7

I've downloaded Catalina using Mac App Store. Considering the size of several GB and how this worked with the Mojave update I expected an installer to appear in /Applications. It didn't.

It's not listed as a large file, and I can't find it with a tree map of ~/Library.

Can it be found somewhere else?

My end goal is to use it to install onto a USB drive.

Improve this question
4
  • 1
    Sometimes the Catalina macOS Installer app is downloaded as installer stub with a size of merely ~25 MB!
    – klanomath
    Commented Feb 9, 2020 at 14:20
  • So how did you copy or move it to the hard disk or elsewhere in the first place ?
    – Manuel Lauro
    Commented Sep 12, 2020 at 13:30
  • I don't recall mentioning copying or moving anything
    – Andreas
    Commented Sep 12, 2020 at 13:31
  • @ManuelLauro the download happens in hundreds of pieces that are stored elsewhere, only when all of the components are downloaded does the system assemble and move and reveal them visibly in /Applications folder
    – bmike ♦
    Commented Sep 12, 2020 at 13:49

2 Answers 2

Reset to default
6

It should be in the global /Applications folder. By default all App Store downloads go there. It's been that way for years.

Improve this answer
1
  • 1
    Thanks for confirming expected behavior. System settings was erroneously telling me that the update was ready to install. After waiting for an additional 8 GB the installer showed up as expected.
    – Andreas
    Commented Feb 9, 2020 at 16:46
1

System settings downloaded several GB and later told me the upgrade was ready to install, but I didn't find it anywhere on disk.

Returning to the App Store I noticed that it did not agree with system settings, and I was once again offered to download it.

After running the download once more the installer appeared in /Applications. That took a while...

Improve this answer

You must log in to answer this question.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged .