macOS Ventura Won’t Install? Here’s How To Fix The Problem

If you can’t download or install macOS Ventura, it can cause some anxiety, but don’t panic. There are some steps you can take to get the problem solved. In this article, we’ll explain what to do if you can’t download macOS Ventura, fixes for when macOS Ventura won’t install, and what you need to do if your Mac freezes in the middle of the update.

If you’ve seen the warning: ‘The macOS installation couldn’t be completed,’ ‘Failed to personalise the update. Please try again,’ or the message: ‘An Error Occurred While Installing the Selected Updates’ we’re here to help. Or if having managed to download Ventura you are confronted with the message: “There is not enough free space on the selected volume to upgrade the OS!”, we are here to help.

Why won’t macOS Ventura install?

There can be many reasons your Mac shows an ‘Installation Failed’ error when you’re trying to upgrade to macOS Ventura. They include:

• Incompatibility: Not all computers are compatible with macOS Ventura. Older machines may not have the resources necessary to run the operating system.
• No internet connection: If you don’t have an internet connection, you cannot download and install the installation files. That’s also true if your internet is spotty or the link is weak.
• Not enough storage space: According to Apple, you’ll need 26 GB free storage to install the macOS Ventura update if you’re upgrading from macOS Sierra or later. If you’re upgrading from an earlier release of macOS, you’ll need 44 GB available. And those are just minimum requirements. It’s best to have more space open than that, so if you have less, you won’t be able to upgrade.
• Apple’s servers may be down: If you meet all the requirements above, and you’re still receiving this error, Apple’s servers may be down. You can check Apple’s System Status page to find out if the problem might be on their side rather than your own.

How to fix Ventura Won’t Install issue

Check Compatibility

The most obvious reason why macOS Ventura won’t install on your Mac is that it’s simply not compatible. Now, Apple has been phenomenal when it comes to device support, regardless of whether you’re looking at updating an iPhone, iPad, and even the Mac. But you will need to double-check the model of your Mac in order to make sure that it’s actually compatible with the latest macOS Ventura release. These are the Mac devices that can run macOS Ventura:

• iMac – 2017 and later
• iMac Pro
• MacBook Air – 2018 and later
• MacBook Pro – 2017 and later
• Mac Pro – 2019 and later
• Mac Mini – 2018 and later
• MacBook – 2017 and later

If your Mac or MacBook is older than any of the devices on that list, then it means you won’t be able to download and install macOS Ventura.

Check your internet connection

An unstable internet connection can cause the macOS Ventura installation to fail, so make sure you have a strong internet connection by moving closer to your router. Even better, connect your Mac to the router and use a wired connection while you’re installing the update.

See also: How to Fix macOS Ventura Wi-Fi Problems

Do You Have Enough Storage?

Another obvious reason that you might find that Ventura won’t install is that you don’t have enough storage on your Mac. Apple states that if you are upgrading from macOS Sierra or later, you’ll need at least 26GB of storage available. Meanwhile, those who are running an earlier version of macOS (i.e. El Capitan, Yosemite, etc.) will need at least 44GB of free storage in order to download the latest version. Here’s how you can check to see how much storage you have available on your Mac:

1. Click the Apple icon in the top left of your Menu Bar.
2. From the drop-down, select About This Mac.
3. At the top of the window, click Storage.
4. From here, you’ll be presented with a horizontal bar graph showing you how much storage is available on your Mac. The different colors provide an indication as to what is taking up your storage space such as Applications, Documents, Photos, and other files.

Apple also offers a useful tool on newer Mac computers that provides recommendations of what you can do to clear up storage space. These include things like moving files to iCloud if you have enough cloud storage space, or turning on the ability for your Trash to be automatically emptied if there are files that have been in the Trash for more than 30 days.

Check your firewall settings

Your firewall settings could be blocking your macOS Ventura installation. Use the Mac Security Preferences pane to check your Firewall options and make sure Block all incoming connections is not selected. You should also select Automatically allow embedded software to receive incoming connections to enable the upgrade to install.

Restart Your Mac

If you weren’t prompted with any specific error messages during the installation process, but macOS Ventura won’t install, you can try to restart your Mac. And here’s how you can do so without just holding down the power button until your Mac turns itself off and then back on again:

1. Click the Apple icon in the top left of your Menu Bar.
2. From the drop-down menu, click Restart.
3. Uncheck the box next to Reopen windows when logging back in.
4. Click the Restart button.
5. After your Mac has finished restarting, you can go through and try to install macOS Ventura again to see if that will work.

Check For Updates

This one is mainly for those who are running older Mac computers that are outdated from a software perspective. Along with major releases, Apple regularly updates its computers with various bug fixes and patches that need to be installed. And sometimes, this is a requirement before you’ll be able to upgrade to a newer version of macOS. So if you’re having problems with Ventura not installing, then here’s how you can check your system for any other updates before proceeding.

1. Open the System Preferences app on your Mac.
2. Click the Software Update button.
3. If an update is available, click the Download and Install button.
4. After the update has finished installing, you can try to go through and upgrade to macOS Ventura again with all of the necessary patches in town.

Install From the Mac App Store

Did you know that you don’t actually have to rely on Apple’s own software update method to install macOS Ventura? For years, Apple has made its macOS versions available through the App Store, providing a dedicated installer application that can be used to either create a bootable USB drive or to just try to force the upgrade if it doesn’t appear in System Preferences.

1. Open the Mac App Store.
2. Click the search box.
3. Enter macOS Ventura.
4. Click the Get button.
5. If prompted, enter your Apple ID password.
6. Click the OK button.
7. After the Installer application has finished downloading, it will appear in the Applications folder in Finder. Just open Finder, navigate to Applications and double-click the macOS Ventura Installer application. Then, follow the on-screen prompts to upgrade to the latest version of macOS.

Delete and Try Again

If you tried downloading the macOS Ventura upgrade from the App Store and were not able to install the operating system, then you might want to delete the installer app and try again. Since this comes from the Mac App Store, this is no different than any other app that you installed. You’ll be able to delete the app like normal, and then install it again in order to try and install macOS Ventura again.

1. Open the Finder app on your Mac.
2. In the sidebar, select Applications.
3. Locate the Install macOS Ventura application.
4. Drag and drop the application into the Trash bin.
5. Right-click the Trash icon in your dock.
6. From the menu, select Empty Trash.
7. Restart your Mac.

The last step is only there to help clean out any of the cruft or junk that might have been left behind from the application. We would also recommend not opening any other applications as you attempt to install macOS Ventura again.

Recovery Mode

One other method that we have for those who are seeing that Ventura won’t install is to try installing the software upgrade from Recovery Mode. The method for accessing this mode varies depending upon the type of Mac that you are using. There’s one method for Mac computers powered by Apple’s own Silicon, while older Intel Macs will need to access Recovery Mode using a series of keyboard combinations.

• For Apple Silicon Macs: Press and hold the Power button to turn on your Mac, then keep holding it down until a Startup Options window appears. Click the Options button, which looks like a gear, then choose to Continue.
• For Intel Processor Macs: Press the Power button then immediately press and hold the Cmd R keys while your Mac starts powering on. Let go of both keys when you see the Apple logo appear on the screen.

Then, just follow the on-screen steps to install the macOS Ventura upgrade. After the installation is complete, you should be able to reboot and have macOS Ventura installed on your Mac!

macOS Ventura still won’t install?

If you continue running into problems where macOS Ventura won’t install, then your next option is to reach out to Apple Support. You may be asked to take the Mac into an Apple Store or Best Buy in order to troubleshoot the issues. Because of this, make sure that you back up all of your files in the event that a clean installation is required for macOS Ventura. But this may be your best bet if you are determined to upgrade to macOS Ventura.

See also: Common Problems with macOS Ventura: Here’s How to Fix Them