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Updating to latest El Capitan beta gets stuck about 75% of the way... can't get off it
- Thread starter TonyFriz
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Apple say you should backup before installing a beta.
Which beta are you installing? Public beta 2 of developer beta 4?
If the mac app store method isn't working you can use direct links instead:
Here for developer beta 4: https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/el-capitan-dp4-update-pkg-direct-link.1902467/
Or
Here for public beta 2 (in post #8): https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/public-beta-2-downloading.1902642/
Many people who have had trouble with the mac app store with this have said they have better success with direct links.
Which beta are you installing? Public beta 2 of developer beta 4?
If the mac app store method isn't working you can use direct links instead:
Here for developer beta 4: https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/el-capitan-dp4-update-pkg-direct-link.1902467/
Or
Here for public beta 2 (in post #8): https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/public-beta-2-downloading.1902642/
Many people who have had trouble with the mac app store with this have said they have better success with direct links.
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The thing is I can't even get my mac to fully boot. It gets stuck loading. What can I do from here?
Didn't work. Chose to boot from the mac hdd disk and the same thing happens, gets stuck about half way on boot up.
You may be able to override the partial install using target disk mode, but this will require a second mac to do so: https://support.apple.com/kb/PH19021?locale=en_US
Use the direct links from the second mac to install the update on the other one via target disk mode.
Use the direct links from the second mac to install the update on the other one via target disk mode.
Or you might want to try a safe boot or single user mode.
Similar situations have been discussed in the apple developer forums
Try looking at these threads for people with very similar problems: https://forums.developer.apple.com/thread/7080 and https://forums.developer.apple.com/thread/7014
Similar situations have been discussed in the apple developer forums
Try looking at these threads for people with very similar problems: https://forums.developer.apple.com/thread/7080 and https://forums.developer.apple.com/thread/7014
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This happened to me install El Capitan (Beta 2 I think). Gas gauge got stuck and won't move. Someone told me to hold the power on/off switch on my MBA which I did (probably about 2 or more hours after it got stuck). I did and the MBA immediately rebooted and finished the beta installation in just a couple of minutes. I didn't have a backup and installed the beta on top of Yosemite so there probably wasn't a reset available to me.
Well as annoying as this might seem, I'm going to have to repeat what I said before and that is to say that you should have a backup before installing a beta.
If you have such a backup then you will be better equipped to wipe the whole drive if necessary, and clean install or restore from backup - without fear of losing anything.
If you don't backup then it will make such recovery much more difficult.
If you have such a backup then you will be better equipped to wipe the whole drive if necessary, and clean install or restore from backup - without fear of losing anything.
If you don't backup then it will make such recovery much more difficult.
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If you have a backup however you might not be so hesitant to wipe the whole drive and start again.
In the absence of a bootable usb, you could do a recovery update via cmd+r upon bootup. Reinstall the system from that.
Or internet recovery with cmd+opt+r upon bootup.
Best option though (because it does not require a redownload of the system and hence is much faster) is to use a bootable usb:
El Capitan DP1: https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/make-bootable-usb-drive.1890564/
El Capitan PB1: https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/el-capitan-pb1-bootable-usb.1899261/
Then boot up with option key, use disk utility to wipe the drive, reinstall the system then update to latest beta.
In the absence of a bootable usb, you could do a recovery update via cmd+r upon bootup. Reinstall the system from that.
Or internet recovery with cmd+opt+r upon bootup.
Best option though (because it does not require a redownload of the system and hence is much faster) is to use a bootable usb:
El Capitan DP1: https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/make-bootable-usb-drive.1890564/
El Capitan PB1: https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/el-capitan-pb1-bootable-usb.1899261/
Then boot up with option key, use disk utility to wipe the drive, reinstall the system then update to latest beta.
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Unfortunately I don't have a back up and I have really important stuff to me on there so I'm really at a loss for what to do... I made an appointment with the Apple genius bar although I'm not sure what they could even do... I do understand that it's a beta but I've been installing the betas since before mavericks and nothing like this has ever happened. Crashes while running the system I understand, but failing to install? For the 4th beta? That's just odd and highly unexpected.
And again if you have a backup before installing the beta (and this is what I'd be more inclined to do if I were in TonyFriz's situation), use the bootable usb to wipe the whole drive and restore from the backup. Then update to latest beta via direct links.
That way you don't lose data, and you circumvent the idiosyncrasies of the mac app store causing so much trouble with beta installations.
That way you don't lose data, and you circumvent the idiosyncrasies of the mac app store causing so much trouble with beta installations.
Could you possibly explain to me how I can do this even thought I can't actually boot into the machine? I think this might be the same issue for me because I had the same issue with the preference pane for icloud crashing every single time I tried to open it
https://forums.developer.apple.com/thread/7014
All right then, what's my best option for data recovery? How can I immediately back everything up?
Actually maybe you can answer this: it seems my data is still all there because I was able to login as a guest in safe mode and I can see the files although I can't access them because it's a guest account. So, how can I get access to all files from a guest account?
One of the best things about a bootable usb is that it is not the machine itself that boots, but the usb instead. And it should give you access to the drive and partitions on your machine regardless of whatever problems you have with it (unless it is physical damage in which case an apple hardware test or apple service diagnostic test may be more appropriate).
Anyway, if you were equipped with such a bootable usb, you would be so much better able to handle the situation.
Did you try internet recovery?
I don't know how true this is, but I have heard that geniuses at genius bars have been told to refuse to help with betas. That was quite a while ago though. It applied more to developer previews I think - before public betas came into existence.
So maybe they have relaxed the rules now and will go out of their way to help you with it regardless.
If the genius agrees to help you with it though, I think he may suggest some of the modes of attack that I have suggested here already.
And you didn't answer this before, but is it PB2 you had the problem with - or DP4?
If you can't make the bootable usb on this particular mac because you can't boot into it, use another mac to make the bootable usb. You can then use the bootable usb on the first mac.
But really, you need to be better equipped when you are testing betas.
1. Backup.
2. Make a bootable usb.
3. Be prepared to wipe the whole drive if necessary.
I will give this a shot if I have to. But currently I'm logged in in safe mode on a guest account. I need a way to see and access ALL files on the hard drive. When I open up Finder, everything is empty. The applications folder is empty, Mac HDD folder is empty. Why would this be? How can I fix this from the guest account? If I could accomplish this I may be able to fix this right now.
I know that my files are there because if I open Launchpad I can see all of my applications. So the data seems to be safe for now.
I'm very tempted now to say don't wipe the drive yet.
Use target mode to recover data.
You have several issues here and you need to prioritise them.
It seems that you need to recover data first.
So at this stage I'd be very tempted to try target mode. And as I said before that will require a second mac. Do you have a second mac?
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I do have a second mac. But I'm almost certain that this is the issue: https://forums.developer.apple.com/thread/7014
If I could delete the iCloud account I believe I'll be able to get in. All of the symptoms are the same as for the OP in that thread. Is there no way for me to do this from the guest account? If not, how can I do it in "target mode"?
BTW thank you so much for all your help.
And it's also one of the best things about target mode. It's not the problematic machine that boots, but another one with full access to the problematic machine.
So with a bit of luck you should be able to use target mode to recover all your data.
Here is apple's current page on target mode: https://support.apple.com/kb/PH19021?locale=en_US I don't think they made one for el capitan yet, but that shouldn't matter.
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And when you are in safe mode are you able to ascertain the build number for the system that is installed?
That may help to determine if the update is 75% installed or if it is 100% installed but only 75% bootable.
Either way, target mode is probably your best bet at recovering data at this stage.
That may help to determine if the update is 75% installed or if it is 100% installed but only 75% bootable.
Either way, target mode is probably your best bet at recovering data at this stage.
That's very weird.
When I first read this thread I thought it was 75% installed. Then upon re-reading it, I changed my mind and thought, no, it's 100% installed, but only 75% bootable.
Now if you have no build number whatsoever I am of the opinion it is only 75% bootable BECAUSE it is only 75% installed.
Back to data recovery then.
Think about installations later.
When I first read this thread I thought it was 75% installed. Then upon re-reading it, I changed my mind and thought, no, it's 100% installed, but only 75% bootable.
Now if you have no build number whatsoever I am of the opinion it is only 75% bootable BECAUSE it is only 75% installed.
Back to data recovery then.
Think about installations later.