Almost Mac Checking Status Update is Stuck

"Mac checking for updates is stuck" is a Mac consequence that can sometimes occur when the Mac tries to install an update. The Mac checking for updates stuck problem can be attributed to a broad variety of possible causes that require different solutions.

In most instances when this problem occurs, its cause should be something minor that tin hands exist fixed with a simple system restart or maybe a restart of the Wi-Fi router in example the problem stems from ane'south Internet connection. In other cases, the root of the problem could be a temporary bug in the NVRAM or the SMC of the figurer that is causing the update procedure to get stuck. Within this postal service, we volition get over the main potential reasons for encountering this effect on your Mac, and and so evidence you the troubleshooting techniques that tin exist used to ready it.

Issues with your Internet connection

If your Mac is having problems finding and/or installing new updates, and so the cause behind this could exist a trouble with your Net connection. In many cases, it may seem similar you are continued to the Internet while, in reality, a trouble with your Wi-Fi or cable Net is not allowing the computer to notice and download the available updates. You can apace check the current condition of your Cyberspace connexion – but type in Google "Internet connection test", open one of the many results with complimentary online Cyberspace testing tools, and perform the exam to see if there are any problems with your connection.

NVRAM bug

NVRAM is a function of your Mac's RAM retention, and it is responsible for storing sure settings that your Mac uses. If there's a issues in it, this could lead to a broad variety of errors and unexpected issues, such equally the one addressed in this article. Typically, restarting the NVRAM should gear up whatever bug related to information technology – we will show you how to do this downward below.

SMC bug

SMC (Organisation Management Controller) is a system in your Mac that manages a lot of different parts in your Mac and if there'south a problems in it, this could impact the behavior of the computer and cause certain errors. The stuck update issue is not very likely to be caused by an SMC problems, but it may all the same exist worth it to perform an SMC reset to run across if this changes anything.

Lack of sufficient storage space

If your Mac manages to check for updates and finds ones that demand installing but get stuck when trying to download and install them, so a likely cause of this could be the lack of sufficient space on its drive. It's always a good thought to have at least 50 GB of free space left on your Mac so that such bug practise not occur. If at the moment, your Mac's drive is almost full, this may be why the system is unable to install any new updates.

Issues in new macOS release

New macOS releases tend to come up with small problems that need to be polished out with subsequent patches. The latest major macOS release, macOS Monterey, came out a couple of months ago, so whatever bugs in information technology that may cause such errors should accept been taken intendance of by now, simply if you lot are still using the first version of macOS Monterey, 12.0.1, and not its latest version, 12.i, this may be a possible reason why you are experiencing this problem.

Another undetermined event/bug

Since this type of update error is a rather broad topic that can encompass a whole lot of different specific issues, information technology is frequently difficult to decide what is the precise cause of the problem. The examples shown below are only a few of the many potential bugs and issues that could upshot in one'south Mac getting stuck while searching for new updates or while trying to install them. Regardless, the troubleshooting methods we are about to bear witness yous below should fairly resolve such problems in the majority of instances. If y'all are nevertheless unable to get your Mac to detect and/or install new updates even after trying each of the suggested solutions, you may need to get your Mac to a certified Mac technician.

Mac checking for updates stuck fix

The "Mac checking for updates stuck" fix solutions include freeing up storage space, resetting the NVRAM of the Mac, and installing the updates through Final, among others. The ultimate "Mac checking for updates stuck" fix is to reinstall your Mac's macOS.

The following set up solutions have been shown, starting from the ones that are simpler and easier to complete to ones that are more than complex and time-consuming, so we suggest performing the solutions in the order they are given.

1. Wait for a couple more minutes

You may be used to getting a list of bachelor updates afterwards waiting for merely several seconds once you click on Software Update in System Preferences, just sometimes, depending on different factors, your Mac may take a bit more than to prove you what updates are bachelor, and then it may be a good thought to simply wait for a bit before you actually try anything.

2. Restart your Mac and router

You've probably already tried this, but in case you haven't, it may exist a skilful idea to first restart both your Mac and Wi-Fi router, so that if there's some modest problem in the computer or the router, then restart would take care of information technology and things could dorsum to normal.

  • If your Mac is connected to the Internet via an Ethernet cable rather than via Wi-Fi, unplug the Ethernet cable from the Mac, restart your Mac, and then plug information technology back in.

three. Use Prophylactic Style

Safe Mode keeps non-essential processes from starting automatically and then that if there'due south a 3rd-party software on your Mac that may be causing disturbances on your Mac that could pb to the problem in question, that software wouldn't be allowed to start on its own.

Enter Safe Mode on your Mac, then become to Apple tree Carte > Arrangement Preferences > Software Update and try to search for and install any available updates that way. Here is a detailed guide on entering Rubber Mode for both Intel-based and M1 Macs.

4. Change DNS settings Mac Stuck Fix

Sometimes, your Mac may exist having difficulties finding the best servers from which to get its latest software updates. You can help point it in the right direction by manually changing its DNS (Domain Proper noun Organization) settings in the following mode:

  1. Open up Apple Card, and go to Organization Preferences > Network.
  2. Make certain that Wi-Fi is selected in the left panel and then click on Avant-garde.
  3. Open the DNS tab in the Advanced window, and and so add either of the following 2 sets of DNS servers:
    • viii.8.8.8 and viii.eight.4.iv
    • ​​208.67.222.222 and 208.67.220.220
  4. Then click on OK, go out Organisation Preferences, restart your Mac, and try again to update its software.

5. Free upwards storage space

As mentioned, lack of sufficient space on your Mac's drive could be triggering issues with your Mac's software updates. If you currently have less than twenty GB of gratis storage on your Mac, the chances that this is the root of the problem are high, then yous should free up space and so attempt to update again. Equally mentioned, it's best to accept at least 50 GB of unoccupied storage on your Mac at all times, then this is what you should aim for whenever possible. If yous have too much important data and your Mac's internal drive cannot adapt everything and still have free space on it, consider getting an external storage bulldoze. Y'all can detect our list of the all-time external storage drives for Mac on this folio.

6. Restart NVRAM and SMC

We already told you about the significance of the NVRAM retentiveness and the SMC arrangement of your Mac and why resetting them may be helpful in a variety of situations, including the current one. Now we will bear witness yous exactly how to reset your Mac's NVRAM and how to reset its SMC – click the respective links and follow the steps shown there. We recommend that you offset reset your Mac's NVRAM, then try to update your Mac'south software to meet if the trouble is fixed, and only if the update fails over again, try the SMC reset.

7. Check for Disk errors

If there are any disk errors on your Mac that are preventing it from properly installing new updates, you lot tin can employ the built-in Disk Utility app to check for disk errors and repair them. If you need help with using the Disk Utility app, get to our How to apply Mac'due south Deejay Utility guide, and follow the instructions there.

8. Update using the Terminal

You lot don't have to update your Mac through its System Preferences window. You tin instead apply Terminal commands to perform the update installation. This could often prove to be a more reliable mode of updating the arrangement, as it may bypass whatever bugs standing in the way of properly updating your Mac, so it might be worth giving it a attempt. Hither is how to perform a software update using the Terminal control-line app on your Mac:

  1. Beginning, you will need to get to Applications > Utilities and from there get-go the Terminal app.
  2. In Final, blazon the post-obit control and press Enter/Return to execute information technology: sudo softwareupdate -50
  3. Next, type in your password and press Enter/Return again. Notation that, while typing your password, no new characters will appear in the Terminal – this is because the symbols of your password that y'all type would be hidden – merely type the countersign as normal and hit enter.

    The sudo softwareupdate -l command will search for available software updates and then list them in the Final window. Note that listing all available updates may take some fourth dimension to complete, so be patient and await until the results are loaded in the Concluding.
  4. Next, if you want to install all recommended updates from the ones listed in the Terminal, execute this command: sudo softwareupdate -r
  5. If yous, instead, want to install a specific update, encounter what its name is amidst the listed results and then execute the following control: sudo softwareupdate -i *UPDATE NAME*
    In the place of *UPDATE Proper name*, put the name of the specific update, as listed in the Terminal. For example, if the name of a given update is listed as macOS Big Sur 11.6.2 , then the entire control should expect like this: sudo softwareupdate -i 'macOS Big Sur eleven.6.2'
    • Note: use single quotes to enclose update names that contain single spaces, as shown in the instance above.

Install new updates from Apple's site

You can also download updates for your macOS and diverse Apple tree apps directly from Apple'south site and then manually install them. Here's how:

  1. Get to this page on Apple's site.
  2. Blazon in the search field the name of the specific software that yous demand to update.
  3. If you find what you are looking for, click Download, and download the file.
  4. In one case the file downloads, execute information technology and perform the installation.

Note that this is primarily used for installing updates of older macOS releases – you lot won't find the latest patch for macOS Monterey, for instance, on that page.

Reinstall macOS

Reinstalling your macOS is the concluding thing you tin attempt yourself, before bringing your Mac to a specialist, if none of the other methods have solved the problem. The process isn't too complex or difficult, and you should be able to perform it with relative ease as long as you follow our instructions. However, it may be time-consuming as information technology could take some fourth dimension for the installation of macOS to complete. If you desire to try this last resort pick, go to our guide on how to reinstall macOS, and follow the instructions shown there.