It is a pretty common thing when your MacBook gets stuck on update or doesn’t get updated at all. Sometimes, you will see errors like “The macOS installation couldn’t be completed” or “macOS could not be installed on your computer”.
Errors such as these can occur for a variety of reasons. So if you are wondering how to fix MacBook and Mac not updating issue, then you have come to the right place.
In this post, I will be explaining a few methods that will help you get rid of the error instantly. So let’s jump straight into the topic.
Why is my MacBook or Mac not updating?
There are lots of reasons why you might see Mac and MacBook not updating error. Some of the common reasons are:
- Your Mac doesn’t have enough storage to download and install the update.
- You have slow internet or your internet is not working properly. So troubleshooting your network might fix the issue.
- Your Mac might be having trouble reaching the update server.
- The update is incompatible with your Mac.
How to fix MacBook not updating issue
Restart your Mac or MacBook
Before you get into any troubleshooting method, try restarting your Mac or MacBook at first. This little hack will come in handy if your Mac is stuck on an update for a really long time.
To restart your Mac, you will need to press and hold the power button for about 10 seconds, and your Mac will get rebooted.
Once rebooted, try running the update again and see if you are facing the same issue again or not.
Make sure your MacBook and Mac has enough storage space
Before Mac installs any update, it needs to store the update on your device. So if you don’t have enough space on your Mac, Apple won’t be able to download updates.
In case of low storage, you usually get an error saying your computer doesn’t have enough space to store the update.
But sometimes, you might not get to see the error message. So, it is best to manually check whether there is enough space available in your Mac.
- Go to Apple Logo.
- Navigate to About This Mac > Storage.
You will now see how much space is left on your MacBook or Mac. If you think that it doesn’t have enough storage, clear some files and see if it worked.
Turn off your Mac wifi and turn it again
There is a pretty good chance that your internet might not be working properly. So do try turning off your Wifi and turn it on again and see if it works for you.
- Tap on the Wifi icon.
- Then click on Turn Wifi off.
- Next, wait for a minute or so. Then click on the Wifi icon and turn it back.
After that, restart your MacBook, try downloading the software update and see if you encounter any issues.
Check Apple Server (macOS Software update Status)
You should also check if Apple servers are offline or not. If the Apple update server is offline, then you will face trouble while downloading updates from the server.
Checking Apple server status is extremely easy. Simply visit the https://www.apple.com/support/systemstatus/ webpage and see if a green icon is shown next to the macOS Software Update.
If there is a red light next to it, then it means the macOS software update server is down. So wait for some time for Apple servers to come online.
Reset NVRAM and PRAM on your Mac and MacBook
NVRAM stands for nonvolatile random-access memory, Your Mac uses this memory to store and retrieve specific settings. Parameter RAM also stores similar information.
However, sometimes these two can cause different issues on your Mac. Hence, resetting them is a good idea. To reset the NVRAM and PRAM, you have to follow the same steps, and here these steps are:
- First, shut down your Mac and turn your Mac immediately.
- Next, press and hold Option, Command + P, and R buttons at the same time and release the buttons after 20 seconds. If it makes any startup sound, then you can release the keys after the second startup sound.
- For Macs with Apple T2 security chip, you can release the keys after the Apple logo disappears the second time.
That’s it. You are done resetting the NVRAM and PRAM. After that, try to update your Mac and see if you encounter any issues.
Updating your MacBook in Safe Mode
You can also try updating your MacBook and Mac in safe mode and see if it helps you to fix MacBook not updating issue. To update your Mac in safe mode, follow these below steps:
- First, turn off your Mac and then turn on your Mac immediately.
- Next, press and hold the shift key until you see the login screen. Then release the shift key and login to your Mac.
- Your computer is now in safe mode. Now try to update your Mac and see if it worked.
- If it doesn’t work, then you can simply restart your Mac, and you will exit out of the safe mode.
Try Combo update
Next, you can try using combo updates to install Mac updates. However, it is advised that you take a backup of your Mac before proceeding ahead.
- At first, visit the Apple combo updates webpage by going to https://support.apple.com/downloads/macos.
- From the page, find the right combo update and download it.
- Once downloaded, quit all the apps on your Mac.
- Then double-click on the downloaded file to start the installation wizard.
- Finally, follow all the onscreen instructions and see if it worked.
However, combo updates can be complicated. So I would recommend you to study it deeply before proceeding ahead.
Contact Nearest Apple Service Center
If none of the above methods work for you, then your last option is to contact the nearest Apple service center.
Maybe, there is some other issue that Apple service can only diagnose and help you with a solution. So visit an Apple store and see what they have to say.
Final Words
So that was all for your question, how to fix MacBook not updating issue. Hopefully, you were able to resolve this issue. If you need help with anything, please leave a comment below.
