People are reporting that MacOS Monterey is bricking their laptops

Installing a new operating system is an emotionally complicated process. On the other side of the update, the new OS promises new toys to play with and enhancements to older features. But there’s always the fear that something goes wrong. Maybe something’s a little buggy in the new operating system, maybe your system rejects the upgrade or maybe your whole laptop gets bricked.

Some users are reporting that the new MacOS Monterey upgrade has completely shut down their Macs. Several people are reporting online that their computers refuse to boot up after Monterey is installed, with others reporting that the ports no longer work, or that their MacBook gets stuck in a loop of trying (but failing) to update. The problem appears to be restricted to older laptops, according to MacRumors, with devices that run on Apple’s new M1 chips seemingly dodging the issue.

Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Users faced similar issues with last year’s launch of MacOS Big Sur, so the Monterey problems aren’t exactly a surprise. That’s why we always recommend backing up your computer before you install any major update, especially new operating systems. 

If you’re still planning to upgrade, make sure to check whether your computer is compatible with Monterey. And if you don’t need to upgrade yet, it might be worth waiting a few weeks to see if a patch comes through to fix these issues.