Mac Not Updating To Catalina

New macOS updates always come with problems. The same applies to Catalina.

Although Catalina might seem to have had a great start, issues are now slowly surfacing. 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.

In fact, there are already many easy fixes to a MacBook’s battery not charging after updating to Catalina problem. However, before we enumerate some handy fixes, allow us to share the reason why your MacBook’s battery is draining.

  1. As we warned back in June, older Office for Mac will not work with MacOS Catalina. If you have Office 2011 for Mac or before, do NOT update to Catalina because Office will stop working. There’s no workaround for this. Office 2016 for Mac needs to be v15.35 or later, which it probably is, if you’ve updated anytime in the last few months.
  2. Another of the main reasons as to why your Catalina Slow could be that you have an abundance of junk files from your system in your current OS before updating to macOS 10.15 Catalina. This will have a domino effect and will start to slow your Mac down after you have updated your Mac.

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? Can’t access the web after installing Catalina? Is the WiFi icon not showing after the update? Whether it’s true or not that Catalina caused the WiFi issue, we’ve got great news. We have prepared a few handy fixes that can possibly fix your WiFi problem. Check them out below!

Problem: Updated to Catalina and WiFi Stopped Working

Some Mac users said their WiFi had simply stopped working after updating to Catalina. Whenever they attempt to connect, nothing happens.

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Fix: Restart the Connection

To fix the issue, try to restart your WiFi network. Click the WiFi icon on your Mac and turn the connection off. Wait for 15 to 20 seconds before reconnecting to it. Do this a couple of times.

If it does not work, try to restart the router itself. Sometimes, it’s the ISP that’s having problems. To restart your router, switch it off, wait for 10 seconds, and turn it back on.

Now, if restarting the connection and the router doesn’t resolve the problem, restart your Mac in Safe mode and check if the WiFi is working.

Here’s how to restart your Mac in Safe mode:

  1. Turn off your Mac.
  2. After you hear the startup tone, press the Shift key and hold it.
  3. Release the key the moment the Apple logo appears.
  4. Choose Safe Boot from the list of options on the startup screen.

If the WiFi is working fine in Safe mode, it is likely that incompatible extensions and apps are causing the problem. Fix it by installing the app and extension updates that are compatible with Catalina.

To update apps and extensions, follow these steps:

  1. Go to the Apple menu.
  2. Select System Preferences.
  3. Choose Software Update to check for any updates.
  4. If an update is available, click the Update Now button next to it to start the installation.

Should you wish to automatically install apps and macOS updates in the future, do steps 1 and 2. And then, choose Automatically keep my Mac up to date. When your Mac detects new updates, it will send you notifications.

Problem: an Exclamation Point on the WiFi Icon

Can’t connect to a WiFi network after updating to Catalina? Are you noticing an exclamation mark on the WiFi icon on your Mac? Then it is possible that a network error exists or a hardware component is at fault.

Fix: Acquire a New DHCP Lease Address

To fix the problem, you might need to renew your DHCP lease address or acquire a new one, which establishes a connection with a new IPv4 address, router, and subnet mask. Here’s how to renew your Mac’s DHCP lease address:

  1. Go to the Apple menu.
  2. Choose System Preference.
  3. Select Network.
  4. Navigate to the WiFi Your Mac should then start connecting to a WiFi network. If you are seeing an exclamation point, click Keep Selected WiFi.
  5. Locate the Advanced option.
  6. Open the TCP/IP Here, you will see three IP addresses. If you don’t see any, you have to click Renew DHCP Lease.
  7. Now, try to reconnect to the WiFi network.

Problem: WiFi Problems Still Exist After Renewing the DHCP Lease Address

You’ve restarted the router. You’ve also renewed your DHCP lease address. But the problem is still there. What should you do?

Mac Not Updating To Catalina

Fix: Delete the WiFi Profile from the List

Deleting the WiFi profile from the list of networks saved on your Mac usually does the trick. Here’s how you do it:

  1. Go to the Apple menu and navigate to System Preference > Network.
  2. Click on the WiFi profile of the problematic network.
  3. Tap on the minus (-) sign to delete it from the list.
  4. Hit Apply.
  5. Now, add the WiFi profile again. Click the plus (+) sign and choose WiFi.
  6. Give the network a name.
  7. Hit Create.
  8. Next, click Advanced.
  9. Navigate to the TCP/IP section.
  10. Click Renew DHCP Lease.
  11. Go to the DNS section.
  12. Click the plus (+) sign to add a new Google IP address.
  13. Click the sign again to add a second IP.
  14. Now, navigate to the Hardware tab and select Configure Manually.
  15. Select MTU Set Custom and input 1453.
  16. Hit Apply to save the changes.
  17. Finally, switch off the WiFi network and turn it on again.

Problem: Connected to a WiFi Network, But Safari Doesn’t Load

There are times when you are already connected to a WiFi network, only to find that your browser does not load. Worse, it does not even connect to the server.

Fix: Check Safari Extensions

If you have successfully connected to a WiFi network but your web browser does not load, the problem might be with the extensions, cache, or cookies. To fix it, simply clear your cache, remove the cookies, and delete any unnecessary web data stored on your Mac.

  1. To delete Safari’s cache, open Safari and click the drop-down menu.
  2. Go to Preferences.
  3. Navigate to the Advanced tab.
  4. Open the Show Develop menu.
  5. Close the Preferences window.
  6. Click the Develop drop-down menu.
  7. Hit the Empty Cache button.

If the manual process seems too overwhelming to you, opt to automate the process. For this, you will need a reliable third-party Mac repair tool like Mac repair app. Once you have installed it, run a quick scan to find any junk files, such as browser cache and cookies. It’s that easy!

What’s Next?

Assuming you’ve done everything but the WiFi problem persists, your last resort is to seek help from experts. Take your Mac to a nearby Apple Center and have an Apple Genius check the problem.

Do you know other workarounds that can resolve WiFi-related problems associated with the Catalina update? Let us know in the comments!

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.

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.

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

Matters need attention:

  • 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

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.

  1. Turn on your Mac while holding Command + S key simultaneously.
  2. When you see the white text on a black background, release the keys.
  3. 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:

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

For Mac laptop:

  1. Make your Mac unplugged, and then turn off the power.
  2. 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.
  3. Re-plug the Mac in and reboot it up.

For old Mac laptop with removable battery:

  1. Shut down your Mac > unplug it > remove the battery.
  2. Hold down the power button for 5 seconds.
  3. 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.

  1. Shut down your Mac.
  2. Turn your Mac, and hold down Option + Command + P + R key together right away.
  3. 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

  1. Turn off your Mac, and then switch it on.
  2. Immediately hold down Command + R keys till an Apple logo appears.
  3. Wait for a moment, the OS X Utilities window will show up.
  4. Click on 'Disk Utility' option.
  5. Locate your Mac drive, and choose it.
  6. 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.

  1. Repeat the first three steps of option one.
  2. Select “Reinstall macOS” from the Utilities window.
  3. 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:

Mac Not Updating To Catalina

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.

Can't Update Mac To Catalina

Conclusion

Mac Won't Update To Catalina 10.15.4

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.