hello im trying to install excel on my MacBook Air its a 2020 with macOS 11.7.11 and it says im not allowed to download anything until I get a software update but when I click update it says something went wrong and I can't. Any tips?
MacBook Air 13″, macOS 11.7
Is this a 2020 Intel Air or a 2020 Apple Silicon Air?
Is this is a 2020 Intel Air and you upgrade to Tahoe, you likely will wish you did not. Performance will be terrible, especially if this is an i3 model. If this is an Apple Silicon, and your workflow in general supports it, I would recommend updating to Sequoia or Tahoe as these will be supported operating systems for a few more years and both will support Microsoft's latest releases. Microsoft follows Apple's lead of current - 2 support. For example, Apple supports Tahoe, Sequoia, and Sonoma. Later in the month when Apple releases Golden Gate, Sonoma will be dropped from support. Usually by November, Microsoft follows by dropping support.
Here are a few things to try.
The basics:
• Are you logging into the Air as an admin account?
• Do you have enough free space to download the updates?
• Do you have software that is forcing you to stay on macOS 11?
• Is the device managed by an MDM?
If the answers for above are yes, yes, no, and no, then try these steps:
1: Kick software update in the head by:
• Open Terminal
• Run the following command
softwareupdate --list
• Do you get a result? Relaunch System Preferences and try Software Update again
2: Manually download the OS update you want to upgrade to and attempt to install from the installer.
• You can use the App Store versions by using the links in this KBase article: How to download and install macOS - Apple Support
• Or if you know which OS you want, you can grab the Install Assistant package direct from Apple using one of these links:
For Tahoe 26.6.2: https://swcdn.apple.com/content/downloads/37/33/140-93587-A_GRFFH93NOL/f944yaqo1cjhh2m0kxrl0zhcpg9yb9qphv/InstallAssistant.pkg
For Sequoia 15.7.9: https://swcdn.apple.com/content/downloads/16/08/140-85388-A_3LX3Q36I6P/zxod6nr7zkovvsml6s628z44gdbc4exa5p/InstallAssistant.pkg
In either case, this will download a package installer titled InstallAssistant.pkg. Double click it to install the installer. The PKG will unpack an installer into the Applications folder.
Go to the Applications folder and run the installer.
3: Boot the machine into Safe mode and then try to upgrade.
Apple has details on how to do this here: Start up your Mac in safe mode - Apple Support (IN)
Let's start there. Hope this is helpful.
Is this a 2020 Intel Air or a 2020 Apple Silicon Air?
Is this is a 2020 Intel Air and you upgrade to Tahoe, you likely will wish you did not. Performance will be terrible, especially if this is an i3 model. If this is an Apple Silicon, and your workflow in general supports it, I would recommend updating to Sequoia or Tahoe as these will be supported operating systems for a few more years and both will support Microsoft's latest releases. Microsoft follows Apple's lead of current - 2 support. For example, Apple supports Tahoe, Sequoia, and Sonoma. Later in the month when Apple releases Golden Gate, Sonoma will be dropped from support. Usually by November, Microsoft follows by dropping support.
Here are a few things to try.
The basics:
• Are you logging into the Air as an admin account?
• Do you have enough free space to download the updates?
• Do you have software that is forcing you to stay on macOS 11?
• Is the device managed by an MDM?
If the answers for above are yes, yes, no, and no, then try these steps:
1: Kick software update in the head by:
• Open Terminal
• Run the following command
softwareupdate --list
• Do you get a result? Relaunch System Preferences and try Software Update again
2: Manually download the OS update you want to upgrade to and attempt to install from the installer.
• You can use the App Store versions by using the links in this KBase article: How to download and install macOS - Apple Support
• Or if you know which OS you want, you can grab the Install Assistant package direct from Apple using one of these links:
For Tahoe 26.6.2: https://swcdn.apple.com/content/downloads/37/33/140-93587-A_GRFFH93NOL/f944yaqo1cjhh2m0kxrl0zhcpg9yb9qphv/InstallAssistant.pkg
For Sequoia 15.7.9: https://swcdn.apple.com/content/downloads/16/08/140-85388-A_3LX3Q36I6P/zxod6nr7zkovvsml6s628z44gdbc4exa5p/InstallAssistant.pkg
In either case, this will download a package installer titled InstallAssistant.pkg. Double click it to install the installer. The PKG will unpack an installer into the Applications folder.
Go to the Applications folder and run the installer.
3: Boot the machine into Safe mode and then try to upgrade.
Apple has details on how to do this here: Start up your Mac in safe mode - Apple Support (IN)
Let's start there. Hope this is helpful.
In order to install MS Excel (first time install) you first need to upgrade your MBAir to either macOS Sonoma (14.x) or macOS Sequoia (15.x).
Both the MS 365 version of Excel (direct from MS) or the App Store version (from the Apple App Store) currently require at least macos Sonoma 14.x.
I suggest upgrading to macOS Sequoia. It's a stable release and will continue to be supported as "one of the current three versions" for at least another year.
How are you trying to upgrade macOS on your MBAir?
BTW, if you have a 2020 Intel MBAir, macOS Sequoia 15.x is the final version of macOS you can install on it. OTOH, if it happens to be an M1 MBAir you "could" upgrade all the way to macOS Tahoe (26.x) but I suggest caution against doing that. Tahoe has not been received well by many users,
Re: “Is this is a 2020 Intel Air and you upgrade to Tahoe, you likely will wish you did not.”
It is not possible to upgrade an Intel-based 2020 MacBook Air to Tahoe. Only four Intel-based Mac models received Tahoe, and none of them were MacBook Airs.
A 2020 Intel-based MacBook Air can run Sequoia, which will be one of the “most recent three” for about another year.
Unable to install Excel on MacBook Air due to macOS update failure
