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It is pretty annoying when you’re trying to watch a video but no sound is coming out from your Mac or when you try to jump on a video call, only to find that you can’t hear what the other party is saying. Audio issues in Catalina are different in nature, and these problems are caused by a variety of factors.

This whole discussion was for 10.15.4 and i'm installing a slightly higher version, are there any necessary steps i have to take? Could you help me out @Jake Lo and @dave.stl Dell Latitude e7470 - i5 6300U, 256GB SSD, 24GB 2133Mhz RAM. This problem is not limited to RPT only, but also applies to other products that use IM for installation. Cause The macOS Catalina security restrictions prevent applications not notarized with Apple from installing; the IM files are not notarized and are thus not trusted by Catalina. Try re-installing macOS Catalina after SMC is complete The SMC reset before updating actually helps fix many macOS install related issues. MacOS Catalina Install doesn’t complete. Is your macOS Catalina installation stuck with ‘ X minutes remaining’ message for ever? It doesn’t proceed further on that screen.

No audio, audio glitches, problems with connecting an external audio device, internal components making strange sounds, or sound not working for particular apps are just some of the common audio issues in Catalina you may encounter.

Sometimes, misconfigured audio or app settings can lead to static in your sound output, inability to adjust the volume, lack of output from the stereo, or totally no output at all.

Because audio issues are caused by different factors, troubleshooting them can be quite time-consuming. For some users, audio only works after restarting Mac while others require some tweaking of the audio configuration. In the worst case scenario, Windows has to be reinstalled for the audio to work again.

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Audio issues are not unique to macOS Catalina. In fact, sound problems are a perennial problem, not just for Macs but other computers as well. So if your Mac is not playing sound, below are some of the basic troubleshooting methods you can try.

Common Causes of Audio Issues in Catalina

If you encountered the problem after upgrading to Catalina, then it is possible that the upgrade broke some audio settings during the process. It could also be caused by incompatibility problems between the new operating system and your audio driver or software.

Aside from these factors, corrupted drivers, hardware problems, incorrect audio settings, incompatible devices, and malware are also possible culprits.

Whether you’re experiencing simple audio glitches or no sound at all, the solutions below should help you resolve your audio problems.

How to Fix Audio Issues on Mac

Audio problems are caused by different factors, but all you need to do is narrow down the reason by working down our list below.

Installing Catalina Os Problems

Fix #1: Restart Your Mac.

Sometimes you just need to restart your Mac for audio to work. Rebooting your Mac will refresh your audio processes and applications, and most of the time, this does the trick. If it doesn’t work, you can also try booting into Safe Mode by pressing the Shift key when you restart.

Fix #2: Check the Volume First

Before you spend the rest of the day trying to solve a non-existent issue, check the device’s volume first and make sure it is not muted. This method is often always overlooked, wasting endless hours of troubleshooting. To make sure your computer is not on mute, press and hold the F12 button on your keyboard to increase the volume. You can also use the slider in the menu bar to adjust the volume.

You also need to check your Mac’s audio port to make sure that you haven’t left any headphones or other external devices still connected.

Fix #3: Connect the Right Audio Device

If your Mac’s audio is still not functioning after the basic troubleshooting steps above, you need to find out whether your sound problem is system-wide or only affects a particular app.

If you can’t hear any sound after connecting in your microphone, speaker, headphones, or other external devices, you need to look at the input and output audio device settings. There are times when macOS selects the wrong device because of misconfiguration, conflicts, driver incompatibility, or other reasons.

To fix this, you need to make sure that the correct input device for your audio has been selected. To do this, follow the steps below:

1. Click the Apple menu, then launch System Preferences.
2. Select Sound.
3. Click on the Input tab to check the input audio device settings.

If you’ve plugged in your headphones, make sure that is the input device indicated in the audio settings. Repeat the same steps for the output audio device settings.

One common mistake is leaving your Bluetooth device connected, such as your headphones, so the sound plays to that instead of through your computer’s speakers.

Sometimes, switching from one audio output to another can also resolve the problem. You should also consider unplugging and then plugging back your audio devices. Don’t forget to uncheck the Mute option and adjust the sound output again.

Another way to get a better view of all your output devices is by using the Audio MIDI Setup utility. Launch the app by searching for it using Spotlight, then choose Built-in Output. From here, you can set up the audio channel, format, bit-depth, and rate.

If your audio sounds weird, you just need to tweak the audio settings. Once you’ve made the changes, close the app and try playing your audio again.

Fix #4: Reset the Core Audio.

Core Audio is defined as a set of software frameworks created to handle the audio requirements in applications, which includes playback, editing, recording, signal processing, compression, and decompression, and a lot more.

On macOS, coreaudiod is the launchdaemon that initiates and powers the Core Audio. Daemons usually run as root in the background, regardless if you’re logged in or not. The process names usually end with the letter d.

If Mac is not playing sound or the audio becomes distorted, crackling, or noisy, resetting the coreaudiod process should fix the issue. This effectively restarts the audio on your Mac.

There are two ways you can quit the process: via the Activity Monitor or the Terminal.

To reset Core Audio via Activity Monitor, follow the steps below:

1. Launch Activity Monitor from Finder > Go > Utilities.
2. Type in coreaudiod in the search dialog at the top-right.
3. Once the coreaudiod process has been highlighted, click the Force Quit button to manually quit the process.

To reset Core Audio via Terminal, follow the steps below:

1. Launch Terminal from Finder > Go > Utilities.
2. Type in the following command in the Terminal window: sudo killall coreaudiod
3. Hit Return, then type in your administrator password.

Once the command has been executed, check your sound again if it is now working.

The coreaudiod process should be restored using either method. In some cases, you may not hear any sound at all even after resetting the Core Audio. If this happens, shut down and restart your Mac and check again.

If rebooting the computer isn’t an option at the moment, you can use this command instead:

1. Open Terminal using the instructions above.
2. Type in the following command: sudo launchctl start com.apple.audio.coreaudiod
3. The launchctl command should trigger the daemon and reinitialize the coreaudiod process.

Fix #5: Check Other Apps.

Third-party apps or plugins that integrate with your macOS can cause the audio on your Mac to not function correctly. Audio producers and sound engineers are careful of this, because hardware and software incompatibilities can easily occur with a new release of macOS. Although developers are generally quick and responsive to release app updates, the OS itself can be a source of headache.

With the launch of macOS Catalina, all audio unit plugins should be notarized by Mac’s security systems. Non-notarized software is not allowed to run on Catalina, which means that older audio plugins will not work at all.

Also, Catalina has finally ended the support for 32-bit apps, so 32-bit audio apps would no longer function.

Fix #6: Update macOS.

Every macOS update comes with new features, tools, and improvements. If you read the changelog, you’ll notice many updates in audio drivers, kernel frameworks, Unix tools, and others. And most of the time, users also complain about new bugs.

So if you’re having audio problems, updating your operating system is a good solution. But if you work with a dedicated sound workstation, make sure to install updates on the other Macs first before installing them to your production machine. Always keep a backup of your audio files in case the update goes wrong.

Fix #7: Reset NVRAM.

NVRAM or non-volatile random-access memory, refers to the small amount of memory that your computer uses to save various types of settings, such as sound volume, start-up disk selection, display resolution, the time zone, and a lot more. Resetting the NVRAM by pressing the Option + Command + P + R keys can help resolve glitches with the audio and other issues you might be experiencing.

Fix #8: Check for Any Problem with External Devices.

There are times when you plug in an external device, such as an HDMI TV, and the sound continues to come out from your internal speakers. However, you can see that the display is connected perfectly because the visual is playing on the TV.

This means that there’s something wrong with the sound. And if you check Preferences > Sound > Output and the connected HDMI device doesn’t show up, it is because your audio is not being properly transmitted to the external device for some reason.

The first thing you need to do is check the cable’s connection and look for any physical defects in the HDMI cable. Even small nicks can cause problems, so use an alternate cable if possible.

Moreover, you need to make sure that your device is compatible. Some older components are not able to receive audio using an HDMI connection, even if your Mac and other devices can play audio through it. Keep in mind that older MacBook models released before mid-2010 cannot pass audio through the Mini DisplayPort.

If you’re having sound issues with your connected device, this is what you need to do:

1. Go to Sound > Sound Effects.
2. Click the dropdown menu in the Play sound effects through section and select your connected device.
3. Reboot your Mac.
4. Next, open System Preferences > Sound > Output and choose your device in the Select a device for sound output section.
5. Finally, open the Audio MIDI Setup app once again.
6. Choose the HDMI option from the left menu.
7. Select your TV from the Output tab.
8. If you don’t see the speaker icon next to HDMI, click the gear icon and tick off Use this device for sound output.

Summary

It can be frustrating when Mac is not playing sound, so if you run into some audio issues in Catalina, check out our guide above and see which solution works for you.

Apple’s latest macOS, Catalina, has just been released to the public last October 7, 2019 and you can now install it on your Mac, as long as your device meets the hardware requirements. First revealed during the WWDC 2019 conference in San Jose, California, macOS Catalina introduces some new exciting features and functionalities.

As we say goodbye to iTunes, macOS Catalina brings in new apps and features to the table, including Apple Music, Podcasts Books, and TV. Another major feature is Sidecar, which can turn your iPad into another display. For ordinary users, this means getting a secondary display for free. For developers, on the other hand, this secondary screen can be used as a drawing tablet using supported apps.

With the release of macOS Catalina 10.15, a lot of Mac users are enthusiastic to install the newest Mac operating system. Just like the previous versions of macOS, some were able to upgrade without a hitch, but several users encountered various issues during downloading and installation of the update.

Some users experienced slow downloading of the update, while others got error messages when installing Catalina, including:

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• Storage system verify or repair failed
• This copy of the Install application can’t be verified. It may have been corrupted or tampered with during downloading.
• An error occurred while preparing the installation. Try running again.
• Copy of install macOS application is damaged and can’t be used to install macOS.
• There is not enough free space on the selected volume.

This guide will give you a detailed rundown of the most common macOS Catalina installation and update errors encountered by Mac users when upgrading or installing macOS Catalina, along with the instructions on how to deal with these hiccups.

Problems Installing Catalina 10.15.4

Why macOS Catalina Won’t Install

Various problems can occur during the installation of macOS Catalina. If the installation won’t start, seems to freeze midway , or never seems to complete, then it means that there must be something wrong somewhere.

The first main reason why users can’t install macOS Catalina is compatibility problem. If your Mac doesn’t support macOS Catalina, you won’t be able to proceed with the installation. You need a fairly recent Mac to be able to run macOS Catalina. Here are the Mac models that support the newest macOS:

• MacBook (2015) and later
• MacBook Air (2012) and later
• MacBook Pro (2012) and later
• Mac Mini (2012) and later
• iMac (2012) and later
• iMac Pro (2017) and later
• Mac Pro (2013) and later

If your device is not on this list, then you’re sure to run into problems when installing Catalina.

Another thing you need to check before installation is your available storage space. You will need around 6.5 GB just to download the installer. Once you’ve downloaded it, the amount of space you will need during the installation depends on whether you’re doing a clean install or an upgrade.

A clean install will eat up around 20 GB of storage. On top of that, you have to make room for apps, user data, and user updates. An upgrade install, on the other hand, will only take up 6.5 GB of space for the installer, plus some installation files that the installer will copy to your startup drive.

Problems Installing Mac Os Catalina

If you’re tight on storage space, you should consider removing unneeded apps and files on your Mac. You can uninstall the apps one by one, and delete cache files and data using Mac repair app. Make sure you have at least 25 GB of free space to be able to install macOS Catalina successfully.

Aside from compatibility issues and insufficient storage, poor internet connection, incomplete or corrupted installation files, hard disk problems, and faulty software can also cause issues during the installation of macOS Catalina.

Installation Checklist for macOS Catalina

Before proceeding with the installation, it is necessary to spend some time ticking off the checklist below. These steps will not only prevent errors from happening, but also ensure that your data remains safe in case something goes wrong.

• Back up your Mac, especially your iTunes media library since Catalina will no longer have iTunes.
• Take note of the 32-bit apps on your Mac . You will need to update them to the 64-bit version after upgrading, or find an alternative for them.
• Delete old Install macOS files from your Applications folder. These old macOS installation files may cause error during the upgrade.
• Remove all external drives and accessories.
• Plug in your Mac’s power adapter.
• Connect to a stable Wi-Fi network.

Once you’ve completed these steps, you can now proceed with the upgrade.

How to Upgrade to macOS Catalina

The easiest way to download and install macOS Catalina is through the App Store on your Mac. Just open the App Store and search for macOS Catalina. Click the install button to start downloading, then click Continue.

You can also visit the macOS Catalina website and download the installer from there. The installer will be downloaded to the Applications folder on your Mac. Once downloaded, the installer will open by itself. Just follow the onscreen instructions to proceed with the installation. You might be asked to log in using your admin username and password during the process.

As long as your device is compatible with Catalina and you’ve followed the instructions, you’ll be able to successfully install the new macOS on your Mac. But if you encounter any error during the download or installation, refer to our guide below to sort out the issue.

Problems Installing Catalina

How to Fix Common Download Errors for macOS Catalina

Downloading the installer is the first step of the installation process. The installer takes up 6.5GB of storage, but you will need more space to be able to run the new macOS smoothly. If you have Automatic Updates enabled, the installer might already be downloaded on your device.

If the installer has not yet been downloaded, go to the Apple menu > System Preferences > Software Update to download Catalina.

If the downloading process gets stuck or is taking a long time to complete, here’s what you can do:

1. Go to the Apple Server status website and check if the macOS Software Update‘s button is green. If not, then there’s probably some issues with the website, so you might need to try upgrading some other time.
2. If the macOS Software Update is green, but you’re still having download problems, check your internet connection. Consider switching to a wired internet connection if possible.
3. If the download is stuck for a long time, cancel it by clicking the X button.
4. Switch to a different DNS server and retry the download again.

It might take a few attempts for the downloading to be successful, especially in the early days of the release of the update.

How to Fix Errors When Preparing for the Installation of macOS Catalina

Once you have successfully downloaded the installer to your device, the system then prepares your Mac for the installation process. There are users who encountered errors during this stage and came across the Error occurred preparing the installation. Try running the applicationagain message.

The first thing you need to do when you encounter this error is to reboot your Mac. You might need to restart your system a couple of times to deal with this problem. If the error doesn’t go away after rebooting, here are some steps you can try:

Check Your Mac’s System Date and Time.

An incorrect system time usually gets in the way of a lot of system processes, including updates. To make sure your Mac’s date and time are correct, follow the instructions below:

1. Go to the Apple menu > System Preferences > Date & Time.
2. Tick off Set Date and Time Automatically.
3. If the option is already checked, uncheck it then reboot your Mac.
4. Go back to the Date and Time panel and check the option again.
5. Next, try re-installing macOS Catalina.

Re-Download the Installer.

If the step above did not work, you might have to delete the macOS Catalina installer on your Applications folder. Find the Install macOS file in the Applications folder and move it to the Trash. Empty the Trash and reboot. Once your Mac restarts, try downloading the installer and then run the install process again.

Delete the Installinfo.plist File.

If you encounter the Copy of install macOS application is damaged and cant be used to install macOS error during the preparation of the installation, the best workaround is to delete the installinfo.plist from the installer package, then try re-installing.

To delete the installinfo.plist file, check out the steps below:

1. Go to the Applications folder and look for the installer package for macOS Catalina. It is usually named Install macOS.
2. Right-click on the file and select Show Package Contents.
3. Click on Contents > SharedSupport.
4. Delete the Installlnfo.plist inside the folder.
5. Type in your admin password to confirm the action.
6. Click on the installer to run it again.

How to Fix Catalina Installation Errors on Mac

After preparing your Mac, the system then proceeds to the installation process. There are different errors you might encounter at this stage, so you need to take note of the error message and at which stage it happened.

Here are some of the errors you may encounter during the installation process.

Stuck at Setting Up Screen

When you’ve been stuck with the Setting up your Mac message for several hours or you encounter the dreaded spinning wheel, the best way to deal with this is to restart your device. Press the power button to shut down your Mac, then press it again to reboot.

Storage Space Problems

If you failed to optimize your storage space before the installation, you might come across errors related to insufficient storage space. You might see the macOS Could not be installed, the target disk is too small message or the There is not enough free space on the selected volume error.

This happens because you do not have enough space on your Mac. Free up some storage first before proceeding with the installation. You might need around 20GB to 25GB of space for macOS Catalina to run efficiently on your Mac.

Network Access Error

If you see a Code=551 error anytime during the installation process, you need to check your network settings. This error happens to devices with overactive firewall or those installed with third-party security software, such as VPN and antivirus. If this happens, disable this software first before trying to reinstall macOS Catalina.

Installation Doesn’t Complete

Sometimes, your Mac gets stuck with the x minutes remaining screen during the installation. When you encounter this problem, click the X button to exit the installation process and check your console logs. It is possible that your user account is corrupted, preventing your system from completing the installation process.

The only way to deal with this is to create another admin user account and install macOS Catalina using that account.

Mac Fails to Start After Update

You might think that everything is over once you finish the installation process and your Mac restarts. But sometimes, errors can still happen even after the installation has been completed. Some users reported getting stuck with a black screen, while others encounter the spinning wheel during the restart following the update.

This error is usually caused by incompatible or corrupted kext files. Kext or Kernel Extension files are the drivers for macOS. To check whether kext files are causing the error, move all of them out of your Extensions folder before rebooting your Mac.

To move your kext files, follow the steps below:

1. Boot your Mac into Safe Mode by holding down the Shift key until you see the Apple logo.
2. Open Terminal under the Utilities folder, then copy-paste the following command:

mkdir ~/Extensions-Backup && sudo mv /Library/Extensions/* ~/Extensions-Backup/

Problems Installing Xcode Catalina

Once done, restart your Mac in normal mode and see if it goes through.

If All Else Fails, Do a Fresh Install.

If you’re still having issues despite following the guide above, you may need to do a fresh install of macOS Catalina. To do this:

Trouble Installing Catalina

1. Shut down your Mac.
2. Press Power + Command + R keys to bring up the macOS Utilities screen .
3. Click Reinstall macOS.
4. Select Disk Utility > Erase HDD.
5. Install the macOS Catalina from here.

Problems Installing Macos Catalina

Remember that erasing your HDD will delete all of your files and settings, so make sure you have a backup before doing a fresh install. This should hopefully take care of common macOS Catalina installation problems.