Cannot install anything on my Mac or update OS + Wheel of death when trying to open 'Security and Preferences'
Hi,
I have spent countless hours researching what the fix for this might be but nothing has worked. I am unable to install third-party downloads/programs/apps from any online source and cannot download anything from the app store. Third-party downloads from within my web browser will download but fail when I try to install them. Apps from the app store will say that they have downloaded but they don't. The same with OS and Mac-supplied auto-updates, they will appear in the auto-update box, download, start to install and then the same update will disappear and reappear in the auto-update box, having not actually been installed. I cannot update my Mac OS either. This problem has been ongoing for well over a year.
I am also unable to access 'Security and Privacy' under 'System Preferences' without the Mac basicly crashing, everything running incredibly slow, the wheel of death appearing and staying, and not being able to do anything unless I restart the Mac OR if I effectively 'ctrl+alt+del' and wait an ungodly amount of time for the window to appear and allow me to close 'System Preferences', at which point it will then run normally again.
I have previously factory reset my Mac and reinstalled with Time Machine, which worked for a month or two (allowing me to install and update anything I wanted) but then the problem started again.
I am stuck with Mac OS 'Big Sur 11.7.2' and unable to update.
I have a late 2013 Mac Book Pro (A1502) - Any help would be appreciated.
MacBook Pro 13″, macOS 10.15