How to Fix Issues with macOS Big Sur

So you installed the macOS Big Sur update hoping to enjoy the new features…but now you’re frustrated because all you seem to have are issues and problems – that’s if you can even get it downloaded to start with!

If you were lucky enough to get a brand new Mac recently, then it will come with Big Sur already installed. If you’re running an older Mac or MacBook, then you should still be able to use the new Big Sur update. Many people download and install Big Sur without problems, but all major operating system updates are usually buggy and glitchy to start with.

If you’re having problems, then we’re going to suggest some ways to help fix the common Big Sur issues, including a quick and easy way to clean your Mac and optimize the system with a cleaning app.

Download Problems

Can’t get Big Sur to download? That’s quite a common issue although it’s improving now. Some users get an error message that just says “Installation failed.” Others get a variety of messages that say Big Sur can’t be downloaded or installed.

That’s really frustrating! However, there are a few reasons this may be happening, and some of them are simply solved. Check the live status of the Apple Server to make sure there’s no problems there. On the Apple Server there should be a section called ‘macOS Software Update’ and it should have a green dot to show there’s not a problem. If the dot is a different color, that could indicate there’s a problem that’s on Apple’s end, not yours.

Another, often overlooked problem is that you just don’t have enough space on your Mac – that’s typically the reason why a big download like this will fail. Check that you have enough space for the install by going to the Apple menu and clicking on ‘About This Mac’. Click ‘Storage’ and check to see how much space you have on your hard drive – you’ll need at least 15GB free to successfully download Big Sur.

If you don’t have the disk space, then you’re going to have to free some up! You can do this by going to the Apple menu/About this Mac/Storage/Manage, and start freeing up some disk space. This can be a time-consuming pain in the rear, but many of us put off clearing out all the junk and unused apps on our Macs (yes, I’m just as guilty!) and it starts to build up everywhere.

If the idea of going through all your files, photos, unused apps, etc., fills your heart with dread, then why not take the quick and painless route – a Mac cleaning app, such as CleanMyMac X.

With just one click you can start a Smart Scan to ferret out all the junk that’s built up in the darkest corners of your Mac – and you will probably be pleasantly surprised to see how much space you can retrieve once this junk has gone. You can also use the CleanMyMac X Uninstaller to safely and completely remove unwanted apps from your Mac (remember all those productivity and organization apps you downloaded but never used?).

I’ve Installed Big Sur Successfully, but now it’s Running Slowly!

Once you’ve finally got enough space and have succeeded in installing Big Sur, you may discover that your Mac is now crawling along like a tortoise. Great – now what!?

If macOS Big Sur showed a notification that said “Optimizing Your Mac: Performance and battery life may be affected until completed,” then don’t worry. Big Sur is working behind the scenes, and these tweaks can affect your Mac’s performance at first. This should only take about a day or so, then your Mac should be back up to speed. If it’s not, then try restarting your machine to see if it makes a difference.

If it’s still on a go-slow, then you need to check to make sure all your apps are updated to the latest version, because if some of them are having issues working with Big Sur then it may slow your Mac right down. Indeed, some apps that don’t have a 64-bit version will no longer work on Big Sur, so you need to check if your apps have a 64-bit update. Some apps will die off with macOS Catalina as they don’t have the updates available.

If you have a lot of apps, manually updating them may take a while, but CleanMyMac X can help here too. It has a handy Updater tool that will automatically keep your apps up-to-date, including those that are not from the Mac App Store. The Updater’s Application Reset also lets you reset any freeze-ups and synchronization issues with your apps to help your Mac to run faster.

Startup and Login Items are also things that can slow your Mac down over time. You can go to the Apple Menu, choose ‘System Preferences’ and then choose ‘Users & Groups’ from the window. Select ‘Login Items’ and choose the apps you want to stop from opening at startup, and click the minus sign below the list when you’re done. Or, you can use CleanMyMac X to manage every startup program that runs in the background. You can switch them on and off as you wish to lessen the load on your processor and give a faster boot time too.

If you are really struggling for memory, then use the Free Up RAM tool in CleanMyMac X so your apps get enough resources to run properly – memory demanding apps like photo and video editing software can slow everything down if they need memory your Mac doesn’t have spare.

Another way to give your Mac a speed boost is to run the Maintenance Scripts in CleanMyMac X. You’ll improve your Mac’s efficiency, instantly verify and repair broken permissions on your OS, flush the DNS Cache, and fix lots of other little maintenance issues that can cause your Mac to slow down.

Used regularly, a Mac cleaning app can keep your machine in tip-top shape, and CleanMyMac X has been updated and tweaked to work perfectly with the Big Sur update. It also has a CleanMyMac X Widget in the macOS Notification Center, which you can click on and quickly check the available space on your Mac.

So, there you have it! Hopefully, you will be able to download and run macOS Big Sur without any problems, but if you do run into trouble then hopefully our tips will help you solve Big Sur issues.

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