I can't upload Big Sur and I get the error message of not enough memory. Do I have to replace my 2013 Mac Air or buy more memory?

Dyquem1 Said:

"I can't upload Big Sur and I get the error message of not enough memory. Do I have to replace my 2013 Mac Air or buy more memory?"

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What to Do:

I. Verify Requirement are Met:

• at least 4GB or RAM
• at least 35.5GB to upgrade from Mojave or later
• at least 45.5GB to upgrade from El Capitan or earlier
• Go Here: macOS Big Sur - Technical Specifications - Apple Support

II. Free Up Storage:

• Big Files: So, clean up unnecessary items (i.e. TV Shows or Movies). Go Here: How to Free Up Storage Space on your Mac - Apple Support
• Clear your Temporary Internet Files (in Safe Mode): Boot into Safe Mode and then Clear your Temporary Internet Files of Safari:

III. Try this once more. Any Issues?

You cannot upgrade either RAM (memory) or storage space (hard drive/SSD size).

FWIW, if you only have 4 GB of RAM, that would be barely enough; the recommendation is a minimum of 8 GB. And, the requirements for Big Sur show that your model is dead last (oldest) for the OS; that means it will run, but not efficiently. Apple tests these requirement under ideal lab conditions, so for the real usage, it is barely enough.

If you do decide to get a newer one, make sure you have at least 8 B RAM (16 would be better) and an absolute minimum of 256 GB (512 is much better) of storage/drive size.

Dyquem1 Said:

"I can't upload Big Sur and I get the error message of not enough memory. Do I have to replace my 2013 Mac Air or buy more memory?"

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Important - Backup your Mac First:

Be certain you create a backup of your Mac prior to performing an upgrade. That way, you will have something to restore your Mac from, should anything go wrong with the upgrade. For the Backup, use an external hard drive of at least 1.5 times the storage, or use iCloud.