Macos Waiting For Other Installations To Complete

fix 'Waiting for other installations to complete.' on OSX 10.6 10.7

reset.sh

## fix 'Waiting for other installations to complete.' on OSX 10.6 10.7

## sometimes a failed installation leaves us unable to

## perform an installation. The following fixes it for me

sudo rm /private/var/db/mds/system/mds.install.lock

sudo reboot

If you have recently upgraded or replaced the hard drive for your MacBook or iMac, you will need to reinstall macOS onto it. This guide will show you how to install macOS High Sierra onto a blank hard drive. Note: This guide is untested for macOS Catalina, and will probably not work without adjustments.

commented Jan 24, 2012

The installation process copies needed files to the destination drive, including a minimum boot environment. Once everything is in place, your Mac should restart and finish the install process. If you’re stuck at the black screen, you should wait for a reasonable amount of time; no more than half an hour. Question: Q: installer keeps waiting for other installations to complete my downloads. Is this normal? I downloaded a microsoft remote desktop application and tried to download my office mac and the installer keeps saying waiting for other installations to complete. So i thought i needed a restart and the installer won't shut down either.

thank you!

i wonder though: is the sudo reboot needed? seems harsh. would a regular reboot suffice?

commented Jan 24, 2012

You must be root to reboot thus sudo...

camel:build reedobrien$ reboot
reboot: Operation not permitted

commented Jan 24, 2012

yeah i mean just choosing Restart... from the apple menu, so your apps have a chance to quit normally, etc.

commented Jan 24, 2012

Yes I am sure that would work fine.

commented Feb 7, 2012

It seems that rebooting shouldn't be necessary, but I can't seem to find out how to remove whatever other lock Software Update is waiting on. I thought it might be mds.lock, but no.

commented Feb 7, 2012

Yeah I gave up and rebooted after a few minutes.

commented Jul 12, 2012

Very Good. Thanks!

commented Aug 1, 2012

This worked for me. Thanks! I love nerds <3

commented Aug 19, 2013

worked for me! Thanks.. lol

commented Apr 13, 2015

This seems a bit extreme...first you should check whether there are actually other installers waiting to finish, and do whatever they need.

In my case, I started installing new software while there was a popup saying that I needed to close iTunes for an install to finish (due to a recent update). Switching users and closing iTunes, which was open on my other user account, let the first install finish, which in turn let my second install finish as well.

commented Dec 29, 2017

I agree with @TheodoreMurdock - in my case, I forgot that there was an xcode installation going in the background. Being patient let everything finish gracefully :) . patience

Reinstall from macOS Recovery

macOS Recovery makes it easy to reinstall the Mac operating system, even if you need to erase your startup disk first. All you need is a connection to the Internet. If a wireless network is available, you can choose it from the Wi-Fi menu , which is also available in macOS Recovery.

1. Start up from macOS Recovery

To start up from macOS Recovery, turn on your Mac and immediately press and hold one of the following sets of keys on your keyboard. Release the keys when you see an Apple logo, spinning globe, or other startup screen.

Command (⌘)-R

Reinstall the latest macOS that was installed on your Mac (recommended).

Option-⌘-R

Upgrade to the latest macOS that is compatible with your Mac.

Shift-Option-⌘-R

Reinstall the macOS that came with your Mac, or the closest version still available.

You might be prompted to enter a password, such as a firmware password or the password of a user who is an administrator of this Mac. Enter the requested password to continue.

When you see the utilities window, you have started up from macOS Recovery.

Macbook Waiting For Other Installations To Complete

2. Decide whether to erase (format) your disk

You probably don't need to erase, unless you're selling, trading in, or giving away your Mac, or you have an issue that requires you to erase. If you need to erase before installing macOS, select Disk Utility from the Utilities window, then click Continue. Learn more about when and how to erase.

3. Install macOS

When you're ready to reinstall macOS, choose Reinstall macOS from the Utilities window. Then click Continue and follow the onscreen instructions. You will be asked to choose a disk on which to install.

If the installer asks to unlock your disk, enter the password you use to log in to your Mac.
If the installer doesn't see your disk, or it says that it can't install on your computer or volume, you might need to erase your disk first.
If the installer is for a different version of macOS than you expected, learn about macOS Recovery exceptions.
If the installer offers you the choice between installing on Macintosh HD or Macintosh HD - Data, choose Macintosh HD.

Please allow installation to complete without putting your Mac to sleep or closing its lid. During installation, your Mac might restart and show a progress bar several times, and the screen might be empty for minutes at a time.

If your Mac restarts to a setup assistant, but you're selling, trading in, or giving away your Mac, press Command-Q to quit the assistant without completing setup. Then click Shut Down. When the new owner starts up the Mac, they can use their own information to complete setup.