| Recurring |
one_organization |
(a) The software failure incident related to older MacBook Pros becoming unusable after installing Apple's macOS Big Sur update seems to have happened again within the same organization. Users reported bricked laptops and being stuck on a black screen following the installation of the new operating system [107319].
(b) The incident does not indicate that a similar software failure has occurred at other organizations or with their products and services. |
| Phase (Design/Operation) |
design, operation |
(a) The software failure incident related to the design phase can be seen in the case of the macOS Big Sur update causing older MacBook Pros to become unusable. The issue arose after users installed the new macOS update, leading to laptops getting stuck on a black screen and becoming unresponsive. This failure can be attributed to the introduction of the new operating system and its compatibility with older hardware, specifically affecting Macs produced in 2013 and the mid-2014 13-inch MacBook Pro models [107319].
(b) The software failure incident related to the operation phase is evident in users experiencing issues with their MacBook Pros after installing the macOS Big Sur update. Users reported being stuck with a black screen and unable to boot their devices, despite trying various troubleshooting methods like SMC, PRAM, recovery mode, etc. Some users even mentioned being unable to recover any data from their Mac or restore from backups, indicating operational challenges post-update installation [107319]. |
| Boundary (Internal/External) |
within_system |
(a) within_system: The software failure incident related to the macOS Big Sur update causing older MacBook Pros to become unusable seems to be a result of factors originating from within the system. Users reported being stuck on a black screen after installation, with some unable to boot their devices or recover any data. Apple's support advised some customers to take their laptops in for repairs, and the company shared the issue with its engineering team [107319]. The issue specifically affected Macs produced in 2013 and the mid-2014 13-inch MacBook Pro models, indicating an internal compatibility or software issue within the macOS Big Sur update. |
| Nature (Human/Non-human) |
non-human_actions |
(a) The software failure incident in the articles is related to non-human actions. Users reported that their older MacBook Pros became unusable after installing Apple's new macOS Big Sur update. The issue caused the laptops to be stuck on a black screen, indicating a failure introduced without human participation [107319]. |
| Dimension (Hardware/Software) |
hardware |
(a) The software failure incident reported in Article 107319 is related to hardware issues. Users of older MacBook Pros, specifically those produced in 2013 and the mid-2014 13-inch MacBook Pro, experienced their laptops turning into useless machines after installing Apple's new macOS Big Sur update. The issue caused many users to be stuck on a black screen following the installation, indicating a hardware-related problem with these specific models [107319]. |
| Objective (Malicious/Non-malicious) |
non-malicious |
(a) The software failure incident related to the macOS Big Sur update causing older MacBook Pros to become unusable does not appear to be malicious. There is no indication in the articles that the issue was caused by any intentional actions to harm the system. Instead, it seems to be a non-malicious failure resulting from the update causing problems on older Mac models [107319]. |
| Intent (Poor/Accidental Decisions) |
poor_decisions |
(a) The software failure incident related to the macOS Big Sur update causing older MacBook Pros to become unusable seems to be more aligned with poor_decisions. This is evident from the fact that the update led to bricked laptops for users with older Macs, specifically those produced in 2013 and the mid-2014 13-inch MacBook Pro models [107319]. The decision to release an update that rendered these devices inoperable reflects a poor decision on Apple's part, as it resulted in significant inconvenience and frustration for affected users. |
| Capability (Incompetence/Accidental) |
development_incompetence, accidental |
(a) The software failure incident in this case seems to be related to development incompetence. Users reported that after installing Apple's new macOS Big Sur update, some older MacBook Pros, specifically those produced in 2013 and the mid-2014 13-inch MacBook Pro, became unusable with a black screen issue [107319]. The fact that this issue affected specific models and was not widespread across all older Macs suggests a potential oversight or lack of thorough testing by Apple's development team, leading to the bricking of these devices.
(b) Additionally, the incident could also be categorized as accidental. Users who installed the update on their MacBooks experienced the issue of being stuck on a black screen, indicating an unintended consequence of the software update [107319]. The accidental nature of the failure is further supported by the fact that users were not able to recover their systems or perform a restore from their backups, indicating unexpected behavior resulting from the update. |
| Duration |
temporary |
The software failure incident related to the macOS Big Sur update causing some older MacBook Pros to become unusable seems to have resulted in a temporary failure for affected users. Users reported being stuck on a black screen following the installation of the update, indicating that the issue was immediate and disruptive to their devices [107319]. Additionally, users attempted various troubleshooting steps like SMC, PRAM resets, and recovery mode, suggesting that the problem was not permanent but rather a result of specific circumstances introduced by the update installation [107319]. |
| Behaviour |
crash, value, other |
(a) crash: The software failure incident described in the articles can be categorized as a crash. Users reported that after installing Apple's new macOS Big Sur update, their older MacBook Pros were turning into useless machines and getting stuck on a black screen, unable to boot up properly. One user mentioned that their MacBook Pro wouldn't boot up at all after the update, despite trying various troubleshooting methods like SMC, PRAM, recovery mode, etc. [107319]
(b) omission: The software failure incident does not seem to be primarily related to omission, as the issue is more about the system failing to boot up properly or getting stuck on a black screen after the macOS Big Sur update, rather than omitting specific functions. Users were unable to recover anything from their Macs or even do a restore from their backups due to the crash. [107319]
(c) timing: The software failure incident is not related to timing issues where the system performs its intended functions but at the wrong time. Instead, the problem lies in the system crashing or failing to boot up properly after the macOS Big Sur update, indicating a more fundamental issue with the update affecting older MacBook Pro models. [107319]
(d) value: The software failure incident can be attributed to a value issue, as the system is not performing its intended functions correctly after the macOS Big Sur update. Users reported that their MacBook Pros were becoming unusable, stuck on a black screen, and unable to boot up properly, indicating a failure in the system's expected behavior. [107319]
(e) byzantine: The software failure incident does not exhibit characteristics of a byzantine failure, which involves inconsistent responses and interactions within a distributed system. The issue described in the articles is more focused on the crash and malfunction of individual MacBook Pro devices after installing the macOS Big Sur update. [107319]
(f) other: The software failure incident can be categorized as a crash, where the system loses its state and fails to perform its intended functions. The incident specifically involves older MacBook Pro models becoming unusable and stuck on a black screen after the macOS Big Sur update, indicating a critical failure in the system's operation. [107319] |