Question – I downloaded macOS Big Sur and install shows on the dock but nothing happens. If this is happening, here is what you can do.
A visitor to the Tech Geek and More Facebook Page (@TGMTechGeekandMore) posted a question about an issue with the macOS Big Sur installation. According to site visitor Pawee, they have downloaded Big Sur and they see the install file, but “Nothing Happens”.
If you are having the same issue, this post will go over what you can do.
Question On Installing macOS Big Sur After Download
After The Big Sur Download
So you have downloaded Big Sur, and you see it on the dock but nothing happens. So what can you do? No particular reason why this happens, it just happens. You seem to have downloaded macOS Big Sur, and then it gets stuck during the installation process, or the installation process won’t start when you click the Big Sur installation icon.
Make Sure Your Device Is Compatible
Per Apple, Here is the official list of compatible devices:
- MacBook — 2015 and later.
- MacBook Air — 2013 and later.
- MacBook Pro — Late 2013 and later.
- Mac mini — 2014 and later.
- iMac — 2014 and later.
- iMac Pro — 2017 and later (all models).
- Mac Pro — 2013 and later.
To see what year your device was made, click on the apple icon on the top left and select About This Mac. There you will find the model and year for your machine.
Check The Free Hard Drive Space
Start by checking how much free space you have left on your machine. From experience, all macOS updates require plenty of space to allow install. For macOS Big Sur, Apple recommends a minimum of 35.5GB available storage on macOS Sierra or later*. To check hard drive space, click on the Apple icon on the top left of your screen, then select About This Mac.
- When About This Mac Opens, select the tab that says Storage. There you will see what space you have left. If you want to do clean up to get more space, you can click on the manage button on the right side.
- From the manage button, in the new window, you will find different choices. Look in applications, and also under documents. If you see something you use or need anymore, you can highlight it and select delete from the lower right corner of the window.
Reboot Your Computer
Once you have made enough space on your hard drive, try your install. If it still isn’t working, do something simple, REBOOT. It could be possible that there is a service or application currently running that is preventing the update from running. Once you have done the reboot, don’t open any other programs (not the time to see what’s on YouTube, it’s time to do an install). Go ahead and try to run the macOS Big Sur install.
Reboot Into Safe Mode
So you have tried all of the steps above and still no go. The next thing to try is rebooting into Safe Mode. To use safe mode, hold down Shift, and go thru the entire restart process while holding down the shift button. This will start macOS with just the minimal files to operate. This is again done to try and run the install with no other program interfering. Once in safe mode, try to do the install again.
Try Resetting NVRAM
If you have gotten to this point, and you still can’t install macOS Big Sur, we have a couple of more things to try. The next thing to try is resetting the NVRAM. To do this follow these steps
- Shut down your Mac
- This next step is interesting to do. Hold down Option + Command + P + R and power on your machine. Keep holding those 4 buttons until you hear a DING sound.
- Now release the 4 buttons and wait until your Mac restarts and try reinstalling macOS Big Sur.
Start Over With Download
If you have tried all of the steps and you still can’t get the macOS Big Sur to run, then it is possible that something got corrupted within the download. At this point, the only option left is to go to the Launchpad window (where you see all of your installed applications) and look for the install file listed and delete it.
Once deleted, reboot, and then go back to System Preferences, Software Updates and start over by downloading the update again. (Sorry!)
Final Thought
Hopefully, the install happens without going through all of these steps. Usually, computers play nice, but sometimes it’s a battle. If you come across any tech battles, you can drop us a line here on the website Under Contact Tech Geek and More, drop us a line via FB or Twitter, or email us at techgeekandmore @ gmail.com
Source
- Hard Drive Space Info – Apple: macOS How To Upgrade
Question On Installing macOS Big Sur After Download
