Mac Air Software Update Stuck In Log 10.13.6

It’s unusual that I see something entirely new on my Mac. A few days ago, I got up early to get some writing done, but my 27-inch iMac’s Internet connection was being horribly slow, and the entire machine was struggling. Restarting my AirPort Extreme Base Station didn’t seem to help, so I restarted the Mac. Instead of booting normally, I ended up at a screen containing only an Installation Log window and an error dialog saying “The macOS installation couldn’t be completed.” That was confusing since I hadn’t asked the App Store app to install macOS 10.13.4.

Aug 06, 2018  Tried updating a siblings MBP the other night from 10.13.5 to 10.13.6. As soon as it rebooted, it gets stuck at the loading bar after entering the password to login. Tried almost every generic solution for booting issues including re-installing macOS with no success. Ended up having to wipe the drive and start clean again.

However, clicking the Restart button just brought up the screen and error dialog again. I looked through the log and saved a copy, but none of the errors looked all that problematic.

With seemingly no other recourse, I clicked Restart one last time, held down Command-Option-R to boot into macOS Recovery, and reinstalled the operating system. (Did you know that different versions of Command-R cause different versions of macOS to be installed by macOS Recovery? Check out this Apple support article for the details.) Afterward, everything was fine, so I chalked it up to gremlins and started writing this article, but got sidetracked by work on our Internet infrastructure.

Air

A few days later, however, my MacBook Air was performing badly, so I decided to restart it as well. I know for certain that it was running 10.13.3, and I explicitly did not ask for 10.13.4 to be installed — I just wanted a quick restart to clear up the performance problems.

Shockingly, when the MacBook Air rebooted, it showed the same Installation Log screen and error. The log looked similar, and restarting had no effect. Rather than reinstall macOS right away, though, I tried something new: I held down the Option key at startup and then selected my boot drive. That worked — the MacBook Air booted normally into macOS 10.13.3, and when I intentionally installed 10.13.4, the installation proceeded properly.

Surprising as it was to experience the same entirely new problem on both of my Macs in quick succession, I figured that I do things that most users don’t, like enable the root user to test security bugs (see “High Sierra Bug Provides Full Root Access,” 28 November 2017). But just a few hours later, my son Tristan called. This never happens — like many people of his generation, Tristan is categorically allergic to the telephone — but I hadn’t responded to a picture of his MacBook Pro that he’d sent me in Slack. When I looked, I couldn’t believe my eyes. It was the same Installation Log screen and error as I’d seen on both my Macs.

Luckily, the trick I’d employed to get my MacBook Air to boot worked well for him too — it’s always nice when we aged parents get to show off our technical prowess. Tristan also provided another data point that he had not tried to install 10.13.4 at all. In fact, his MacBook Pro had restarted only because he had plugged it back in after it had run out of power and shut down. He said that it had been running very slowly before that too.

So let’s recap. In three separate instances, a Mac that’s running macOS 10.13.3 starts running slowly. Upon restart — without the user asking to install 10.13.4 — the Mac boots into the Installation Log app and shows an error saying the macOS installation couldn’t be completed. Restarting doesn’t help, but the first thing to try is holding down Option as the Mac boots and selecting the primary drive. If that doesn’t work, boot into macOS Recovery and reinstall the operating system. No data will be lost either way, but hey, make sure you have backups anyway!

How common is this problem? Unclear, although there’s a discussion of it on AskDifferent that covers the same ground I did. If you’ve already upgraded to macOS 10.13.4, you’re probably safe. But if you’ve been holding off upgrading, which is usually the cautious thing to do, be aware that it’s possible you might encounter this situation on your next restart.

Stuck

I have little idea of what could be going on under the hood. Perhaps it’s related to the “Download newly available updates in the background” checkbox in System Preferences > App Store, although that was set differently on my two Macs. It might not even be connected to macOS 10.13.4 — perhaps the “macOS installation” that’s failing is related to the “Install system data files and security updates” checkbox, which should always remain selected (see “Make Sure You’re Getting OS X Security Data,” 30 March 2016).

If you have any insight into this problem, let us know in the comments.

Say hello to macOS 10.13 High Sierra, the new operating system for Mac desktops and notebooks that brings some impressive under-the-hood refinements. If you were expecting some big overhauls, chances are you’ll be disappointed at a first view. But look closer and you’ll discover the fine details that amount to a better user experience and more power for your Mac.

Upgrading to macOS High Sierra is seamlessly simple, taking up little time and almost no effort. And with the upgrade guide we’ve prepared, you’re going to be running new OS in no time.

Why you should upgrade to macOS High Sierra

The team at Apple went right on target, tweaking those features and apps that promise to be in the spotlight in the near future. With a new and improved AFPS file system, a faster browser (which promises to be the fastest on the market), stellar graphics, better gaming capabilities and VR support, macOS 10.13 is definitely here to make a stand.

To really give your Mac a boost, upgrading to the new High Sierra is kind of mandatory. Think only about how much space you’ll save with the new operating system that compresses video up to 40% more. macOS High Sierra also comes with an improved Photos app, that now offers professional editing tools that will keep you hooked to find the perfect composition. Of course, the most important upgrade comes from Metal 2, that promises stellar GPU and CPU capabilities, while opening the world toward VR and AR.

So, to conclude: upgrade to macOS High Sierra for more space, speed and power. We should have started with that, right?

How to prepare for the macOS High Sierra upgrade

Now that you’ve decided that you cannot live without the new macOS 10.13 High Sierra, it’s time to thoroughly prepare for the upgrade. Do note that the beta version now available may not contain all the features, so if you want to upgrade for a specific feature, make sure it’s included. Let’s go!

In order to prepare to upgrade to High Sierra you should, of course, verify if your Mac is compatible with the new system. As a general rule, any late 2009 Mac or newer will theoretically be able to run it without any issues.

Log

Next, you should do a thorough Mac cleanup to have it running smoothly even before upgrading. A complete cleaning process includes deleting duplicate documents, photos and files, while also removing temporary files and cache data that built up in the background. You can do this manually (if you have the patience) or you can turn to an app such as CleanMyMac X to have it do all the dirty work for you.

Having a healthy Mac is key to making the most and enjoying the best of macOS High Sierra. Thus, it’s mandatory to check if your Mac has any issues before performing the upgrade. How?

  1. Open Disk Utility
  2. Select your startup drive
  3. Click on the First Aid tab

If you’re lucky, your Mac won’t have any problems. But if you live in the real world, you’ll have to perform some repairs by using the Repair Disk. Restart and hold Command+R to perform the repairs with Disk Utility.

The final preparation step regards the free space necessary for macOS High Sierra. The official sources from apple.com recommend having 8GB of free space before upgrading to the new system, but we feel more comfortable with reserving about 15GB. What can we say, we like our space. If you don’t have enough space, that means you Mac still needs a bit of cleaning.

CHECK OUT: How to clean up your Mac to get more free storage space.

Mac Air Software Update Stuck In Log 10.13.6 2017

How to backup Mac before the upgrade

Backing up your Mac before a major upgrade is a necessity, especially if you’re going for a beta version. You don’t want to risk losing any precious info, so there’s no excuse for skipping this step.

You can easily backup your Mac by turning to Apple’s own software, Time Machine, that saves a copy of everything on your Mac on hourly, daily, monthly and weekly backups. What’s more, except the automatic backups, you can also customize the process and have your most precious docs and files backed up manually from System Preferences.

Mac Air Software Update Stuck In Log 10.13.6 System

In order to use Time Machine, you also need an external storage device. How big? The bigger the better. Choose your favorite from USB, SDD, NAS drive or Thunderbolt hard drive.

Step by step upgrade to macOS High Sierra

Once you’ve prepared your Mac for the upgrade, it’s time to get the process started. Read on to find a comprehensive guide to a fast and safe upgrade.

Mac Air Software Update Stuck In Log 10.13.6 In Windows 10

  1. Choose a safe and trusted network for the upgrade
    All major upgrades should be done from a trusted network, adding speed and safety to your download and installation. The best place to perform the upgrade is from the comfort of your home network and you should avoid WIFI connections and especially hotels, restaurants or public networks.
  2. Log into iCloud
    This step is pretty straightforward, yet necessary for the upgrade process, as many Mac apps have iCloud integrated parts. So, to have everything run smoothly, log into your account and proceed.
  3. Update to the latest version of your current OS
    To avoid any problems in the upgrade process, having the latest updated version for your current OS is mandatory. Why? Because your OS is going to be as stable as possible, with all the initial issues fixed and all bugs eliminated.
    Make sure you’re running the latest updated version by checking the Updates folder in the App store.
    It’s also important to have all 3rd party apps updated to their latest version as well. Check the apps purchased through the App Store by using the same method as above. For the other apps you’ve externally brought in you’ll need to perform a manual update.
  4. Download macOS High Sierra
    Right now, macOS High Sierra is already available for all users. You can download it in the standard fashion on the Mac App Store.
    Here's the direct link.
  5. Upgrade to macOS High Sierra
    Open the installer from Applications (if it doesn’t open automatically) and hit continue. The on-screen instructions are going to make it really easy for you, so follow them religiously and you won’t be able to do any wrong. That’s it!

Next, make sure to set up for automatic updates from your System Preferences and the App Store, in order to always have your Mac performing at its best.

Mac Air Software Update Stuck In Log 10.13.6 Free

So there you have it! We hope you enjoy the upgraded features and your Mac’s new regained speed and, hopefully, extra space.

Mac Air Software Update Stuck In Log 10.13.6 Screen

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