I have a 2014 Macbook Pro 13" Retina that I have installed the new Big Sur OS, I did make sure there was enough space to install beforehand which there was.
I now have a mac that is powered up (apple logo on lid is lit up) but the screen is black and I have no idea what to do?
I don't know of it is still installing the OS or if its locked or something else. I set off the install and just left the laptop to do it's thing
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
The solution I have found is to hold down Option when restarting. This will came up with available hard drives and "Big Sur" (The bootable partition that has been created for the upgrade). Select your main hard drive and it should boot up normally. Not that this only worked with my Apple keyboard - my third party keyboard wasn't recognised by OSX until later.
Hopefully this works for you.
Welcome, Greg from Sactown, to Apple Support Communities!
With an early 2011 MacBook Pro, you could not have upgraded to Big Sur, so your «black screen» issue is not truly related to this discussion.
I am glad to hear that you were able to fix your particular issue.
Computer was returned on Dec 11 so same day turnaround on their part. They replaced Logic Board, Display, and Touch ID board. Came with a clean install of Catalina 10.15.7. I have no intention of installing Big Sur for quite some time.
That was a question I had submitted; whether BIG SUR was ready for release or not?
As CATALINA was such a mess--AND for me-it still is! i want to get rid of IT!
However, not IF IT IS STILL "NOT FINISHED" as Catalina, which gave me ALL KINDS OF PROBLEMS & STILL DOES!
SO VERY SORRY I "LEFT" MOJAVE!
"NEW is NOT always BETTER" & should know to leave "things well enough ALONE"!
My device had been just repaired & worked perfectly UNTIL THE DOWNLOAD OF CATALINA! A whole 2 weeks!
Thanks for your reply BUT still am very nervous!
APPLE suspended me when CATALINA was first installed on my DEVICE---as Catalina was RELEASE before IT was "READY"!
ALL I DID WAS ASK WHAT HAPPENED TO SCREEN SHOTS!
BUT THEN received about 87 NEW COMPLAINTS via OUTLOOK. NO one else was suspended & I was told
I will be permanently SUSPENDED--reason---UNKNOWN!
"AFRAID TO ROCK the BOAT w/APPLE" of EVERY ONE ELSE'S COMPLAINTS/CONCERNS,
though I did post a QUESTION of my own~asking
OTHERS' if IT is ready OR still "glitches"? AS in CATALINA...WHICH STILL CAUSES ME PROBLEMS!
Which obviously [like your question] THERE STILL ARE!
THANKS so much, [afraid I will never see these questions answered], as APPLE told me I would be "permanently" REMOVED from this community, to ask a QUESTION!
First, elmarklimov, do you have a verified hardware failure, or simply a symptom that you, and some others, interpret as such?
Second, even if you do have a verified hardware failure, did you perform a clean install of the Big Sur major Operating System (OS) upgrade, or did you treat the upgrade the way you might treat an update? (Admittedly, I didn’t go the clean install route, but I did make sure I had a full backup. [Of course, my machine is still under warranty.] I know others that routinely perform clean installs of all upgrades [vs. updates]: it’s simply what their experiences have taught them.)
In this latter case, there are too many compounding issues that could have occurred to contribute to the hardware failure. (This is to not even mention the boarder-line hardware issue, which is ever present with anything short of pristine hardware.)
Ending on a positive note, those that didn’t have any actual hardware failures, have found that they can (with care and some skill) install Big Sur version 11.1, and regain a fully functioning machine!
Not helpful. If I buy a new car, the OEM better not put a piece of software on my car that makes it unable to do something that I did before. In fact, every update should state what computers will not run on the update. Simply stating “Official support says - You update OS on your own risk”, is unprofessional and a cop out.
I have the same problem. This is a ridiculous situation. I will not take my computer in to an Apple tech to be fixed because an updated OS was installed. I will switch to Microsoft.l.
The primary reason for using an Apple Computer is for its stability and reliability. When that reason disappears, so does the need for an Apple computer.
Welcome, NewJohnny, to Apple Support Communities!
The car pulling a trailer analogy was quite a while ago.
It was simply brought up in order to help people that are not familiar with the issues of aging mechanical, electrical, electronic, etc., hardware systems.
If you understand the issues with aging hardware, then you have no need for an analogy.
Thanks for the reply. A couple things:
Take it from someone who used to use analogies all the time and finally realized they don't help, as you can see from all the confused replies.
Like I wrote, NewJohnny:
«If you understand the issues with aging hardware, then you have no need for an analogy.»
Unfortunately, this is, often, a matter of experience.
Those with too little related experience, can have difficulty understanding the concept, unfortunately.
(I’ve especially seen this with software [only] engineers. After all, they only consider hardware to be the unchanging “stage” upon which their software runs.)
Has anyone posted a solution to the problem that works?
I do not have hardware issues.
I installed Big Sur and upon restart, the black screen with an Apple support link in the center results. No further functions are available.
So my problem is similar but a little different. I am using a Late 2016 MBP and I had the initial version of Big Sur installed and working properly with no hiccups. Then a few days ago I installed Big Sur 11.1 and this morning I get the black screen. I plugged up an external display and it works fine like normal, so it is my main Retina display that isn’t working I guess? Should I uninstall 11.1 and try reinstalling?
My 27 inch late 2015 IMac (is used lightly for home use for web browsing, looking through iCloud pictures) was running ace until it automatically updated to Big Sur and now it’s a black screen and a screaming fan. I’m wildly unhappy. As anyone would be if a major purchase just stopped working. I think my dismay is warranted, as is yours.
PattS452 wrote:
For me it did show as an “update” and now I have a brick instead of a working laptop.
While it did show up on the Update Panel, it was labeled an upgrade.
Unfortunately, I can understand people not noticing such a seemingly minor detail.
(Of course. Once one installs Big Sur, all subsequent updates are updates to Big Sur.)
Me too , 2013 MAC book air ,same black screen , can not do anything , should be the Big Sur issues
Big Sur - Black Screen After Update?
