Information Technology

MacOS Big Sur Compatibility Issues with Tulane Software Applications Identified

Tomorrow, November 12, Apple is releasing macOS Big Sur 11.0. 

At this time, please DO NOT UPDATE your Mac systems to the new macOS due to compatibility issues.


A number of compatibility issues have been identified with several Tulane software applications. These include AppsAnywhere, SecureDoc (encryption software) and Trend Micro/ApexOne (antivirus software).

Until these compatibility issues are resolved, please do not upgrade your existing Mac systems to macOS Big Sur 11.0.


If your system automatically upgrades to MacOS Big Sur or you receive a new Mac device with it pre-installed, please read below. 


Unsure which version of MacOS you have? 
Locate and click the Apple icon in the top left hand corner of your desktop menu. Select About This Mac. The pop-up window will provide the version you are currently running.
Thank you, 
Tulane IT 

Identified AppsAnywhere is not compatible with Big Sur
(Impact to Students/Faculty)

Our team has confirmed that the current version of AppsAnywhere is not compatible with macOS Big Sur. AppsAnywhere is currently working on a update that will support Big Sur, and we will notify you as soon as it is released.
In the event your device upgrades automatically or you receive a new device running macOS 11.0 before the AppsAnywhere patch is released, back up your data first before restoring Catalina through the recovery console. After you restore Cataline on your device you can then restore the data from your back up.
For personal Mac devices, please contact Tulane's Tech Connect or your local Apple device store for support. 
Questions/Concerns about university-owned Mac devices? Contact IT's Service Desk.

Monitoring SecureDoc encryption compatibility
(Impact to Faculty/Staff)

If your existing system has SecureDoc and it automatically upgrades to macOS Big Sur in error, please back up your data with an external drive or your Tulane Box account (in case your machine experiences compatibility issues or if you get locked out of your machine.) You can also turn on your device's FileVault application to maintain working encryption (see instructions below).
Our team continues to test the current version of SecureDoc with BigSur and we want to ensure you stay protected in the event you are locked out of the software and lose your files. 
As soon as we have SecureDoc's update that ensures compatibility with Big Sur macOS 11.0 , we will begin testing and prepare a rollout to all university Mac devices.
New or Existing Mac Devices Running Big Sur without SecureDoc 
If you do not have SecureDoc on your new or existing mac, but you are running macOS Big Sur, please turn on FileVault encryption to protect your data. 
  1. Select the Apple icon from your desktop menu bar > System Preferences > Security and Privacy > FileVault.
  2. Unlock the device (lock icon in lower left corner of window) and choose Turn On FileVault.
  3. IMPORTANT STEP: When prompted to choose between allowing iCloud to unlock or creating a recovery key, choose to Create a Recovery Key. DO NOT choose iCloud.
  4. A recovery key will appear before encryption begins. IT IS IMPORTANT TO EMAIL YOUR RECOVERY KEY TO encryption@tulane.edu. Please include in your email a) full name, b) phone number, c) department, and d) device serial number. This ensures we have a record of this device being encrypted, and that we can retrieve your data from the device's drive for you in the event something happens to the device.
Questions/Concerns? Contact IT's Encryption Team.

Identified Trend Micro Apex One compatibility issue
(Impact to Faculty/Staff/Students)

The agent may stop working after upgrading to Big Sur macOS 11.0. Trend Micro is currently working on a supported agent version.
For users who upgraded to Big Sur macOS 11.0 before upgrading or installing Apex One (Mac) first and encountered an issue, please follow these steps:
  1. Uninstall the currently installed Apex One (Mac) Agent using the Agent uninstaller.

  2. Do a fresh install of Apex One (Mac) Agent using the latest Agent Installer on your Big Sur macOS 11.0.
Need to report an issue? Contact the Service Desk.

Tulane Information Technology

Dedicated to providing solutions to the Tulane community, our mission is to advance Tulane's competitive advantage in higher education, research, innovation, technology, and operational efficiency. To learn more about our products and services, visit us at it.tulane.edu.
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