Mac Computer Cannot Shutdown Because Software Is Being Installing

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Apr 15, 2020 And, if you haven't installed the macOS yet, make sure you visit our how to download and install macOS Catalina guide for the step-by-step process of getting the new software on your Mac. Installing new versions of macOS on a Mac should be a pretty simple exercise. The Mac tells you there's an update available via a pop up in Notification Centre - in some cases (depending on your.

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The new version of Mac OS X, the El Capitan will be released earlier than normal on this Sept. 30, which keeps the same overall look as OS X Yosemite, but comes with a handful of new features. This is a good news for Apple users because they can enjoy both the new OS X and iOS 9 this September, which work seamlessly just as Yosemite and iOS 8 last year.

Every new update comes with new issues. Just as the early release of iOS 9 that brings many problems to iPhone iPad users, the El Capitan is no exception. In this article we will look at the most common problems with El Capitan, including problems with Wi-Fi, VPN issues, problems with printer, etc.

Question 1. Show a “download failed” Message

Direct to release a new operating system which run on the Apple server is always very large. So do not be surprised if the download is slow or even temporarily stops. A day or two later it should run much faster.
And you can try to use a wired Ethernet connection that may fix most of the issues. Generally speaking, a hardwired connection is a lot more reliable than a wireless connection, so it’s always best to opt for Ethernet whenever you can. For newer Retina MacBook Pros and MacBook Airs don’t have Ethernet ports, try to get adapters that allow you to plug in an Ethernet cable into one of the Thunderbolt ports.
If you have no idea of how to upgrade to Mac OS X El Capitan, here is how: Go to App Store to download Mac OS X El Capitan > After Mac OS X El Capitan downloaded, the El Capitan installer will open automatically > Click Continue and follow the onscreen instructions.

Question 2. El Capitan Gmail Bug in Mail App

Some Mac users have found that Mail app behaves strange after updating to OS X El Capitan particularly with Exchange and Gmail accounts. Since the launch of Mac Mavericks both Gmail and exchange accounts are not working correctly in the native mail app client. Follow the steps to fix the El Capitan Gmail bug in mail app.

Open default Mail app on your El Capitan, then from the “Mail” menu and go to “Preferences” option.
Go to the “Accounts”, and select the email account that has problems, then click on the “Advanced” tab.
Find the box named “Automatically detect and maintain account settings”.
Now check or uncheck it – then re-launch Mail app.

Question 3. Mac Won’t Start

Mac Won’t Start

Nothing can be more frustrating than turning on your Mac but only to find that it won’t start up. Instead of seeing the Finder, you see a blue or gray screen, an icon of a broken folder, a kernel panic, a flashing question mark, or a computer that just sits there. Many MacBook users maybe encounter MacBook pro is slow to start up El Capitan. And even though choosing restarting option, Mac won’t restart, either. In these situations, you can take the following steps.

Make sure that you have a good connection from your Mac to the wall outlet by confirming the power cord.
If the wall outlet is working and you still have no power, try another power cord or adapter. If it works you may need a replacement cord or adapter.
Disconnect all accessories that are plugged in to the computer.
If you recently installed any of the solid drive, hard drive, make sure that they are installed correctly and are compatible with your computer. If it is possible, reinstall the original memory or drive into the computer to find out if the behavior persists afterwards.
If your mac still won’t start up after trying each of these steps, you may need to visit an Apple Store.

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Question 4. Error Message “Downloaded .app is damaged and can’t be opened”

Mac OS X security by default does not allow all .app extensions to be installed. When there is an error message “Downloaded .app is damaged and can’t be opened” pops up, sometimes this is just a security issue that can be corrected.

Go to the Apple icon, and chose System Preferences.
Check Security & Privacy settings in General tab under “Allow apps downloaded from”.
Check the box beside the option of “Mac App store and identified developers” or “Anywhere”.

Question 5. VPN Doesn’t Work

Many users report that the VPN on their Mac OS X are not working or connecting when using El Capitan. If you are unlucky and struck in the same situation, you can try the following method to figure out the El Capitan VPN issue with Mac built-in VPN client. Now follow us to fix it with steps below:

1. Launch System Preferences App from Launchpad > Select Network on System Preferences Window.

2. Click “+”button to add new network > Select the interface (VPN) > Select VPN type (PPTP for mine) > Name your new network > Click Create.

VPN Not Working –Name Your Network

4.Fill in the information about your VPN: Keep Configuration stay at Default state (step 1) > Input the address of your VPN server (step 2) > Input the Account number or name of your VPN (step 3) > Set Encryption to Automatic (128 bit ot 40 bit)(step 4) > Click Authentication Settings to enter User Authentication page and then input your VPN’s password (step 5)> Click OK to confirm it.

6.Click Advanced button (step 6) > Check the box next “Send all traffic over VPN connection” > Click OK.

7. Click Apply (step 7) > Connect.

VPN Not Working – Check All Traffic Over VPN Connection

Also Read: How to Delete Temp Files on Mac Quickly >

Question 6. El Capitan Wi-Fi Issues

After updating to OS X El Capitan, you may have trouble that Wi-Fi is disconnected when Mac goes to sleep. It’s hard to offer a single solution to the El Capitan Wi-Fi issues. You should start a Time Machine backup before you trying the solutions in the following.

1.Remove Bluetooth

1. Go to Finder > Click on the File menu > Select New Finder Window > Click on your Mac’s icon.

2. Open Macintosh HD > Open Library > Click Preferences > Find the file called “com.apple.Bluetooth.plist“.

3 .Move it to your desktop > Remove it from the Preferences folder by dragging it into the Trash. The Mac will tell you that Finder wants to make changes. Type your password to allow this.

2.Forcefully removing network configuration files

1. From the OS X Finder, hit Command+Shift+G and type in:/Library/Preferences/SystemConfiguration/

2. Within this folder select the following files:

com.apple.airport.preferences.plist
com.apple.network.identification.plist
com.apple.wifi.message-tracer.plist
NetworkInterfaces.plist
Preferences.plist

3. Backup the folder “SystemConfiguration” by copying it to your Desktop.

4. Delete the folder as it sits in /Library/Preferences.

3.Changing Router Settings / Reset Router

1. Try factory resetting (via routers administration panel) or turning your router on and off again.

2. Or access your routers administration panel and try these things:

Changing the network frequency from 2.4Ghz to [2.5Ghz or 5Ghz], or from 5Ghz to [2.4Ghz or 2.5Ghz]. In general, set the Wi-Fi frequency to one other than the one it is currently set to.
Setting one type of Wi-Fi mode, e.g. “Only B”, “Only G”, “Only N” instead of “B/G”, “B.N”.
Changing Wi-Fi SSID (name), and/or Wi-Fi key and/or Wi-Fi security.

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Question 7. Internet Connection Is Slow

Internet Connection Is Slow

Many times, on Mac OS X El Capitan, you will also encounter that Mac Internet or Wi-Fi is very slow, and Wi-Fi is connected but no internet at all. Firstly, you should check the speed is using your ISP (Internet Service Provider) to look in your modem or router configuration, as it will often display the actual connected line speed which indicates the maximum that you should be able achieve on the DSL line and with your subscription.

1. Use an Ethernet Cable instead of Wi-Fi

WiFi rarely achieves the speeds that a cable can due to signal loss, congestion and attenuation, not to mention the proliferation of Wi-Fi hotspots configured to use the same radio frequencies, which inevitably causes the available bandwidth to decrease massively.

2. Move the Wireless Router to the right place

If you need to use Wi-Fi for some reason, you should make sure that the Router is in the best possible position with no obstructions. Move the router to a central position in the house (or near where you intend to use it most frequently). Try power cycling both your modem and router.

3. Use the fastest ISP

This is a common sense advice, if you really want the fastest Internet then you need to arrange a suitable premium package with your Internet Service Provider. Check with your existing ISP if you’re eligible for an upgrade, or whether you can change your existing package to a faster one. Otherwise, change to another ISP for some special introductory offers and discounts.

Question 8. Forget OS X Password

When you forgot the password and you can’t use OS X, you will need to use the new Recovery with following steps:

Reboot into the Recovery Drive by choosing the “Apple”menu and Restart, hold down the “command” + “R” keys on the keyboard in boot and hold the keys until you see the Apple icon. When the machine boots eventually you will see the window of OS X Utilities.
Go to the Utilities menu and select Terminal.
At the prompt type “resetpassword”, then hit enter.

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Question 9. Can Receive But Can’t Send Email Messages

Sometimes, on El Capitan, Mac mail is not working or responding. If Mac mail can’t send an email, or is slow to download messages, the first thing you should do is to verify that you have your email client configured properly. Below are the SMTP SSL and Non-SSL settings. you should use one of the following:

Can Receive But Can’t Send Email Messages Image Credit: inmotionhosting.com

Then follow the steps:

Open Mail > Choose Preferences from the Mail menu.
Click Accounts in the Preferences window.
Select the account that won’t send emails.
Click the Account Information pane > Ensure that the “Outgoing Mail Server” pop-up menu is not set to “None”. If it is, select your server from the “Outgoing Mail Server” pop-up menu if it appears.

If your Mail upgrade is failed and the index is damaged you may need to move your Mail inbox to the desktop and try importing it.

Go to Finder > Hold Option and click on Go > Choose Library.
Open Mail > MailBoxes > copy the filename.mbox to your desktop.
Open Mail, it should start and then you can Import and select Apple Mail.

Must Read:

Question 10. Constant Welcome to Mail Message

If you encountered the Welcome to Mail message every time you open the Mail app, and don’t want to deal with it every time you open Mail. You can try a quick remedy to clear it.

Open Mail > Click Continue when the welcome message pops up.
Preferences and in the new window that pops up > Click on Accounts.
Deselect the “Enable this account” check box for every account that appears in the Account Information tab.
Close Mail and open it again. Repeat the same process toenable all of the accounts you set up with Mail.

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Question 11. Audio Not Working

Audio Not Working

If you are experiencing problems with the sound output or input on your Mac computer, it’s possible that you may need to modify your computer’s sound settings, or update your Mac’s operating system.

On your Mac, click “Applications” and then select “Utilities”.
Open the “Audio MIDI Setup” application > Click on the “Audio Devices” tab.
Ensure that “Built-in Output” is selected next to the field labeled “Properties For”.
Navigate to the “Audio Output” section located in the bottom-right section of the window.
Select “44100.0 Hz” from the drop-down menu next to “Format”.
Exit from “Audio MIDI Setup. You will now be able to hear sound played correctly when using third-party audio apps.

Question 12. CD/DVD Is Stuck in the Drive

If El Capitan DVD player not working, or the Eject button isn’t working:

Press Command-E to eject.
Restart your Mac and hold down the left mouse button until the disk ejects.
Launch Terminal in your Utilities folder and enter the following: /usr/bin/drutil eject

Question 13. Printer Issues on El Capitan

If you try to print from your Mac OS X El Capitan, but the printer doesn’t appear in the Printer pop-up menu, or your Mac displays a message that software for your printer isn’t available, or El Capitan is unable to verify the printer on your network. For these El Capitan printer probelms, you can follow the steps to fix.

Disconnect the printer if your printer is connected to the USB port of your Mac.
Reconnect your wired network or Wi-Fi network.
Open a file you want to print > Click the File Menu > Choose Print > Choose your printer. If your printer does not show up, choose Add Printer from the same menu.

If you still have problem with your printer, you can try resetting the printer:

Launch System Preferences, and select Printers & Scanners.
Right-click on the printer(s) in the Printers list, and then choose the option of “Reset Printing System”.
Add your printer(s) again once it finishes.

Question 14. PRAM Reset on Mac OS X El Capitan

Reset PRAM

If something goes wrong on you Mac/Mac Mini/MacBook Air, like drives not appearing, Bluetooth problems, AirPort non connecting etc. These aren’t problems that simple resetting PRAM on Mac often works. This means system and device settings need to be put back in place.

Shut down your Mac.
Press the power button and then press the Command-Option-P-R keys on your keyboard. You have to make sure you get those keys pressed before the gray screen comes up or it won’t work.
Hold those keys down until your Mac reboots again – you’ll hear the startup chime twice.
Let go of the keys, and PRAM is now reset.

Question 15. El Capitan Bluetooth Issues

Many users are suffering the Bluetooth accessories and connectivity problems with El Capitan. You may unable to get Bluetooth to connect properly and let all your stuff play together well and wirelessly.

Disconnect all USB preferences > Shut the computer off for several minutes > Try restart the Mac and Bluetooth.
Reset PRAM (Parameter Random Access Memory). To do this, refer to Question 14(Title:How to Reset PRAM).
Reset the System Management Controller (SMC)

Resetting the SMC on Mac portables with a user-removable battery(MacBook and most MacBook Pros)：

Shut down your computer > Disconnect your Mac portable from its MagSafe connector > Remove the battery > Press and hold the power button for at least 5 seconds > Release the power button > Re-connect the battery > Reconnect the MagSafe connector > Turn your Mac on.

Resetting the SMC on portables with a non-user-removable battery(MacBook Air and some late 2009 MacBook Pro models):

Shut down the computer > Connect the MagSafe power adapter to your Mac and to a power outlet > On the built-in keyboard, press the Shift-Control-Option keys and the power button at the same time > Release all the keys and the power button at the same time > Press the power button to turn on the computer.

Resetting the SMC for Mac Pro, Intel-based iMac, Intel-based Mac mini, or Intel-based Xserve:

Shut down the Mac > Disconnect the computer’s power cord > Wait fifteen seconds > Attach the computer’s power cord > Wait five seconds, then press the power button to turn on the computer.

Question 16. El Capitan Notification Issues

A number of users have some problems with the Notification Center, primarily El Capitan forgetting the preference settings after a reboot, or notification center not working on Mac El Capitan. Here are the solutions from Apple Support Community.

Notification Issues

1. Right click Finder from Dock > Select Go to Folder > Input /System/Library/Frameworks/NotificationCenter.framework/ > Click Go > Locate the file named NotificationCenter > Drag this file to the desktop > Open the Terminal application.

2. Copy and paste each line of these commands into the Terminal window, in order. Press return after each line:

cd `getconf DARWIN_USER_DIR`

rm -rf com.apple.notificationcenter

killall usernoted; killall NotificationCenter

3. Close the Terminal app > Restart your computer.

Question 17. Spotlight Privacy Issues

If you’re using the default settings on your Mac OS X El Capitan 10.11, every search means your local search terms and location are sent to Apple and 3rd parties (including Microsoft). Here is how to restore the privacy of Spotlight.

Go to System Preferences > Spotlight > Search Results > Disable “Spotlight Suggestions” and “Bing Web Searches”.
Remember that Safari also has a “Spotlight Suggestions” setting that is separate from Spotlight’s “Spotlight Suggestions”. And if it left enabled, Safari will send a copy of all search queries to Apple. To disable it: In Safari > Preferences > Search > Disable the Spotlight Suggestions”

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Question 18. El Capitan Won’t Boot

Mac Won’t Boot

One common OS X El Capitan problem is Mac boot issue, Mac El Capitan won’t boot, or El Capitan is slow to boot. If you are using a notebook, the easiest fix is to close the lid for 30 seconds and try again. This is temporary, but it will prevent you from holding the power button to force a restart.

Another way is to “disable sleep” so that the system remains stable. You can do this with a tiny app named Caffeine, which prevents your Mac from automatically going to sleep, and diming the screen.

Question 19. El Capitan Is Running Slow

Generally speaking, OS X El Capitan runs great on most new Macs, but you may not so luck if you are working on an old Mac. On an old Mac, El Capitan may be running slow. Many users are complaining about the sluggish and stutter experience of the El Capitan on their old model Macs. Why is your Mac running slow? The reason for that can be due to a variety of issues, and having too much junk files like Internet caches, cookies, system or user cache files is one of the greatest causes.

It can be a energy-consuming task to find out the junk file from your Mac. So you can use a nice and trustworthy Mac cleaning tool like MacClean to locate & remove all Internet junk, system junk, user junk, application junk, and more from your Mac quickly.

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Question 20. Battery Issues with El Capitan

Battery Issues with El Capitan

Some users find that their MacBook Air/Pro battery drains fast after updating to OS X El Capitan. Here is part of fixes to solve the battery issues with El Capitan, for more information, please refer to Top Tips to Extend Battery Life on Mac El Capitan.

Stop automatic updates: Open System Preference on your Mac > Choose App Store > Uncheck the “Automatically check for updates” option.
Disable unused Location features: Go to your System Preferences > Security & Privacy panel > Privacy. You need to unlock the lock at the bottom left of the window. Now uncheck “Enable Location Services”.
Lower the screen brightness: On a portable computer, press the F1 key to decrease the brightness; on a desktop computer, press the F14 key to decrease the brightness.
Remove junk files on El Capitan: You will need a nice & easy to use cleaning tool MacClean to clear out junk files from your Mac like Internet Junk, system junk, user junk, applications junk etc.

Also Read: How to Clean Your MacBook Air/Pro >

Q 21. Spotlight Privacy in OS X El Capitan

As Apple says Spotlight gets smarter in El Capitan, delivering results for weather, sports, stocks, web video, and transit information. This feature however causes a new concern about OS X’s search feature. If you want to keep your privacy from leaks, you can just switch this feature off.

Go to System Preferences > Spotlight > Search Results > Disable “Spotlight Suggestions”.
In Safari > Preferences > Search > Disable the Spotlight Suggestions.

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Q 22. Safari/Chrome/Firefox is Slow on Mac

Safari/Firefox/Chrome is Slow on Mac

After updating to El Capitan, some Mac users have also complained about the web browser problems, such as Safari is extremely slow on El Capitan, Safari won’t open or launch on El Capitan, etc. as well as others related to Chrome and Firefox. Here are some quick fixes.

Update your Safari/Chrome/Firefox to the latest version.
Disable third party extensions & plugins.
Delete the browser’s caches and cookies manually. To clean out all Internet junk files from Safari, Chrome and Firefox at once, you can depend on an easy-to-use Mac cleaning program like MacClean.
Change the Network preference to most preferred Wi-Fi network.

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Question 23: Can’t Add Find My Friends/Social to Notification Center

You know, the new Find My Friends widget comes to Notification Center now. To use this feature, you just need to add it to Today view: Click Edit in Today view > Select Find My Friends from items list > Click “+” to add. However, some users report that there is no Find My Friends widget in items list, just like this user:

I have a late 2011 model Macbook Pro and I just upgraded to El Capitan. Many of the articles I have found online discuss the Find My Friends widget in the Notification Center. When I show Notification Center and click “edit”, I don’t see “Find My Friends” in the list of widgets I can add. What gives? Why is it missing?

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– Mattlavinder from Apple Support Community

If you are stuck on the same problem, or find you can’t add Social or other widgets to Notification Center, you can try to fix it with the following steps:

Right click Finder from Dock > Select Go to Folder > Input /System/Library/Frameworks/NotificationCenter.framework/ > Open the folder of Plugins > Double click Find My Friends to open Terminal app.
And then type this command in Terminal: /System/Library/Frameworks/CoreServices.framework/Versions/A/Frameworks/LaunchServices.framework/Versions/A/Support/lsregister -kill -seed
Press Return and wait for the Terminal prompt—which ends in $—to reappear. It may take a few minutes.
Quit Terminal.

Then you can go to Notification Center to select the widgets you like, you’ll find Find My Friends appear, and even more other items, like Social, Calculator, etc.

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Question 24: Finder won’t Open and Want to Make Changes

After download El Capitan and install it, there may occur some problems related to Mac Finder app, such as Finder wants to make changes, asking for typing password, and Finder can’t open on El Capitan, or respond. For these two issues, you can take the following steps to fix it.

For Finder wants to make changes, this would be a permissions issue. Gather the files into one big folder. Then, right-click on that folder and pick “get info”In the info window, open the little padlock underneath “sharing and permissions” Make sure that next to your name the permission says “read and write” lastly, click the little gear-icon and choose “apply to enclosed item” Confirm the dialog and you’re done.
For Finder won’t open, deleting all the .plists regarding com.apple.finder, then reboot. And this problem will be fixed.

If you have any problem when updating your iPhone or iPad to iOS 9, like Wi-Fi not working, device stuck on “Slide to Upgrade” screen, iMessage issues, you can refer to the Potential Problems of iOS 9 Updating with Solutions >

To ensure you the most comfortable iPhone 6 (Plus) experience, we also present you the Top iPhone 6 (Plus) Tips & Tricks for all of those who are planning to upgrade to a brand-new iPhone.

Product-related questions? Contact Our Support Team to Get Quick Solution >

Before You Start!

But before you get started installing Catalina, here are some questions you need to answer first.

1. Will Catalina Even Run on My Mac?

Not all Macs can run Catalina—especially older ones. In my case, it will run on my MacBook Air, but not my iMac. Apple’s Catalina Preview includes a list of which Mac models are supported.

The short version: If your Mac is running Mojave, then you can safely install Catalina on it.

2. Should I Postpone the Upgrade Because I Still Rely on 32-Bit Apps?

Apple is moving forward, and with this update, they’re dragging you with them. Older 32-bit apps will not work under Catalina. Do you rely on any? You may have noticed Mojave warning you that some of your apps are not “optimized” for use on your Mac. Chances are, they’re 32-bit apps. If you rely on them, don’t upgrade!

Here’s how to use macOS to identify 32-bit apps:

Choose About This Mac from the Apple menu at the top left of your screen.
Select About This Mac.
Click on the System Report button near the bottom.
Now select Software > Applications and wait for your apps to be scanned.

Notice there are quite a few 32-bit apps on my MacBook Air. That includes several apps and browser extensions that I forgot were even there, like Evernote’s Clearly and Web Clipper extensions. Since I don’t need those apps and services anymore, I can safely remove them.

If you do have some 32-bit apps, don’t panic. Many will probably be updated automatically. If it says “Apple” or “Mac App Store” in the “Obtained from” column, there should be nothing to worry about.

If some of your third-party apps that are still 32-bit, you have some homework to do. First, update all of your apps—there’s a good chance the latest version will be 64-bit. If not, check with the app’s official website (or email the support team) before upgrading. Your life will be much easier if you do this before upgrading your operating system.

If the developers aren’t working on an update, chances are they’re no longer serious about the app, and it’s time to start looking for a replacement. Delay your upgrade to Catalina so you can continue using the app in the meantime, and start testing some alternatives.

Or if you’re intentionally using an old version of an app to avoid upgrade costs, the time to pay up has arrived. Upgrade the apps you actually need, then install Catalina. You can’t stay with Mojave forever!

3. Are My 64-bit Apps Ready for Catalina?

Even if an app is 64-bit, it may not be ready for Catalina. Developing upgrades takes time, and unexpected problems can arise. Some apps may not work with Catalina for several weeks after it is available. Check their official website for any warnings of problems. MacWorld lists some major apps that won’t work with Catalina.

4. Do I Have Enough Free Space on My Internal Drive?

Catalina needs plenty of free storage space to download and perform the upgrade. The more free space you have, the better. Plus, it will take you less time to back up your Mac. As a guide, the beta installation files that I downloaded were 4.13 GB, but I needed even more additional space for the upgrade to be performed. The most effective way we’ve found to free up wasted disk space is to use CleanMyMac X to remove system junk and Gemini 2 to find large duplicate files, and we’ll cover a few more strategies later in the article.

5. Have I Backed Up My Data?

I hope you back up your Mac regularly and have an effective backup strategy. Apple recommends that you back up your computer before all major macOS upgrades, just in case. It’s good to have a Time Machine backup of your data, and Apple can use that if necessary when performing the upgrade. You may also like to use the advanced features of an app like Acronis True Image, and also clone your entire drive using Carbon Copy Cloner. To learn about the range software options check our best Mac backup software review.

6. Do I Have Enough Time Right Now?

Upgrading your operating system is time-consuming, and complications may arise. Performing a hard drive cleanup and backup will add even more time to the procedure. So make sure you have at least a few hours to spare and are free from distractions. Trying to squeeze it into a busy day at work isn’t the best idea. Doing it on the weekend will maximize your time and minimize your distractions.

Installing Catalina

Installing macOS Catalina Beta 2 was quite a smooth process for me. I’ll briefly explain my experience, then go through some issues that I and others had, along with how to fix them. You’re unlikely to encounter all these issues, so feel free to navigate through the Table of Contents to learn how to fix your own issues.

I hope your experience is as straightforward as mine! First, to install the public beta I had to join the Apple Beta Software Program and download the macOS Publish Beta Access Utility.

I installed the beta from About This Mac. Alternatively, I could have opened System Preferences and clicked Software Update.

The installer estimated the download would take 10 minutes.

But it took just a little longer. 15 minutes later it was done, and I’m ready to install. I click through the usual screens.

The install was estimated to take 15 minutes. After 4 minutes my Mac was restarting and the waiting began—no further intervention was required from me.

The complete install actually took about an hour in total. It was quite a smooth update though took significantly longer than estimated. But I think an hour for a system update is pretty good.

But not everyone was so lucky. Although I didn’t encounter any issues at this point, others did:

Issue 1: Installation Won’t Start or Complete

Some people were not able to complete the installation of Catalina. Either the install wouldn’t start or would freeze before it completes.

Fix: Many users have reported that restarting your Mac and trying again can help. One beta tester reported the installer hanging, leaving his drive unbootable. That’s a worst-case scenario, and you may need to consider reverting to Mojave until there is a fix. Refer to the instructions later in this review.

Issue 2: You Don’t Have Enough Disk Space to Complete the Installation

The Catalina installation files will take up some space after you download them, then they’ll need working space on top of the space the operating system will take up once installed. Make sure you have more space than you think you’ll need.

One user on Reddit was told during installation that he was 427.3 MB short. He deleted more than enough room to receive a similar error message, but this time he was 2 GB short! So he did a thorough cleanup of 26 GB of files. Now the Catalina reports that he’s 2.6 GB short. There may be a bug there.

Fix: Whether you encounter the same problem or not, you’ll have a much easier time of backing up your computer and installing Catalina if you have as much space available as possible. Check out our best Mac cleaner review, or see our recommendations in “Before You Start!” above.

Issue 3: Activation Lock Won’t Let You Access Your Mac

Activation Lock is a feature on Macs with a T2 Security Chip that allows you to erase and deactivate your Mac if it is stolen. Apple Support reports that this will cause problems installing Catalina (as it should assuming that Mac is stolen).

If you use Recovery Assistant to erase a Mac that has Activation Lock enabled, you won’t be able to unlock it when reinstalling macOS. (52017040)

Fix: Assuming your Mac isn’t (still) stolen, open the Find My app on another device or from the iCloud.com website. Remove your Mac from the associated Apple ID, then restart your Mac and reinstall Catalina.

Using Catalina

Now that Catalina is running, a new adventure begins. Does Catalina run correctly? Do my apps work? Is the system stable? Here I encountered a few problems, and we’ll also cover major issues reported by Apple and other users.

Issue 4: Catalina Runs Slow on Startup

If your Mac runs slow on startup, there may be a number of problems you can fix yourself that aren’t directly caused by Catalina:

You may have too many apps that open automatically on startup,
You may be running out of storage space,
You may have an internal hard drive rather than SSD (solid-state drive).

Fix: To decrease the number of apps that open automatically when you log in:

Click the Apple logo at the top left and select System Preferences,
Navigate to Users & Groups then Login Items,
Highlight any apps that don’t need to open automatically, and click the “-“ button at the bottom of the list.

CleanMyMac will let you disable automatically starting apps that have been missed with the method above. Under the Speed module go to Optimization / Launch Agents and remove any further apps you don’t want to open at login.

To check how full your startup disk is:

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Click the Apple logo at the top left and select About This Mac,
Click the Storage button at the top of the window,
Click the Manage button to see a detailed overview of what types of files are using the most storage. That’s a good place to start a cleanup.
You may also find the Store in iCloud, Optimize Storage, Empty Bin Automatically and Reduce Clutter buttons helpful.

Under Reduce Clutter you’ll find a new feature: Unsupported Apps. There’s no point keeping these apps on your Mac since they won’t run, and deleting them will free up space.

Finally, upgrading your startup drive to an SSD is the easiest way to boost the performance of your Mac. When SoftwareHow’s JP upgraded his MacBook his startup speed went from thirty seconds to just ten!

Issue 5: Some of Your App Icons are Missing in Finder

Apple Support warns that under certain circumstances some of your app icons may be missing:

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If you used Migration Assistant to migrate your data to a Mac running macOS Catalina beta, you might see only third-party applications when clicking the Applications shortcut in the Finder sidebar. (51651200)

Fix: To get your icons back:

Open Finder, then select Finder / Preferences from the menu,
Navigate to the Sidebar tab at the top,
Select then remove the application’s shortcut that is displaying incorrect results.

Issue 6: Your Playlists Are Missing in the New Music App

Now that iTunes is gone, I was keen to try the new Music app. But when I first opened it I noticed my playlists were gone. There’s only one there: the Genius playlist.

Fix: The fix is easy: turn on iCloud Music Library. Go to Preferences and on the General tab, you’ll see a tick box that does just that. Wait for everything to sync, and your playlists will be back!

Issue 7: Third-Party Apps are Slow or Unable to Open

If some of your third-party apps crash or won’t open, first make sure you have the latest version. Open the Mac App Store and go to the Updates tab. Click the Update All button. Then check for any updates for apps you downloaded from elsewhere.

If you rely on any apps that are not currently compatible with Catalina, hopefully, you discovered that before updating to it. If not, you’ll have to wait for an update or look for an alternate program.

Issue 8: You’re Unable to Sign Into iCloud

When starting the Catalina beta for the first time, I (and others) couldn’t sign into iCloud. There was a System Preferences notification that led us on a wild goose chase:

There was a message: “Some account services require you to sign in again.” I clicked Continue.
I got another message, “Some account services require you to sign in again.” I clicked Continue.
I went back to Step 1, a frustrating endless loop.

Fix: Fortunately, this problem was fixed by the next beta update a few days later. If you’re still having this problem just run System Update from System Preferences.

Issue 9: Your Desktop Icons Have Vanished

Possibly related to the problem above, I noticed that all of my desktop icons had vanished. Worse still, if I tried to move something to the desktop or create a new file or folder there, it didn’t appear. The same thing happened when taking screenshots: they never appeared on the desktop.

To investigate, I opened Finder and looked at the Desktop folder. The files were actually there! They hadn’t been deleted, they just weren’t being displayed on the desktop.

Fix: I decided to try restarting my MacBook, and all of the desktop icons were there when I logged in.

Issue 10: You Can’t Empty the Trash

I right clicked on my Trash Can and selected “Empty Bin”. After the usual confirmation dialog, everything seemed to go well. Except the trash looks like it’s still full! When I open the trash to see what’s in it, I get an empty Finder window with a “Loading” message that never goes away.

Fix: I assumed the issue may be related to the one above when I couldn’t log in to iCloud, and I think I was right. The same beta update that fixed that problem fixed this one too.

Issue 11: You Have No Internet

I haven’t experienced this problem myself, but some users report not being able to access the Internet after installing Catalina. In each case, they were using the Little Snitch utility, which isn’t yet compatible with Catalina.

Fix: There are two ways to get internet access back:

Uninstall Little Snitch,
Change your Little Snitch settings that give it access to the nightly update. That update is compatible with Catalina.

Issue 12: Wi-Fi Disconnecting

Has your Mac’s Wi-Fi frustrated you since upgrading to macOS Catalina? You’re not alone. The release of macOS 10.15 seems to be buggier than usual.

Fix: We created a step-by-step guide for this macOS Catalina WiFi issue here.

Optimizing Catalina

Now that you’ve installed Catalina and sorted out any issues with the new operating system and your apps, you may still find yourself wanting to boost your Mac’s performance.

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1. Declutter Your Desktop

Many of us are used to saving everything on the desktop, but that’s never a good idea. A cluttered desktop can seriously slow down a Mac. And additionally, even with Catalina’s new Stacks feature, it’s simply bad for organization.

Instead, manually create some new folders under Documents, and move your files in. If you have to, just have the documents you’re currently working on on your desktop, and file them away afterward.

2. Reset NVRAM and SMC

If your Mac is not booting correctly after updating to Catalina you can perform a simple NVRAM or SMC resetting. First back up your computer, then follow these detailed step-by-step instructions from Apple Support:

3. Check Your Activity Monitor

Third-party apps can potentially slow down or freeze your Mac. The best way to pinpoint the cause of such problems is your Activity Monitor.

You’ll find Activity Monitor in your Utilities folder under Applications, or just use Spotlight to search for it. Once you identify a problem app, check the developer’s site to see if there’s an update, or turn to an alternative one.

From Apple Support:

Reverting Back to Mojave

If you discover your favorite app doesn’t work, or for some reason decide that it isn’t time to upgrade quite yet, you can downgrade back to Mojave. You can always give Catalina another try in the future.

The easiest way is to restore a Time Machine backup if you have one. Just make sure that the backup was created when you were still running Mojave, and your computer will be put back to the same state it was at that time. Of course, you’ll lose any files you created after the backup.

Restart your Mac and hold Command and R to get to macOS Utilities.

Make sure your backup drive is connected to your Mac, then choose the Restore From Time Machine Backup option.
Click Continue, then choose the backup that you want to restore from.
Click Continue after you choose the latest backup and then wait for the restore to complete.

Alternatively, you can do a clean install of Mojave. You’ll lose all of your data and will need to restore it from a backup. Apple Support has instructions about how to do this from your Recovery Partition.

Final Thoughts

Operating system updates can be time-consuming. In previous years it took JP two days to update his Mac to High Sierra and less than two hours for Mojave. It only took an hour for me to install Catalina on my seven-year-old 11” MacBook Air.

Maybe I’m cheating because JP included the time it took to clean up and back up his Mac, and I’d already done that. And the hour doesn’t include time spent installing Catalina beta updates as they became available. In any case, that type of steady improvement version after version is encouraging.

From here I look forward to exploring the new Music and Apple TV apps, making use of enhancements to the Photos and Notes apps, using my iPad as a second screen (well, once I upgrade my iMac later this month), and automatically logging in when I’m wearing my Apple watch.

Which features are you looking forward to most? How was your upgrade experience? Did your Mac run slowly after updating to macOS Catalina? Let us know in the comments.