macOS Big Sur Update Bricking Some Older MacBook Pro Models

[elvisofdallas]

Great points, and updating is sometimes a risk but the only bricked machine I'm aware of (personally) was able to be restored from backup.

Still, that's not fun and Apple needs to do a better job with upgrades. I'm still annoyed about that update a few years back that made my old 2015 MBP lose reliable WiFi for a week or more waiting on a hot patch. In any case, that taught me to use wires and while it's not as convenient, I love my 900Mbps wired speed more anyway.

Related news: my 2018 MBP has much faster wireless post-Big Sur upgrade. Not sure if this is common but in my case I'm finally getting over 400 wirelessly and my previous max was around 240.

 

[Sincci]

How? My 2008 mbp is not able to install windows 10 as bootcamp support is limited to windows 7, not 10

There is a way to install Windows 10 in native UEFI/GPT mode with older MBP's, but it might require some tweaking in order to get your nvidia gpu(s) working corrently. https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/win7-x64-booting-natively-via-efi-no-bios-emulation.696523/ . Still, it's something I highly recommend if you are using Windows on your macbook since it will work much faster and cooler when compared to the default bootcamp installation.

 

[hlfway2anywhere]

why?

Do you believe M1 Mac 2.7 teraflops, non eGPU support, limited RAM are gonna age better?

open to hear your recommendations

Could those new Mac be worse?

If it were another company "non apple", no one would have any doubt they are selling rubbish

if not because iOS, apple would be a big piece of *****

as someone wrote, they moved all the force into iOS, iPhone, iPad time ago.
MacOS nowadays is not that great (yet I still liking it)

and now.... ARM Macs, so they can finally keep focusing on iOS without needing any excuse, all is under same platform now

I'm an audio professional and literally don't care about any of that other than the RAM, and these low-@ss end machines aren't for my demographic anyway. Most people don't know what a teraflop or an eGPU even is. The performance of the M1 is good, and your gloom and doom comment is going to fade into oblivion just like all the iPod announcement, Intel switch, and 1st gen iPhone haters from the good old days. Furthermore, your claims about "no professional software for it" are hyperbole, or only temporary at best. Sorry you don't like it, but this is a baby step into a much bigger future. In the meantime, I'm not going to buy a new Mac until they release one with more RAM and can confirm that the few pieces of software that aren't already native will work on it. Because again, these low end machines aren't for my demographic.

 

[TheEnthusiast]

Also, A 2013-14 MBP, with it's aging hardware will have many problems trying to run the latest and greatest from Apple.

I've been running the betas on my 2015 13' MBP with only a few minor problems...

You should add your 2015 model to that range. If 2013-2014 is aging hardware, then so is 2015, if logic is consistent.

 

[reezekeys]

The HDMI IC on the I/O Card has been bricket, i.e. no I/o working, for me e.g. not even the keyboard is working properly even if I unplug the i/o card.
So it is not about installing it on a second drive or not having a backup.
HW in the macbook pros has been bricked by the OS update.

I saw your post in the Apple support forum. What a nightmare. And you may be luckier than most since you're OK with opening your machine and replacing that i/o board. Non-DIYers are stuck with praying Apple does the right thing, and that's certainly not a given with a 7 - 8 year old machine. Assuming they do, having to ship your machine somewhere is still a major drag. Good luck!

 

[bubsdaddy]

I updated my 2014 MacBook Pro and haven't noticed any issues yet.

 

[dlopan]

That reply isn't even relevant to what I said.

Myself, I have no issue with jumping in and having a backup if things go wrong. I know that new software can be buggy. The thing is that the majority of Apple users are not technically inclined, they don't know that an update is 'new' and don't pay attention to release cycles.

However the way that Apple displays MacOS version updates now is in a way that is confusing to basic users, who end up installing big updates because they think they are installing bug fix or security updates.

The onus should not be on end users to figure out when an update is safe or not. Apple should have a better way of presenting OS updates to end users. Maybe have a system where auto update has different stages, where by default users aren't notified to do big updates till said big update has received a few months of mainstream testing.

As someone who works in IT support, the current system is very frustrating. If I tell end users to install just security updates or bug fix updates, they accidentally upgrade to new versions of MacOS. If I tell them not to upgrade Mac OS, they think that every update is bad so never install anything.

This is one of the many reasons I retired.

 

[posguy99]

Why shouldn’t I install a .0 release on my machine? Apple MAKES the hardware and software. I should be able to trust that they make them work together properly. I also expect a multi billion dollar company to test their software on their hardware during the beta period.
Not sure why you are defending them..?

I'm not defending Apple in the slightest. To automatically install a .0, on the day of its release, is the height of cluelessness, no matter who the developer is. That's the behavior *you* are trying to defend.

 

[SuperJuell]

My Macbook Pro 15" Retina Mid-2015 is bricked. It passed installation, set-up and a couple of hours of usage, but went black after first sleep.

 

[SuperJuell]

Any reported issues on mid 2015’s?

sort of glad I didn’t update yet.

Yes, mine is. MBP Retina Mid-2015.

 

[dlopan]

I would never put in a 0 zero release. In olden days you could get away with it because the os's were a lot less complicated. Now it's the height of folly to do that. Apple's last bunch of os's have been just completely screwed up.

 

[reggoboy]

Being "stuck" and being "bricked" are not the same thing. Too many people misuse the work "bricking".

When a piece of hardware gets bricked, it's done. There's no way to rescue it. It has typically gone through some type of firmware update that is both 1) useless, and 2) irreversible. So now it can't run at all and there is no way to remedy that.

But in the current case, we just need Apple to fix their online update process or else provide a downloadable installer (remember those?). Then those Macs will be back up and running.

 

[ivan86]

Updated late 2013 MacBook Pro 15 with no issues. Maxed out spec with integrated GPU (Intel Iris Pro 5200).

Probably update does not go well for some Macs with dedicated GPU. But this is just my wild guess.

p.s. don't forget to uninstall Little Snitch or any other firewall or not supported app / extension by Big Sur to avoid possible issues

 

[Philly-GUI-Dude]

After updates to several apps, including FinalCut Pro, my late 2013 iMac is bricked as well.

I never installed Big Sur, since my iMac is not supported, but apps with updates to work on Big Sur did update.

I am stuck on the black screen with Apple logo, then eventually ending up on the multi language message that something went wrong. I tried everything, safe mode, booting from USB Catelina install drive, restore, remote restore, noting. It crashes or get stuck for house and never gets past the boot loading screen.

This can’t be a coincidence. I tried EVERYTHING and had Apple Support try the same things with me. No luck. Tomorrow I have a visit to see the Genius Bar.

I’m so upset, my machine was working perfectly, now nothing.

 

[carrrrrlos]

Alllllmost there - Going to hold off on updating my Mid 2014 indefinitely - it works great now and the Apple Silicone 16" MBP seems to be just around the corner.

 

[abbstrack]

My partner's 2017 MBP has been bricked..though i'm not sure if this was user error as she might have unplugged it during the update. That said, the battery was at 100% when the update began, and was recently replaced in June under apple care, so I don't understand how the update would have used the entire battery. Nonetheless, the computer doesn't power on, doesn't 'chime' when plugging in the power adapter, and is completely unresponsive.

Fortunately we have applecare on it for a few more months, but it's still a headache.

 

[DRF74]

I’ve got a 2015 15” MacBook Pro, Big sur has wiped out 90% of my albums and playlists off the MacBook & my 11 Pro Max and basically anything else that was saved to iCloud including my back ups! This is what happens when profit coming before quality! 😡😡😡🤬😡😡😡

 

[ChrisChaval]

just for the record: I installed Big Sur on a separate APFS volume without any issues on the following machines:

Mac mini 2014 (4GB RAM, 256 GB OWC Aura Pro X2 SSD)
MB Air 2017
MB Air 2018

On each machine Catalina remains on a separate APFS volume (dual boot)

 

[mknell]

I saw your post in the Apple support forum. What a nightmare. And you may be luckier than most since you're OK with opening your machine and replacing that i/o board. Non-DIYers are stuck with praying Apple does the right thing, and that's certainly not a given with a 7 - 8 year old machine. Assuming they do, having to ship your machine somewhere is still a major drag. Good luck!

Thanks,

BTW Apple mods have been removing any post that is critical or summarizing what has been found.
There is no official statement by Apple what happenend or any useful advice to customers
suffering from the reported issue.

To me the Apple support forum mods are just censoring.

Good luck to everyone that is affected from the issue.

 

[mknell]

Being "stuck" and being "bricked" are not the same thing. Too many people misuse the work "bricking".

When a piece of hardware gets bricked, it's done. There's no way to rescue it. It has typically gone through some type of firmware update that is both 1) useless, and 2) irreversible. So now it can't run at all and there is no way to remedy that.

But in the current case, we just need Apple to fix their online update process or else provide a downloadable installer (remember those?). Then those Macs will be back up and running.

This is not really true for the MBP 13 late 2013/ mid 2014 users affected. Most of us reported to have an SD card present during the installation.

The i/o board is damaged and not working, so it is a hardware defect caused by the OS upgrade.

HW will need to be replaced to fix the issue.

 

[liqrslinger23]

YMMV, but I tried pretty much everything else on my 2014 retina. Last ditch effort and it worked. Disconnect power, turn off, open lower case. Disconnect I/O connector, restart. Wait for OS upgrade to complete, power off, reconnect I/O, and restart.

 

[raymanh]

Upgrading is a choice. Nobody is forcing you. Just stop.

Nothing is as much of choice as you seem to think it is. Yes we make choices, but we're heavily swayed towards one direction. And you can't blame people from being suceptible to that.

How much persuasion is involved in pushing people to upgrade to Big Sur? Press, media, marketing, notifications on screen, and the little red dot that, funnily enough, can't be disabled unless you go through Terminal. What's the other side of the argument, the warning, the dissuasion? As you point out, it's perhaps one small line in the T&C's warning you about a risk. But when you see that your 2013 machine is eligible (and doesn't require you to clean any junk files before installation, as you suggest is the cause for these issues) you go ahead and upgrade.

This perceived existence of free choice, but actual lack of it, is everywhere. Look at clothes for a minute. I, you, and many others are aware that the majority the world's largest clothes companies treat their employees in poorer countries horrendously. Obviously no one likes that, but we still buy from these companies. Commercials, availability, and lack of cheap sustainable alternatives all influence our 'choices' and we 'choose' to keep buying.

So yes, there is a 'choice' for users to upgrade to Big Sur. But is it an unbiased choice? No. Should you blame people for being susceptible to this? No.

All your other points are whack too.

 

[mo5214]

I'm pretty certain that the "bricking" in this case is the BootROM firmware on these Macbook Pros somehow failed to flash properly. It remains unclear as to how this happens, but my theory/guess is as follows:

1. Many users had reported from the NVMe Upgrade thread that macOS Big Sur contains BootROM update for these 2013+ Macbook Pros (both 2013-2014, and 2015). (I had extracted the firmware, and installed on my 2015 15" MBP, as well as many users in the thread what reported that the version has been bumped after Big Sur)

2. It also had been reported that for 2013-2014 MBPs, the firmware update contains a fix for a "hibernation issue" when these devices are retrofitted with an NVMe Storage. This is DXE UEFI Driver Module in the BootROM that were not functioning properly for hibernation with NVMe Drives installed, and many had to Patch this module using the module from the 2015 model prior to this update (since they have "patched DXE module).

3. BootROM update can take a while to complete. (as usually it writes slowly to EEPROM, and then had to do a verification; I vaguely recalled one time that it took my Macbook Pro 10-20 minutes of being on blank screen while it is flashing the new BootROM, but don't quote me on that)

4. Apple has been bundling firmware updates with OS X/macOS for sometime now. (I don't even recall when was the last time they issued a separate firmware installer anymore) So new major OS version updates would include these as well.

5. Despite some of us on the forums (and elsewhere) usually noticed the bootROM update (like some in the NVMe upgrade thread), Apple doesn't exactly "tell" the user that this is happening, nor how important it is to not "disturb" the device when it's flashing its ROMs other than the standard .

6. With these informations I speculate that users who had their devices "bricked", might have had somehow prematurely turn off their devices while it is "flashing" the new BootROM after seeing on black blank screen "too long" (subjective) not knowing that it is flashing firmware, and thus "bricking" it, as a device with a corrupted firmware can't boot.

Now, if this is true. There is nothing an end-user can do* (* meaning short of buying a ROM flasher, obtain the right firmware, and flashing the ROM onto the EEPROM themselves)

EDITED some words for clarity.

PS: Hopefully one of those with "bricked" MBP would perform a "post-mortem" and dump the ROM from the EEPROM and see if it is, in fact, "bricked". (But I don't know if there is encryption in BootROM, which would make it looked like gibberish anyway) or better yet "re-animation" by flashing the bootROM directly using flashers.

 

[lxmeta]

After updates to several apps, including FinalCut Pro, my late 2013 iMac is bricked as well.

I never installed Big Sur, since my iMac is not supported, but apps with updates to work on Big Sur did update.

I am stuck on the black screen with Apple logo, then eventually ending up on the multi language message that something went wrong. I tried everything, safe mode, booting from USB Catelina install drive, restore, remote restore, noting. It crashes or get stuck for house and never gets past the boot loading screen.

This can’t be a coincidence. I tried EVERYTHING and had Apple Support try the same things with me. No luck. Tomorrow I have a visit to see the Genius Bar.

I’m so upset, my machine was working perfectly, now nothing.

Did any of your updates trigger a reboot? Maybe Apple tried to do a firmware update!

 

[tugger]

I had a worrisome close call with the Big Sur (update) installation on my late 2013 MacBook Pro 13" retina with SSD running 10.15.7.

First off, I tried the Software Update function. This resulted in an error message something like "an error has occurred while preparing the installation" with an option to "Try Again." Three additional attempts succeeded only in keeping me in an annoying error loop and dumped 3 aliases of the installer into my dock. !@#$%^&*!!!

I gave up on this, booted into Catalina again, downloaded and ran the installer from the app store and this seemed to proceed normally. There were a few reboots but after one of them the progress bar completely stalled at about the halfway point. When nothing happened after 10 minutes I powered off the machine and then pressed the power button to try a normal boot. No luck ... another stall in the startup.

Finally, I did a Option-CMD-P-R restart (very hard to do with fingers tightly crossed), let the box chime 3 times and had a successful boot. It's now a couple of days later and I've had no further problems, but a restart that took 40 seconds in Catalina now takes well over a minute.

This was literally the first time ever that I've had an issue like this during an OS install since my first Mac in 1985. So, yeah, somebody missed something in the development/testing process, and my heart goes out to users who landed in much deeper sh*t than me with this flawed installation.

My anxiety level during all of this was tempered by having an up-to-date clone of my boot drive -- de rigeuer before any kind of OS update.