Can T Update Mac To Catalina - preldebberodisp1979’s blog

Have you had your Mac system stuck in the middle of the macOS Catalina update process? Are you seeing a warning stating ‘The macOS installation could not be completed’? You are not the only one facing this problem. A lot of other Mac users have also gone through the same trouble. If you are unable to fix the issue that Mac is stuck when upgrading macOS 10.15 Catalina, this guide is going to help you with that.

There are basically three situations can be classified. You can just turn to the scenario you have met, specific solutions are listed to help you figure out how to bring your frozen Mac back to normal during upadating macOS Catalina.

Update macOS in the Safe mode If you have enough free storage of startup disk, you still can’t update to macOS Catalina 10.15.6, please access the System Preferences- Software Update in the Mac Safe mode. How to access the Mac Safe Mode: Start or restart your Mac, then immediately press and hold the Shift key. Release the Shift key when. I upgraded my Mac to OS Catalina and I can’t use the glass to scan a document. 01:28 PM None of that works - HP could not keep up with Apple's OS upgrades and Apple upgrades do not check its compatibility before installation.

1. Mac Gets Stuck When Downloading macOS Catalina

Downloading the new macOS version is the first step of the updating process, many Mac users have been reported that their devices were stuck when downloading the macOS 10.15 Catalina. Let’s find out the reasons and learn how to fix it.

Why Does the Downloading Become Problematic?

If you have a newer version of macOS that you are attempting to download shortly after the release, there is a chance that quite a lot people are accessing the server at the same time, which could slow down the installation and may even freeze the upgrading installtion. Just try installing sometime later and it’ll be good.

However, most other common reasons including poor Wi-Fi connection and insufficient space on Mac should also be blamed for. To ascertain the real cause, it is suggested that running Disk Utility on your system before updating the macOS Catalina.

In order to avoid embarrassing and undesirable problems, it is also advised that running a few checks on your Mac system before trying to update its operating system.

How to Fix macOS Catalina Downloading Error

There are numerous solutions to this problem, depending on the reason causing your Mac to get stuck.

1. If the updating process is stuck and you are left with a spinning wheel, restarting your Mac might be an effective way to get rid of the problem. Press the power button, and restart the device to try again. Once restarting the device, your system should be able to update to the macOS 10.15 Catalina.

2. If the restarting doesn’t work, please make sure your WiFi signal is strong and ensure a wired internet connection to finish the downloading process.

2. Mac Gets Stuck When Installing macOS Catalina

Aftet downloading the macOS Catalina, your Mac may get stuck when installing the new OS on your device. Even if after repeated attempts, you are unable to get the Mac updating process back to normal, just follow steps below to fix when Mac is stuck during the installtion of macOS Catalina.

Way 1: Check Your Mac's Compatibility

One of the most important reasons your Mac might be getting stuck is because it is not fully compatible with the requirements of the new macOS Catalina for Mac.

Different versions of the following machines are compatible to support the new macOS Catalina:

MacBook (2015 or later)
MacBook Air (2012 or later)
MacBook Pro (2012 or later)
Mac mini (2012 or later)
iMac (2012 or later)
iMac Pro (2017 or later)
Mac Pro (2013 or later)

You need to understand which category your Mac belongs to and then ensure that the version you use is listed in the above models.

Way 2: Check Your Mac's Available Storage Space

Apart from the compatibility, the most common issue faced by Mac users is the lack of sufficient space. It is quite possible that your Mac system doesn’t have the necessary amount of free disk space on the hard drive.

Keep in mind that macOS Catalina is a big software. To work properly, it is going to consume a lot of space. Apple recommends that you need to have at least 20 GB vacant disk space storage on your MacBook to be able to effectively install this new macOS.

How to check your Mac’s available storage space?

Go to the Apple menu and press ‘About This Mac’ option. From there, opt for ‘Storage’, and here you will be able to see how much vacant disk storage you have available on your Mac device, and you can see whether you have 20GB disk space free or not .

In case there is less space available, you can proceed to opt for an appropriate way to get more space. For instance, you always have the option to use an automatic Mac cleaning tool for this purpose.

While there are numerous cleaning tools, Umate Mac Cleaner is regarded as the best among them all.

What Is Umate Mac Cleaner?

From its name, we can ses it is an application that allows you to clean up your Mac and get more free space. In case your macOS Catalina installation is not working because of small disk space, using Umate Mac Cleaner is the best thing to do.

This app is capable of releasing space on your Mac by deleting a large number of unneeded files. It can perform powerful features in just simple clicks, and your Mac will get 4X free space after using the app. There is no need to worry about its security, for it only removes the target files you want to delete and never affect those important ones that you want to keep.

Key Features:

Delete more than 40 types of junk files.
Get rid of large files that are over 50MB.
Delete duplicate files completely.
Uninstall unwanted apps.
Remove unnecessary extensions.

How to use the app?

The app is very easy to use by choosing the feature you need and click 'Scan' button, then you can preview and select the files you want to remove after scanning. At last, just hit the 'Clean' button to get rid of all files you selected.

Since these files could cause low disk space on your Mac, using Umate Mac Cleaner will help you free up the maximum storage space on the machine. It can help you to remove and delete all of these space-consuming files with just one click. Once you have enough disk space, you can then proceed to install macOS Catalina on your device.

Way 3: Install the macOS Catalina in Safe Mode

If your Mac can not update to macOS Catalina successfully, you can hold down the power button to turn it off, and then hold Shift buttin when turning it on. After this, your Mac will be set to Safe Mode, and now you can try to run the macOS update again.

Way 4: Reinstall macOS from 'macOS Recovery' Option

You can also choose to use macOS recovery to reiterate the OS downloading. For this, follow the steps below.

Use hold+ command+ R for the reinstallation. When you press this, a startup screen will pop up. From this point onward, you can begin the installation again.

Way 5: Reset NVRAM and SMC

If all the efforts failed, what else can we do if macOS Catalina can't be installed on your device? As a last resort, try resetting NVRAM and SMC.

If either NVRAM or SMC is corrupted, the performance of your MacBook would be adversely affected. Resetting them is believed to be the last resort, but given the circumstances, it is definitely worth it.

Reset NVRAM (or PRAM): Hold Command-Option-P-R for about 20 seconds.

Reset SMC: Hold Shift-Control-Option on the left side of the keyboard, and press the power button at the same time.

3. Mac Gets Stuck on the “Setting Up Your Mac” Screen After Installing macOS Catalina

After downloading and installing the macOS Catalina on Mac, some Mac users find the process stuck at the 'Setting Up Your Mac..' screen and the device keeps freezing with that message. If you are also encountering an error like that, just don’t worry, you can fix it easily.

How To Fix When Mac Is Stuck on the “Setting Up Your Mac” Screen After Installing

Luckily, there is a simple way to fix this issue. Just turn off your Mac, and then power it back on. After that, your Mac just works again. This way is quite useful to solve this problem for many users.

Conclusion

There is no doubt that new macOS Catalina 10.15 is truly an incredible system to use. However, it requires certain compatibility conditions. In order to work perfectly, you should carefully have a look and ensure that your system meets all the requirements.

Umate Mac Cleaner is an excellent tool to use. With this app, you can free up lots of storage space and optimize your Mac to achieve peak performance, which is helpful when updating the new macOS for your Mac.

Summary: This article discusses all macOS Catalina known issues with solutions. Issues like hardware or apps won't work after macOS Catalina update, Mac not turning on, and data loss are included.

Many people are indecisive to upgrade to macOS Catalina, the latest operating system by Apple. Thus, knowing possible macOS Catalina issues will help a lot before you install macOS 10.15. For example, you can't download/install macOS Catalina, apps won't work, iCloud is not available, or you have connectivity issues with yout WiFi or Bluetooth on macOS Catalina.

Therefore, this post discusses some common macOS Catalina upgrade issues and how to fix these problems.

Now, let's check the table below and see if you can find a solution to your problem.

Warning: This post will include multiple macOS Catalina problems, and some serious problems like 'Mac not booting after update' could cause data loss. Therefore, if you are facing some Mac booting issue after macOS update, it is highly recommended to recover the lost files from the unbootable Mac with iBoysoft Data Recovery for Mac first.

With more patchers are released and bugs are fixed, macOS 10.15 Catalina becomes better and better. But new macOS Catalina issues will never stop showing up. Thus, this article is worthy of reading as you'll know some common macOS Catalina upgrade issues, and how to address them.

1. Should I update My Mac to macOS 10.15 Catalina?

macOS Catalina is so tempting to upgrade, but you may still sit on the fence and wonder:

Is macOS Catalina stable to use on My Mac?
Is it worth updating to macOS Catalina?
Will macOS Catalina damage or slow down My Mac?

More worries keep bothering you. Then, should you upgrade to macOS 10.15 Catalina on your Mac? To be honest, it's up to you as now macOS Catalina is getting less and less flaws.

If you want to try these new features mentioned in WWDC 2019, you can have a bash to install macOS Catalina. But keep one thing in mind, back up your Mac and everything before updating macOS.

If you are an conservative person who have get used to macOS Mojave or High Sierra, then just don't upgrade.

2. Can't install macOS Catalina on Mac

Normally, you can sign up to the Apple APP Store to download and install the macOS Catalina 10.15. But you could encounter problems while you are downloading or installing it.

How to fix:

If you are suffering from this problem, you probably need to check if you have enough space on the drive or volume for installation. The macOS Catalina update will take more than 4.9 GB in total.

Or you may not install to this volume because the Macintosh HD is not mounted when installing macOS Catalina, then you need to check your startup disk in Disk Utility.

Space is enough but the macOS installation couldn't be completed still? Well, you can boot your Mac into Safe Mode and reinstall macOS 10.15. This will isolate incompatible software when you update the sysem. Here is how to boot Mac in Safe Mode (also known as Single User mode).

1. Restart your Mac and immediately hold the Shift button.
2. When your Mac boot into Safe Mode, reinstall macOS 10.15 Catalina.
3. Reboot your Mac.

Also, you may be unable to upgrade to macOS Catalina because of the error 'macOS Catalina could not be verified' below, even though you have cleared out your content caching and re-download for times.

How to fix:

1. Click the Apple logo at the upper left and choose System Preferences.
2. Find Date & Time and open it.
3. Select Date & Time panel and Click the lock to make changes at lower left.
4. Uncheck and then recheck the 'Set date and time automatically' option and then save changes by click the lock.

Then restart the computer and proceed to download the update once again through settings and software update. Hopefully, it will resolve the issue of the update not being verified.

3. macOS Catalina runs into low disk space during installation

Chances are that you still can't install macOS Catalina even in Safe Mode. Sometimes, even though you have pretty much no personal file on this Mac and space appears to be enough, you still could fail to install this system due to low disk space warning. As a matter of fact, it's just one of the macOS Catalina problems many users would face.

However, if you are disturbed by the low space problem, you received the low space warning from the system.

How to Fix:

You can fix the low space issue is to delete some local Time Machine snapshots which were made by the system previously. However, if you are not a specialist, you are not advised to do this deletion in case of losing data. Instead, if you have backups in Time Machine, you can just downgrade the macOS Catalina to another stable one like Mojave and then restore your lost files.

Some users see an additional Macintosh HD - Data volume in the Disk Utility of macOS Catalina and regard it as an unknown issue. Indeed, it's not. APFS drive in macOS Catalina will be divided into two volumes. One is called Macintosh HD which contains the system information and is protected with read-only mode, while the other one is Macintosh HD - Data volume where your apps and files are stored.

4. Can I install the macOS 10.15 alongside macOS Mojave?

You are torn if you don't know if macOS Catalina is better than Mojave or High Sierra. Maybe, you can make a compromise between them. That is to run macOS Catalina alongside your current macOS.

You can split your hard drive into two systems and install the Catalina on a separate partition. It is feasible because macOS Catalina will reside itself in a read-only volume, and you can do this with these steps:

1. Open Finder and click Go at the upper left of your desktop.
2. Go to Utilities and choose Disk Utility.
3. Select the internal/startup hard disk and choose Partition at the top.
4. Click Partition and click on the plus button +.
5. Fill in a name, choose APFS format, and choose a size.
6. Click Apply to create a new partition.
7. When you move forward to install macOS Catalina, choose this partition as the installation location.

To switch between your current macOS Mojave and macOS Catalina, you can access System Preferences by clicking the Apple logo at the upper left of the desktop and select Startup Disk. Then click the lock at the lower left corner to make changes, key in the password as the system asks. Finally, select your system and restart your Mac.

5. Mac won't boot/turn on after installing macOS Catalina

If you breeze in the newest macOS and install it to your lovely Mac computer, only to find that your Mac won't turn on or stuck on the loading bar after update, or even gets stuck on Mac grey or white screen.

What a nuisance! It has to be fixed instantly because you probably are in need of this Mac. But before you go further to fix the not booting Mac, you are strongly advised to recover lost data from this unbootable Mac with iBoysoft Data Recovery for Mac to avoid losing anything important.

Learn why Mac black screen happens and how to fix black/blue/grey/white screen and turn on your MacBook Pro/Air without problem. Read more >>

After you get your files back, stay in calm and try the following solutions to fix this unbootable Mac.

Mac Update To Catalina Problems

Solution 1: Check Mac hard drive with Disk Utility in macOS Recovery mode

If your Mac can't boot past the Apple logo after installing macOS 10.15, you can check the startup disk in Disk Utility in case there is any disk error.

1. Reboot your Mac and immediately hold Command + R to boot into macOS Recovery mode.
2. Release theses keys when you see the loading bar.
3. Select Disk Utility from the macOS Utilities menu.
4. Select the startup disk or the macOS volume in the left sidebar of Disk Utility.
5. Click First Aid at the top center and click Run to repair this disk.
6. When it's finished, click on Done and restart your Mac as usual.

Solution 2: Uninstall macOS Catalina or downgrade it to macOS Mojave

Also, it is possible that your Mac is not compatible with macOS 10.15, or you are not satisfied with macOS Catalina's performance. In this case, you may want to uninstall macOS Catalina from your Mac.

Then how to uninstall macOS Catalina on Mac? Can you downgrade macOS Catalina to Mojave? You can check the overall solutions to Mac is not booting up after macOS update or follow these steps to uninstall macOS Catalina.

Step 1: Completely turn off your computer.

1. Completely turn off your computer.
2. Restart your Mac and hold Command + R instantly to boot Mac into macOS Recovery Mode.

Note: If your Mac can't boot into macOS Recovery mode with Command + R, you can hold Option + Command + R or Shift + Option + Command + R at startup. It will boot into macOS Recovery over the Internet, so make sure your Mac is connected to the Internet.

3. Let go of the key combinations when you see the macOS Utilities menu.
4. Choose Disk Utility and click Continue.
5. Choose the Startup Disk (labeled Macintosh HD usually) and click Erase.
6. Format it as APFS and click on Erase.
7. Back to macOS Utilities menu and choose Reinstall macOS.
8. Click Continue and then agree to any terms and conditions. When it is completed, your Mac will restart and get back to macOS Mojave.

Check 10 tested and tried solutions to fix a Mac computer, like a MacBook Pro/Air, an iMac or a Mac mini, that won't turn on or start up normally. Read more >>

6. macOS Catalina update is stuck/frozen

You may be wondering how long time macOS Catalina will take to install because this macOS update is frozen on your Mac for hours. Many people are confronted with the similar problem that the macOS Catalina is stuck on 'Setting Up Your Mac', Screen time, or other process. It annoying and frustrating, especially after you have run out of your patience by waiting for its completion.

How to fix:

Well, if you have waited it for a very long time but nothing has changed, you can try to backup your files and reboot your Mac by holding down the power button. Hopefully, this will make your Mac go back to normal condition.

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7. Sidecar errors: Service Not Supported

Even though Sidecar is the most exciting feature for many users, the Sidecar is limited to work on some Macs/iPads. That's to say, Sidecar may be not working when you mirror macOS Catalina to iPadOS. If you're unable to connect to your iPad and receive 'Sidecar errors: Service Not Supported', you need to firstly check if your iPad is installed with iPad iOS 13, then check the following list to see if your device is compatible with macOS Catalina 10.15.

Macs that are compatible with macOS Catalina:

MacBook Pro (Mid-2012 and newer)
MacBook Air (Mid-2012 and newer)
MacBook (early 2015 and later)
iMac (late 2012 or newer)
iMac Pro (2017 or newer)
Mac Pro (late 2013 or newer)
Mac Mini (late 2012 or newer)

iPad models that support Sidecar

12.9-inch/11-inch/10.5-inch/9.7-inch iPad Pro
iPad (5/6th generation)
iPad mini (5th generation)
iPad mini 4
iPad Air (3rd generation)
iPad Air 2

8. Apps won't work in macOS Catalina

It is possible that you install macOS Catalina on your Mac, only to find that some of your software like Microsoft Word 2011 won't run or even open in macOS 10.15 at all. Instead, you may receive a message like below to inform you that your app is not optimized for your Mac and needs to be updated.

Why? Actually, it is because macOS Catalina doesn't support 32-bit apps anymore. Apple has been phasing out 32-bit software for the last 10 years and macOS Mojave is the last one that supports 32-bit software.

How do I check if my app is 32-bit on Mac?

By default, macOS will tell you that the app is 'not optimized for your Mac' or something like that when you attempt to open a 32-bit app in macOS Catalina. However, if it doesn't give any warning but the software just won't open, you can also check your apps for 64-bit compatibility manually.

1. Click on the Apple logo at the top left corner and select About This Mac.
2. Click on the System Report….
3. Scroll down the context menu in the sidebar until you see the Software section.
4. Click on the Applications option under Software to show your applications on this Mac.
5. Find the target app and you will see a section titled 64-Bit (Intel).

Next to this section is either Yes or No. 'Yes' means the app is 64-bit, and 'No' means the app is 32-bit and needs to be updated.

How to fix:

Well, you can't have your cake, and eat it. If you want to upgrade your operating system to macOS Catalina which is only compatible with 64-bit software for sure, you can't use your 32-bit apps. So, you have only three options in this case and the solution is totally up to your preference.

Why Can't I Download Catalina

1. Upgrade this software to a newer 64-bit version.
2. If there is no 64-bit version available for this app, find an alternative one that does the same work but is compatible with macOS 10.15.
3. Downgrade macOS Catalina to macOS Mojave.

Here is the overall tutorial to downgrade from macOS Catalina to macOS Mojave, or High Sierra, Sierra, El Capitan, etc. without data loss. Read more >>

9. macOS Catalina keeps asking for Apple ID

Some users also complain that after installing macOS Catalina, the Mac asks for updating the Apple ID settings. However, after you put in your password of Apple ID and your Mac password, the message may pop back up again and again after a few minutes.

How to fix:

You can solve this macOS Catalina bugs by saving your keychain to iCloud drive, and the following is the steps to do this.

1. Click on System Settings.
2. Choose Apple ID at the top and then choose iCloud in the context menu. It will show what is using the iCloud.
3. Scroll down this menu and choose Keychain.
4. Enter your Apple ID and your computer password a couple times as they are asked.

10. Apps icons go missing in the Finder

In macOS Catalina 10.15, you might see some icons of your apps disappearing when clicking the Applications shortcut in the Finder sidebar, only third-party applications. This will happen if you used Migration Assistant to migrate your data to a Mac running macOS Catalina.

How to fix:

1. Open the Finder on your Mac.
2. Right-click on Finder at the upper left corner of your desktop, and then choose Preferences.
3. In the Sidebar tab, select the Applications favorite, then remove the Applications shortcut from the sidebar that displays incorrect results.

This article will show you how to recover lost/missing/disappeared Documents Folder and other files on macOS Catalina and earlier with ease. Read more >>

11. WiFi/Bluetooth is not working on macOS Catalina

Can't access the Internet after installing macOS Catalina? WiFi/Blutooth is not working or not available? Check the following methods to fix such issues.

How to fix macOS Catalina WiFi not working issues:

Method 1: Simply click on WiFi in the menu bar and turn WiFi Off. And then wait for 10-15 seconds and reconnect to it. Try this for several times if it doesn't fix the WiFi problem after the first try.

Method 2: Restart your Mac in Safe Mode and see if you can access the Internect. If you can, it should be some incompatible apps or extensions that hinder the WiFi in normal work, and you could fix such WiFi not workign issue by uninstalling or updating your software and drivers.

Method 3: Create a new Network Location simply.

1. Click the Apple icon at the upper left, and then choose System Preferences.
2. Find Network and then create a new Network location which usually show as Automatic.
3. Choose Edit Locations, click on the + button to create a new location, and then click Done.
4. Re-join a known working WiFi network.

How to fix macOS Catalina Blutooth issues:

1. Open Finder, click on Go in the top menu, and then click Go to Folder...
2. Type in /Library/Preferences and click Go.
3. Find the file com.apple.Bluetooth.plist, copy this file to another location and then delete the original one.
4. Restart your Mac and reconnect to your Bluetooth devices.

12. iCloud is not available after macOS update

As you know, iCloud is extremely helpful to share folders between different devices. Sometimes, it can even restore some lost files after an update.

However, after macOS Catalina was released, you might see the message 'Couldn't connect to iCloud' when creating a new Pages, Numbers, or Keynote document in a shared folder. When confronted with this problem, you can simply close this document and then reopen it.

Furthermore, you could meet some other iCloud issues.

iCloud Drive fails to automatically download all files after macOS Catalina update
Multiple empty Application libraries within iCloud Drive after update

How to fix:

1. Download the desired files from iCloud drive manually and individually.
2. Safely remove the empty folders from iCloud.
3. Restart your device and start everything from scratch.

13. External hard drives/mouse/keyboard is not working in macOS Catalina

It happens that Mac won't recognize your external hard drive after installing macOS 10.15 Catalina. What's worse, this issue also affects some accessories like keyboard, mouse and printer drivers, etc. Why?

For the most part, it is still the 32-bit driver that makes your external drives not working.

How to fix:

1. Simply update these drivers in App Store.
2. Contact the developer in their support page to ask for a driver update.

The reasons for Mac not recognizing external hard drive are varied, so check this guide to fix 'Mac doesn't recognize external hard drive' issue easily. Read more >>

14. macOS Catalina makes Mac slow/overheating

As for a large number of exciting features are introduced in macOS 10.15 Catalina, some people complain that Catalina has slowed their screens down. What's worse, it makes their computers overheating, and even causes some battery problems.

It is annoying, especially for some game geeks and office workers who need a fluent computer eagerly. Thus, try the solutions below to calm you and your Mac down.

Solution 1: Uncheck Login Items as many as possible

Even though macOS is designed for better performance, too much unnecessary items at login will lower you Mac. What's worse, these login items could make your Mac stuck on loading bar when you boot your Mac. So, just disable it as the following steps.

1. Click on the Apple logo at the top left corner and select System Preferences.
2. Choose Users and Groups in the menu and click on your account in the left sidebar.
3. Click Login Items in the right column to show a list of programs that automatically start up when you turn on your Mac.
4. Select as much software as you can and click on the minus - button at the bottom of this window.

If this doesn't fix your problem when you reboot your Mac, try the next solution.

Solution 2: Reset System Management Controller (SMC)

Resetting the System Management Controller (SMC) is a feasible solution if the macOS Catalina is not working normally, which helps to solve many power and hardware related issues. If you are suffering from one of these problems below, resetting SMC is particularly effective.

Mac computer is overheating
Power management and battery problems
Video and external displays not working
Mac doesn't respond when you press the power button
General performance and functionality problems

How to reset SMC on Mac:

1. Shut down the computer completely and make sure your Mac is connected with power.
2. Using the built-in keyboard, press and hold the Shift + Control + Option + Power Button keys at the same time for about 10 seconds. If you have a MacBook Pro with Touch ID, the Touch ID button is also the power button.
3. Release all the keys together and press the power button to start up your computer.
4. The boot time after resetting a machine's SMC will be a bit longer than usual, that is normal. When the computer is booting up, you can customize your Mac settings according to your need again.

15. Files, documents, or folders get lost after update

You may lose files after macOS update. Some users' desktop becomes empty, and some other people find that they can't locate some photos in Photos library. It's a terrible feeling when you can't find important documents, photos, emails, etc. after macOS update. So, you'd better not risk your work Mac with the every new Apple operating system.

Lost important data after updating to macOS Catalina? Files on their MacBook or iMac are gone? Click this post to get solutions to recover them. Read more >>

But since you have lost files after macOS update, the most urgent thing probably is to recover these files. You can try these 3 solutions to get them back.

Solution 1: Recover files from iCloud

Actually, if you 're using iCloud Drive to sync Desktop & Documents folders, it is rather easy to restore documents, photos, etc.

Just visit www.icloud.com and sign in with your Apple ID to recover your files now.

Solution 2: Recover files from Time Machine backups

No data backup in iCloud? Don't worry, because you have another feasible way to recover lost/disappeared files.

Ta-ta, that is Time Machine. If you have backed up your Mac with Time Machine before update, it's easy to recover lost files then. Now, let's see how to recover files from Time Machine backups.

1. Connect this Time Machine backup external hard drive to your Mac.
2. Click on the Apple logo at the top left corner and select System Preferences.
3. Find Time Machine, open it, and then check Show Time Machine in menu bar.
4. Locate Time Machine at the upper right menu, click its icon and choose Enter Time Machine.
5. Look through the Time Machine backup folders in the left sidebar and locate the target files according to time.
6. Select files you want to recover and click Restore.

Solution 3: Recover lost data with Mac data recovery software

If you haven't backed up the lost/missing files with Time Machine, then you can look for a Mac data recovery tool to recover files from the Mac computer after macOS Catalina update.

You can use iBoysoft Data Recovery for Mac to recover lost data from Mac computers.

iBoysoft Data Recovery for Mac is user-friendly Mac data recovery software, which can recover photos, videos, music files, word files, emails, etc. from Mac computers. It is one of the most powerful APFS data recovery tools that can recover files from formatted, corrupted, unreadable, unmountable APFS partitions/drives. What's more, it also can retrieve deleted/lost files from emptied Trash and supports external hard drive data recovery, SD card data recovery, USB flash drive data recovery, etc.

Tutorial to recover lost data from macOS Catalina with iBoysoft Data Recovery for Mac

1. Download iBoysoft Data Recovery for Mac on your Mac and launch it.

2. Select the drive/volume you lost data from and click Next to scan for files on this drive.
3. Select files you want to get back. You can preview the target files by double-clicking.
4. Click Recover to get lost/missing files back.

16. External drive is read-only in macOS Catalina

Another problem many users are facing is that external drives are read-only in macOS Catalina. This could include hard drives, USB flash drives, SD cards, etc. As a result, you will be unable to write to, transfer, edit, delete files on the read-only drive in macOS Catalina. As a matter of fact, this problem results from the NTFS file system which Apple does not officially allow write support, and it not only occurs to macOS 10.15 Catalina but other Mac operating systems.

How to fix external drive read-only in macOS Catalina:

If your external drives are read-only in macOS and you're unable to write to NTFS drives, you can download an NTFS for Mac driver like iBoysoft NTFS for Mac. This tool can mount NTFS drives on Mac in read-write mode, granting you full access to NTFS drives in macOS so that you can create, save, copy, paste, delete and modify files on this drive.

Best NTFS Driver for Mac - iBoysoft NTFS for Mac

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Support macOS 11/10.15/10.14/10.13/10.12 and OS X 10.11/10.10/10.9/10.8

Check compatibility

macOS Big Sur is compatible with these computers:

MacBook introduced in 2015 or later
MacBook Air introduced in 2013 or later
MacBook Pro introduced in late 2013 or later
Mac mini introduced in 2014 or later
iMac introduced in 2014 or later
iMac Pro
Mac Pro introduced in 2013 or later
View the complete list of compatible computers.

If upgrading from macOS Sierra or later, macOS Big Sur requires 35.5GB of available storage to upgrade. If upgrading from an earlier release, macOS Big Sur requires up to 44.5GB of available storage. To upgrade from OS X Mountain Lion, first upgrade to OS X El Capitan, then upgrade to macOS Big Sur.

Make a backup

Before installing any upgrade, it’s a good idea to back up your Mac. Time Machine makes it simple, and other backup methods are also available. Learn how to back up your Mac.

Get connected

It takes time to download and install macOS, so make sure that you have a reliable Internet connection. If you're using a Mac notebook computer, plug it into AC power.

Download macOS Big Sur

If you're using macOS Mojave or later, get macOS Big Sur via Software Update: Choose Apple menu  > System Preferences, then click Software Update.

Or use this link to open the macOS Big Sur page on the App Store: Get macOS Big Sur. Then click the Get button or iCloud download icon.

Begin installation

After downloading, the installer opens automatically.

Click Continue and follow the onscreen instructions. You might find it easiest to begin installation in the evening so that it can complete overnight, if needed.

If the installer asks for permission to install a helper tool, enter the administrator name and password that you use to log in to your Mac, then click Add Helper.

Allow installation to complete

Please allow installation to complete without putting your Mac to sleep or closing its lid. Your Mac might restart, show a progress bar, or show a blank screen several times as it installs both macOS and related updates to your Mac firmware.

Stay up to date

After installing macOS Big Sur, you will be notified when updates to macOS Big Sur are available. You can also use Software Update to check for updates: Choose Apple menu  > System Preferences, then click Software Update.

Or get macOS Big Sur automatically

If you're using OS X El Capitan v10.11.5 or later and your App Store preferences or Software Update preferences are set to download new updates when available, macOS Big Sur will download conveniently in the background, making it even easier to upgrade. A notification will inform you when macOS Big Sur is ready to be installed. Click Install to get started, or dismiss the notification to install later. When you're ready to install, just open the file named Install macOS Big Sur from your Applications folder.

Learn more

If the installer shows a list of apps that are not optimized for your Mac, learn about 32-bit app compatibility, then choose whether to proceed with the installation.
For the strongest security and latest features, upgrade to macOS Big Sur. If you have hardware or software that isn't compatible with Big Sur, you might be able to install an earlier macOS.
You can also use macOS Recovery to reinstall the macOS you're using now, upgrade to the latest compatible macOS, or install the macOS that came with your Mac.