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remove Catalina off my MacBook

How to remove Catalina off my MacBook I am currently using BigSur but the Catalina download won't delete

MacBook Air 13″, macOS 11.2

Posted on Feb 4, 2021 9:03 PM

Reply
5 replies

Feb 6, 2021 4:09 PM in response to MISSMISSY45

Hi MISSMISSY45,


If the app "Install macOS Catalina" is stuck on your Mac, here's how to delete it.


First, try these steps:


  1. Open Finder, then go to the Applications folder.
  2. Eject any disks that appear in the sidebar (except for Macintosh HD).
  3. Right-click (or hold down Control as you click on) Install macOS Catalina, then click Move to Trash.
  4. If prompted, enter your administrator name and password.
  5. Empty the Trash.


If the above steps don't work, try these steps. Please follow them carefully; they involve a dangerous command (rm) that is designed to instantly delete any files and data given to it.


  1. Log into an administrator account.
  2. Open Finder, and eject any disks that appear in the sidebar (except for Macintosh HD).
  3. Open Terminal, located in Applications -> Utilities.
  4. Type "sudo rm -rf" without the quotes, and add a space. Do NOT press Enter (Return).
  5. Drag the Install macOS Catalina app into the Terminal window. The path to the installer should auto-complete inside the Terminal window.
  6. Click on the Terminal window, then press Enter (Return).
  7. Type your administrator password when prompted. Terminal doesn't show any characters as you type your password.
  8. If no error messages appear, the Install macOS Catalina application has been successfully deleted.

Feb 6, 2021 5:50 PM in response to MISSMISSY45

Hi MISSMISSY45,


I'd like to verify that no disks are attached to your Mac. When the macOS installer opens (including the Install macOS Catalina app), a virtual disk called "SharedSupport" is attached to your Mac to help with the macOS installation.


In order to delete "Install macOS Catalina" from your Mac, we need to make sure that SharedSupport isn't attached to your Mac. To check this:


EDIT: First, quit all apps on your Mac. Then do the following:


  1. Open a new Finder window.
  2. In the menu bar at the top of the screen, select Go -> Go to Folder.
  3. Type "/Volumes" without the quotes and hit Enter (Return). Be sure to include the slash.
  4. Eject any disks that appear there except for Macintosh HD.
  5. Try to delete the Install macOS Catalina app again.

remove Catalina off my MacBook

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