DosDude Catalina Patcher is a popular third-party tool that allows users to patch the MacOS Catalina installer on otherwise unsupported Macs. Of course, just because you can do this, doesn't mean. Luckily, Catalina's hardware requirements are the same as Mojave, so if your Mac is already running Mojave, then you can Catalina without any issues. Macs running macOS Mavericks (or newer) can successfully run Catalina so long as it meets the hardware requirements. Below is the list of Macs that meet Catalina's hardware requirements. Since Apple has made so many changes in Catalina, you might encounter that some Safari extensions are no longer compatible with it. While some can be reinstalled, others had to be deleted permanently. Fix: Reinstall or Delete Extensions. Simply launch Safari and from its menu, go to Safari Safari Extensions. Primary Steps to Wiping a Macintosh Hard Drive Running Catalina. These are the main steps to wiping your data from the computer. First you’ll be removing your Apple ID, then wiping security settings like your fingerprint ID. Then you’ll erase the drive and reinstall macOS. The entire process takes 1-2 hours.
Best apps live in Setapp
A free public version of macOS Big Sur 11 has been available since November 12, 2020. It offers the best Safari we’ve ever seen, a huge design upgrade, and one very neat Control Center. Ready to dive in? Let’s see how you can do it.
There are two ways to install a new macOS: 1) run a regular upgrade via Apple’s main menu (replace your current macOS with Big Sur on your startup drive); 2) start from scratch and clean install macOS. Option number 2 is a bit more cumbersome and takes more time — but there are many benefits to it. In this article, we explain how to clean install macOS Big Sur without any trouble and why it’s good for your Mac.
Why you should clean install macOS 11
As soon as the new macOS appears, we can’t wait to try it. With Apple promising lots of awesome enhancements, it’s hard to resist the temptation. So it’s no wonder people tend to rush things and choose the quickest way to upgrade macOS — the regular install. Not only is it faster, it also allows you to maintain all your saved settings, apps, and files on a new system. But is it really something your Mac wants?
Speaking in defense of clean install, here’s how it benefits your Mac:
- You get rid of the unnecessary clutter and old system bugs
- Your Mac will run faster — as if you’ve just recently unboxed it
- Uninstall software you never use
- Fix common problems like Mac slowing down, freezing, etc.
Generally, installing a new macOS Big Sur on a clean drive will give your Mac enough space to breathe. You’ll be less likely to experience common Big Sur problems and you’ll get a chance to keep only the data you really need. It’s like you bring the new furniture in an empty apartment instead of a cluttered one.
macOS 11 compatible Macs
Before you take any steps to switch to Big Sur, make sure you check compatibility. With the release of macOS 11, Apple moved a year or two ahead in terms of supported devices, so the chances are your Mac might be off the list (ouch). Here are the Macs that support Big Sur:
- MacBook (2015 or later)
- MacBook Air (2013 or later)
- MacBook Pro (2013 or later)
- Mac Pro (2013 or later)
- Mac Mini (2014 or later)
- iMac (2014 or later)
- iMac Pro (2017 or later).
Not sure which model you have? You can easily check it by clicking on the Apple icon > About This Mac. You’ll find the information you’re looking for in the Overview section.
Steps to clean install Big Sur
Once you’ve decided to start anew with macOS Big Sur, you’re only six steps from achieving your goal. Make sure you follow all of the steps and have a safe experience.
Step 1: Remove all the junk
When we say that clean installation removes everything from your Mac, we forget one important detail — a backup. If you back up your Mac before upgrading, you’ll be able to restore all your files on the new macOS (and with it all the clutter your old system contained.) You want the files back, but you don’t want the clutter. So the first step should be a thorough cleanup of your system.
No worries, it only sounds intimidating. Apps like CleanMyMac X allow you to remove all the clutter — from old caches to file duplicates — in one click. Here’s how to get ready for your Mac backup:
Open CleanMyMac X > Smart Scan
Wait a few seconds for CleanMyMac X to finish the scan
View the unneeded files detected by CleanMyMac X and click Remove.
You can also choose to remove system junk only (find the option in the Cleanup section). This will delete most of the redundant files and let you reclaim lots of storage space. Still, a smart scan cleanup will do a better job while it can also detect potential malware and provide insights into your Mac’s performance. So if you have a couple of minutes, spend it on Smart Scan.
Step 2: Create a secure backup of your Mac
Many people use Apple’s native Time Machine to back up their files, but we don’t recommend it. Users report Time Machine tends to carry over macOS issues into new installations. What’s more, Time Machine can’t do bootable backups, which means you’ll have to go through a long restoration process in case there’s a drive crash or an error of any kind.
Get Backup Pro is a third-party backup utility that makes sure you run zero risks when you clean install Big Sur. And not only Big Sur. It’s generally the best alternative to Time Machine we’ve seen so far. Get Backup Pro allows you to create both backups and bootable clones so you can easily take your data to a replacement drive in case something goes wrong. Plus, you get great features like compression, backup scheduling, and the ability to choose specific files for a backup.
Here’s how to back up your Mac before the Big Sur upgrade:
- Open Get Backup Pro and select Backup in the sidebar
- Click on the plus button to create your backup project
- Customize destination (make sure you save your backup to an external drive)
- Add files and apps data to your backup by clicking on the plus button
- Hit the Backup button (it looks like the Play button) to start the process.
Step 3: Download the Big Sur installer
Starting November 12, you’ll be able to access the Big Sur installer in the Apple menu > About This Mac > Software update. Alternatively, you can download the installer from the Mac App Store. It’s free and effortless.
But be careful, it’s important to not rush things here. Your goal is to save the installer to your Applications folder and not to go through the installation process. So if the installer automatically launches, don’t click Continue. Close the window by clicking on “Quit install.” You’ll use the installer later when you clean install macOS.
Step 4: Create a bootable USB installer
Prepare a flash drive USB with at least 16GB of free storage. Connect it to your Mac and start creating a bootable USB installer. First, you’ll need to erase everything from your drive:
- Access Disk Utility on your Mac
- Select your drive from the list of internal drives and click Erase
- Set the format to Mac OS Extended
- Confirm that you want to erase the drive.
Next step, open Terminal and enter the following command:
sudo /Applications/Install macOS Big Sur.app/Contents/Resources/createinstallmedia --volume /Volumes/Untitled
Remember, “Untitled” is the name of your connected drive. If you name it differently, make sure you replace the name in the Terminal command.
Press Return and Y. You might need to type your admin password to confirm your action. Once the process is complete, click Done and close Terminal. That’s it. You just created a bootable USB installer that’s based on the Big Sur installer you had downloaded before.
Step 5: Erase your startup drive
Time to say goodbye to your old macOS. Erase your startup drive fearlessly — you have your most important files securely backed up. Here are the three steps:
- Shut down your Mac and hold down Command + R to enter the Recovery Mode
- Access Disk Utility and select your main startup drive
- Click Erase in the menu and confirm your action.
Step 6: Clean install macOS 11 Big Sur
Finally, here’s how to do a clean install of macOS using your USB installer drive:
- Restart your computer and hold down Option
- Go back to the initial screen of Disk Utility
- Choose to install macOS from the connected USB drive
- Click on Install macOS to confirm your action. Breathe out. And go celebrate!
How to reinstall macOS Big Sur
If you’re not ready to go celebrate because the installation didn’t work, you can try to reinstall Big Sur. All you have to do is restart your Mac and boot in Recovery Mode (Command + R), then click on Reinstall macOS. Hopefully, it works this time.
How to run a regular macOS update
If you don’t want to clean install Big Sur just yet, you can place the new update on top of your current drive, which will preserve all the settings. If your Mac runs on OS X Mavericks or later, you can update directly to Big Sur. Note that Apple recommends you have around 35.5GB available storage and 4GB of memory on your macOS before upgrading. This will be easy to achieve by removing unnecessary files with CleanMyMac X.
Also, even if you run a regular update, do make sure you back up all your data with the Get Backup Pro app. Some might call it an unnecessary precaution. We call it a one-click process that will keep your files safe under any circumstances.
Here’s how to run a standard macOS Big Sur installation:
- Click on the Apple icon in your menu bar > About This Mac
- In the Overview section, click on Software Update
- Click on Update Now to download the installer
- Follow the installation instructions on your screen.
macOS clean install safety toolkit
Setapp has CleanMyMac X, Get Backup Pro, and 200+ other top-notch apps that will support your Mac on its way to Big Sur. So if you have the Setapp membership, no need to worry, you’re safe. Even more, Setapp has Disk Drill, a popular data recovery tool — just in case the impossible happens and you lose your data switching to the new macOS. The whole suite of apps in Setapp is free for 7 days, then $9.99/month. Give it a try!
Apple’s latest macOS, Catalina, has just been released to the public last October 7, 2019 and you can now install it on your Mac, as long as your device meets the hardware requirements. First revealed during the WWDC 2019 conference in San Jose, California, macOS Catalina introduces some new exciting features and functionalities.
How To Reinstall Safari On Mac Catalina
As we say goodbye to iTunes, macOS Catalina brings in new apps and features to the table, including Apple Music, Podcasts Books, and TV. Another major feature is Sidecar, which can turn your iPad into another display. For ordinary users, this means getting a secondary display for free. For developers, on the other hand, this secondary screen can be used as a drawing tablet using supported apps.
With the release of macOS Catalina 10.15, a lot of Mac users are enthusiastic to install the newest Mac operating system. Just like the previous versions of macOS, some were able to upgrade without a hitch, but several users encountered various issues during downloading and installation of the update.
Some users experienced slow downloading of the update, while others got error messages when installing Catalina, including:
Pro Tip: Scan your Mac for performance issues, junk files, harmful apps, and security threats
that can cause system issues or slow performance.
Special offer. About Outbyte, uninstall instructions, EULA, Privacy Policy.
- Storage system verify or repair failed
- This copy of the Install application can’t be verified. It may have been corrupted or tampered with during downloading.
- An error occurred while preparing the installation. Try running again.
- Copy of install macOS application is damaged and can’t be used to install macOS.
- There is not enough free space on the selected volume.
This guide will give you a detailed rundown of the most common macOS Catalina installation and update errors encountered by Mac users when upgrading or installing macOS Catalina, along with the instructions on how to deal with these hiccups.
Why macOS Catalina Won’t Install
Various problems can occur during the installation of macOS Catalina. If the installation won’t start, seems to freeze midway , or never seems to complete, then it means that there must be something wrong somewhere.
The first main reason why users can’t install macOS Catalina is compatibility problem. If your Mac doesn’t support macOS Catalina, you won’t be able to proceed with the installation. You need a fairly recent Mac to be able to run macOS Catalina. Here are the Mac models that support the newest macOS:
- MacBook (2015) and later
- MacBook Air (2012) and later
- MacBook Pro (2012) and later
- Mac Mini (2012) and later
- iMac (2012) and later
- iMac Pro (2017) and later
- Mac Pro (2013) and later
If your device is not on this list, then you’re sure to run into problems when installing Catalina.
Another thing you need to check before installation is your available storage space. You will need around 6.5 GB just to download the installer. Once you’ve downloaded it, the amount of space you will need during the installation depends on whether you’re doing a clean install or an upgrade.
A clean install will eat up around 20 GB of storage. On top of that, you have to make room for apps, user data, and user updates. An upgrade install, on the other hand, will only take up 6.5 GB of space for the installer, plus some installation files that the installer will copy to your startup drive.
If you’re tight on storage space, you should consider removing unneeded apps and files on your Mac. You can uninstall the apps one by one, and delete cache files and data using Mac repair app. Make sure you have at least 25 GB of free space to be able to install macOS Catalina successfully.
Aside from compatibility issues and insufficient storage, poor internet connection, incomplete or corrupted installation files, hard disk problems, and faulty software can also cause issues during the installation of macOS Catalina.
Installation Checklist for macOS Catalina
Before proceeding with the installation, it is necessary to spend some time ticking off the checklist below. These steps will not only prevent errors from happening, but also ensure that your data remains safe in case something goes wrong.
- Back up your Mac, especially your iTunes media library since Catalina will no longer have iTunes.
- Take note of the 32-bit apps on your Mac . You will need to update them to the 64-bit version after upgrading, or find an alternative for them.
- Delete old Install macOS files from your Applications folder. These old macOS installation files may cause error during the upgrade.
- Remove all external drives and accessories.
- Plug in your Mac’s power adapter.
- Connect to a stable Wi-Fi network.
Once you’ve completed these steps, you can now proceed with the upgrade.
How to Upgrade to macOS Catalina
The easiest way to download and install macOS Catalina is through the App Store on your Mac. Just open the App Store and search for macOS Catalina. Click the install button to start downloading, then click Continue.
You can also visit the macOS Catalina website and download the installer from there. The installer will be downloaded to the Applications folder on your Mac. Once downloaded, the installer will open by itself. Just follow the onscreen instructions to proceed with the installation. You might be asked to log in using your admin username and password during the process.
As long as your device is compatible with Catalina and you’ve followed the instructions, you’ll be able to successfully install the new macOS on your Mac. But if you encounter any error during the download or installation, refer to our guide below to sort out the issue.
How to Fix Common Download Errors for macOS Catalina
Downloading the installer is the first step of the installation process. The installer takes up 6.5GB of storage, but you will need more space to be able to run the new macOS smoothly. If you have Automatic Updates enabled, the installer might already be downloaded on your device.
If the installer has not yet been downloaded, go to the Apple menu > System Preferences > Software Update to download Catalina.
If the downloading process gets stuck or is taking a long time to complete, here’s what you can do:
- Go to the Apple Server status website and check if the macOS Software Update‘s button is green. If not, then there’s probably some issues with the website, so you might need to try upgrading some other time.
- If the macOS Software Update is green, but you’re still having download problems, check your internet connection. Consider switching to a wired internet connection if possible.
- If the download is stuck for a long time, cancel it by clicking the X button.
- Switch to a different DNS server and retry the download again.
It might take a few attempts for the downloading to be successful, especially in the early days of the release of the update.
How to Fix Errors When Preparing for the Installation of macOS Catalina
Once you have successfully downloaded the installer to your device, the system then prepares your Mac for the installation process. There are users who encountered errors during this stage and came across the Error occurred preparing the installation. Try running the applicationagain message.
The first thing you need to do when you encounter this error is to reboot your Mac. You might need to restart your system a couple of times to deal with this problem. If the error doesn’t go away after rebooting, here are some steps you can try:
Check Your Mac’s System Date and Time.
An incorrect system time usually gets in the way of a lot of system processes, including updates. To make sure your Mac’s date and time are correct, follow the instructions below:
- Go to the Apple menu > System Preferences > Date & Time.
- Tick off Set Date and Time Automatically.
- If the option is already checked, uncheck it then reboot your Mac.
- Go back to the Date and Time panel and check the option again.
- Next, try re-installing macOS Catalina.
Re-Download the Installer.
If the step above did not work, you might have to delete the macOS Catalina installer on your Applications folder. Find the Install macOS file in the Applications folder and move it to the Trash. Empty the Trash and reboot. Once your Mac restarts, try downloading the installer and then run the install process again.
Delete the Installinfo.plist File.
If you encounter the Copy of install macOS application is damaged and cant be used to install macOS error during the preparation of the installation, the best workaround is to delete the installinfo.plist from the installer package, then try re-installing.
To delete the installinfo.plist file, check out the steps below:
- Go to the Applications folder and look for the installer package for macOS Catalina. It is usually named Install macOS.
- Right-click on the file and select Show Package Contents.
- Click on Contents > SharedSupport.
- Delete the Installlnfo.plist inside the folder.
- Type in your admin password to confirm the action.
- Click on the installer to run it again.
How to Fix Catalina Installation Errors on Mac
After preparing your Mac, the system then proceeds to the installation process. There are different errors you might encounter at this stage, so you need to take note of the error message and at which stage it happened.
Here are some of the errors you may encounter during the installation process.
Stuck at Setting Up Screen
When you’ve been stuck with the Setting up your Mac message for several hours or you encounter the dreaded spinning wheel, the best way to deal with this is to restart your device. Press the power button to shut down your Mac, then press it again to reboot.
Storage Space Problems
If you failed to optimize your storage space before the installation, you might come across errors related to insufficient storage space. You might see the macOS Could not be installed, the target disk is too small message or the There is not enough free space on the selected volume error.
This happens because you do not have enough space on your Mac. Free up some storage first before proceeding with the installation. You might need around 20GB to 25GB of space for macOS Catalina to run efficiently on your Mac.
Network Access Error
If you see a Code=551 error anytime during the installation process, you need to check your network settings. This error happens to devices with overactive firewall or those installed with third-party security software, such as VPN and antivirus. If this happens, disable this software first before trying to reinstall macOS Catalina.
Installation Doesn’t Complete
Sometimes, your Mac gets stuck with the x minutes remaining screen during the installation. When you encounter this problem, click the X button to exit the installation process and check your console logs. It is possible that your user account is corrupted, preventing your system from completing the installation process.
The only way to deal with this is to create another admin user account and install macOS Catalina using that account.
Mac Fails to Start After Update
You might think that everything is over once you finish the installation process and your Mac restarts. But sometimes, errors can still happen even after the installation has been completed. Some users reported getting stuck with a black screen, while others encounter the spinning wheel during the restart following the update.
This error is usually caused by incompatible or corrupted kext files. Kext or Kernel Extension files are the drivers for macOS. To check whether kext files are causing the error, move all of them out of your Extensions folder before rebooting your Mac.
To move your kext files, follow the steps below:
- Boot your Mac into Safe Mode by holding down the Shift key until you see the Apple logo.
- Open Terminal under the Utilities folder, then copy-paste the following command:
mkdir ~/Extensions-Backup && sudo mv /Library/Extensions/* ~/Extensions-Backup/
Reinstall Safari On Catalina
Once done, restart your Mac in normal mode and see if it goes through.
If All Else Fails, Do a Fresh Install.
If you’re still having issues despite following the guide above, you may need to do a fresh install of macOS Catalina. To do this:
Reinstall Safari On Mac Catalina
- Shut down your Mac.
- Press Power + Command + R keys to bring up the macOS Utilities screen .
- Click Reinstall macOS.
- Select Disk Utility > Erase HDD.
- Install the macOS Catalina from here.
Reinstall Safari Catalina
Remember that erasing your HDD will delete all of your files and settings, so make sure you have a backup before doing a fresh install. This should hopefully take care of common macOS Catalina installation problems.