"A required firmware update could not be installed. Compatible internal storage is required in order to update".

I've tried to upgrade my MacBook Pro from Mojave to Monterey and got this famous message "A required firmware update...."

I've got this MacBook Pro three years ago from second hand and upgraded the SSD to a 1.0 TB OWC AURA PRO SSD.

Following the suggested recommendation, I've reinserted the SSD which was in the MackBook Pro when I got it. . I've then attempted to restarted the MacBook Pro with the original SSD. It does not even reboot, instead I've got a picture showing a circle with a bar in it (see attached picture) .

Guess what, it looks that even this hard drive might not be the original one (see attached picture).

Now that being said, what are my options?

Just signed up to tell Apple how frustrating it is. And **** you and whoever feeds you such ideas of having an architecture like this. Wanna throw my macbook away because I cant afford to buy a new ssd just to upgrade!

While the solution provided got me out of this situation, I have to say this is very s--tty treatment on the part of Apple. Those of us who replaced the original SSD, particularly in laptops that are out of warranty, should NEVER have to put an original SSD back in, to do an OS upgrade. Pretty disgusted Apple wasted so much of my time.

Have you tried:

Circle with a line through it

Learn what to do if your Mac starts up to a circle with a line through it (prohibitory symbol).

Seems like there is bootable macOS verion now on the SSD.

When you looked in About This Mac>Overview>System Report>Storage. Is the Samsung SSD identified as App SSD... as Device Name?Name

Your need an Apple SSD installed internally to go to Monterey since the first part of the upgrade to Monterey is updating the Mac's firmware and that requires an Apple SSD be installed.

Sorry

I have exactly the same issue. No such issue while installing BigSur. It is ridiculous…

Same problem for me too. MacPro 6,1 (Late 2013). Purchased used in 2017 with an OWC Aura SSD. I never had the original. OWC is great, they are offering to loan me a genuine Apple SSD to update my firmware.

I can at least partially sympathize with Apple for not trusting 3rd party storage. They have to temporarily put the new firmware image somewhere so as to have a copy to read when overwriting the system firmware. That means they need a means of reading the internal SSD and can not necessarily trust that SSD isn't using the very firmware Apple is overwriting. Don't know but guessing they know somebody did something they were not supposed to which would brick your Mac during the firmware update.

Error message when installing from the running OS is unhelpful. Says in effect, "Failed, try again." Booting command-option-R returns error -5101F. And booting command-option-P-R returned this:

Actually not.

Once the firmware has flashed the Computer - it good to go and flip out the original and put the OWC drive back in. The run the Monterey Installer again.

What would be the cause if I have an Apple Hard Drive? Mine says the same but I have a Macbook SSD. Suggestions?

Never mind. Here's where I think MY experience went awry ... when creating the Monterey USB boot drive, there is a step that has you add Contents / Resources / createinstallmedia into your Terminal code. Notice that there is a file called "createinstallmedia_yosemite" right under the correct file? I *believe* when I went through the process, I accidentally grabbed the "yosemite" version. Then, once I tried installing, some little yosemite gremlin got into the Trash Can (not just the hard drive). I think that has been preventing us from getting anywhere. RIGHT NOW, we are actually installing Yosemite on the internal Apple SSD and we will then go about upgrading from there. Sigh. What a rigamarole.

There are reports appearing on the ASC Forums regarding failed installation of Monterey on older Qualifying Apple Computers.

In most cases this is related to having a NON Apple Original internal drive ? 

The EFI Boot ROM included in Monterey is verifying for Original Apple Drive and if not found , may Balk or fail to upgrade to Monterey.

Reports indicate the EFI BOOT ROM is Required to Flash the Computer and is a requirement for a Successful Monterey Installation.

I have a mid 2015 15" macbook pro with non apple ssd and after trying it donwloaded macos monterey but if i try to install it gives the internal storage compatibility error,so putting back in apple's ssd will sort the problem?

zahid198 wrote:

.....,so putting back in apple's ssd will sort the problem?

Yes, putting the Apple SSD back inside and then upgrading that disk to Monterey will allow you to then subsequently put the non-Apple SSD back inside and you will be able to upgrade that disk to Monterey.

Well, is this the norm for firmware updates going forward?

I too have a mid 2015 15" MBP. I'd upgraded to a 1TB OWC SSD recently, but maybe I ought to put the old Apple SSD back in permanently. If I'll end up having to swap out the storage every time, it won't be worth the hassle.