Mac OS Big Sur is such a huge update of MacOS from Catalina. This OS was announced in June 2020, and it has the biggest design changes that Apple has made in 20 years. However, like any software update, Mac Big Sur can have some problems. Luckily, there are fixes to some of the MacOS big Sur problems. This article will take you through the common MacOS big sur problems and how to fix them.
MacOS not downloading or taking too long to download
MacOS Big Sur is a large file of about 12GBs, and that means it takes time to download. However, if the MacOS does not download at all or take a lot of time to download, say hours, then there could be a problem that needs to be fixed. First, ensure that your internet connection is fast and stable. Ensure you look at the MacOS downloading task to check if it is working fine and if not, restart your computer and download it again. You also need to check that your Mac is compatible with MacOS Big Sur. Inadequate storage space could result in the problem and so ensure that you have enough storage space in your Mac.
Loss of data
Apple has already given the precaution that data could be lost and especially if there is an interruption with the MacOS Update. Thus, it is imperative that you backup your data in the Time Machine before the initial update. If you lose data during the update, then you can always restore it from the Time Machine backup. If you have no backup, then try Data Recovery tools to help.
Performance issues with macOS Big Sur
Is MacOS Big Sur overheating, slowing, or freezing your Mac?
There have been reported incidences of system performance issues after a successful installation of MacOS Big Sur. For instance, your Mac performance may overheat, freeze, or run slow. In such events, first, disable the login items that are unnecessary. If your Mac freezes on the beach ball, it means that the hardware can’t handle the software tasks at hand. Thus, quit the applications and processes in the Activity monitors. Lack of system resources in the spotlight search feature could be the reason why your Mac is heating up. In such an event, you will required to disable spotlight.
If you still experience performance issues after the fixes, the solution could be downgrading from MacOS Big Sur to MacOS Catalina, and here is a nice guide on how to do it without losing data. Yes, don’t forget to backup your data as you downgrade your Mac. You don’t want to end up losing essential files after the downgrade.
Failure to connect to Bluetooth and Networks
After installing MacOS Big Sur, you may experience Bluetooth and Network connection issues. Fix the Bluetooth issues by Pressing on ‘Shift’ and ‘Option’ concurrently. Then in the menu bar, click on the ‘Bluetooth icon’, click on ‘Reset the Bluetooth module’, click ‘OK’ and restart your Mac. If your Mac is not connecting to Network like Wi-Fi, click on ‘System Preferences’, then ‘Network’, click on ‘Wi-Fi’ then ‘Advanced’ and Choose ‘Remove the connected Wi-Fi connections.’ Restart your Mac and try reconnecting to the Network to see if it works.
Abnormal battery drain
A number of users have reported abnormal battery drain even after installation of MacOS Big Sur on brand new Macs with only a few battery cycles. If this happens to you, first use the Activity Monitor to identify the applications that are using much of your battery resource. Delete them to see if the battery issue will resolve. If not, then reset SMC (System Management Controller) and PRAM (Parameter Random Access Memory). Resting them will fix issues with batteries, fan, and power, etc.
Wrap up
The new MacOS Big Sur installation is not flawless; it comes with a number of challenges. However, most of the challenges can be fixed. We hope your upgrade will be seamless and any challenges you experience will be minor. If you still experience problems after the recommended fixes, we would advise that you downgrade to MacOS Catalina.
