macOS 10.14.3 Update can't be installed on this disk...

I have an SSD, formatted, apparently, AFPS. It was running on 10.14.2 just fine this morning. It still is except now it has a wedged 10.14.3 Software Update that can't complete installing for who knows what reason. And the 10.14.3 Combo Update reports it can't be installed on this disk. So all this HFS Fusion drive noise doesn't apply to all of us.

Because if you are running Mojave on an HD with HFS+, it would be reasonable to expect that you can update it.

Once again, since the Mojave installer will convert boot drives to APFS as part of the install, you’ve created an unsupported configuration if you somehow do have Mojave running on an HFS+ drive.

Mojave converted my SSD drive in my laptop to APFS, but has not yet converted the fusion drive in my iMac which is still running HFS+ even after several Mojave updates.

I'm actually surprised by that; every source I've read says that all boot drives - including Fusion and spinning hard drives - are converted to APFS by the Mojave installer.

I have the same problem with the 10.14.3 combo update, for me the problem did not start with Mojave or this update.

Since installing Mac OS High Sierra I have not been able to install any system updates.

The incremental system updates download fine from the App store then I press restart. The computer changes to the black screen with the white Apple and the the message installing update, the progress bar does not move, after a couple of minutes the Macbook restarts without installing the update and leaving a folder named macOS Install Data on my hard drive.

For every update I have tried the following:

- Restarting in Safe Mode to install.

- Reseting the NVRAM and the SMC.

- Reinstalling Mac OS from recovery partition and internet recover.

- Downloading combo updates.

- Running Disk First Aid from recovery partition.

- Enabling Root User to install.

Non of these actions have resolve the issue. The only method I have found to work is downloading the combo update on another Mac and then installing it on the Macbook Prom using target disk mode.

By the way I have this issue on two computers, an iMac 27 and a Macbook Pro, both are formatted as APFS drives.

Mojave converted my SSD drive in my laptop to APFS, but has not yet converted the fusion drive in my iMac which is still running HFS+ even after several Mojave updates.

I'm actually surprised by that; every source I've read says that all boot drives - including Fusion and spinning hard drives - are converted to APFS by the Mojave installer.

William, that is correct. I have two iMac's with Fusion drives and both were converted to APFS. You have to take special measures to install Mojave on a HFS+ drive.

In my previous post I neglected to mention that I was able to update both computers to Mojave using target disk mode, it installed fine and it runs perfectly. Installing Mojave did not solve the update issue, I am still using disk target mode to install updates.

I'm not sure why you're telling me but it looks like you did mention it in your previous post.

"The only method I have found to work is downloading the combo update on

another Mac and then installing it on the Macbook Prom using target disk

mode."

Just that when Mojave came out I was unable to install it through the App Store for the reasons mention in my original post, I had to copy the Mojave installer to my MacBook Pro and use target disk mode to install it in the iMac 27. I used the same process to install it on the MacBook Pro.

Yes. You've mentioned that three times now. And I'm still not sure why you are telling me. But since the third time's a charm, there had to be some reason you had to go to such measures that was local to your Macs.

I have to admit that it's a very strange way apple changed the way with the combo update. Not sure if the message such as: "volume does not meet the requirements of 10.14.3" is the best way to tell the customer use the updater instead of combo updater.

Welp, 2 days later and Apple still hasn't fixed it.. Thank god I found this thread, I didn't even get notified by Software Update that it was out, I just saw it on an audio forum this morning and grabbed the combo heh. Anyways, 2010 Mac Pro running 10.14.2 here, same issue with the Combo Update. Wasn't sure if it was because SIP is disabled, or if Apple decided to pull the plug on us that went and bought PC Radeons to upgrade (who also have to use third party kexts just to get HDMI audio working again) or what.. Downloaded the Delta and it went fine.

Now to make sure Logic and my firewire audio interface still work!

My bad. I have 3 hard drives showing in System Report and all this time I've been looking at the wrong one (the default first listing, which is alphabetical, is not the boot drive, but one of the 2 backups which are both HFS+). The iMac is APFS.

I updated 2 laptops last night from 10.14.2 to 10.14.3 using the System Update (not the combo download) and both went through without a problem. System Update seems to take a while to tell me that an update is available. Each laptop told me that 10.14.2 was the current version until I waited it out and clicked on the Advanced button and waited some more. But I've had that behavior on previous Mac updates as well as iOS updates on devices, where the updater just doesn't have the latest information. It used to be you'd get popups telling you there was an update available and I haven't seen those in a while.

I can confirm that I am having the same problem on a MacMini 2018, MacBook 2015, and MacBook Pro 2016. On the 2016 MacBook Pro, I did the 10.14.3 Updater and was then able to run the Combo updater. I'm going to try it on the MacMini and check the Build numbers from the Updater and then after the Combo Update

After the Update install and then the Combo Update install, both times the version number shows as 10.14.3 (18D42). So I don't really know if it makes a difference, but I just feel better doing the Combo Update.

My guess is that Apple does not see this as a priority as only a very small minority of users install the Combo. I'm sure they will fix it... just not sure it will be anytime soon. I think I will just download the Delta and install on my two iMacs and MacAir... and be done with this mess.