How to upgrade your MacBook Air to macOS 11 "Big Sur"
Directions for upgrading your operating system:
These are the directions you should always use with your school-issued MacBook Air. Please plan 45 minutes to an hour that your computer will be unavailable while it's performing this upgrade. You should also plug the computer into the power adapter as well. If the computer dies, or is powered off during installation you may lose all the data on the hard drive. This upgrade can be done at school or it can be done at home.
Step 1:
Save any files you have open and quit all of the programs running on your computer.
Step 2:
Go to the Duxbury "D" in your Mac's menu bar and choose "Install Software."
If you don't see this menu, and you've rebooted the computer, please submit a ticket & we'll get you the upgrade installer.
Step 3:
A screen like this will appear. Click on "OS Updates" on the left side.
Step 4:
You'll see the macOS 11 upgrade. Press the "Install" button. You'll see the loading bar, and this process could take upwards of 30 minutes, depending on your internet connection speeds. Once the download finishes, the installer will automatically run. If you have any open programs you will be prompted to close them before installation. Once the installation begins the computer will show the Apple logo with the loading bar.
To reiterate: the upgrade will take approximately 45 minutes to an hour to download and install. Your computer will not be able to do anything else. Please plug your laptop into its power adapter when performing this upgrade. And most importantly, do not attempt to power off your computer while the upgrade is in progress.
Step 5:
When the upgrade is finished it will bring you back to the login screen, put your password in. You may be asked to share information with developers. You can skip this screen. You will briefly see a "getting things ready" screen. You'll then be taken to your desktop — as you left it.
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