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Updating to MacOs Sonoma Stuck at 5 minutes

I'm trying to update my device to MacOs Sonoma.


Device machine and basic specs:

M2 Macbook Air running Ventura 13.6


Was prompted for a software update and hence did so. But it's been stuck at this 5 minute timer for more than hour.


Have restarted device to no avail. Any idea what's wrong?


Apple usually nails the update process, but this is a horrendous experience.


MacBook Air

Posted on Sep 29, 2023 9:30 AM

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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Feb 1, 2024 4:09 PM

This is a common issue that many users have faced. The update process may take longer than expected, even when it says “About 5 minutes remaining”. This is because the update is not only downloading the content, but also preparing and installing the OS.

Some possible solutions that you can try are:


  • Wait patiently. The update may eventually complete, even if it takes more than an hour. Do not restart your Mac or use it while the update is in progress.
  • Empty your trash bin. Some of my friends recommended that this helped them speed up the update process.
  • Install the update from Safe Mode. This can help you troubleshoot if there is a software problem that is causing the update to fail. To do this, you need to shut down your Mac, turn it on and then immediately press and hold the Shift key until you see the login window. Then, you can install the update from the System Preferences app. After the update is done, you can restart your Mac normally.


I hope this helps you resolve your issue. If not, you may need to check try more troubleshooting steps like here I found this, in which this issue is explained in detail and the provided 8 ways to fix macOS Sonoma stuck at 5 minutes remaining.

43 replies
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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Feb 1, 2024 4:09 PM in response to needhelpdespo

This is a common issue that many users have faced. The update process may take longer than expected, even when it says “About 5 minutes remaining”. This is because the update is not only downloading the content, but also preparing and installing the OS.

Some possible solutions that you can try are:


  • Wait patiently. The update may eventually complete, even if it takes more than an hour. Do not restart your Mac or use it while the update is in progress.
  • Empty your trash bin. Some of my friends recommended that this helped them speed up the update process.
  • Install the update from Safe Mode. This can help you troubleshoot if there is a software problem that is causing the update to fail. To do this, you need to shut down your Mac, turn it on and then immediately press and hold the Shift key until you see the login window. Then, you can install the update from the System Preferences app. After the update is done, you can restart your Mac normally.


I hope this helps you resolve your issue. If not, you may need to check try more troubleshooting steps like here I found this, in which this issue is explained in detail and the provided 8 ways to fix macOS Sonoma stuck at 5 minutes remaining.

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Sep 30, 2023 10:34 AM in response to needhelpdespo

I just installed Sonoma yesterday, on a 14" M1 Pro. It also sat at the 5 min mark for at least half an hour, but it eventually completed. This mismatch between the promised time to install and the real time has happened with almost every new OS installation I've done (mostly on a 2013 MBP), so I wasn't worried.

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Oct 3, 2023 9:46 AM in response to needhelpdespo

My apple m1 ventura 13.5 also got stuck at "About 5 minutes remaining"; but it completed the download after ~1.5 hours and prompted to do the actual update (my network is at ~550mbps on my apple devices and upwards of 900mbps for devices with ethernet, not sure why this download took so long). It then got stuck at "5 minutes remaining" again on the actual update, this time it only took ~50 minutes to complete.

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Feb 5, 2024 10:01 AM in response to Appleprolover

Thank you so much! I’ve been trying to install this since it became available but it would just barely start and then stall out. I’ve emptied the trash, shut it down and then opened while holding the shift key. I’ve gotten much further than ever before… it now says “about 30 minutes remaining “, so we’ll see. Fingers crossed.

Hope that this update is worth all this trouble but it doesn’t seem to bode well.

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Nov 14, 2023 12:13 AM in response to needhelpdespo

Currently going on two hours here. Had to force restart and now I’m back to square one with the download page saying ‘52 mins remaining…’

This has been the worst/slowest update process yet and has me reconsidering my choice to use a Mac computer. Thank god Black Friday is soon…

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Oct 3, 2023 7:33 PM in response to fordus_maximus454

I don't think it has to do with downloading. When I watch the network traffic on Activity Monitor, that usually goes pretty quick: the traffic is high and then drops to virtually nothing in a few minutes. The installer must be actually "preparing" the OS. Why that takes so long is a mystery for Apple's software folks to explain.

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Jun 11, 2024 5:20 AM in response to needhelpdespo

If any of the previous tips don’t work (they didn’t for me) try this:


* Go here: How to download and install macOS - Apple Support

* Click the App Store link for Sonoma.

* Click Get


It should restart the download, and longer be stuck on preparing afterwards. Worked for me!

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Updating to MacOs Sonoma Stuck at 5 minutes

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