MacBook Pro bricked after failed Big Sur update 😵 ⚰️

exactly the same here on my late 2013 MBP. The only way I can get it too boot is with a USB HDD plugged in. I've no idea why that helps, but reading the comments on IO board fixes it almost makes sense.

I had same problem with my mid 2014 MacBook Pro. Installed big sur and got unresponsive grey screen during reboot. I turned it off and back on multiple times, and eventually it resumed rebooting. Then after a few minutes went blank grey again. Kept turning it off and on. Eventually it rebooted with big sur installed and working fine. Thank goodness. I was sweating it for a while.

Hello! I'm sorry to hear about your computer, but I would like to give my suggestion. Have you tried connecting an external display to your computer? Maybe the display driver in your computer might not be functional? After that, maybe you can try to restore an older version of macOS or reinstalling macOS Big Sur via recovery mode? I'm not completely sure what might be causing this problem. Hope this suggestion helps :)

To @crample: I had the issue of a permanently stuck progress bar too (it wasn't the normal install bar, but the progress bar inside some sort of Installer Assistant) - and my advice (though I have to say, proceed at your own risk), is that if you've left it this long already with no progress, then force a restart.

Having had both issues with Big Sur beta upgrades, my own experience is that this is separate from the issue of hanging at a black screen; they do not occur together, and forcing a restart can proceed with no obvious ill effects from this one - it did for me, but of course YMMV.

(If it helps to explain how I've experienced both issues, I've been updating to Big Sur beta versions on a multiboot Mac, with Ubuntu and Windows as well as either one or two versions of macOS (i.e. Big Sur and Catalina), and so I've repartitioned and re-installed everything multiple times as I've been trying to get my setup just right!)

Hi All

My macbook pro (late 2013) has been affected by this issue. There is power to the machine the screen comes on but shows only black.

I have phoned apple support and been through all the reset options to recover the machine.

I managed to get a genius bar appointment for today and have just been contacted by the store, they could not recover the machine using their standard recovery methods and have diagnosed a hardware issue. Based on this they offered me a repair at my cost of £450!!!

I escalated to a manager who could not offer anything else and my only escalation is to contact apple support again.

A week before I got a call from Beijing Apple Store they told my they will order the I/O board parts for me and do a free repair. I’m still waiting for their call once they got the board ready.

I tried contact Apple Store（Beijing）three times. First time they said they can’t repair my bricked mbp because it’s vintage & no parts available. Second time I asked them disconnect I/O board and finished Big Sur upgrade. Third time they said still no solution but it’s a known problem and reported my case.

Apple Store Genius Bar staff said they got a new “internal document” allow them do this free repair for me. So I suggest everyone contact your local Apple Store again and escalate.

Hey cpharada59, what year is your Macbook Pro? I am exactly in the same situation as you now. Went to Genius Bar today and they told me that the logic board needs to be replaced for $578 which I should pay. I just called Apple support and talked to senior support person, and he simply told me that they cannot cover this repair cause, since he does not find any documented problems in their system for 2015 Macbook Pro's (mine is 2015). He said that he only finds documents for 2013 or 2014 macbook pros. Also he mentioned that if Apple determines that other model were affected later on, they will reimburse me for the repair.

Have you tried the internet recovery by Command – Option – R as you turn on the MacBook, you may also be able to take it to an apple store and see if they can recover it..

Looks like taking it to an Apple specialist to fix it is the way to go from this MacRumours page.

https://www.macrumors.com/2020/11/15/macos-big-sur-update-bricking-some-macbook-pros/

You booked in with a genius bar?? They don't charge for diagnostics, at least I didn't. Just booked online then gave them the laptop.

Reposting the link to the fix that worked for me. God speed!

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/252034110?answerId=253977525022#253977525022

Go to your nearest Apple store point them to this thread and they should do something after you escalate this to the technical team. Your machine should be repaired. It’s the io board mainly.

regards

I tried to edit my post above, but was prevented from doing so. Here is the above post, plus what I had added to it after having posted it.

Hi People,

Is everyone replying in here referring to their devices being "bricked?" I am sorry if this has happened for anyone.

After releasing the update, Apple has now offered some Support Articles in regards to updating to Big Sur and what it would entail. Unfortunately, it may be too late for some or all of you for them to help, but read them to see if there is any other recourse besides taking your devices in for repair, or replacing them altogether.

Look here for the Apple Support Articles that concern updating to Big Sur. Please note that some, if not most, are dated after the update was seeded to the public: https://support.apple.com/kb/index?page=search&q=big%20sur&product=&doctype=SITE_HELP,PRODUCT_HELP,LEGACY,HOWTO_ARTICLES,TROUBLESHOOTING_ARTICLES&currentPage=1&includeArchived=false&locale=en_US&src=support_searchbox_main&type=organic

There were a few things to consider prior to making this major update, which had not been mentioned, had been but it had been several months prior to the release, or just after the release was made public. There is a major change to how Time Machine will work, most notably that its filing system is changed to APFS from HFS+. There is a Support article in regards to that change, but again, it is either newly added, or was added months prior to the release of Big Sur. I will tell you that I am erasing/reformatting my Time Machine drive into APFS prior to doing my update: starting fresh backups.

One also had to considered, whether there were any 32-Bit Apps or 32-Bit scraps still hanging on, even after having had Catalina. Those items can either allow the update to carry on, but render 32-Bit permanently unusable once Big Sur is installed. The other problem that can or may occur, is failure of the update to continue.

One other thing to do for yourself, and this is something that I personally choose to do, please do not leave a major update unattended for any length of time in which your device can go into sleep mode. I know it is sometimes necessary to take a washroom break or get some food. The thing that I always do for major updates or when transferring large files from one drive to another is, I go into System Preferences>Energy Saver, and uncheck any boxes that would allow my computer to go into sleep mode during the process. One box in there to uncheck is, "Prevent Computer From Sleeping When Display Is Off." Once you are done doing the update, just go back and put your preference back in place. As I said, these are things I do on a personal level.

I implore you to please check the Apple Support articles in the link provided, and see if anything in there will get you back on track and/or your device "unbricked."

I hope this helps some/most of you and I wish you good luck!

It happened to someone I know... (or something eerily similar: Mac os installed, worked, then his macbook was bricked. would make a charging noise and through an adapter light up his other keyboard, no hdmi output, apparently worked after the update until it died. Still charges but bricked)

try booting from an older version from an external drive, that's my contribution

Hello from France

Same black out for my MacBook Pro (late 2013). Another victim on a French forum thinks it's because a SD card was in its slot during the installation of Big Sur and it resulted in a damaged USB HDMI SD droit I/O Board 661-02457. I also had a SD card inserted in my Macbook when I tried to update. How about you?