Update not found the requested version of macOS is not available Big Sur

Apple has been experiencing heavy server loads yesterday and today that caused one of the developer download checks to experience problems. The end result is the error you're getting. Everyone was getting this yesterday. Some still today. I assume you're using the standard software update: Apple > About this Mac > Software Update? Eventually you won't get this error. They're working on it (per AppleCare phone call).

If you don't want to keep trying it every few hours to see when they fix it, try just downloading the update from the App Store directly. I did that last night and it worked fine. Keep in mind:

• Always back up your computer using Time Machine to an external hard drive prior to updating the operating system. If there are problems or you lose data that's the fastest way to restore it.
• As a redundant backup you may want to also have an off-site cloud based backup (house burns down, laptop stolen etc.) like back blaze dot com
• Big Sur is a HUGE update in that it's over 12 GB in file size. It will take quite some time to download, especially when the world is also trying to download it at the same time - some users have experienced slow downloads. You can shorten that time by connecting your laptop to your router hardwired via ethernet cable, which provides for faster internet speeds than wifi does.
• Be patient. On a fast internet connection it took me over an hour to download and over 30 mins to install.

Here's the App Store link to Big Sur: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/macos-big-sur/id1526878132?mt=12

Let me know if this works for you.

Hope this helps!

Yeah it's very frustrating. I waited an hour to get through to AppleCare last night on the phone and they are aware of this issue, working on it and unfortunately it is on Apple's end so nothing Support can really help with over the phone. I'd recommend you either try a couple times per hour throughout the day just by clicking on the App Store link above or if you don't want to do that, maybe try off-hours. Mine worked at 9pm Pacific last night. Hopefully they'll fix it today. Since this is not just an incremental update (10.x.x) but is going from 10 to 11, there has been unprecedented demand and loads.

You can monitor status here under software update, but it's green now and was green last night and (clearly) still not working, so take it with a grain of salt I guess: https://www.apple.com/support/systemstatus/

sudo /usr/sbin/softwareupdate --set-catalog https://swscan.apple.com/content/catalogs/others/index-10.15seed-10.15-10.14-10.13-10.12-10.11-10.10-10.9-mountainlion-lion-snowleopard-leopard.merged-1.sucatalog.gz

run this command and then via App Store Try to install BigSur again

Reboot your Mac, and try Software Update again. That was a yesterday (10/12/2020) message.

I had about five failed attempts using up a lot of data some of which was charged overnight at an emergency rate. I had been trying to get Big Sur over a wifi dongle. I obtained it in about twelve minutes in a cafe with 5G fibre to wifi. I have no idea about the technicalities but dongles don't seem to be any good for such large downloads.

I was unable to download Big Sur over my mobile wifi. It cost me £60 in wasted data use outside my plan. In the end, I downloaded it in about ten to twelve minutes in a friend's café which has a very fast fibre connection with wifi to the end user. The installation took quite a long time but that didn't consume online data.

I am blaming poor Mobile Wifi for the problems I had which sounded very like the problems some have described here although I don't know what online services they used.

I read somewhere that due to the serious problem MBPs had with Big Sur Apple has prevented MBPs from downloading and installing BS until a fix it found.

Just so you don't feel alone, I'm getting the same thing. Initially I thought this may be my company blocking the download as this message appears almost instantly after pushing the "Get" button in the App Store, however, after reading this, I think this may be on the Apple side of things.

I am on the same boat.

Initially installed Big Sur on my Macbook Pro Mid 2014 13 Inch and had to revert back to Catalina as part of some maintenance.

However, when I try to re-install BigSur, it gives the same error - 'The requested version of macOS is not available.'

This needs to be fixed Apple!

Regards,

Sam

Mid-2014 MacBook Pro.

Have not been able to download. System Preferences doesn't even show an upgrade is available. Trying to download from the App Store just brings me to System Preferences where I get the message as described in this original post.

Today is November 23. Is my computer ever going to get the update?

It 'Sur' would be nice if Apple released that information rather than risk users using hacks to update a major OS release.

"Hey, we see you're using an older computer. Users are reporting issues so we're blocking the update for now while we work on a fix. Click here to be notified when an approved update is available."

Do you realize what the anti-Mac websites (yes there are some that take every opportunity to bad mouth Apple) would do if Apple did that? I think they should make some kine of statement but fully understand why they don't.

Got exactly the same and my Mac has been unusable since Catelina 10.6 with flickery screen that wasn't fixed in 10.7 although even on Apples website it seems to be more prolific than Covid.

If anyone in Apple has a clue how to fix this "passed" the 8 suggestions that don't work, then kindly let me know. It isn't hardware or Applestore issue - happed immediately with the 10.6 restart, for me and everyone else.

Although it kills me to say it; I've "upgraded" to PC and Windows laptopwise and I'll shortly be replacing my iMac desktop with another Windows box if Apple can't fix it.

This has been a ongoing problem for me on a MacBook Air Since November. I wonder if somebody has managed to download the correct version on a different machine and then transferred (sneaker-net) it to their MacBook Air.