Sonoma stuck Preparing macSO Sonoma 14

Hello paulh333,

We have a great support article that might help with this. Please take a look at it here: If an error occurred while updating or installing macOS - Apple Support. Follow this guidance:

"Check your internet connection

Even if you're not installing macOS from the internet, the installer needs the internet to get firmware and other information specific to your Mac. Make sure that your Mac has a working and stable internet connection.

Install in safe mode

Install while your Mac is started up in safe mode. To start up in safe mode, determine whether you're using a Mac with Apple silicon, then follow the appropriate steps:

Apple silicon

1. Shut down your Mac.
2. Turn on your Mac and continue to press and hold the power button until you see the startup options window.
3. Select your startup disk, then press and hold the Shift key while clicking “Continue in Safe Mode.”
4. Log in to your Mac. You might be asked to log in again.

Intel processor

1. Turn on or restart your Mac, then immediately press and hold the Shift key as your Mac starts up.
2. Release the key when you see the login window, then log in to your Mac. 
3. You might be asked to log in again. On either the first or second login window, you should see ”Safe Boot” in the upper-right corner of the window.

Install after repairing your disk

Use Disk Utility to repair your startup disk. Then try updating or installing macOS again.

Install from macOS Recovery

Install while your Mac is started up from macOS Recovery. This gives you the latest version of the macOS currently or most recently installed. To start up from macOS Recovery, follow the appropriate steps:

Apple silicon

Turn on your Mac and continue to press and hold the power button until you see the startup options window. Click the gear icon labeled Options, then click Continue.

Intel processor

Turn on your Mac and immediately press and hold Command (⌘)-R until you see an Apple logo or other image.

If you're asked to select a user you know the password for, select the user, click Next, then enter their administrator password. When you see the utilities window in macOS Recovery, select Reinstall macOS, then click Continue and follow the onscreen instructions. Learn more about using macOS Recovery to reinstall.

Install after erasing your Mac

If no other solutions work, erase your Mac, then reinstall macOS or restore from a backup.

• How to erase a Mac with Apple silicon
• How to erase an Intel-based Mac

If the issue persists or you need help, please contact Apple Support."

We hope this helps. Let us know if we can assist with anything else at all. Take care.

My new MacBook Pro was delivered today. It has Ventura OS Tried to update to Sonoma and it got stuck at 5 minutes during “preparing” mode.

read something about recovery disc but am afraid if that. It’s brand new!

Me too. Stalled on installing Sonoma 14.0 at 5 minutes remaining. Recovery steps are simply reinstalling newest version of Ventura. That is in-process. When completed I’m hesitant to try to install Sonoma 14.0 again. Maybe I just wait until the next Sonoma update, 14.01?

Same issue on a new, out of the box mac mini with Apple M2 and Ventura 13.5 pre-installed. Stuck in Preparing mode 30 minutes left for close to 30 minutes. Internet connection is fine. It failed yesterday at this juncture.

Macs have been shipping with Sonoma pre-installed for quite some time, so the question is - did where you purchase it and is the seller Apple or Apple-authorized? Any issues setting it up prior to upgrading?

At Mac store. Not sure why they didn’t pre-load with Sonoma. Anyway-mine finally worked.

Great, happy to hear!

What is the process if this fails, currently trying this for the third time. All previous attempts have stalled at 30 mins???