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Nov 11, 2021 · My MacBook Pro 13in. mid-2014 MacOS Big Sur End of life is November 30, 2023. It will stop receiving software and security updates after this date. I want to upgrade my MacOS to Monterey, Ventura, or Sonoma but I don’t know how.
- There's no reason you can't upgrade your 2014 MBA to Monterey. It will support that version of the system. All MBAs from mid 2013 and newer can run...
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- The last security update for macOS High Sierra was November, 2020. Mojave has been receiving regular security updates. If this trend continues, the...
- Apple generally considers products obsolete 7 years after they are last sold. They may continue some software updates following that time. https://...
- Apple has never published this as far as I know. History shows they provide security update to the three most current OS versions. That would take...
- Your question has been answered. You can also continue to use that Mac with Big Sur until the hardware fails, though there will be opportunity cost...
Apr 16, 2022 · I currently have iLife/iWork 09 installed on El Capitan in a virtual machine on Parallels 17 on macOS Big Sur. To answer your first question, by using Parallels, there's no need to...
- Overview
- How to fix macOS Big Sur download problems
- How to fix "gateway timed out" error when downloading macOS Big Sur
- How to fix macOS Big Sur install problems
- macOS Big Sur is stuck on 'Setting Up Your Mac'
- How to fix macOS Big Sur login problems
- MacBook fans become noisy after updating to Big Sur
- Is macOS Big Sur running slowly? Here's how to fix it
- How to fix macOS Big Sur battery issues
- How to fix macOS Big Sur mouse problems
How-to
By Matt Hanson
last updated 25 March 2022
From download dramas to installation issues, we reveal how to fix the most common macOS 11 Big Sur problems. Spoiler alert: it's easier than you think!
(Image credit: guteksk7 / Shutterstock / Apple)
If you're still experiencing a range of macOS 11 Big Sur problems long after making the switch, you're not alone. Although the operating system was released back in November 2020, some Mac users are still experiencing ongoing problems. While the arrival of macOS 11 was viewed by many as having been a long time coming, it's been a mixed bag in terms of the benefits and challenges some users have experienced.
One of the most common macOS 11 Big Sur problems that people have encountered is that macOS 11 fails to download, with some users seeing an error message that says "Installation failed."
Others, on the other hand, are seeing "The network connection was lost" error messages when they try to download macOS Big Sur.
That's not all, either. A few get the following error message: “Installation of macOS could not continue. Installation requires downloading important content. That content can’t be downloaded at this time. Try again later.”
There are a few reasons why you may encounter this issue. It may be because a lot of people are trying to download macOS Big Sur at the same time. If you think this is the case, try again later on a non-peak time to see if the download works then. You can also check the live status of the Apple Server to make sure everything is alright on Apple's end.
There should be a section labelled 'macOS Software Update'. If it has a green dot, then there's no issue, but other colors suggest there's a problem with Apple delivering the update.
As you can see from the screenshot above, there had been issues with the software update at the time of writing, which have since been resolved.
In addition, another of the most common macOS 11 Big Sur problems that's received a lot of complaints has been around the download stopping, and the system throwing up a "gateway timed out" or "bad gateway" error.
If you are having this issue, try starting your Mac in Safe Mode (hold down Shift on the keyboard while it boots), then try downloading and installing macOS Big Sur again.
If your macOS Big Sur problem is in installing the operating system, first make sure you check out our how to download and install macOS Big Sur guide, which will take you through the steps you need to take to safely install the new operating system.
First of all, you'll want to make sure you have a Mac that can run macOS Catalina. The following Macs are compatible:
•12-inch MacBook (2015 and later)
•MacBook Air (2013 and later)
•MacBook Pro (Late 2013 and later)
•Mac mini (2014 and later)
If you have installed macOS Big Sur, but then your Mac gets stuck on the 'Setting Up Your Mac' message, you'll need to force a reboot of your Mac or MacBook. Don't worry, the 'Setting Up Your Mac' message means the update is finished, so you won't lose any data or damage anything by restarting your Mac.
To do so, press and hold down the power button for a few seconds until the Mac or MacBook turns off. Wait a few more seconds, then turn it back on. Your Mac or MacBook should now boot into macOS Big Sur successfully.
If you’re struggling to free up disk space, look out for hidden Time Machine files that may be taking up large amounts of space.
Once you have freed up enough space, retry the installation.
If macOS Catalina encounters a problem at the end of installation, and then shows an error message, restart your Mac and press Command + Option + R on your keyboard while the Mac boots to start up the recovery system over the Internet. You can also try Shift + Option + Command + R.
If your Mac continues to fail to boot, follow Apple’s instructions on creating an external Mac startup disk.
If you're having trouble logging into your Mac or MacBook after installing macOS Big Sur, or you're stuck in a loop where you log in, then get logged out again, the following steps might help.
First, restart your Mac and hold down the Command + S keys on your keyboard as it boots up.
This will boot you into a command prompt. Now, enter in the following:
/sbin/mount -uw /
Press Enter on your keyboard. Then enter in the following:
rm /var/db/.applesetupdone
Some people have been reporting that after updating to macOS Big Sur, their MacBook fans have become noticeably louder.
This is likely due to the fact that the MacBook is continuing to work hard behind the scenes updating the rest of the operating system, including updating apps and re-indexing Finder. This can cause the fans to kick in to help keep the MacBook cool. Hopefully, after a few hours the fans should return to normal.
Once macOS Big Sur is installed on your Mac or MacBook, you may notice that your device is running slower than before.
If macOS Big Sur also showed a notification that said "Optimizing Your Mac: Performance and battery life may be affected until completed," then this is normal, as macOS Big Sur is doing things behind the scenes which can initially impact performance.
After a day or so, your Mac should be running just as well (if not better) as before. If you don't see an improvement by then, try restarting your Mac or MacBook.
Another thing to check is to make sure that all of your apps and software are updated to the latest version. If any of them have issues with Big Sur, that could be slowing down your machine.
If you're using a new MacBook or Mac with Apple's M1 chip, you may be using apps that are not optimised for it yet. While Apple's Rosetta tool helps run apps for Intel-based Macs on Apple M1 devices running Big Sur, there may still be some performance issues. Keep an eye on the latest versions to see if they have released an update for M1 Macs.
You can also open up the Apple menu and select 'System Preferences'. From the window that appears, click 'Users & Groups'. Select 'Login Items' and then select the apps you want to stop opening at startup and click the small minus sign below the list.
As with the performance issues above, you may find that at first your MacBook's battery life is a lot shorter. Again, this is probably because macOS Big Sur is doing some background work to set itself up – and after a few hours or a day, things should have settled down and your battery life should be back to normal.
If it isn't then make sure all your apps are updated. You can also click the battery icon on the top menu bar, which will show you what apps and processes are taking up a lot of your battery life. Close those and see if the battery improves.
If it does, then make sure the apps in question have been updated, and check any of their settings to see why they would be taking up so much battery life in macOS Big Sur.
For more advice, visit our how to improve your MacBook's battery guide.
If you've installed macOS Big Sur and found your mouse no longer works, open up the ~/Library/Preferences/ directory in finder and select and delete the following files:
•com.apple.AppleMultitouchMouse.plist
•com.apple.driver.AppleBluetoothMultitouch.mouse.plist
You may need to restart your Mac to get the mouse working.
May 4, 2021 · macOS 11.2.3. macOS Big Sur 11.2.3 tackled a serious vulnerability in Webkit, the rendering engine used by the Safari browser. This vulnerability also affects iPhone, iPad, iPod touch and Apple...
- Karen Haslam
Feb 14, 2022 · In this article, we cover the major features of macOS Big Sur, version 11 of the Mac operating system, as well as answer frequently asked questions.
Mar 29, 2021 · As with any operating system, MacOS Big Sur comes with its own issues. Here are the most common MacOS Big Sur problems and how to fix them. Problem: MacOS Big Sur won’t install on...
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Nov 12, 2020 · With Big Sur, aka macOS 11, Apple adds some iOS-like elements to its desktop operating system, including a new design language and big updates to Messages and the Safari web browser.
