Sonoma 14.4.x install issues anyone?

[Slydude]

I have an M1 Mac Mini with 16 GB currently running macOS 14.4 (Sonoma).

The computer is currently running off of a 4 TB external SSD with almost 3.5 GB. This arrangement has worked quite well for me until recently. When the most recent update to Sonoma was released I attempted the installation through the dialog that appears in the Software update preference.

The normal software download and installation works as expected (including the reboot). When I get back to the login screen I can log in as usual and the computer runs as expected with one exception: Software update still indicates that there is an update available. The About This Mac info sheet/dialog insists that I'm still on 14.4. I've tried the installation three or four times with the same results. Has anyone else experienced this?

I've probably recovered from surgery to do any extensive Google search but TBH Google searches almost give me the hives now because of the garbage that turns up with little/no connection whatsoever to what you searched for.

 

[MacInWin]

That's strange, Sly. My update went exactly as you might expect. Several reboots in the process, but it did finish and shows me at 14.4.1. You might try giving the Apple support a call/chat to see if they have suggestions.

As for search, I moved to DuckDuckGo a long time ago. Works reasonably well.

 

[Slydude]

I've been using DuckDuckGo for quite some time myself. I think many different search engines are being affected by folks attempting to "game" SEO to get higher in the results.

I suppose I could call Apple support but that would be like admitting defeat. I've only had to call them a handful of times in the last 4 decades (maybe 10 times total if you include visits to Apple stores/service centers). I wouldn't be surprised if my questions don't give them a gigantic headache.

 

[MacInWin]

I know what you mean. By the time I get to calling Apple, I've exhausted everything the Level 1 techs can handle, so we go through them again, with no happiness, and then they get Level 2 involved. I've stumped them a couple of times, too, so then they refer to "the engineers," which is the name of a black hole in Cupertino where complaints go to be totally destroyed.

 

[Slydude]

Two of my calls to Apple support/authorized repair centers were for what I thought were under-warranty repairs. Those were handled smoothly. One or two calls were to repair something that was not under warranty but the who;e process was handled painlessly. I've only been referred to level 2/engineering level once and it required a call back the next day. Their fix was a time-consuming PITA to implement but it worked.

My crowning achievement with Apple support was the day I confused two Genius Bar employees at the Mall of America for over an hour. They never quite figured out the problem.

I later traced the problem to Norton software.

 

[ferrarr]

The computer is currently running off of a 4 TB external SSD with almost 3.5 GB.

Why are you using an external? What is the 3.5GB referring to?

Did you shut down, then try again (SMC reset?)?

 

[MacInWin]

Two of my calls to Apple support/authorized repair centers were for what I thought were under-warranty repairs. Those were handled smoothly. One or two calls were to repair something that was not under warranty but the who;e process was handled painlessly. I've only been referred to level 2/engineering level once and it required a call back the next day. Their fix was a time-consuming PITA to implement but it worked.

My crowning achievement with Apple support was the day I confused two Genius Bar employees at the Mall of America for over an hour. They never quite figured out the problem.

I later traced the problem to Norton software.

My best "stump the techie" event was on a trip to UK. I had a SIM card for my iPhone which had worked well on my previous iPHone, but I had a new iPhone and when I did the swap, the SIM could not be activated/authenticated, whatever the process was. I got a strange error message about the iPhone not being recognized. So, I showed up at the Apple Store on Regent Street in London, 4th in line as the doors opened and handed my phone to the Genius. Somewhat smugly, he assured me that it would take just a moment to fix (undoubtedly thinking that this older Yank clearly didn't understand the technology). As he went through all of the steps I had already tried multiple times, he got the same obscure error message. He tried again, same result. Then he called over another Genius, who also rather smugly went through the same steps, only to arrive at the same result. Kept at it for a good 30 minutes. They both asked me to wait and disappeared behind the doors, where apparently they called Apple. About a half hour later they returned and handed me the phone again, telling me that somehow this particular iPhone had been used by Apple in a testing process at one point and had a unique registration in the Apple database that was blocking the SIM card from being activated, and that it would take Apple up to 24 hours to sort it out in Cupertino. They assured me that the phone would work "tomorrow" and to return if it didn't. Fortunately, it did suddenly connect about 12 hours later and I got a nice text from Apple to apologize for the inconvenience. It did feel good to see the faces of the Geniuses (Genii?) when they both kept banging into the same thing I had told them. Sometimes it's really good to knock a little smug off of youngsters....

 

[Slydude]

Why are you using an external? What is the 3.5GB referring to?

Did you shut down, then try again (SMC reset?)?

This Mini has a 250 GB drive which is starting to get a little cramped. It currently has just under 90 GB free at the moment. If I try to move everything from the external drive to the internal drive it won't fit. I strongly suspect I have a condition known as digital packrat syndrome.

Today is the first day I have put any effort into solving this so I haven't tried those steps yet but I will. Thanks for the suggestions. IIRC I did the restart but haven't tried the SMC reset. I didn't think of that.

@MacInWin, that is hilarious. I would love to have seen the look on their faces.

When I make support calls now I tend to tell them what I've already tried. Other companies usually make me repeat the steps with the tech on the line but Apple's people usually don't do that. I was embarrassed once when several weeks passed between the time I spent hours troubleshooting a display issue and the day I called Apple. Because I didn't remember the steps I'd performed the tech had me repeat them and the display suddenly started working.

 

[MacInWin]

Sly, the update issue could be caused by the shortage of space on the internal drive. I read somewhere that this update takes a LOT of free drive space in the process. I don't remember the number, exactly, but it was eye-popping when I saw it.

So maybe a cleanout will let it update?

Yeah, in the London store as the first Genius worked it I confirmed each step he was so confidently performing as he did it. Then he did the same to the second Genius. It was fun to watch!

 

[Slydude]

So, even though the update is being installed on the external drive it needs almost 90 GB of storage on the internal drive? If that's the case that's bizarre, to say the least.

Maybe this is the Apple Genius Bar guys getting back at me after all these years.

 

[MacInWin]

So, even though the update is being installed on the external drive it needs almost 90 GB of storage on the internal drive? If that's the case that's bizarre, to say the least.

Maybe this is the Apple Genius Bar guys getting back at me after all these years.

That I don't know, Sly. But it does take space on the boot drive if you install to the boot drive, so if you are booted from internal, and install to external, I can see how it would just continue to take that space.

 

[Slydude]

That I don't know, Sly. But it does take space on the boot drive if you install to the boot drive, so if you are booted from internal, and install to external, I can see how it would just continue to take that space.

I doubt that is the issue. I'm booting from the external drive and AFAIK installing to the same drive. That drive has almost 3.5 GB available.

This is the first time I've had issues installing this kind of update in a while other than the steps needed to designate the boot drive when I first moved to an M1 Mac.

 

[ferrarr]

3.5 GB of 4TB is not enough space, which is why I asked earlier what the 3.5GB was referring to?

 

[Slydude]

3.5 GB of 4TB is not enough space, which is why I asked earlier what the 3.5GB was referring to?

That should be 3.5 TB, not GB.

 

[ferrarr]

That should be 3.5 TB, not GB.

OK thanks. That makes more sense.

 

[OliviaClaire]

I have an M1 Mac Mini with 16 GB currently running macOS 14.4 (Sonoma).

The computer is currently running off of a 4 TB external SSD with almost 3.5 GB. This arrangement has worked quite well for me until recently. When the most recent update to Sonoma was released I attempted the installation through the dialog that appears in the Software update preference.

The normal software download and installation works as expected (including the reboot). When I get back to the login screen I can log in as usual and the computer runs as expected with one exception: Software update still indicates that there is an update available. The About This Mac info sheet/dialog insists that I'm still on 14.4. I've tried the installation three or four times with the same results. Has anyone else experienced this?

I've probably recovered from surgery to do any extensive Google search but TBH Google searches almost give me the hives now because of the garbage that turns up with little/no connection whatsoever to what you searched for.

It might be worth manually downloading the update from Apple's website or checking your disk space and internet connection. If these steps don't resolve the issue, contacting Apple Support for further assistance is advisable.

 

[Slydude]

It might be worth manually downloading the update from Apple's website or checking your disk space and internet connection. If these steps don't resolve the issue, contacting Apple Support for further assistance is advisable.

Sorry, I didn't reply sooner. I was waiting until I had a chance to try the installation again so I could report the results in case it helps others in the thread.

Disk space shouldn't be an issue on this boot drive. There are a couple of terabytes of free space on that drive.

We have been having some internet slowdowns but I don't think that is the issue. Some of the download/installation attempts have been when the internet was fine. The download, installation, and reboot are always complete.

I had not thought of looking for the download on Apple's site. If that doesn't work I will put off calling Apple as long as possible. If I don't my status as Apple tech genius will be in serious jeopardy.

 

[Rod]

You can always try downloading macOS Sonoma 14.4.1 from the App Store as a utility. Search for Sonoma and you will get a result for 14.4.1.
This is the installer, the same as you would use if you were upgrading from macOS Ventura. So it will be a bit like reinstalling the OS with the one difference that this will be 14.4.1

Do read the "Whats New" paragraph first.

 

[Slydude]

I think I'll try that later tonight when day 3 of JazzFest is over.

 

[Rod]

Let us know how it goes.