What to do if your Mac freezes or crashes during macOS Sequoia installation

Mac freezes or crashes during installation of macOS Sequoia

Updating your Mac's operating system is a pretty cool process, especially when it comes to a new version like macOS Sequoia, which promises new features and improvements. But there are still programs on the way to heaven if your Mac freezes or crashes during macOS Sequoia installation.

If you find yourself in this situation, don't panic - there are several actions you can take to fix the problem and continue with the installation without losing important data. In this article, we'll explain what to do if your Mac freezes or crashes during macOS Sequoia installation.

First of all: don't get nervous

User nervous as Mac freezes or crashes during macOS Sequoia installation

The first thing is to stay calm. It is normal to feel frustrated, but many times the problem has a solution or sometimes there is simply no problem at all.

If your Mac freezes or crashes during macOS Sequoia installation, first try to identify if it is actually frozen or if it is just taking longer than usual.

Sometimes updates may appear to be stuck, but the process is actually going on in the background, especially if you're installing a major update like Sequoia, which has a lot to overwrite and do during the process. There are two things you need to look for to know if your computer has bricked or not:

  • Observe the Progress Bar: It may seem stuck, but keep monitoring for a few more minutes to be sure. Leave the mouse at the end and go get something to drink. If you see that it has moved forward compared to the mouse, don't worry, it is going through its normal process.
  • Listen to your Mac: If you hear the fan or hard drive running, it's a sign that it's still trying to complete the process, it's just that it's taking a little while.

Force restart your Mac

Unlock the MacBook using the Apple Watch

If after waiting a reasonable amount of time (about 15-20 minutes) your Mac is still frozen, the next option is to force a restart. Keep in mind that this may interrupt the installation process, but it is a necessary step if there is no other way out.

Force restarting is a very easy thing to do: simply Press and hold the power button on your Mac for about 10 seconds until the screen turns off, then wait a few seconds and turn it back on.

When you restart, your Mac may try to resume the installation from where it left off, or it may give you a message saying that there was an error and you need to start over. In both cases, follow the on-screen instructions and be patient.

Start your Mac in Safe Mode

safe mode

El Safe Mode It is a great way to start your Mac when it crashes due to software issues. In this mode, your Mac boots with a basic configuration, disabling third-party extensions and other items that might be causing conflicts during the Sequoia installation.

To boot into Safe Mode and see if this fixes the issue of your Mac freezing or crashing during macOS Sequoia installation, you need to follow these steps:

  • Shut down your Mac.
  • Turn it on and hold down the Shift key immediately after hearing the startup sound.
  • Release the Shift key when you see the startup window session.
  • In Safe Mode, Try downloading and installing macOS Sequoia againThis environment limits functionality, but helps detect if any application or extension is interfering with the process.

Checking for other things that cause the Mac to freeze or crash during macOS Sequoia installation

facetime in Sequoia

Sometimes the cause of the crash during installation can be as simple as lack of disk space or problems with the Internet connection.

The macOS installer needs enough free space to unpack files and complete the installation successfully, so you should make sure you have at least 20 GB of free space before attempting the installation.

Additionally, if your internet connection drops during the download, this can cause crashes and errors, so you may want to try disconnecting and reconnecting to your Wi-Fi network, or try using an Ethernet connection for added stability.

Check the disk with Disk Utility

format hard drive on mac using disk utility

If your Mac keeps crashing, there may be a problem with your startup disk or even your computer's hard drive is broken. Disk Utility can help identify and repair errors that are preventing Sequoia from installing.

Although We have already seen how this utility was used, we give you a brief summary:

  • Restart your Mac and hold Command + R to boot into recovery mode.
  • Select Disk Utility in the menu and click Continue.
  • Choose your boot disk (usually called “Macintosh HD”) and select First Aid.
  • Click on Run to check and repair errors.
  • After this process, Try again to download and install macOS Sequoia.

Installing from a Bootable USB

sequoia graphic experience

If the problem persists, consider Install macOS Sequoia from a bootable USB. This method is useful when direct downloads fail repeatedly and if you are a reader of this medium, it will also sound familiar to you because we talked about this option relatively recently.

This method allows for a clean installation, which can fix many compatibility issues, and even wipe the entire partition so you can start from scratch, but you will lose everything you have on your Mac. But if you are too lazy to go to the other post, here is how to create a bootable USB:

  • Download macOS Sequoia from the App Store on another Mac.
  • Use the Terminal app to create an installation USB with the following command (matched to your USB drive):
bash
sudo /Applications/Install\ macOS\ Sequoia.app/Contents/Resources/createinstallmedia –volume /Volumes/USBName
  • Restart your Mac and hold down the Option key to select the USB as the boot disk.

Consult with Apple Technical Support

Visit the Genius Bar

If after all these steps your Mac is still having problems, it is best to contact the Apple Technical Support, because there is something else there.

They can guide you step-by-step through any specific issues with your Mac model or Sequoia installation and even recommend that you visit a Genius Bar to have them check to see if it's a problem with the equipment itself.


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