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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
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:
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.
Thank you. It is good to know and sad that Apple Engs cannot have something as basic as this correct.
I've been stuck at 30mins 'preparing Sonoma update' for a long, long, long time. Brand new Studio M2.
In fact, it is so annoying it has prompted me to leave this comment; my first comment in ten years of being on apple discussions.
(Pair this with the unbelievably annoying fact that setting up the Studio with third party bluetooth mouse & keyboard is almost impossible... and I find my belief in Apple products is being truly tested).
arganto wrote:
And you really think, that so many users, who have exactly the same symptoms with the same update starting the day before yesterday have now all hardware as reason of the problem? Don't think so.
The earlier posts were for 14.0, and some users were updating from Big Sur while others were coming from Ventura and more recently others from earlier versions of Sonoma. And the images posted show varying progress with the update with some "preparing" and others stuck at finishing. Some emptied their trash and then the update finished. Others tried that but it did not help everyone. In some cases it is UPDATE to Sonoma while others had the problem UPGRADING from an earlier MacOS. Without understanding a user's specific configuration, it's hard for third parties reading to make a diagnosis. Sometimes these issues are a result of specific configurations on a Mac or things that have been installed. Some of the culprits in the past include anti-virus, security tools, and "cleaner" utilities.
My employer just mandated all Macs (we have more than 3000 Macs in use here) update in April to the latest version of Sonoma. This includes some Macs on Big Sur but most are either on Ventura or a lower version of Sonoma. We have a Slack channel for problems to be reported and I have seen ... none ... so far in April, although some posters did complain about how long the update took to complete. I'm not questioning the reality of the issue being reported in this thread, but there may be multiple causes and in the past, at least some of these have been traced to user-installed items. And I do stick by my suggestion that hardware should be investigated if the update freezes on a BRAND NEW Mac with nothing installed nor migrated from a previous setup, factory fresh, as there are scores and scores of Macs being sold every day and the first thing all those users do is update to 14.4.1, sometimes while still in the Apple Store. All the new Macs at my place of work are updated to 14.4.1 the day they are delivered (I am getting one this coming week and expect to do that first thing).
My 2019 i5 MacBook Air updated no problem but my new M2 MacMini got hung on that 5 minute mark as well. It did finally move on after about 20 minutes of just sitting there, mocking me.
needhelpdespo wrote:
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.
https://discussions.apple.com/content/attachment/e5c6c1ac-afd3-47ea-8a6a-ecf4bc14b4cc
Have restarted device to no avail.
restarted and what... your stuck in a loop(?)
Try a SafeBoot Use safe mode on your Mac - Apple Support
What happened bro after that , is it running ?
I AM ATTEMPTING UPDATE TO SONOMA FROM Big Sur. STUCK ON "CHECKING FOR UPDATES" FOR 2 HOURS.
empty the bin - worked straight away for me!
I had exactly the same thing. I got to this page and read that I needed to empty my bin. As soon as I did that, my Mac kicked in to gear! Give that a go!
Had the same problem today going to 14.3 and after reading this thread decided to wait it out. After about 15 mins it moved forward and prompted for a restart but that process was wonky as well.
Now it seems to have worked but this was a pretty bad upgrade process. Atypical of Apple in my experience. Hopefully they get it right in the future.
I’m updating to 14.1 and I’m stuck on the 5 minute mark for like 15 minutes now
edit: I just realized you were talking to someone else
It updated after like 30 minutes
Updating to Sonoma 14.2 from Ventura 13.3, also sitting on the 5 minute screen for like 10 minutes now
3 hours and counting from Ventura - some upgrade. Apple going backwards IMO
Going from Catalina to Sonoma is taking more than 14 hours and crashes at the 12 hour mark. Really? Really.
Updating to MacOs Sonoma Stuck at 5 minutes
