, which could slow down the installation and may even freeze the upgrading installtion. Just try installing sometime later and it’ll be good.
However, most other common reasons including poor Wi-Fi connection and insufficient space on Mac should also be blamed for. To ascertain the real cause, it is suggested that running Disk Utility on your system before updating the macOS Catalina.
In order to avoid embarrassing and undesirable problems, it is also advised that running a few checks on your Mac system before trying to update its operating system.
How to Fix macOS Catalina Downloading Error
There are numerous solutions to this problem, depending on the reason causing your Mac to get stuck.
1. If the updating process is stuck and you are left with a spinning wheel, restarting your Mac might be an effective way to get rid of the problem. Press the power button, and restart the device to try again. Once restarting the device, your system should be able to update to the macOS 10.15 Catalina.
2. If the restarting doesn’t work, please make sure your WiFi signal is strong and ensure a wired internet connection to finish the downloading process.
2. Mac Gets Stuck When Installing macOS Catalina
Aftet downloading the macOS Catalina, your Mac may get stuck when installing the new OS on your device. Even if after repeated attempts, you are unable to get the Mac updating process back to normal, just follow steps below to fix when Mac is stuck during the installtion of macOS Catalina.
Way 1: Check Your Mac's Compatibility
One of the most important reasons your Mac might be getting stuck is because it is not fully compatible with the requirements of the new macOS Catalina for Mac.
Different versions of the following machines are compatible to support the new macOS Catalina:
- MacBook (2015 or later)
- MacBook Air (2012 or later)
- MacBook Pro (2012 or later)
- Mac mini (2012 or later)
- iMac (2012 or later)
- iMac Pro (2017 or later)
- Mac Pro (2013 or later)
You need to understand which category your Mac belongs to and then ensure that the version you use is listed in the above models.
Way 2: Check Your Mac's Available Storage Space
Apart from the compatibility, the most common issue faced by Mac users is the lack of sufficient space. It is quite possible that your Mac system doesn’t have the necessary amount of free disk space on the hard drive.
Keep in mind that macOS Catalina is a big software. To work properly, it is going to consume a lot of space. Apple recommends that you need to have at least 20 GB vacant disk space storage on your MacBook to be able to effectively install this new macOS.
How to check your Mac’s available storage space?
Go to the Apple menu and press ‘About This Mac’ option. From there, opt for ‘Storage’, and here you will be able to see how much vacant disk storage you have available on your Mac device, and you can see whether you have 20GB disk space free or not .
In case there is less space available, you can proceed to opt for an appropriate way to get more space. For instance, you always have the option to use an automatic Mac cleaning tool for this purpose.
While there are numerous cleaning tools, Umate Mac Cleaner is regarded as the best among them all.
What Is Umate Mac Cleaner?
From its name, we can ses it is an application that allows you to clean up your Mac and get more free space. In case your macOS Catalina installation is not working because of small disk space, using Umate Mac Cleaner is the best thing to do.
This app is capable of releasing space on your Mac by deleting a large number of unneeded files. It can perform powerful features in just simple clicks, and your Mac will get 4X free space after using the app. There is no need to worry about its security, for it only removes the target files you want to delete and never affect those important ones that you want to keep.
Key Features:
- Delete more than 40 types of junk files.
- Get rid of large files that are over 50MB.
- Delete duplicate files completely.
- Uninstall unwanted apps.
- Remove unnecessary extensions.
How to use the app?
The app is very easy to use by choosing the feature you need and click 'Scan' button, then you can preview and select the files you want to remove after scanning. At last, just hit the 'Clean' button to get rid of all files you selected.
Since these files could cause low disk space on your Mac, using Umate Mac Cleaner will help you free up the maximum storage space on the machine. It can help you to remove and delete all of these space-consuming files with just one click. Once you have enough disk space, you can then proceed to install macOS Catalina on your device.
Way 3: Install the macOS Catalina in Safe Mode
If your Mac can not update to macOS Catalina successfully, you can hold down the power button to turn it off, and then hold Shift buttin when turning it on. After this, your Mac will be set to Safe Mode, and now you can try to run the macOS update again.
Way 4: Reinstall macOS from 'macOS Recovery' Option
You can also choose to use macOS recovery to reiterate the OS downloading. For this, follow the steps below.
Use hold+ command+ R for the reinstallation. When you press this, a startup screen will pop up. From this point onward, you can begin the installation again.
Way 5: Reset NVRAM and SMC
If all the efforts failed, what else can we do if macOS Catalina can't be installed on your device? As a last resort, try resetting NVRAM and SMC.
If either NVRAM or SMC is corrupted, the performance of your MacBook would be adversely affected. Resetting them is believed to be the last resort, but given the circumstances, it is definitely worth it.
Reset NVRAM (or PRAM): Hold Command-Option-P-R for about 20 seconds.
Reset SMC: Hold Shift-Control-Option on the left side of the keyboard, and press the power button at the same time.
3. Mac Gets Stuck on the “Setting Up Your Mac” Screen After Installing macOS Catalina
After downloading and installing the macOS Catalina on Mac, some Mac users find the process stuck at the 'Setting Up Your Mac...' screen and the device keeps freezing with that message. If you are also encountering an error like that, just don’t worry, you can fix it easily.
How To Fix When Mac Is Stuck on the “Setting Up Your Mac” Screen After Installing
Luckily, there is a simple way to fix this issue. Just turn off your Mac, and then power it back on. After that, your Mac just works again. This way is quite useful to solve this problem for many users.
Macbook Air software, free download
Conclusion
There is no doubt that new macOS Catalina 10.15 is truly an incredible system to use. However, it requires certain compatibility conditions. In order to work perfectly, you should carefully have a look and ensure that your system meets all the requirements.
Software Download Hangs Up Macbook Air 13.3
Umate Mac Cleaner is an excellent tool to use. With this app, you can free up lots of storage space and optimize your Mac to achieve peak performance, which is helpful when updating the new macOS for your Mac.