Unable to install Catalina - cannot select MacintoshHD icon

Question

Unable to install Catalina - cannot select MacintoshHD icon

I am unable to upgrade my iMac to Catalina as I cannot select the Macintosh HD using either a bootable installer or in Recovery Mode.

Here are the steps I've taken:

1. My goal was to do a clean install on the iMac - wipe it clean and start fresh with Catalina. The iMac is compatible with Catalina being only a couple years old.

2. I downloaded the Catalina installer and created a bootable installer on a thumb drive using the instructions here: https://support.apple.com/en-ca/HT201372 The process completed fine. (Note: unsure if important but I downloaded and created the installer on a MacBook Pro, not on the iMac where I need to do the install.)

3. I booted the iMac from the bootable installer. I used Disk Utility and erased the Macintosh HD and made it APFS (only four options were available and all were APFS related). I believe now that this step wasn't necessary but I thought it was in order to create a clean install.

4. I then chose "Install macOS" from the macOS Utilities screen and navigated to the screen where you "Select the disk where you want to install macOS". I can see the MacintoshHD but it is impossible to select it. It is not greyed out, but the installer disc is as you would expect.

I was initially navigating the install process with just the keyboard as my bluetooth Magic Mouse would no longer connect to the iMac and I did not have a corded mouse to try with. Since I could not select the MacintoshHD with just the keyboard - using any combination of keys - I then activated Voice Over and tried to target the MacintoshHD that way. I was able to target the macintoshHD icon using VO but still not able to select it to start the install process. (First time using VO and used web sources to assist.)

5. After unsuccessfully troubleshooting this install I then tried to install using Recovery Mode. I removed the bootable installer, booted into Recovery Mode and was initially faced with what I found out was a common problem of not being able to connect to my WIFI in Recovery Mode. I then had to troubleshoot this, wherein I had to temporarily turn off security for the router to get it to connect. Once it connected I was again able to once again get to the "Select the disk where you want to install macOS" screen but I still could not select the MacintoshHD using the keyboard. It was not greyed out. Once again I activated VO but once again I could not get to a point where I could select the drive to install.

What are my next steps? I cannot boot up the iMac of course as it doesn't have any system files on it as I wiped it clean.

I do have a Time Machine back-up of my Macbook Pro and I have considered using this to try and get the iMac back up and running, but only as a last resort. Once again i was hoping for a clean install on the iMac.

Any suggestions?

iMac Line (2012 and Later)

Posted on Jul 3, 2020 11:23 AM

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Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

steve626

Level 6

11,357 points

Jul 3, 2020 11:53 AM in response to Josef Stevens

You have multiple things going on that make it hard to tell what went wrong.

(1) You should get a mouse that works with what you have before trying anything as significant like erasing and reformatting and installing a new OS. If this means you need to obtain a wired mouse, so be it.

(2) For several reasons, you should ensure that you have an internet connection. And when there is a router with a password, booting into recovery allows you to select the network and enter its password. So you seem to have something else going on there but I can't tell what it might be.

(3) With a working mouse, follow the instructions exactly here: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT208496 It explains step by step what to do, and precisely which APFS option(s) to select, including the GUID Partition Map. Make sure you are erasing the disk, not just the volume.

I am guessing that not being to proceed with the disk that you see has something to do with the lack of a mouse to click with, or possibly a format option you might have selected. But it's impossible to tell, and it would be best to start over with everything set up properly. Booting into recovery and reformatting and installing a new OS is normally straightforward, I have done it several times and have never seen those issues.

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Answer 2

Jul 3, 2020 12:07 PM in response to steve626

Thank you for the replies Steve.

Yes, I plan to get a mouse for this but also reasonably assumed that Mac's notorious accessibility might allow me to do this with the keyboard or VO. Indeed many troubleshooting sites suggest this is the case.
Yes indeed booting into recovery allowed me to select the WIFI network but would NOT accept my password. This is not an uncommon problem, you can read it about it many places including within these forums. I did find the workaround, as I noted, but the problem was very real.
I've just reformatted as APFS with the GUID Partition Map following the instructions at the link you provided. Unfortunately I still have the same problem.

I've done many installs of MacOS and OS X (and earlier back to OS7) in my time. I have a decent confidence level in my ability to do this, but the roadblocks this time are very unusual...

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Answer 3

Jul 3, 2020 11:51 AM in response to Luis Sequeira1

Thank you for the reply Luis.

I've just now selected the whole drive, erased and reformatted. I chose Mac OS Extended (Journaled) as format (first in list). Unfortunately when trying again to install, when I arrive at the "Select the disk..." screen I am still unable to select the icon.

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