Latest update to Sierra - iMac stuck at end of install

If you don't have a clone backup it's time to start. Just like a seat belt and an air bag protect you in different ways when driving, you need both Time Machine and a clone for full protection.

A clone is an exact bootable copy of your internal drive.

You'll need an external drive that has enough free space to copy your entire drive. Often the best buy is a 3TB drive. You can partition the drive to have multiple options. In the future always clone your drive before doing an update. If something goes wrong you simply boot from your clone and you are back to work in a matter of minutes.

• Boot from the Recovery drive and using Disk Utility, Erase, format and partition your external drive.
• Select to install macOS on the external drive.
• Select CCC or SuperDuper to clone your internal drive to one of the partitions on your external drive.
• Now you can do an erase and install knowing your files are backed up.

How to reinstall macOS

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT5943

How to set up and use an external Mac startup disk

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT5911

Software used to Clone:

SuperDuper! http://www.shirt-pocket.com/

CCC http://www.bombich.com/download.html

Now you still want to do that update to 10.12.6 don't you...

There were a lot of people with the same issue: not fully finishing the update.

What helped almost everytime is this: instead of updating via the Appstore,

download the Combo update 10.12.6 (this holds all updates in it, since Sierra 1), and then run that Combo update.

Download macOS Sierra 10.12.6 Combo Update

Just to be clear....

Apple Support Communities is not official Apple support. We are volunteers here. If you want your complaints to be heard by Apple you need to send Apple feedback.

https://www.apple.com/feedback/

https://www.apple.com/feedback/macos.html

I tried everything but noting worked. Spent 2 whole days researching blogs and doing all the methods recommended. Nothing worked. Finally I had to erase my hard drive, and install Sierra all over. Worst of all, macbook air worked better before Sierra. Big disappointment I get from mac after many years of enjoying their laptops.

Just had a similar experience with my MacBook and the latest OS update. Hung during installation with black screen, apple icon and progress bar showing near complete. Waited for hours. No response from Control L. Then tried all suggestions unsuccessfully (including OS reinstall through Recovery mode - hung at a similar stage) except Time Machine restore that worked albeit slowly (& a few subsequent problems with my Dropbox setup). I had about 20 GB free disk space.

Now 24 hours later (and now over 60 GB free disk space) I was once again prompted to restart to install OS updates that I regretfully agreed to. Now I am facing the same problem with my MacBook hung at exactly the same place. I will now repeat the Time Machine Restore and hope this solution works again.

My question is what should I do when once again I am prompted to restart to install OS updates ?

I have the same issue, I reinstalled the OSX but it still stuck at the same point, should I reinstall from time machine too, I'm very unhappy with that issue. thanks to apple to answer asap, I need to use my mac urgently

Hi I have the same problem. The installation of Sierra 10.12.6 on my macbook pro stops at the end of the black screen with the apple logo and the status bar at the end. I waited for 24 hours. No change. I tried also the download of the update from apple. I am able to restore the system from time machine. A system check is not successful. Everything looks ok, but I can't update the macbook.

Thanks for your help

schoenu

Often simply restarting will fix the stuck progress bar near the end.

I suggest booting into the Recovery Drive. Run Disk Utility on your Macintosh HD. This will let you know if there are drive issues. If you get drive is OK, quit Disk Utility and select to reinstall macOS Sierra. This will download the full installer and run over your current files. It will not delete your personal data. It's always advised that you backup first. With any update as you have discovered something can go wrong.

macOS 10.12.6 is the last version of Sierra. You'll receive security updates but no more system updates.

If this fails, you'll need an external drive so you can recover your most current data if Time Machine is not current.

Hi schoenu, my experience is exactly the same as yours and as a result of my posting, Apple have been in touch and taken copies of log files to analyze our problem with completing the 10.12.6 update. In the process of extracting the log files, exactly the same problem occurred for the third time - and I recovered with Time Machine backups (again). I am waiting advice from Apple on the best approach to take. In the mean time, like you, I am being very conscientious with backups

"....and as a result of my posting, Apple have been in touch and taken copies of log files to analyze our problem with completing the 10.12.6 update...."

Did Apple contact you? Are you sure it was Apple? That sounds fishy!!!

Lexie is right. Stuck progress bar in black screen same as almost everyone here. Download from the link Lexie provided and just run the update. Worked like a charm. I have 18 Macs 2 got stuck, it fixed them both.

Thanks Lexie!!!!!!!

It's a shame so many people wiped their systems and started over.

Hi. If you look across the we. There are thousands who have had exactly the same issue with the latest sierras upgrade. I myself had to restore from time machine twice and have now stuck at 10.12.5 so that I have a functioning laptop. This is unacceptable from Apple. They should issue a statement and withdraw the update or issue a fix.

Interestingly I recently bought a new printer (hp252dw). When I installed it via preferences I had the exact same problem as when I update sierra, i.e. restart stopped at the end of the loading bar. For a third time I had to restore from Timemachine. So although I can print to my printer from i

OS devices I cannot print from my Mac.

I guess from reading around that the fault with the sierra upgrade seems to be linked to various 'kext' files including printer new drivers but you get no option not to install

Apple after 33 years of happy Mac use I am extremely disappointed in you. You need to start communicating with your users and acknowledging issues as well as sorting them o

ut quickly. I'm guessing you are only interested in getting high sierra finished and out there in the hope it will solve the problem. Wit its new file structure I will not be upgrading until there is clear evidence it is safe to do.

1/10 for effort -10/10 for communication

I tried to install Sierra three times, two months apart. Each time I got stuck. I tried to contact Apple with no answer at all. In the first to intents after really distasteful ordeal I was lucky enough to get my computer back (notice!!!, I was left with no computer at all after my intents) and as I had my time machine copies I got il all in order... but the third time the Mac Book Pro late 2013 (no kidding about the Pro) did not accept the time machine restoration so I lost all the files archives layout hat I had been building up painfully the last five years!!!!

My level of disappointment (I'm the owner of an iMac, Mac Book Pro, two working 4S and & &Splus, two apple watches, an air iPad and an iPad Pro) with the current managers of Apple is reaching astronomical height... How is it possible that so many of us that were really happy with the "Apple way" after suffering Windows rubbish for so long are now facing this miserable ordeal that can only be solved by not updating at all and keep waiting for a new proper and careful manufacturer... who will "it" be... Google, Samsung, Amazon, HP... not Apple for sure.

Sayonara.

What we need is updates working seamlessly, not this absolute mess. More when Apple does not come cheap at all, customers are advanced ptofessionals that need trustable support and this aloof (despite the smiles at Apple events, crazy! What they are laughing at?) approach.

Hi everyone, wish I had read this thread before falling down the same hole. Sierra update frozen iMac, grey screen, progress bar nearly at the end.

tried restarting in safe mode, but the same screen just comes up each time. i'm not sure what my options are if I cannot get to safe mode? Would really value your help.

thanks