Software Download Hangs Up Macbook Air

While macOS is a very robust operating system, hiccups can occur when you're performing a organisation update. Most of the time, macOS should be able to resolve these issues gracefully, but occasionally it may cause your Mac to lock up halfway through the update. If your Mac encounters difficulties when downloading or installing the latest release, don't panic! In this article, nosotros share several fixes that can gear up your frozen Mac and go information technology back on runway.

Preliminary Precautions

Before performing any system-level update, y'all should always dorsum up all your important information. This ensures you'll have something to restore if you lot run across any bug during the update.

If you're here considering your Mac has already frozen (which I'm willing to bet most of yous are), don't worry. Chances are your data will remain intact. Only remember to backup your information in the future!

Also, don't update macOS if your hard drive is running out of space; I'd recommend keeping at least 30GB complimentary.

At present onto the solutions to ready your frozen Mac.

1. Disable FileVault

FileVault is a security feature that tin help preclude unauthorized access to the data on your Mac's startup disk. Still, it tin occasionally interfere with your macOS updates, as it may enter a loop where it tries to apply encryption to your updated Bone.

When updating macOS, information technology may aid to disable FileVault:

i. Select the Apple logo in your Mac's menu bar.

ii. Navigate to "Arrangement Preferences … -> Security & Privacy -> FileVault."

3. You tin can at present select "Plow Off FileVault … "

Fix Macos Broken Update Turn Off Filevault

Now you should exist able to update macOS without any problems. If you desire the security benefits of full-disk encryption, you can reactivate FileVault afterward the update is complete.

2. Kick into Condom Mode

If macOS stalls mid-update, information technology's possible a corrupted component or 3rd-party application may be blocking the update. Safe Mode is a way to commencement up your Mac with the minimum number of components required for information technology to run. By stripping macOS down to its essentials, you may remove the obstacles that are interfering with the update.

To kick into Safe Way, power downwardly your Mac as normal. You tin can then boot your Mac while holding the Shift key.

After a few moments, macOS should kick into Rubber Style. From here you can perform the macOS update as normal – hopefully it goes off without a hitch!

3. Cheque the Apple tree Organisation Status Page

If you're struggling to download the macOS installer, in that location'southward a take chances that Apple's servers could be to arraign. Whenever Apple releases a new version of macOS, they typically receive an influx of people eager to download the update. This can put Apple's servers under pressure level.

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You can cheque the status of Apple's various services at the official System Status page. If you lot're struggling to update macOS, then roll to the "macOS Software Update" section. If the accompanying icon is green, this indicates there's no upshot with Apple's servers, and your problem lies elsewhere.

If the icon is red or yellowish, it'south good news: you've located the source of the problem! The bad news: there's not much you can do until Apple'south servers are back to normal.

4. Wait It Out

The truth is that macOS updates take fourth dimension, specially if yous're using a slower Internet connection. Just because the progress bar hasn't moved recently doesn't automatically mean information technology's never going to move again. Some macOS users accept reported their updates taking upwardly of 10 hours.

You can check whether macOS is still updating by pressing Command + L. If your Mac is still running correctly, an estimated install fourth dimension should appear onscreen.

Equally painful as information technology sounds, we'd always recommend leaving your Mac to sit for a few hours (having made sure information technology is connected to a power source), merely to verify that information technology really is frozen. Y'all can take this as an opportunity to grab a coffee, do another work, run some errands, and mostly catch up on life away from your Mac. Hopefully, yous'll return a few hours later to discover that macOS has updated successfully, and your Mac is at present fix to apply.

5. Refresh the Update

If you're positive that macOS has frozen, yous may get positive results post-obit a refresh:

1. Hold downwardly yous Mac's power push and wait for well-nigh 30 seconds.

2. In one case macOS has powered down, printing and agree the power button. The update should now resume.

three. Printing Command + 50 to check whether macOS is still installing. Your Mac should display an estimated install fourth dimension.

If this doesn't help, it'due south time to take more drastic measures.

half-dozen. Reset Your NVRAM

Your Mac'south Not-Volatile Random-Access Retentivity (NVRAM) is a small amount of memory that's dedicated to storing settings that macOS needs to access quickly. This includes speaker volume, screen resolution, and kernel panic information.

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If you're struggling to update macOS, you may become positive results by wiping the kernel panic information, so let's try resetting the NVRAM:

1. Close down your computer as normal. Await a few moments to ensure the difficult disks and fans have stopped spinning.

two. Locate the Command + Option + P + R keys, every bit you lot'll be using these keys in a moment.

three. Power up your Mac. Immediately after yous hear the startup sound, printing and concord the Command + Choice + P + R keys.

4. Keep holding these keys until you hear the startup chinkle for the second fourth dimension.

5. Release the keys.

The NVRAM should take at present reset, and hopefully you can install your update without whatever farther issues.

7. Boot into Recovery Mode

If the update still won't complete, it may help to start over by downloading a fresh copy of macOS. This requires you lot to boot into macOS's Recovery Mode:

i. Plough off your Mac equally normal.

ii. Power upwards your Mac, but immediately press and hold the Control + R keys. Your Mac will at present enter Recovery Way.

iii. Once in Recovery Manner, click the Wi-Fi symbol in the upper-correct corner, and make sure you're continued to a fast, reliable network.

4. In the popup that appears, select "Reinstall macOS."

Yous can now follow the onscreen instructions to download and install a fresh copy of macOS.

Ofttimes Asked Questions

1. What if I get the message that "an error occurred while downloading the selected updates"?

If y'all get the above message, the good news is that at least your Mac hasn't frozen mid-update! Many of the same fixes nosotros've listed here utilise to the above error too, but another thing you should attempt is checking that the date and fourth dimension on your Mac are correct.

To practice this, press CMD + Space, search for "Engagement & Time", and so cheque the "Set date and fourth dimension automatically" box and endeavor downloading the update again.

2. Is in that location another manner to install Mac updates?

If you're finding that your macOS updates keep freezing or not installing properly through your Mac and Apple'southward servers, it'due south always good to have a bootable USB installer handy and so that you can install the latest Mac version (and its updates) through that.

You can learn how to create your own Mac USB installer hither.

3. 'Will I lose data if my macOS update has frozen?

No, unremarkably Mac has fail-safe which mean that if your update freezes mid-update and you have to reboot, it volition fall back to the terminal version of macOS you lot installed. The updates can freeze as much every bit they like, and you can proceed difficult-powering down your PC, and your data should however be intact.

What Next?

Afterwards you have fixed your frozen Mac and successfully updated to the latest macOS, y'all will want to learn how to customize Big Sur and make it your own or enable/disable the turbo boost for a ameliorate performance.

Roesch Wouringed

Software Download Hangs Up Macbook Air Updated FREE