Some older MacBook Pros are turning into useless machines after users installed Apple‘s new macOS Big Sur update.
Several reports about bricked laptops surfaced on Reddit, MacRumors forums and Apple’s Support Communities, as many users are stuck on a black screen following installation.
However, it seems to be Macs produced in 2013 and the mid-2014 13-inch MacBook Pro that are only being hit with the problem.
Apple’s Support has told some customers to take the device in for repairs, but the firm also shared the issue with its engineering team.
Several reports about bricked laptops surfaced on Reddit, MacRumors forums and Apple’s Support Communities, as many users are stuck on a black screen following installation
Apple unveiled macOS Big Sur at its ‘One More Thing’ event held on November 13, which also showcased its new MacBook lineup.
This is the seventh operation system released and unlike its predecessors, the technology is working with Apple’s new in-house M1 chip – providing new features and capabilities for the system.
However, it seems to have had the opposite result for those with older Macs.
One user shared their experience on Apple’s support page saying: ‘It all downloaded fine and I clicked all the items to go ahead. It said it’d be a while so i stepped away from the computer.’
Apple unveiled macOS Big Sur at its ‘One More Thing’ event held on November 13, which also showcased its new MacBook lineup. This is the seventh operation system released
This is the seventh operation system released and unlike its predecessors, the technology is working with Apple’s new in-house M1 chip – providing new features and capabilities for the system. However, it seems to have had the opposite result for those with older Macs
‘When i returned the screen was black – no status bar, no nothing, but I could tell the LED was on. Nothing would wake it up so I eventually held the power button to force a shutdown.’
‘Now it won’t boot. Tried SMC, PRAM, holding shift, option keys, recovery mode etc etc. Tried all many many times.’
The customer, who goes by the name ‘nuoptik,’ said they were not able to recover anything from their Mac or even do a restore from their backup.
Another user said they had installed the update on their wife’s Macbook Pro, but now it is ‘stuck with a black screen.’
One commenter on Reddit said that they were told by Apple support to book their MacBook Pro in for a repair.
And another said Apple has notified its engineering team, suggesting the tech giant is aware of the problem.
MacRumors was the first to report on the issue, which notes that it seems to only effect older models.
MacRumors was the first to report on the issue, which notes that it seems to only effect older models. One commenter on Reddit said that they were told by Apple support to book their MacBook Pro in for a repair.
Users who are experiencing the issue seem to regret downloading the new macOS Big Sur
However, it is not clear if all older Macs are falling victim to the problem.
For those with newer Macbooks, macOS Big Sur brings a redesigned look to the operating system.
With the new M1 chip, users are also said to experience browsing on Safari up to 1.5 times faster running JavaScript and claims to be twice as responsive than previous macOS systems.
The ‘One More Time’ event was Apple’s third product rollout in three months.
The tech giant unveiled the new chip, along with three new Macbooks – the Macbook Air, Mackbook Pro and Macbook mini.
Apple says the new MacBook Air, which starts at £999 in the UK and $999 in the US, is three-and-a-half times faster than previously, but with increased efficiency that means it has the ‘longest battery ever’ for an Air, with up to 18 hours of video playback on offer.
It seems to be Macs produced in 2013 (pictured) and the mid-2014 13-inch MacBook Pro that are only being hit with the problem
It features 15 hours of wireless web browsing, 18 hours of video playback and allows twice as long video conferencing than previous models – a key upgrade, as much of the world is still working from home due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The computer is designed with a 13.3-inch display and starts with 16GB of memory, but users have the option to upgrade to 2TB of storage.
Meanwhile, Apple also unleashed the new M1 in its Mac mini, providing it with three times the performance than its predecessor.
The upgraded system starts at $699 (£699 in the UK), which is $100 less than last year’s device.
This marks the first time in the Mac’s 36-year history that the Mac lineup will be powered by an Apple-designed processor, offering better performance, higher bandwidth and less power consumption than the Intel-based machines currently in use.
