7 Simplest Ways to Fix 'macOS Could Not be Installed on Your Computer'

Sometimes when you try to update your Mac's operating system, you found the Mac won't update due to a 'macOS could not be installed on your computer' error occurring.

Be similar to the error "Some updates could not be installed automatically", it may frustrate you a lot since the installation of macOS could not continue. The good news is, it's pretty easy to fix by using the troubleshooting steps below. Just keep reading to learn what causes the macOS installation couldn't be completed and how to troubleshoot the issue or similar like on your Mac.

Why does 'macOS could not be installed on your computer' appear

There are quite a few different reasons why a macOS installation might fail. Some of the most common reasons macOS can't complete the installation include:

No matter what caused the installation error message to appear on your Mac, you can fix it by following the troubleshooting steps described below.

How to prepare your Mac for troubleshooting the installation error

Before you begin troubleshooting the macOS installation error like 'macOS Monterey cannot be installed on Macintosh HD', there are two things you need to do first. One is to back up your Mac to make sure you don't lose any important files in the process. Another one is to check your Mac's hardware compatibility with the macOS.

Create a new backup using Time Machine

It's always important to back up your Mac before installing a major macOS update. You can backup your Mac with TimeMachine. It will keep your data safe and allow you to restore the important files from the date of your choice in case something goes wrong and you have to erase your entire Mac.

Check your Mac's compatibility in the App Store

To check your Mac's compatibility, open the App Store on your Mac and search for the version of macOS you want to install (for example, 'macOS Monterey'). Click that app to view its details in the App Store and scroll down to the Information section.

Under the Compatibility section, you should see a message that says, "works on this Mac". If not, you can't install that macOS version upgrade. Maybe it's time to replace your Mac with a new one.

How to fix 'macOS could not be installed on your computer'

Now that you've backed up your Mac and made sure it's compatible with the latest version of macOS, it's time to use the troubleshooting tips below to fix your macOS installation error.

Since there are so many potential causes of this macOS error, any one of these suggestions might fix the problem. We'll start with the quickest and easiest tips to save you as much time as possible.

Fix 1: Restart your Mac and retry the installation

Restarting the Mac or MacBook is always a widely-used option to deal with different kinds of macOS issues. If you are stuck in the 'macOS could not be installed on your computer' pop-up, restart Mac by clicking the Apple logo > Restart. If your Mac is unresponsive, press and hold the Power button to force a shutdown.

Fix 2: Set your Mac to the correct Date and Time

If the displayed date and time don't match reality, it can lead to problems connecting with Apple's servers. When this is the case, it might be the reason why there was an error installing macOS and the macOS installation couldn't be completed.

Restart your Mac again if necessary, and then click the Apple logo, go to System Preferences > Date & Time. Click the lock icon and enter your password to enable changes. Then check the Set date and time automatically option. After this, try the installation again to see if it works.

Fix 3: Free up enough space for macOS to install

Generally, you'll need up to 20GB of free space on your main drive to download and install an update to macOS, especially when you're upgrading to macOS Big Sur or macOS Monterey. Without the additional free space, the installer has no space to work and can't complete the installation on your Mac.

Open the Apple menu and go to About This Mac > Storage to view the amount of free space on your Mac. Click Manage to see what's using the most space. Normally, it shows the Other file takes up the most space. Then, you can clean up the Other storage to optimize Mac space.

Fix 4: Download a new copy of the macOS installer

If the macOS installer on your Mac may have become corrupt, the macOS could not be installed on your computer. You should find the macOS installer in your Finder's Downloads folder and drag it to the Trash. Then, download it again and retry.

It is recommended to download your macOS installer directly from the Apple support website. This way, you get the full combo installer, rather than the smaller version available through System Preferences or the App Store.

Fix 5: Reset the NVRAM/PRAM

The NVRAM/PRAM stores various settings and preferences on your Mac, such as your screen brightness, sound volume, and display resolution. Errors with your NVRAM/PRAM might explain why macOS couldn't be installed on your computer.

Fortunately, it's simple to reset these settings without erasing any of your personal data. Restart your Mac while holding the Option + Command + P + R keys and wait until you hear a startup chime. It may take a little longer than normal to restart, but the NVRAM will have reset once it's done.

Fix 6: Run First Aid in Disk Utility

If the macOS installation couldn't be completed still or received you may not install to this volume missing firmware partition, there might be some problems with your Mac startup disk. Do the following to fix the disk issue and to make the installation of macOS continue.

Open Finder > Applications > Utilities folder, double-click on Disk Utility to open it. Select your Mac's startup disk in the sidebar, usually called 'Macintosh HD'. Then click First Aid. Disk Utility will begin to scan your disk for errors and repair whatever it can.

Fix 7: Reinstall macOS in Recovery Mode

After trying all the above-mentioned methods, still seeing the 'macOS could not be installed on your computer' error? The last resort should be reinstalling macOS under macOS Recovery Mode.