I've had my MacBook since 2018 and have never updated it because I'm really afraid of issues that could arise. Back when Mojave was released, I knew someone who updated and their laptop started randomly shutting down. Apple said they couldn't fix it, and since I did all my art school work on this laptop, I was terrified of losing anything important. Now, in 2025, I find that I can't open Adobe Illustrator anymore, and it seems like I might have to reinstall it. The catch is, I can't install the latest version until I update my laptop, which brings up the fear of it possibly 'bricking' due to not having updated for 7 years. If I back up everything and then proceed with the update, is it really going to ruin my laptop? Losing it would feel like losing a part of my identity!
5 Answers
No, Macs don't really 'brick' when you update them. Your friend's situation was likely caused by something else entirely. Just make that backup and start updating—there's really no reason to avoid it!
I can’t stress enough how important it is to backup your files first. Make sure you’re ready to tackle changes, but avoiding updates can be super risky in terms of security.
Definitely make a Time Machine backup before you do anything! Just keep in mind that some apps may not work properly with the new macOS since a lot of them have moved to 64-bit and won't support the older 32-bit versions anymore. But updating shouldn’t brick your laptop, just make sure you back everything up first!
It sounds like you’ve been really worried, but the major Mac updates don’t brick machines. Make sure to back everything up and you’ll be fine. Just go for it!
Yeah, seriously, delaying updates for years isn’t smart! Just do a full backup and then go ahead with the updates. Major macOS updates might mess with some apps, but they won't break your computer.
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