How can I get my iMac to upgrade to Monterey OS from Big Sur if it won't find it with Software update? I have checked compatibility, decluttered, backed up, turned off ad block, and tried to get Monterey on the Apple store (but it just tries to search on Software Update again). It can try "Finding Update..." for over an hour and keep on searching. Do I need to let it search longer before I give up?
iMac 21.5″, macOS 11.6
The App store wouldn't let me choose the Monterey installer. It kept sending me back to Software Update spinning fruitlessly. I finally had success in following advice to unplug my printer, external DVD drive, external hard drive, etc., and then going to System Preferences, selecting Users and Groups and choosing Login Items then getting rid of the 4 items that may have been keeping Software Update from finding anything. After that, I chose Software Update in the About this Apple window, and it found Big Sur 11.6.4 to update to (I'd been at 11.6), and a newer Safari. After updating both, macOS Monterey is now an option for me to "upgrade now" to in Software Update.
To add - if the user profile is accurate and running an out date version of Big Sur macOS 11.6 - suggest updating to latest version 11.6.4 before attempting the Monterey upGrade.
Have seen numerous persons attempting Monterey before updating the present version of macOS and have had issues and some failures.
You need an iMac introduced in late 2015 or later
It’s not an update. Go to the Mac App Store and get the Monterey installer.
Software Update keeps searching for Monterey OS and not finding.
