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

[NervousFish2]

If the install process is that buggy it doesn’t exactly inspire confidence does it?

I've never seen an update where there weren't a lot of people with install trouble posting in places like this. It happens. Happened to me with Snow Leopard.
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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.

After install, Spotlight took a while to re-index.

 

[Jeanglsr]

My computer got stuck for some 5 hours while installing Catalina. I turned the computer off. I got the login screen. I logged in. But then I got a screen with the progress bar, no icons to proceed. I turned it off again. Same thing. Frustrated.

 

[Jedicruces]

Well, I have almost 20 hours on this in my iMac retina. On my MacBook Pro with touchbar and in my wife’s MacBook Pro we experience the same issue, then when I restarted is Ok, but in iMac is different for 20 hour I have a black screen with an apple and a progress bar. I tried to push power button, then the message below progress bar change from “estimating remaining time” to “the computer will restart when update is complete”.

 

[Huntn]

If you end having to do a second Catalina install see this thread. There is a simple precaution you can take to avoid a failed second install. It has to do with duplicate Macintosh HD- Data volumes that the Installer will create even it already created one in a previous install attempt. And if the duplicate is not removed before a new install is attempted, the new install will fail.

11Oct 2019 Think Twice about Catalina Install

13Oct19 Update: My issue has been resolved, see this post for a summary: https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/11oct-2019-think-twice-about-catalina-install.2205246/post-27871119 ------------------------- First Clue I had a problem today was when Time Machine stopped backing Up with this...

forums.macrumors.com

 

[halluxsinister]

It happened to me. 'It just works' if you restart it.

I regret leaping into this new OS. Would go back if I knew how.

Now dealing with annoying new podcast app. e.g. Where's the timer on the visual play tape? I see that I'm about halfway to the end of the podcast, but is that 10 minutes remaining? 30 minutes remaining? There's no running clock! Oh, place your mouse over it and the times appear! So clever--hiding useful information! Now instead of just glancing at it you have to 'ask for the info' by doing something with your hand.

Same 'improvement' in Music app. Thinking of my poor friend who doesn't have full use of his extremities...

Going back is easy. (Ensure ALL your data files are backed up off disk first!) Make install media for a previous version like High Sierra. Reboot while holding COMMAND R to enter restoral mode, boot from the install media, then format your Mac’s “Macintosh HD” disk according to your preferences, whichever file system you want to use, and install the OS from that install media, i.e., a thumb drive. Then once that’s done, reinstall user apps and put your files back where they were.

to make install media, search using your preferred search engine for “create macOS install media,” and pick the one that seems most credible, and follow the instructions. Generally, they’ll involve going to the Mac App Store and downloading whichever one you want to install, then following instructions to open the terminal app and invoke the downloaded installer to create install media.

Now, there may be other ways to do this, but that’s the one I used to go from a failed Catalina install to High Sierra, which is going to be my last macOS version, because I no longer have any confidence in Apple being capable or willing to do proper quality control on software. The garbage they push out as if it’s ready to go, but seems like beta or even alpha quality crap. May as well put WINDOWS on it, for crying out loud.

 

[Marx55]

1. Wait for the screen to turn off.

Note that current Macs with current macOS turn off the display, yet the Mac is still on for some seconds. You can only see it in a dark environment. Eventually, the Mac turns off completely, but that happens sometime after the display seems off, as said.

That should not happen. Imagine that you are booting from an external SSD (working at home and work) and in a hurry for some reason. You select to turn off the Mac and disconnect the SSD just when the display goes off. Since, in fact, the Mac was not completely off, that may cause macOS damage. Apple should fix that!

 

[kjmack]

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.

I just got off the phone with Apple Tech Support, after waiting 48 hours with my IMac hung up on the "Setting up your Mac" screen. Having been warned in the past that a hard reboot during updating is a VERY bad idea, it didn't occur to me that that is exactly what needed to be done, according to their rep. VERY annoying to say the least. Took a while to reboot but the explanation from the Apple Technician is that "Catalina has likely installed but it's just that set-up screen itself that is stuck." NOT impressed - so I sure hope this new OS is worth this aggravation.

 

[kaans]

Marx55 is the wisest

Some time ago I blindly jumped onto the update that 'upgraded' the disk to APFS, that update ruined my system "error: btn: invalid btn_btree.bt_key_count (expected 9581903, actual 9581952)" - no solution, disk utility can't fix

At this point every macos update is a source of anxiety

On the other side of things, every Windows 10 update is a breeze these days, my love for the macos terminal, the extreme efforts of the brew community and others feed Apple ...

Edit: I went on with the Catalina update, Disk Utility no longer reports issues, I hope something fixed whatever the issue was in the process, the Disk Utility/First Aid seems different in Catalina

 

[JohnnyWashington]

Adobe took its latest stand-alone version Photoshop CS6 off the market in January. The 64-bit application worked under Mojave in 64-bit limited mode, I had tested it too.
But it doesn't work under Catalina anymore.

Since I don't think Adobe's current software rental is cool, I've basically separated from the company. I'm glad that there are professional others with same or better features, e.g. Affinity.

View attachment 868118

I can’t find anything more disappointing than seeing Adobe turning to this “rental“ (and certainly not ‘rent to own’) of their software. I’m so fed up with everything going subscription—it infuriates me! Adobe won’t even help me recover CS software that I purchased, but lost in a move. They won’t help me retain my “investment” because it doesn’t fit into their new theme, “endless billing“ for the same product. I know a lot of folks have done the same as you, abandon Adobe for another—and rightly so! I would like to think that Adobe would take notice of the amount of business lost and make a change, however I fear their finding their new (which isn’t so new now, I suppose) system is worth the losses. Perhaps they have fewer customers, but yet see an increase in profit? It’s working for somebody at the top, obviously.
Adobe’s downfall—if they experience one at all—will depend on the competition and how well these emerging software companies do—hopefully they will gain the lion‘s share of the market and attract those unsatisfied (or broke) adobe clients by providing a strong affordable product that does not require you to ”rent.”
Not that I wish for Adobe to fail, however, their product is good
(at least the desktop versions of their product.) The IOS stuff is....hmmm... frustrating and temperamental; lacking key features AND unforgivingly ”30 day pay”. And if you fall behind on your ability to pay you can view your project‘s thumbnails... all greyed out and lifeless...through a virtual plate glass window. You‘re essentially unable to touch it, as Adobe holds it for ransom demanding their next payment.
Death to Adobe? I hope not, but I do know that subscriptions seem to be largely disliked by their customers... or so it would appear. I would like to see them be humbled a bit, however, because I really dislike arrogant corporate giants who seem to think their invincible.

 

[ncacace]

What really REALLY infuriates me is that I have to come to a third party site for, what is obviously, a very common APPLE problem with the installation of their operating system......is there anything MORE fundamental..???

WTF APPLE??? TAKE CARE OF YOUR BUSINESS AND STOP LEAVING THE INTERNET [Public Forums] TO DO YOUR WORK FOR YOU!!!
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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.

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