Mac Not Updating To Catalina

MacOS Catalina apps not working. This is one of the macOS Catalina problems that trails back to macOS Mojave. As you’ve probably heard, app architecture knows 2 types: 32-bit and 64-bit. The 32-bit apps will not be supported on macOS Catalina, period. Sadly, they are not just some lo-fi indie apps, we are talking Photoshop! If you are on Catalina you might think you have to stick to downloading the new software via Software Update, but you can still grab the download via the Mac App Store. Download MacOS Big Sur on. And recently, Mac users who had just updated to this new macOS reported having problems with their WiFi. According to them, Catalina caused the WiFi to stop working on their Macs. Common Problems and Fixes to Macs That Won’t Connect to a WiFi Network After the Catalina Update. WiFi not turning on after updating to Catalina?

Does your iMac, Mac Pro, MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, or MacBook stuck on login screen after update to Big Sur, Catalina, Mojave or High Sierra? That Mac won’t boot is not a new issue but still a tough call for ordinary users to fix it. Well, this article will walk you through the solutions to solve “Mac stuck on boot screen after Big Sur or Catalina update” problem.

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Why Mac Stuck on Login Screen after Update?

The update of macOS Big Sur or Catalina brings certain incompatibility problem (between Apple default apps and the OS) or unsolved bugs
Not enough hard drive space
Corrupted SSD or HDD
Too many boot items opening at login
Malware or virus deleted the crucial system files
File system corruption of Mac partition
Power issues
Motherboard Failure
…

macOS stuck at login screen is a complex issue meaning there’s something bad coming with your Mac system and it needs to be repaired as quick as possible.

The Common Symptoms

The symptoms of “MacBook stuck on login screen after update” issue is different, the familiar ones are those your Mac may stuck on:

Grey screen
White screen
Black screen
Login loading bar
Apple logo (loading screen with Apple)
Startup screen spinning wheel
Login screen after password
Startup screen with status bar

Or your Mac:

Won't boot past apple logo
Won't load past login screen
Frozen on the startup screen after macOS Big Sur or Catalina update
…

By knowing the symptoms, you can safeguard your data to avoid data loss crisis, and then take immediate actions to fix the problem.

How to Fix Mac Stuck on Boot Screen after Update?

Fix 1. Reboot the Mac

Do the most essential things at first, as they don’t require any tech support.

Shut off your Mac
Disconnect the whole peripherals except those needed to turn on the system
Check your charger’s cable (make sure the cable is intact and the port is clean.). If your MacBook stuck on login screen because of battery power, the battery could be thoroughly depleted or malfunctioning.

Why Is My Mac Not Updating To Catalina

When everything is ready, boot your Mac with peripherals reconnected.

Fix 2. Reboot Your Mac in Safe Mode

Safe Boot feature is included since Mac OS X 10.2. It minimizes the apps on your Mac to help identify the issue that causes your macOS stuck at login, or any issue correlated with your startup disk. So not only will it restrict your applications, but also check through startup drive.

Restart your Mac computer.
Press the Power button while holding down the Shift key immediately.
Keep it held until you see the Apple logo.

Matters need attention：

Mac Won't Upgrade To Catalina

It’s slower to boot Mac in Safe Mode.
Not all the OS X functions and programs will work when performing Safe Boot (only for troubleshooting).
Confirm that your Mac hard drive possesses at least 10 GB of free space. If not, empty your Trash bin or move some of largest files & folders to another drive.

Fix 3. Reboot Your Mac in Single User Mode

Mac Not Upgrading To Catalina

Just like booting in Safe Mode, the Single User Mode assists to isolate and fix the common problems that can keep your MacBook stuck on login screen from starting up properly. This method is suitable for advanced users who are comfortable with UNIX or has comprehensive knowledge of the command line.

Turn on your Mac while holding Command + S key simultaneously.
When you see the white text on a black background, release the keys.
Enter the administrator password to access to Mac Big Sur or Catalina Single User Mode.

Fix 4. Reset System Management Controller (SMC)

SMC controls a host of important functions in a Mac. It deals with many amusing things, from keyboard backlight, charging, fans, etc. to system performance. That resetting the SMC to original factory settings is an all-in-one solution, which can also fix your iMac, MacBook Air or MacBook stuck on login screen after update.

For desktop Mac, iMac or MacBook:

Unplug the power cord.
Wait for 15 or 20 seconds, and plug the power cord in.
Wait for 5 or 10 seconds, and power on the system again.
Restart your Mac.

For Mac laptop:

Make your Mac unplugged, and then turn off the power.
Hold down the Shift + Control + Option key. At the same time, press and hold down the power button. Hold down all of them for 10 seconds.
Re-plug the Mac in and reboot it up.

For old Mac laptop with removable battery:

Shut down your Mac > unplug it > remove the battery.
Hold down the power button for 5 seconds.
Put the battery back in > plug the Mac in > restart Mac.

Fix 5. Reset Nonvolatile Random-access Memory (NVRAM) or Parameter RAM (PRAM)

NVRAM is used to store some settings and access them fleetly. PRAM is similar to NVRAM, and shares the same steps with NVRAM. If you experience issues like Mac stuck on boot screen after update to latest macOS, resetting NVRAM/ PRAM may give you a hand.

Shut down your Mac.
Turn your Mac, and hold down Option + Command + P + R key together right away.
Keep holding until your Mac restarts.

Fix 6. Reboot Mac in Recovery Mode

Recovery Mode was offered since OS X Lion in 2011. It shows you 4 options applied to fix connected drives with Disk Utility, restore data from Time Machine, reinstall macOS and get help online. I guess two of them are likely to repair your macOS stuck at login issue.

Option One. Run First Aid from Recovery Partition

Turn off your Mac, and then switch it on.
Immediately hold down Command + R keys till an Apple logo appears.
Wait for a moment, the OS X Utilities window will show up.
Click on 'Disk Utility' option.
Locate your Mac drive, and choose it.
Click on 'First Aid'.

Option Two: Reinstall macOS

If none of the solutions work out to fix the MacBook stuck on login screen issue, then reinstalling macOS will be the last option.

Repeat the first three steps of option one.
Select “Reinstall macOS” from the Utilities window.
Click on “Continue” and follow the installation process.

Attentions of reinstallation:

Don’t put your Mac to sleep status.
Mac would reboot and display a progress bar a couple of times
After installation, click on “Shut Down” option from the Apple menu to quit Mac Recovery Mode.

Also, you can check the video tutorial as following:

Lost Data after Big Sur or Catalina Update or Issue Repaired? Recoverable!

That Mac stuck on boot screen often comes along with data loss from the hard drive. If you didn’t manage to back up your Mac data before, you won’t be able to recover lost files via Time Machine after macOS upgrade.

Fortunately, Cisdem Data Recovery for Mac- an effective and powerful recovery program, allows you to retrieve a wide range of file formats (Keynote, PDF, JPG, PNG, MOV, RTF, etc.) or any types (video, documents, archive, etc.) of deleted, formatted, corrupted data on Mac. It’s absolutely safe and keeps your data private.

Step 1Install the Software

After the installation, launch Cisdem Data Recovery on Mac.

Step 2Select the Scenario

You will see 5 recovery solutions. To recover lost files after macOS update, you can choose the option 'Basic Data Recovery' (fast scan) or “Advanced Data Recovery” (deep scan) to start performing lost file recovery.

Step 3Choose a Destination

Select the hard disk where your lost files are originally stored and click on “Scan” button” to go on.

Step 4Start to Scan

The “Basic Data Recovery’ mode only takes a minute to finish. If it doesn’t find out your lost data, go to scan again with 'Advanced Data Recovery' mode which searches more files but spends longer time.

Step 5Preview and Recover Lost Files

Once the scanning process is done, all detected contents will be displayed in 'Tree View' categories on the left side. You can preview them for saving your time on data recovering.

Finally, choose the target files and click on 'Recover' button. In no time, your files that lost after “Mac stuck on boot screen” fixed will be retrieved.

Conclusion

It can be troublesome and distraught that your MacBook stuck on login screen after update to Big Sur or Catalina. Worse still, you may lose files in the meantime. We introduce 6 practical solutions to get macOS stuck at login issue fixed, along with 1 data recovery program to restore lost files, but the safest plan is to keep backups of all vital files on Mac.

If you haven't updated to Catalina yet, read on to find out how to update to Catalina or Mojave from High Sierra, Sierra, El Capitan, Yosemite, or even older version of Mac OS X below.

Which Mac operating system is the best is a topic of numerous debates among Apple fans.

Since the mission of this blog is to refute myths and legends around Macs, it’s time for me to provide my 2 cents about the issue on hand. While everything below is just my opinion, as a long-time Mac user and veteran software engineer, I hope my opinion worth something.

The best Mac OS version is the one that your Mac is eligible to upgrade to. In 2021 it is macOS Big Sur. However, for users that need to run 32-bit apps on Mac, the best macOS is Mojave. Also, older Macs would benefit if upgraded at least to macOS Sierra for which Apple still releases security patches.

In the case of Catalina that includes all the old-style Mac Pro models, pre-'trash can'. If you want to run, but your Mac is older than 2013/2014, the new macOS just isn't for you, as far as.
NOTE: If your Mac came with macOS Catalina, you can restart your Mac while holding down Shift-Option-Command-R to enter Internet Recovery Mode and install the operating system that came with your Mac. Otherwise, follow the steps below to install Catalina back on your Mac. Connect your Mac to the internet via Wi-Fi or Ethernet.

How to Tell Which macOS You Are Running

To find out which macOS is currently running on your Mac, follow these steps:

Click on Apple logo in the top left corner of the menubar
In the dropdown click on the first item: About This Mac
The first line in the Overview tab is the name of the current OS.

What Version of OS Can My Mac Run?

Not all Macs can be upgraded to the latest OS version. For instance, old Macs powered by PowerPC CPUs cannot run OS intended for Intel-based computers. Also, some versions have hardware limitations.

For instance, Mojave cannot be installed on MacBook Pro earlier than Mid 2012 model.

Check below to know exactly what version of OS your Mac can run.

Which OS is Best for my Mac

Anytime someone asks me which OS is best for them I always suggested going with the latest. Things have changed recently, however.

Should I Upgrade to macOS Catalina or Big Sur?

While personally I like macOS Big Sur and have it installed on my MacBook Pro, it comes with serious breaking changes.

The first issue is compatibility.

Big Sur is a transition OS which is designed to help Apple to move from Intel processors to their own chips on ARM.

After I installed Big Sur on my MacBook Pro mid 2020 (pre-Silicon), most of my apps, including Microsoft Office, were working as expected.

However, my VMWare Fusion 11 does not start anymore, so I have to purchase a new license if I want to keep using it (or roll back to Catalina). Luckily, I took a full backup before the upgrade.

The second breaking issue is the lack of 32-bit app support.

macOS Catalina and Big Sur can only run 64-bit apps.

If you wondering whether you should upgrade to macOS Catalina or Big Sur, first verify that you don’t have any 32-bit apps. But first, take a back up, so you can go back in case something breaks after the upgrade.

For instance, I had to remove uTorrent after upgrade. And I didn’t know that uTorrent is 32-bit!

How to Know If App is 32-bit or 64-bit

To find out whether the app on your Mac is 32-bit or 64-bit follow these steps:

Click on Apple logo in the top left corner of the Mac screen
Click on About This Mac option
Click on System Report button in Overview tab (first one)
Scroll down to Software -> Applications
Find the app and check Kind

Which macOS Should I Use

If you have an older Mac which is not eligible to upgrade with some latest software or hardware, I’d suggest upgrading at least to Sierra (or better High Sierra) for the following reasons:

Sierra is still supported by Apple, and it gets security updates
APFS file system is available
It supports Siri
Significant security improvements

The most important point when choosing the best OS is the ability to get security updates. While Apple generally does not announce the OS end of life dates, it is possible to know when they stop releasing security updates from this page.

For instance, according to the page, the last security update for OS X Yosemite was released on September 12, 2017. The last update for OS X El Capitan was in July 2018, and Carnegie Mellon University confirmed that El Capitan’s end of life date was August 2018.

Snow Leopard Myth

I know that some users on forums believe that the best OS version for Macs was Snow Leopard. But that is a myth. And I know how such myths get created.

Once I worked in the company, which was selling a 20-year old product. And customers were still using and didn’t want to switch to new versions, because the old one was rock solid.

I then talked to the engineer who worked on the project, and he revealed that the product was a total disaster when it was first deployed. Engineers had to work on-site for almost a year in order to fix all bugs.

After five or so years of polishing the product, it becomes virtually bug-free, and nobody now remembers how bad it was when it was first rolled out. A similar thing happened Snow Leopard, and it was recognized as best mac os version after some time.

How to Update to the Latest Version

There are two ways to update to the latest OS version on Mac:

From the Software Update section in System Preferences
Use a download link

Using Software Update

This is by far the best option, but it only available if you have Yosemite, or later OS installed already. If you enabled automatic updates, then Mac will inform you that the next macOS is available.

Just open System Preferences, go to Software Update and click on the Upgrade Now button.

This method is also best if wondering how to check if you have the latest version of OS installed on your Mac. Only the version compatible with your hardware will appear here.

For instance, my the latest version for Mac Mini 2012 is Mojave, I can’t install anything newer than that.

Using download links

For older systems or in case you need to downgrade, you have to download a standalone installer in DMG format. DMG stands for disk image, similar to ISO, just different formats.

After downloading the installer, just double click on it and follow instructions. Again, do not forget to take a backup before the upgrade.

Mac OS Comparisons: Requirements, Features, Compatibility, Download Links

Following is a high-level description of all Mac operating systems as early as Mountain Lion.

You can refer to those descriptions when deciding which operating system is best for your iMac, Mac Pro, Mac mini, or MacBook.

With each OS description, I included a list of Macs supported. However, you can use Mac OS compatibility checker for more detailed information.

macOS 11 Big Sur

macOS v11 (codename Big Sur) is the latest version of the operating system for Apple computers.

Release date: October 13, 2020

Hardware Requirements: RAM requirement 4GB. Big Sur is the first OS to support new Macs using ARM technology (in the future).

Features

The biggest design refresh since macOS X.
Support for new ARM processors.
Safar improved performance and power consumption.
Time Machine supports backup to APFS volumes.
One-click translation for 7 languages.
Redesigned maps

Software Compatibility Issues

Only 64-bit apps are allowed to run on Big Sur.

How to install

There are two ways to install Big Sur: enable automatic updates in System Preferences or download by using the following link.

List of Apple computers compatible with macOS Big Sur

MacBook (2015 and later)
MacBook Air (2013 and later)
MacBook Pro (2013 and later)
Mac mini (2014 and later)
iMac models (2014 and later)
iMac Pro (2017 and later)
Mac Pro (2013 and later)

macOS 10.15 Catalina

Release date: October 7, 2019

Hardware Requirements: RAM requirement increased from 2GB to 4GB.

Features

Introduced Sidecar, which allows for Macs to use an iPad as an external display.
iTunes was replaced by separate apps: Music, Podcasts, and TV.
Find My Mac and Find My Friends have merged into one app.

Software Compatibility Issues

macOS Catalina is the first Mac operating system that does not support 32-bit applications. Only 64-bit apps are allowed to run on Catalina.

How to install

There are two ways to install Catalina: enable automatic updates in System Preferences or download by using the following link.

List of Apple computers compatible with macOS Catalina

MacBook (Early 2015 or later)
MacBook Air (Mid 2012 or later)
MacBook Pro (Mid 2012 or later)
Mac mini (Late 2012 or later)
iMac models (Late 2012 or later)
iMac Pro (All models)
Mac Pro (Late 2013)

macOS 10.14 Mojave

Release date: September 24, 2018

Hardware Requirements: 2GB RAM and 18.5GB free space on disk

Features

The main feature of Mojave is “Dark Mode”
FaceTime adds group feature which allows chatting with up to 32 people
News, Stocks, Voice Memos, and Home apps were ported from iOS to Mac.

How to install

If your Mac is eligible to update to Mojave, then the easiest way to install it is by enabling automatic updates. Downloading a standalone Mojave installer could be a little tricky.

List of Apple computers compatible with macOS Mojave

MacBook (Early 2015 or later)
MacBook Air (Mid 2012 or later)
MacBook Pro (Mid 2012 or later)
Mac mini (Late 2012 or later)
iMac (Late 2012 or later)
iMac Pro (All models)
Mac Pro (Late 2013 and 2010-2012 models with upgraded GPU)

macOS 10.13 High Sierra

Release date: September 25, 2017

Hardware Requirements: 2GB RAM and 14.3GB free space on disk

Features

APFS (Apple File System) becomes the default file system in High Sierra. It’s a significant upgrade from the older HFS+ in terms of speed, size, and security
iCloud support of Messages which allows sync messages of the account across multiple devices
Mail app uses 35% less storage space due to optimizations

List of Apple computers compatible with macOS High Sierra

MacBook (Late 2009 or newer)
MacBook Pro (Mid 2010 or newer)
MacBook Air (Late 2010 or newer)
Mac mini (Mid 2010 or newer)
iMac (Late 2009 or newer)
Mac Pro (Mid 2010 or newer)

How to install

Here is a High Sierra download link.

macOS 10.12 Sierra

This is the first macOS version. Previous OS versions for Macs were called OS X (X stands for 10).

Release date: September 20, 2016

Hardware Requirements: 2GB RAM and 8GB free space on disk

Features

Siri was introduced to Macs
Optimized storage with iCloud sync
Auto-lock feature allows unlocking MacBook with paired Apple Watch
APFS preview available
Disk Utility can manage RAID sets again
Significant security improvements

How to install

Here is a Sierra download link.

List of Apple computers compatible with macOS Sierra

MacBook (Late 2009 or newer)
MacBook Pro (Mid 2010 or newer)
MacBook Air (Late 2010 or newer)
Mac mini (Mid 2010 or newer)
iMac (Late 2009 or newer)
Mac Pro (Mid 2010 or newer)

OS X 10.11 El Capitan

How To Update Old Macos To Catalina

Last OS X version.

Release date: September 30, 2015

Hardware Requirements: 2GB RAM and 8GB free space on disk

Features

System Integrity Protection – a security feature that protects even when the root user executes the process
Performance improvements: open PDF files four times faster, Mail is twice faster, launching apps 40% faster
Notes app similar to the app in iOS

Macs compatible with OS X El Capitan

same as OS Mountain Lion.

How to install

Here is El Capitan download link.

OS X 10.10 Yosemite

Release date: October 16, 2014

Hardware Requirements: 2GB RAM and 8GB free space on disk

Macs compatible with OS X Yosemite

Same as OS Mountain Lion.

Features

Major user design overhaul
Introduction of Handoff and Continuity features
Photos app replaced iPhoto and Aperture

How to install

Here is Yosemite download link.

Should I Upgrade Old Mac To Catalina

OS X 10.9 Mavericks

First free Mac OS. Previous OS versions vary from $19.99 to $129.

Release date: October 22, 2013

Hardware Requirements: 2GB RAM and 8GB free space on disk

Features

Compressed Memory feature automatically compresses inactive apps when approaching maximum memory capacity
Timer coalescing is a feature that reduces CPU usage by up to 72 percent
App Nap puts apps that are not currently visible to sleep

Macs compatible with OS X Mavericks

Same as OS Mountain Lion.

Update Old Macbook Air To Catalina

How to install

OS X Mavericks installer is not available on Apple Site. Follow instructions here to install Mavericks.

OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion

Must be purchased. Fixed many bugs introduced in OS X Lion.

Release date: July 25, 2012

System Requirements: 2GB RAM and 8GB free space on disk

Features

New apps: Notification Center, Notes, Messages, Game Center
AirPlay mirroring allowed to mirror Mac screen to Apple TV
Application updates automatically install from the App Store

List of Apple computers compatible with OS X Mountain Lion

iMac (Mid-2007 or newer)
MacBook (Late 2008 Aluminum, or Early 2009 or newer)
MacBook Air (Late 2008 or newer)
MacBook Pro (Mid/Late 2007 or newer)
Mac mini (Early 2009 or newer)
Mac Pro (Early 2008 or newer)
Xserve (Early 2009)

How to install

Mountain Lion installer is not available on Apple Site. Follow instructions here to install OS X Mountain Lion.

List of older Mac OS Versions

Following Mac OS versions are still running on older Macs, but Apple does not support them anymore, and there is no point to upgrade (or downgrade) to them:

OS X 10.7 Lion
OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard
Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard
Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger
Mac OS X 10.3 Panther
Mac OS X 10.2 Jaguar
Mac OS X 10.1 Puma
Mac OS X 10.0 Cheetah