Following the release of macOS Big Sur last week, a number of 2013 and 2014 MacBook Pro owners found that the update bricked their machines. Affected users saw their Macs get stuck displaying a black screen after attempting to install the new software.
Apple has now addressed this issue in a new support document that provides instructions on what to do if macOS Big Sur can't be installed on a 2013 or 2014 MacBook Pro machine. Apple suggests Mac owners experiencing these issues unplug external devices, attempt restarting, reset the SMC, and reset NVRAM or PRAM. From the support document:
- Press and hold the power button on your Mac for at least 10 seconds, then release. If your Mac is on, it turns off.
- Unplug all external devices from your Mac, including any displays and USB accessories, and remove any card inserted in the SDXC card slot. Then turn your Mac on.
- If the issue persists, reset the SMC as described for notebook computers with a nonremovable battery.
- If the issue persists, reset NVRAM or PRAM.
Apple says if these solutions do not work, affected customers should contact Apple Support for further help with the problem. The document also says that Apple plans to update the article as more information becomes available.
To be safe, those with older MacBook Pro models from 2013 or 2014 should avoid installing the macOS Big Sur update at this time until a more definitive fix becomes available. Apple today released a new version of macOS Big Sur 11.0.1, but it is not clear if this addresses the problems that are being seen with older MacBook Pro models.
