Every Mac user is excited to update his laptop to a new version of Operating System. Recently, Apple released macOS Catalina. However, it’s worth mentioning that every new update has some issues. This time many people faced with an error that macOS Catalina won’t download or simply the the downloading process failed. There are many reasons behind this particular issue. We’ll discuss possible solutions to end the error of stuck Catalina download from Appstore.
Reasons macOS Catalina won’t download:
Definitely the internet connection is the biggest reason behind this particular error. One of the foremost reasons is the over usage of Apple users. As soon as an important update is announced, the download servers face an upward trajectory in traffic usage. As a result, weak or non-consistent internet connections often fail to download the update.
The same download error in case of macOS Catalina update, can happen after a complete download. The downloaded file due to a weak internet connection is corrupt. A failure to download few bytes can corrupt the entire installation file.
Furthermore, another reason for a failed Catalina download, can be the storage issue. Sometimes users are not aware of the available space in their computers. An update requires free space. The amount of free space needed for an update is mentioned in the update documents.
Solution to macOS Catalina failed download:
1. Make sure Apple servers are not loaded – The first step to ensure is the availability of the Apple servers. Go to this page and check the status of major apple services. The macOS update server should show green status.
2. Check device compatibility – The device on which you are downloading macOS Catalina must be compatible with the update. You need to do a quick google search or visit Apple Update docs to check if your device is supported or not. For macOS Catalina following devices are supported:
- MacBook Pro (mid 2012 onward)
- MacBook Air (mid 2012 onward)
- iMac (late 2012 onward)
- Mac Mini (late 2012 onward)
- Mac Pro (late 2013 onward)
- 12-inch MacBook (early 2015 onward)
- iMac Pro (2017 onward)
3. Ensure 15-20GB of Free Space on your device – Free storage is necessary for update. The macOS Catalina download file may be of few GBs; however, once extracted it can take huge space. Therefore, it’s advised to make sure that 15-20GB of space is available for the update.
4. Internet Connection should be Stable (Prefer using LAN) – Modern 3G and 5G networks can sometimes becomes unstable due to the non-availability of better signals. macOS Catalina won’t download in case your internet connection is interrupted. In order to make sure that the internet remains constant, prefer using LAN. Cable internet doesn’t face fluctuations due to signal discrepancies.
5. Restart your router and give it a respite of 5 minutes – Most internet connections come with a dynamic public IP. Therefore, it’s advised to restart your router. After you turn off your router, make sure you give it a respite of 5 minutes. Turn on your router. Go to Appstore and search for macOS Catalina. Re-download it.
6. Restart your device to delete temporary files – Sometimes unfinished update files can also take up more space. These files can also hamper the other update processes. Therefore, it’s advised that after macOS Catalina download fail, restart your device. It shouldn’t be a soft restart, instead perform a proper restart.
7. Delete the partially downloaded file before internet or device restart – A partially downloaded setup file can also cause the download to fail. Therefore, one should find a file “Install macOS 10.15” through search and delete it. In case you can’t find the file, simply search “Install macOS”. Delete the file and then restart your device.
8. Download macOS Catalina from Appstore – Instead of using the Mojave built-in update panel. Open Appstore and search for macOS Catalina. Download the operating system from the Appstore.
