Troubleshooting the 'macOS could not be installed on your computer' Error
Seeing the exciting new features and improvements in the latest macOS update is always a great feeling, but it may sometimes be hindered by an unexpected error saying 'macOS could not be installed on your computer.' This message may sound like it is describing an unsolvable issue, but, thankfully, this is not exactly true – there are some troubleshooting tips, which you can try to solve the 'macOS could not be installed on your computer' Error. Some of the common causes of the problem may include:
- Incompatibility with your current hardware.
- Internet connection issues, which prevent the update from being downloaded.
- Insufficient space on your drive.
- Disk issues.
- Unexpected conflicts with software running on your device.
Verify that the Update is Compatible with your System
If you are using a very old Mac, then it is possible that the latest update is unavailable to you. To make sure that this is not causing the problem, head to the App Store app, and then look for the latest macOS version. Once you load the page, you will see the 'Compatibility' section on the right – it will tell you whether this update works on your Mac or not.
Use Mac Safe Mode
If there are no compatibility issues, then you should try to resolve potential software conflicts. The easiest way to do this instead of turning apps off one by one is to launch your Mac in safe mode. To access it, you need to restart your Mac either through the power button or via the Apple menu. Once the restart happens, hold down the 'Shift' key on the keyboard until you see the login screen. Safe mode will disable all startup items, and only key Mac services will start.
Free up Space
If you have less than 20GB of free space available, then it is possible that this is the reason why the update cannot be applied. We recommend removing unnecessary apps, files, and other data. You can also check our guide on How to Delete Leftover Files from Removed Apps on Mac.
Use the Apple Combo Update
If the automatic updater is not working even after trying the aforementioned troubleshooting steps, then you may want to manually download the combo update from Apple's official website.
