Catalina update 10.15.6 failed now can't get any 10.15 to install

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xandermonium Author

Level 1

4 points

Catalina update 10.15.6 failed now can't get any 10.15 to install

Quick background: Had 10.15.5 on my iMac and ran the .6 install... after 24hrs it still hadn't installed.

Following site instructions:

I rebooted. But my machine wouldn't come back on line.

I reset the macOS to the recommended version (in my case it turned out to be 10.8).

I've managed to get it to install 10.12.6. But I can't get any 10.14 nor 10.15 to install.

Searching can direct to the App Store. Mojave or Catalina will download but when I run the install, they both say that 10.14 or 10.15 are required respectfully.

The Support pages on Apple that have the various versions for download do not have the initial 10.14. Nor 10.15.

My iMac was backed up just before the update ran, so my files are sitting on my Time Machine... however (and feel free to correct me if I'm wrong) the coding of them changed with Catalina so I can't restore them from Sierra (10.12.6).

I saw someone else suggest running a code in Terminal (sudo softwareupdate --reset-ignored) but then it asked for a password. The line wouldn't allow me to type anything and I am the admin and only user of the iMac.

PLEASE HELP xxx

iMac 21.5″, macOS 10.12

Posted on Jul 21, 2020 3:23 AM

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Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

xandermonium Author

Level 1

4 points

Jul 21, 2020 10:33 PM in response to Eau Rouge

As I said the links direct to the App Store app but it says it won't connect. I was following all the directions but getting strange results.

Either way I have since had success and I appreciate your help.

I ran the Terminal command first, then downloaded from the Featured page. It is the only thing different to what I had been doing yesterday so I assume it is why it worked.

It took me 2 days but I now have 10.15.6 operational and have migrated my back up back onto my iMac.

SUCCESS. Thanks again.

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Answer 2

Eau Rouge

Level 8

42,602 points

Jul 21, 2020 3:59 AM in response to xandermonium

Will start with Terminal, when it asks you for your password

type it in, but you will not see anything echoed on screen, just type in your password

and press Return.

The Apple Support Downloads page offers you updates which require you

to be running an earlier version of the OS you are downloading the update for.

What you need are the full installers only available through the App Store.

Open Safari do not use Firefox and click on the links before.

How to upgrade to macOS Mojave - Apple Support

How to upgrade to macOS Catalina – Apple Support

Go to Section 4 and click on Get macOS *******

(whichever you want to install)

you will be directed to the App Store

where you will be able to download the OS of your choosing,

it should be Get or Download.

If the App Store says ‘Open’ then it is detecting a previous download of the install app

go to the Applications folder locate Install macOS ******.app.

Move it to the Trash, empty the Trash.

Restart, click on the link again, the App Store should say ‘Get' or 'Download'.

As for your Time Machine backups there should be no problem restoring your

own files and folders to macOS Sierra although there may be some backwards compatability

with files created in one newer OS and its apps and the older OS and its older version of apps.

Yes Apple changed the file system from HFS+ to APFSbut this does not mean your data is affected.

Time Machine backups are made on HFS+formatted disks even though you may have backed up

from an APFS formatted disk.

If you are going to restore your files and folders from your Time Machine backup

only restore items from your Users/<Home> folder, do not restore any System or Library folders

as this will restore Catalina system files etc which may/ probably will ruin your Sierra install.

It is also possible if you had made full backup to your Catalina install before you attempted the

update to 10.15.6 that you could use that to restore your mac to Catalina. However I am not

not entirely sure how that would work with converting the file system back to APFS, you

might have to search for an answer or ask another question here.

If you want to upgrade back to Catalina just go ahead straight from Sierra.

Good luck.

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Answer 3

xandermonium Author

Level 1

4 points

Jul 21, 2020 3:22 PM in response to Eau Rouge

Thank you for your help.

I spent 8 hours yesterday looping through and have tried most of what you've suggested. It all seems pretty straight forward.

Ive deleted out all of the macOS versions that I downloaded yesterday and emptied my trash.

I have restarted and it has installed some minor software updates associated with Sierra. Then using the link for Catalina you shared above, I have gone to section 4 and used that official link to access the Catalina download in the App Store. This is were it gets weird (and was part of my trouble yesterday. It opens the App Store program but then says it can not access the App Store.

Ive confirmed that my Apple log in works and is active in this version of Sierra.

On the Featured page of the App Store program I can see a download option for Catalina. I tried this yesterday but ill give it another go. Once it downloads, should it again say that I require 10.15. I will try the Terminal option as discussed above.

Wish me luck.

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Answer 4

Eau Rouge

Level 8

42,602 points

Jul 21, 2020 9:33 PM in response to xandermonium

If you click on my link for Catalina then you should be redirected to the App Store and it should open at the Catalina download page as discussed earlier. I don't understand the problem that you are having.

If you access that page through the Featured section of the App Store and it says Download or Get then that is fine,

start the download, it will take a long time it is 8.24GBs in size.

As mentioned this is the full installer and is all you need to install Catalina. The version it downloads is 10.15.6,

you do not need any older versions of Catalina for this to install. It downloads to your Applications folder,

double-clicking on this will start the installation, make a copy of it beforehand and keep it safe on an external drive,

the one in the Applications folder self deletes after installing.

When Apple releases a new OS, for example Catalina it goes onto their servers as version 10.15.0, when Apple release the next version 10.15.1, the 10.15.0 version gets removed from their servers (so it is no longer available for download), when 10.15.2 was released the 10.15.1 version was removed, this pattern goes on so now it is version 10.15.6 that is available.

The Apple Support Downloads site offers updates for OS's old and new. These updates can only be applied if you are already running a previous version of the OS the update is for. For example if you go there and see the 10.15.6 update you can only apply that to a mac that is already running Catalina 10.15.5, you will also see the 10.15.6 Combo update, that update can be applied to a mac running any previous version of Catalina from version 10.15.0 to 10.15.5.

If the above works there is no need for you to try the Terminal command.

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Catalina update 10.15.6 failed now can't get any 10.15 to install

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