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Is Your macOS Catalina Install Stuck? Here's How to Fix It

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Apple on Monday released macOS Catalina to the public, allowing everyone to install the newest version of the operating system for the Mac.

Based on reports on the MacRumors forums, Twitter, and other social networks, some people are running into a specific problem - an installation that hangs.

settingupyourmacstuck-800x615.jpg
Image via MacRumors reader xodbox​

After downloading macOS Catalina and installing from the Mac App Store, some people have seen the installation process stop right at the "Setting Up Your Mac..." screen, and even after waiting for hours, it doesn't resolve.

Luckily, there appears to be a super simple fix for this issue: Just restart. Hold down the power button on your Mac until it turns off, and then power it back on.

Based on reports from MacRumors readers, this fix will send you to the login screen or to your desktop.

After the Mac gets to the "Setting Up Your Mac..." screen, the macOS Catalina installation is largely complete. We don't recommend restarting right away, but if sits at that screen for a half hour or more, shut it down because it's not going to resolve on its own.

The macOS Catalina installation takes some time so don't restart ahead of when the setup screen pops up, but based on a multitude of reports, resetting in this way if it gets stuck appears to be a safe way of getting your Mac up and running again.

Article Link: Is Your macOS Catalina Install Stuck? Here's How to Fix It
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/how-to/fix-macos-catalina-stuck-install/
Last edited:
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I installed the last beta (beta 10 I believe) and deleted the beta profile when I saw the news of the release. Ever since then I’ve checked for updates but nothing is showing up on my Mac. Was beta 10 the GM?
 
My Imac took almost 20 hours to get to the Setup screen. Overnight plus. Once at the Setup screen, the forced shut down/restart worked. Very sluggish for a while but getting better.
 
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RickDEGH said:
I installed the last beta (beta 10 I believe) and deleted the beta profile when I saw the news of the release. Ever since then I’ve checked for updates but nothing is showing up on my Mac. Was beta 10 the GM?
Click to expand...
Do a search for Catalina in the Mac App Store. That’s the only way I found to install after the GM.
 
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Wonder what’s hanging. I hope either someone managed to collect a log and submit it to Apple, or that Apple is gathering some of these logs automatically.
 
I saw this with the GM public beta. I waited for over an hour before I forced a restart. I have since installed the release version over top of the beta and did not encounter this problem.

Filed Feedback FB7348115 on this then.
 
chucker23n1 said:
Do you have an /opt folder by any chance? What does it contain? (That's unusual on macOS.)
Click to expand...

I have one, it's empty now, it's a folder created by third party software afaik.



Shame we can't do a verbose install, otherwise it would show where it hangs.
 

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machpost said:
Nope. This is all I needed to see to decide that it's going to be a long time before I upgrade to Catalina.
Click to expand...

A stalled but basically complete install process is hardly exclusive to Catalina. I remember this being a thing on many versions of OS X.
 
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