Hello! Today I tried upgrading to macOS Sonoma 14.4, but I couldn't. I followed the standard installation, downloading the update, restarting, etc. However, after the final restart, it still indicates that the macOS Update 14.4 is available for download. When I checked "About This Mac," it confirms I'm still on version 14.3.1. I've repeated the installation process three times with the same outcome. Any suggestions?
Can't Install MacOS Sonoma 14.4
- Thread starter annya2
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How did you download the installer? Did you use System Settings, the App Store, or a direct download, in which case, how?
You can use Terminal to do a direct download. I prefer this method because it will allow you to save a copy of the installer for future use in case you need to reinstall macOS.
Or you can try the App Store ( > App Store). In the search field type in “macOS sonoma,” to bring up the choices, click on VIEW for Sonoma, and the next page will let you start the download by selecting GET. (If you want to verify the version, go to Version History first.) GET will start downloading the installer into your Applications folder. If you choose to save a copy, quit the Installer, copy the file to another location, and then relaunch the installer if you are ready to proceed. (Make sure you have a good backup of your system, of course.)
As I indicated, I prefer Terminal. You can find it in /Applications/Utilities/Terminal.app. Double-check to verify that your system is ready for the update by entering,
softwareupdate -l --include-config-data
and press return. It should show the update to Sonoma 14.4.1. You can then initiate the installation with
sudo softwareupdate --fetch-full-installer --full-installer-version 14.4.1
Enter your admin password to start. This will also download to your Applications folder so you have the choice to first make a copy of the installer. Good luck.
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Hang on, this is not an "upgrade", you already had/have Sonoma 14.3.1 this is an "update".
Updates are signified by a notification and a tile with a number ( probably 1) in System Settings > Software Updates.
Clicking that takes you to the Updates window where you choose to download and/or update now. Then a window with a progress bar appears.
You can download and install if thats what you cose in the first step or just download and install later.
This download is not an app as we understand the term it's more like, to use a Windows term, an "executable" file.
Once you decide to install the file launches and the process begins.
As you know this involves the device starting and restarting several times with the Apple logo on screen and a progress bar below it.
If the process is interrupted or does not complete for some other reason such as the download being incomplete or faulty and you are lucky it will restart with the previous version.
I say lucky because an interrupted or failed update can leave you with no viable operating system, although not so much now with the new silicon macs. This is why we advise doing a full backup prior to updating/upgrading macOS.
In my experience the only reasons an update would fail are; the process was interrupted before completion or the downloaded file was incomplete or faulty.
Usually the update process would not begin if the file was incomplete or faulty. It would tell you that and request that you download again so that leaves "interrupted".
The process can be interrupted if there is not sufficient storage for the update "installer" to work. Apparently Sonoma updates require a LOT of storage to update the OS.
It can also be interrupted by other running third party apps. You can avoid this by starting up in Safe Mode which disables all non Apple processes.
Alternatively you can try updating from the Apple App Store by downloading the current macOS Sonoma version installer. Go to the App Store, do a search for Sonoma, it will come up as a Utility, click "View" and in the next window click "Get". this will effectively download the installer app for the current version of Sonoma and it will run in the usual way just like "Upgrading" your OS in the first instance.
Updates are signified by a notification and a tile with a number ( probably 1) in System Settings > Software Updates.
Clicking that takes you to the Updates window where you choose to download and/or update now. Then a window with a progress bar appears.
You can download and install if thats what you cose in the first step or just download and install later.
This download is not an app as we understand the term it's more like, to use a Windows term, an "executable" file.
Once you decide to install the file launches and the process begins.
As you know this involves the device starting and restarting several times with the Apple logo on screen and a progress bar below it.
If the process is interrupted or does not complete for some other reason such as the download being incomplete or faulty and you are lucky it will restart with the previous version.
I say lucky because an interrupted or failed update can leave you with no viable operating system, although not so much now with the new silicon macs. This is why we advise doing a full backup prior to updating/upgrading macOS.
In my experience the only reasons an update would fail are; the process was interrupted before completion or the downloaded file was incomplete or faulty.
Usually the update process would not begin if the file was incomplete or faulty. It would tell you that and request that you download again so that leaves "interrupted".
The process can be interrupted if there is not sufficient storage for the update "installer" to work. Apparently Sonoma updates require a LOT of storage to update the OS.
It can also be interrupted by other running third party apps. You can avoid this by starting up in Safe Mode which disables all non Apple processes.
Alternatively you can try updating from the Apple App Store by downloading the current macOS Sonoma version installer. Go to the App Store, do a search for Sonoma, it will come up as a Utility, click "View" and in the next window click "Get". this will effectively download the installer app for the current version of Sonoma and it will run in the usual way just like "Upgrading" your OS in the first instance.
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