Mac crashes frequently after Big Sur upgrade

To anyone else still having issues, I was about to lose my mind after upgrading until I found this article. I downloaded the Setapp software and followed the recommendations to clean up my computer and it has been stable ever since!

I went ahead and created a bootup disk of Catalina afterward so I have it just in case!

Yep - same issue here - 2019 27" imac - with extra RAM - recently upgraded to Big Sur - and it started to crash at different times. First time I noticed it was after it had slept for the night - there would be a message that it had rebooted. And then it didn't matter what program I was in, Chrome, Excel - just would go black and crash. I have sent all the reports off to Apple. It can't be Firefox because I don't use it. It seems to be happening once a day now whereas before it seemed to only be after sleeping.

Will try doing the PRAM reset and see if that helps but Apple really needs to fix this - and also fix losing Notes after doing the upgrade from Catalina to Big Sur.

Does anyone know if anyone from Apple actually reads these messages? If they do how about the courtesy of a response?

I woke my iMac from sleep this morning, and had only read 1 email when the screen froze!!! A minute later and automatic restart.

Big Sur needs fixing.

I would like to know if you have multiple monitors attached to your iMac. I discovered that was the problem with mine crashing in Sleep or locked screen mode. Once I removed the external monitors before I put it to sleep or Lock Screen mode everything works fine.

Keeps crashing randomly, computer very slow after upgrading to Big Sur, 11.1 on an iMac (Retina 5K, 27-inch, 2017 - 4,2 GHz Quad-Core Intel Core i7 - 32 GB RAM). I've read the thread, all replies, it seems that others have the same issue, even after a clean install.

This is preposterous.

Ever since installed Big Sur on my Mac desktop this weekend it does nothing but crash, photos won’t load it’s a mess never had hardly any issues with computer prior to this. had very few issues, now crashes two three times + a day. Pls fix this it’s so frustrating! Can’t do anything

I installed BIG SUR 11.1 at the weekend and since then my mac keeps freezing, crashing and is super slow. it was fine before install, hardly ever had issues. it's also not installing my photo updates. I never have used firefox.

please fix this, I need my computer back!!!!!

No extra monitors either - just the iMac itself - I did do a complete reset of the PRAM the other day and it hasn't crashed since doing that - but I am not holding my breath that it won't start up again in a few days...

I have the same problem, since we upgrade OS Big Sur end Nov.2020.

My husband called Apple support he did everything they request, deleted hard disk, and tried install OS Big Sur, but never succeeded, we even had remote help from apple support, and they couldn’t succeed either, they request us to go directly to a apple center and they could have a look, all this took us around 2 weeks. We went directly to an Apple support, they look at our computer and the quote was around 600€, we started to evaluate if we should repair or not, the information was that our Mac needed a new hard disk. Our Mac is from 2017.

We have decided to ask someone to repair, new hard disk installed, yesterday the IT expert called and inform again OS Big Sur, doesn’t work properly, it seems that is to slow according the IT expert, and he is considering to install Catalina....

Still no Mac, after 2 month, I would like that Apple really look to this matter and take action on what is happening here, I can not do my job properly as I’m working sometimes with the Mac from my husband.

really disturbing and stress situation.

I foolishly upgraded to Big Sur from Catalina. My Macbook Air crashes randomly at least once a day (never happened before with the Catalina). I just upgraded it to the newest version of Big Sur a week ago in a hope to wipe out whatever the bug/bugs in the previous upgrade. Unfortunately, the crash persists. I really do not understand why such an expensive product can have such a problem! So much so that I returned a brand new Macbook Air just purchased and I will NOT buy any Mac.

First time have ever upgraded and had issues nothing works, crashes. Photos won’t sync passwords on iPads don’t work fir internet everything is a mess since I upgraded to bigsur when is apple going to resolve this can’t use anything now

Okay, I have downgraded the iMac back to Catalina and no more issues and I have also just recently downgraded my 16" Macbook Pro because the speeds became slower and started to freeze and crash much like my iMac albeit it was running it longer before issues. Regardless, I have made a video to help walk everyone through how to get their machines back to Catalina until Big Sur gets fixed. It's at my TheToroTEK Channel on YouTube

UPDATE to my previous post - I have had ZERO crashes since doing the reset of the PRAM - give it a try - you have nothing to lose and everything to gain....

AND I was running a piece of software that was supposed to help locate my old NOTES (which completely disappeared after doing the Big Sur update and has been reported under another topic related to Lost Notes after Big Sur update). That software was EaseUS Data Recovery and I also stopped it from running in the background.

So it could have been a combination of stopping the software AND doing the PRAM reset or one of them individually. So maybe look to see what 3rd party software you might have running that could cause the crash as well.

Original post - No extra monitors either - just the iMac itself - I did do a complete reset of the PRAM the other day and it hasn't crashed since doing that - but I am not holding my breath that it won't start up again in a few days...

I have this issue too after updating from 11.1 to new 11.2. Apps crash, computer freezes, clicking an app anywhere (when trackpad still responsive) will close it, and all then close to an empty desktop. Click the desktop and then black screen with just the mouse pointer.

It's slow, my typing here is delayed. I've had 4 crashes so far today and had to hold the power button to restart.

My external drive where Big Sur resides drive is connected via a USB-C adapter. I have Catalina on the main drive working fine.

This update has really screwed up things. Help!!!

MarcusAntoniusMg wrote:

Keeps crashing randomly, computer very slow after upgrading to Big Sur, 11.1 on an iMac (Retina 5K, 27-inch, 2017 - 4,2 GHz Quad-Core Intel Core i7 - 32 GB RAM). I've read the thread, all replies, it seems that others have the same issue, even after a clean install.

This is preposterous.

I have to clarify something.

I recently upgraded the RAM from 16 to 32GB, not because I thought there was a connection to the issue but an upgrade was due. When OS was operating under 16GB RAM, things were really sluggish and problematic (Big Sur 11.1). After the upgrade to 32GB, things were running a bit better, smoother, still OS felt heavy and sluggish, but no crashes (because of a problem - the black screen of death) anymore. After upgrading to Big Sur 11.2, situation is similar, only crashed once (unfortunately did not copy the log - just sent to Apple - next time I will) and still trying to figure out what is wrong with it. I've used First Aid, safe mode, checked CPU load etc. Nothing concrete pinpointing to one direction.

Technicians, as I've also seen in other cases, suggest the HDD is the source of the issue. Yet even after clean installation, or even replacing the HDD (from what people have written) the problem persists.

This needs to be fixed.