Cannot Install macOS Big Sur on 2013-2014 MacBook Pro? Here’s What You Need to Do

BY Rajesh Pandey

Published 20 Nov 2020

Soon after Apple released macOS Big Sur to the public last week, a number of 2013 and 2014 MacBook Pro owners reported about their machine being bricked during the installation process of the OS. Apple has now published a new support document for this issue.

The support document mentions the steps that 2013 and 2014 MacBook Pro owners need to follow if they are unable to install macOS Big Sur on their machine. The document states that during installation, the macOS Big Sur installer might show the “update cannot be installed on this computer” error or the Mac might simply show a black screen. In such a scenario, Apple recommends users to do the following:

  1. Press and hold the power button on your Mac for at least 10 seconds, then release. If your Mac is on, it turns off.
  2. 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.
  3. If the issue persists, reset the SMC as described for notebook computers with a nonremovable battery.
  4. If the issue persists, reset NVRAM or PRAM.
  5. If none of these solutions work, please contact Apple Support for further assistance.

macOS Big Sur is a pretty major update and a number of Mac users have been facing issues with it. If you have been unable to install the Big Sur update on your 2013 or 2014 MacBook Pro, you should follow the steps mentioned by Apple above.

If you have installed macOS Big Sur on your Mac already, do drop a comment and let us know how your experience with the OS has been so far.