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Updating is so much safer now
AT WORST, MACOS updates could wipe everything stored on your Mac. Because the system files were copied into the same volume as your apps and Home folder, when anything went badly wrong, the whole volume was at risk, and sometimes had to be wiped for a full reinstall.
Catalina changed that, and now in Big Sur and Monterey, macOS installs are performed with the separate Data volume unmounted. Even if the installer messes up the System volume, you just enter Recovery and reinstall macOS.
Your Data volume should then be reunited with a fresh System volume, and carry on with your files intact. If you thought the Sealed System Volume was just about security, you’re really underestimating its value.
>A Mac with a mind of its own
A couple of times, my M1 MacBook Pro seems to have started up on its own. I have its startup chime enabled, and have heard it sound when the case has still been closed. Does this mean it’s defective?
No. What has probably happened is that a magnet in an iPad cover or something similar has triggered the sensor which tells your MacBook Pro that its case has been opened. This seems to occur most commonly with M1 models, although it can affect older ones too.
Rather than use a mechanical sensor, which will eventually break, Apple’s notebook models use a magnetic sensor to detect when their case is opened. This is usually on the left side of the case. Bringing another magnet close to that can fool that sensor into thinking that the case has been opened, and it triggers the Mac to start up, something you may only notice if you have the startup chime enabled. This is also why some users find that their MacBooks have discharged a lot of battery when they actually should have been asleep.
Keep all magnets away from Mac notebooks so they don’t wake them up by accident. This is important for bags and similar items which you might store your Mac in when it should be shut down or asleep.
Leaving your MacBook’s startup chime turned on makes it easier to tell if it has started up unexpectedly.
> Poor battery life after upgrading
Since I upgraded my iPad Pro to iPadOS 15, its battery life has been much poorer. Is this a bug, or is its battery past its best?