macOS Sequoia Update Stuck at Preparing, Downloading, Installing

Updating to macOS Sequoia is usually a simple process of downloading and installing the installer in Software Update. However, we've noticed that many users may get stuck during either of the processes. For instance, they may experience one of the following issues:

What should you do when the macOS Sequoia update is stuck at preparing macOS Sequoia, during downloading, or when installing? We'll help you troubleshoot the issue and upgrade to macOS Sequoia.

Why is macOS Sequoia update stuck?

Here are the common reasons that may render the macOS Sequoia update stuck:

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Free up more disk space to fix macOS Sequoia update stuck 🌟

Before updating to macOS Sequoia, you must ensure your Mac has enough free space for the download and installation to go smoothly. If your Mac is short on space during the process, the macOS Sequoia update will surely get stuck.

We suggest you keep at least 30 GB of free space on your Mac for the Sequoia update. This is because the full macOS Sequoia installer is about 15 GB and you'll need around twice the size of the installer to keep the installation going.

However, a better option is to make as much free space as possible. By deleting unwanted files, you can not only prevent macOS Sequoia from freezing at downloading or installing but also improve your Mac's overall performance. 

If you don't want to manually free up space on your Mac, which is time-consuming, we recommend you use the disk cleaner iBoysoft DiskGeeker. It can analyze your internal hard drive and show you all the files in descending order by size. You can quickly spot unnecessary and large files and delete them for good.

Besides, its "Clean Junk" feature also allows you to find and remove junk files like caches, logs, preference files, or unemptied trash. Click the button below to try it out!

How to fix downloading or preparing macOS Sequoia stuck?

If your Mac is stuck at "preparing macOS Sequoia" or frozen at "downloading macOS Sequoia," fix it with the solutions we are going to discuss in the section below.

Check the internet connection

A strong Internet connection is essential to download the macOS Sequoia installer. If your internet connection is poor or unstable, you'll inevitably get stuck on "Preparing macOS Sequoia about 5 minutes remaining" when initiating the download.

So, the first step we'd like you to try when Software Update is stuck at downloading Sequoia is to ensure the internet connection is stable by disabling and re-enabling the WiFi or rebooting the router. You can also switch to a different WiFi network, use the ethernet connection, or connect to your phone's hotspot.

Check Apple servers

If you've tried different network options or are confident your internet is stable, the culprit may be an unavailable server. When a new macOS update is released, it often attracts lots of Mac lovers to upgrade to it. If too many requests are handed in simultaneously, the server may crash, rendering macOS Sequoia not downloading.

To verify the issue, go to Apple's system status page and check the status of the server providing software updates "macOS Software Update." If it has a green dot, it's working properly. Otherwise, it's experiencing issues and you must wait patiently until Apple fixes it.

Download macOS Sequoia from App Store

If Software Update is stuck on preparing macOS Sequoia, you can download macOS Sequoia from the Mac App Store instead. This gets the full installer of macOS Sequoia and saves it in the Applications folder. Just type "macOS Sequoia" in the search bar of your App Store and follow the instructions to download and install it.

By the way, if you have an incomplete download, delete it before starting again.

Download macOS Sequoia from Terminal

Alternatively, you can download macOS Sequoia from Terminal, the command-line interface of your operating system. It'll usually solve the problem if you're stuck on downloading macOS Sequoia or preparing macOS Sequoia about 30 minutes remaining.

Here's how to get the macOS Sequoia installer from Terminal on Mac:

Download macOS Sequoia directly from the server

Suppose Terminal doesn't show macOS Sequoia, then you can download it directly from Mr. Macintosh's database. He keeps download links for all versions of macOS Sequoia full installer pkg files (InstallAssistant.pkg). These files are stored on Apple's servers, so they are safe to download.

You can visit his website, download the newest version of macOS Sequoia, then open the pkg file and choose to save the application to your Applications folder.

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How to fix macOS Sequoia install stuck?

If the macOS Sequoia installation is stuck at 5 minutes remaining, 20 minutes remaining, less than a minute remaining, or any number of minutes; or stalled on "Checking null," "An error occurred loading the update," "macOS Sequoia will be installed on Macintosh HD," the loading screen or Apple logo, fix it with the solutions below.

Force reboot your Mac

Through the years of working with macOS, we've found that sometimes a simple reboot is all it needs to fix the stuck macOS installation. If you can't reboot your Mac from the Apple menu, as is the case for many users, you'll have to force restart it.

Press and hold the power button until your Mac turns off, then power it on and run the installer again to continue the installation. If the problem of the macOS Sequoia update stuck at 5 minutes remaining persists, repeat the steps after unplugging all accessories.

Install macOS Sequoia from Safe Mode

If you find macOS Sequoia taking forever to install in the regular mode, booting into macOS Safe Mode may be the solution. It's a diagnostic mode that boots up with only the essential kernels, isolating third-party software. It also clears caches and runs a quick check on your internal hard drive.

To boot an Intel Mac into Safe Mode:

To boot an Apple Silicon Mac into Safe Mode:

Once in Safe Mode, install macOS Sequoia again. If it still gets stuck halfway, remove the installer from your Applications folder and redownload it.

Reinstall macOS and retry

Reinstalling macOS is also helpful in solving the macOS Sequoia install stuck. This won't remove data on your Mac, but simply replace the core system files with fresh copies, which can fix various issues that may result in macOS Sequoia not installing. To do this:

On an Intel Mac:

On an Apple Silicon Mac:

Install macOS Sequoia from bootable installer

Another way to fix macOS Sequoia installation stuck is to create a bootable macOS Sequoia installer and boot from it. Prepare a USB drive like a USB stick with at least 15GB of storage, back up the important files, and then install macOS Sequoia from the bootable USB. 

Revive your Mac in DFU mode and retry

If the macOS Sequoia update continues to freeze, revive your Mac in DFU mode. A revive allows you to reinstall the BridgeOS without losing data, which is useful if the system is unresponsive or has corrupted firmware. But be reminded that you need another working Mac to enter DFU mode and perform the reviving.

After your Mac is reset, you can download and install macOS Sequoia like you did before. Hopefully, this time the installation will go as planned.

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How long does it take to download macOS Sequoia?

It may take 20 to 40 minutes to download macOS Sequoia. However, no one can predict the actual time because it depends on your Mac's internet speed, available storage space, and performance. If the macOS Sequoia download is unresponsive, you can cancel it and restart with a different network.

How long does macOS Sequoia take to install?

In general, it takes one hour or more to install macOS Sequoia. Depending on your current macOS version, network, free space on the internal hard drive, and your Mac's overall performance, the macOS Sequoia installation time may be shorter or longer.

That's why we recommend you start the update overnight with your Mac plugged into power. This way, you don't need to wait for it.

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