macOS Sonoma Upgrade Failed | Three Tested Solutions for 2024

Apple has officially released the latest version of its desktop operating system, macOS Sonoma. The macOS 14, which made its debut at the 2023 Worldwide Developers Conference, is now available to developers. Some of the newest features in macOS Sonoma include the ability to use web apps in the Dock, interactive widgets on the desktop, and a locked private browsing mode, among others. Amidst the excitement over Sonoma's various attractions, there have been reports of users encountering issues with the macOS Sonoma upgrade failing.

However, the most common macOS Sonoma update failed issues include the macOS download getting stuck, macOS Sonoma installation failed, and MacBook not restarting after upgrading to macOS 14. If your Mac is facing such an issue, worry not! This article will introduce you to 3 practical ways to fix the macOS Sonoma update failed error.

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Why did the macOS Sonoma upgrade fail?

While downloading and installing macOS, you might encounter fake alerts for various reasons. Here are some common causes of the macOS Sonoma update failing:

Insufficient storage space for macOS Sonoma

Insufficient storage space is the most common reason for a macOS Sonoma upgrade to fail. The installer package for macOS Sonoma is 13 GB, so your computer needs to have 13 GB of free space. If you don't have enough room, you'll see this warning, along with "MacOS Software Update Failed."

"Your Mac doesn't support macOS Sonoma."

Incompatibility is another reason for upgrade issues. You can't install macOS Sonoma on an incompatible MacBook. It's best to verify that your system is compatible with the latest macOS version you want to install before upgrading your Mac to macOS Sonoma.

If you have an unsupported Mac that you want to install macOS Sonoma on, read this article to learn how to install Sonoma on unsupported Macs.

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The macOS Sonoma installer is damaged

A corrupted installer file is also a significant reason why you can't install macOS Sonoma. This means that you have to delete the installer and download it again. Prepare to delete the installer from the Applications folder and don't forget to Empty Trash on your MacBook.

Before you upgrade, make sure your MacBook is compatible with macOS Sonoma, and then check your Mac's RAM and storage space.

macOS Sonoma is compatible with the following MacBook models:

• 2017 iMac Pro
• 2018 and later MacBook Pro models
• 2019 and later iMac models
• 2019 and later Mac Pro models
• 2022 and later Mac Studio

To view storage on your MacBook in Finder, follow these steps:

Step 1: Open Finder and locate your disk in the sidebar.

Step 2: You need to right-click on the disk and choose “Get Info.”

Step 3: Under “General,” look for how much storage is “Available” and how much is currently being used.

How to troubleshoot macOS upgrade failures

This section will outline the top 3 methods to fix the macOS Sonoma update failure issue. If you're encountering the problem of macOS Sonoma not upgrading, here are some solutions and detailed steps to try:

Fix 1: Restart your Mac to address the failed macOS Sonoma update issue

Restarting your MacBook can resolve many common issues, such as an unsuccessful macOS Monterey update. Here are the best steps to restart your MacBook:

Step one: Click the Apple logo, and from the drop-down menu select “Restart.”

Step 2: When the dialog box appears, hold down the Touch ID and "Control" key to choose "Restart." If your Mac is frozen and unresponsive, you should perform a hard restart on MacBook instead.

Solution 2: Upgrade to macOS Sonoma in Recovery Mode

Recovery Mode is a special boot mode that loads without the operating system. It can help you fix problems with your MacBook. If you're having trouble upgrading to macOS Sonoma, you can try upgrading to macOS 14 in Recovery Mode instead. Here's how:

< b > Step 1: < /b > Shut down your system completely.

Step 2: Hold down the Touch ID button (also called the power button) for a few seconds until you see the “Loading Startup Options” screen.

Step 3: Click the option next to the Mac Sonoma Beta Full Installer, then click Continue.

Step 4. If prompted, enter the administrator name and password, then start your Mac in Recovery Mode.

Step 5: Click “Reinstall macOS,” and proceed.

If you can't get your Mac to boot into Recovery Mode, don't worry! This article will provide effective solutions to fix the issue.

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Fix 3: Create a USB installer to upgrade to macOS Sonoma

You can quickly install the macOS Sonoma developer beta on a USB thumb drive and use that to upgrade multiple Macs to macOS 14 without having to download the huge macOS file each time.

You can create a bootable macOS Sonoma USB to perform the upgrade, which means that the previous macOS will be erased during the new installation. That's how you format the USB. So, make sure to back up your data before using it. The steps are as follows:

Step 1: Insert the USB flash drive into your MacBook.

Step 2: Disk Utility formats the USB flash drive using the Mac OS Extended format.

Step 3 Next, in the Terminal, enter the following command, replacing “My Volume” with the name of your volume:

Run the following command as an administrator: sudo /Applications/Install\ macOS\ Sonoma.app/Contents/Resources/createinstallmedia --volume /Volumes/myvolume

Please run the following command:

If prompted, type your administrator password and press Return.

Step 5: Type Y and press the Enter key to confirm.

Step 6: You should see a message that says “Terminal Would Like to Access Files on the Removable Volume,” followed by an “OK” button.

Step 7: After quitting the terminal, plug in the USB cable to complete the update.

So far, your Mac or MacBook has been upgraded to the fresh macOS Sonoma installation.

Additional Tip: Recover Data After a Failed macOS Sonoma Upgrade

The latest macOS Sonoma update brought new features to your MacBook and fixed some technical issues. But that has nothing to do with the files on your PC. If your Mac update deleted everything, the main reason could be an interrupted macOS installation or insufficient Mac storage space.

Similarly, if the upgrade to macOS Sonoma fails, you might lose your data! But do you know there is a top-notch data recovery software that can help restore your data after a failed macOS Sonoma update? The user-friendly professional data recovery tool, the Mac Data Recovery Wizard, can assist you in recovering your lost photos after macOS Sonoma update with just a few clicks.

You can recover deleted files from macOS Sonoma, or after a failed upgrade to macOS Sonoma, by following these steps:

Note: You can click "Disk Backup" on the left to create a backup first. This way, you can restore data from the backup image when the disk is damaged or data on the disk is accidentally deleted or lost.

Step 1: Choose the location

Select the disk from which you lost data after updating to macOS Sonoma/Ventura/Monterey/Big Sur. Then, click “Search Lost Files.”

Step 2: Look for the Lost Data after Scanning

Data Recovery Wizard for Mac will scan the disk volume you select immediately, and display the scan results on the left. You can search for your desired data on your Mac by file type and file path.

Step 3: Recover Data after macOS Update

Select the target files that got accidentally lost during or after the update, and click on the “Recover” button to get them all back.

Conclusion

This article outlines three useful tricks to fix a stuck Mac update. These solutions could be very helpful in resolving your macOS Monterey upgrade failure. I sincerely hope one of these methods helps you overcome the update issue. Should you experience data loss after resolving this error, downloading a professional data recovery tool – like Data Recovery Wizard for Mac – is your best solution!

Frequently Asked Questions about Failed macOS Sonoma Upgrades

Let's explore the topic further with some common questions:

1. Why does my macOS Sonoma update keep failing?

There can be several reasons why you're unable to upgrade your macOS Ventura to Sonoma. Common issues include insufficient disk space, hardware incompatibility, and network problems. Make sure your Mac meets Apple's hardware requirements, check the available storage space, and establish a reliable internet connection.

How do I update Sonoma on my Mac?

When it's done, go to Settings > General > Software Update and download macOS Sonoma. Then click the “i” button next to Beta Software Updates and choose macOS Sonoma Developer Beta from the dropdown.

Why can't I install Sonoma on my Mac?

Software incompatibility is one of the main reasons why you can't install Sonoma. The Mac operating system version that supports Sonoma doesn't work with all Mac models. If you have a non-iMac Pro Mac from 2017 or later, you can't install the macOS Sonoma update on your device. Starting in 2018, MacBook Air, Pro, and Mini devices are also incompatible.