Install High Sierra stuck

[Nighthawk4]

I tried to upgrade my MBP from Sierra to HighSierra.

It has failed part-way through saying there is not enough space to install it - even though there is 273GB of free space on that partition.

The Internet says HighSierra takes up 8GB, so why is 273GB not enough?

I assume there is no way back now?

 

[Nighthawk4]

Amazingly, it seems to have worked

I rebooted and removed a few files, then tried again. It failed, so I tried again ......

Almost as if each attempt got a little further, until it managed to complete eventually. Now doing an update from 10.13.1 to 10.13.4.

2.71GB on my iPhone personal hotspot. There goes this month's allowance on 4G

 

[Nighthawk4]

The only problem is I am still on 10.13.1 with Security Update 2017-001.

Software Update does not offer anything higher than that

 

[ferrarr]

Just keep installing all offered updates? Or are you saying, you are not getting offered any more update?

 

[Nighthawk4]

The About This Mac thing says there are system updates, so I go to App Store and download 10.13.5 - which then reboots and installs.

However, after it restarts again, it says it failed to install. Back to 10.13.1 - with no available updates.

Where are they going?

 

[ferrarr]

Here, https://support.apple.com/kb/DL1959?viewlocale=en_US&locale=en_US, try the combo download to see if that works.

 

[Nighthawk4]

Thanks, I will give that a try

 

[Rod]

Nighthawk in answer to your question I suspect the failed downloads are deleted just as the macOSX installers are now after upgrading the system. It's odd but you are one of a few people on this forum who had failed upgrades to High Sierra and downloading and installing the Combo Update first seems to have been the solution.

 

[Nighthawk4]

So whether the update is successful or not, once it runs it is deleted?

Which would mean if it failed it is no longer there to try again

It would seem more sensible to wait until it has installed successfully before deleting the installer package.

I will try the Combo Update and see how that goes.

Is 10.13.5 actually out yet? I have read conflicting reports about that. Maybe tomorrow's WWDC will be of interest - like perhaps a Macbook Air with Retina Graphics

 

[MacInWin]

Yes, 10.13.5 is out. I'm running it now on my MBP.

 

[Nighthawk4]

Same result - it downloaded and installed - rebooted and it has failed to install

At least I told it not to delete the installer

 

[ferrarr]

Why don't you download the High Sierra full installer and create a bootable macOS USB installer, https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201372? Then after you have all your important data backed up, you can do a clean install?

 

[Nighthawk4]

So I tried the 10.13.4 Combo and the 10.13.5 Combo.

Then I rebooted with the shift key down and tried again.

Same result

Then I tried the Option, Command, P, R thing and it now finds 10.13.5 in the Updates - so I am trying that.

Also plugged it into the mains as the battery is starting to get low.

Incidentally, it also doesn't find the mouse any more - maybe the mouse battery is low, so recharging that too

 

[Nighthawk4]

This time the App Store found the update, said it had installed, prompted for a reboot, went through the update process and .......


........ exactly the same result. Says some updates were not installed, I select Details, it loads the App Store and no updates are available


It would appear that 10.13.1 is what I am stuck with

 

[ferrarr]

Or, you can download High Sierra from the App Store, create a bootable macOS USB installer, https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201372, then after all your date is backed up, install High Sierra from the USB drive. This way, High Sierra will be up to date.

 

[chscag]

I don't know.... That many failures to update would indicate a hardware problem to me. That first message you received about not enough space to install is likely the first clue that something is amiss.

Are you using Time Machine? If so, do you have your Time Machine drive attached at all times? Since you're running High Sierra on that MBP, the SSD must be formatted to APFS and that means you are likely accumulating local snapshots which take up considerable space.

All speculation on my part since I really do not know which MacBook Pro you have and if it has a SSD rather than a HDD.

 

[Nighthawk4]

Won't that be 10.13.1 again though?

I assume that is what I downloaded originally - although of course it was deleted as soon as I used it to get to where I am now.

Of course, it is possible a fresh installation might be able to update successfully. My current installation was over the top of Sierra.

 

[Rod]

Yes I would second that. A Bootable USB installer is a handy tool to have.

 

[Nighthawk4]

It is a 2012 MBP - the last one that the user can upgrade.

Hard Drive not SSD.

I don't use Time Machine. I do occasionally make a backup with SuperDuper! but TBH, I haven't done so for a while now

 

[Rod]

Is there an option to choose HFS+ Rather than APFS during installation? I can't remember and as both my wife and I have SSD's I would have gone for the new filing system, we both have the APFS now but it occurs to me that if he still has a HDD that just might cause a problem with installation. I just can't remember if there is a choice.