How to downgrade from Monterey 12.3 to 12.2

Monterey 12.3 has doubled my render times using Redshift. I have a time machine backup of 12.2 but if I try to restore it it wants me to reinstall the OS and then transfer data from Time Machine.


If I reinstall the OS won't it just install a clean copy of 12.3 which I don't want?


MacPro 7,1

Mac Pro

Posted on Mar 15, 2022 12:38 PM

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Posted on Mar 15, 2022 1:31 PM

  1. Backup your data.
  2. Open the Terminal app and enter the following command
  3. softwareupdate --fetch-full-installer --full-installer-version 12.2
  4. Create a bootable USB installer using these instructions.

Apple’s instructions

How to create a bootable installer for macOS

5 Boot from the iUSB installer and install 12.2.

6 Migrate you date from your backup.


If you want 12.2.1 use 12.2.1 vice 12.2 in the Terminal command.

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Mar 15, 2022 1:31 PM in response to smmckenzie

  1. Backup your data.
  2. Open the Terminal app and enter the following command
  3. softwareupdate --fetch-full-installer --full-installer-version 12.2
  4. Create a bootable USB installer using these instructions.

Apple’s instructions

How to create a bootable installer for macOS

5 Boot from the iUSB installer and install 12.2.

6 Migrate you date from your backup.


If you want 12.2.1 use 12.2.1 vice 12.2 in the Terminal command.

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Apr 21, 2022 8:29 AM in response to kidlouis

kidlouis wrote:

Just want to let you guys know its possible to downgrade and M1 MacBook Pro 16". All you have to do is use Apple Configurator 2 and the DFU mode and then use a backup and Migration Assistant (you need two Macs to be able to do this). It was kinda hard to get into DFU mode but the reinstall was super quick.

[Link Edited by Moderator]


thanks


that video was very informative in explaining a complex of methodologies on the various releases of the M1 and utilizing the configurator. MrMacintosh is a reliable source. "DFU Restore macOS on 14" & 16" M1 MacBook Pro + IPSW Reinstall macOS & 3 ways boot to DFU Mode!!!"


I guess we are left with this alone...


Intel—

Revive or restore an Intel-based Mac using Apple Configurator - Apple Support


M1—

Revive or restore a Mac with Apple silicon using Apple Configurator - Apple Support



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Mar 19, 2022 6:04 AM in response to lllaass

Hello, I am assuming this is a fix for Intel macs. I say this because it did not work when I attempted it on my M1Max Macbook and Apple support has just informed me that it is impossible to downgrade OS in any way on Silicon based macs. I don’t know if this was intentional but this is very frustrating.

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Apr 19, 2022 11:18 AM in response to kidlouis

You can try it but what happened to me is that you need an internet connection for the install. That's because the USB installer is reaching out to Apple to pull down the latest OS version. I talked to 5 different tech people until I got someone who knew what they were doing and said they would check in with the "engineers". The answer was NO. I fit shipped with Monterey then you can't downgrade. I tried the reinstall with a verified 12.1 and 12.2 installer (12.0 never shipped) and when I got done with the clean install - before I went to time machine - I checked the OS and it was still 12.3 even though the USB installer was 12.1 or 12.2


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Apr 19, 2022 12:18 PM in response to maestrodave

Just to clarify, my use case was different as I'm on an intel MacPro. There was a small bug apparently in 12.1 that effected the performance of certain cards (my Mac has 4 GPU's) which is why I needed to roll back. That bug has since been fixed and 12.3.1 is fine.


Can't comment on those on an M1 Mac.

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Apr 21, 2022 7:55 AM in response to maestrodave

Just want to let you guys know its possible to downgrade and M1 MacBook Pro 16". All you have to do is use Apple Configurator 2 and the DFU mode and then use a backup and Migration Assistant (you need two Macs to be able to do this). It was kinda hard to get into DFU mode but the reinstall was super quick.


[Link Edited by Moderator]

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Jun 1, 2022 2:54 PM in response to maestrodave

So it is not possible to downgrade versions within Monterey on an M1 machine? In my case I am working on a Mac Studio M1 Max that shipped with macOS 12.4. Avid engineering instructed me to downgrade the machine to macOS 12.3.1, the most recent OS they vetted for Avid MediaComposer.


Any concrete insight on whether this downgrade is possible would be most appreciated. Thank you!

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Jun 1, 2022 3:02 PM in response to brandtgssman

Any concrete insight on whether this downgrade is possible would be most appreciated. Thank you!

The dependency is on the OS version that the specific model originally shipped with.

Apple will ship a new Mac with the most recent OS. If that model shipped with an earlier OS, it should be possible to install the earlier version. If your M1 Max is not exactly the same as the ones that shipped with 12.3.1, then you would probably not be able to install 12.3.1.

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Jun 1, 2022 5:35 PM in response to brandtgssman

It is NOT possible. I had the same issue with Avid earlier and had to wait until they got compatible with 12.3 because I couldn't downgrade to an OS that was previous to what my M1 Mac laptop shipped with. Spent hours over many days on tech support with Apple to no avail. Once Avid gets 12.4 compatible, TURN THE AUTOMATIC UPGRADES OFF!!! I'm too old to learn Premier... So now Apple OS bugs me every day to update my 12.3 OS to 12.4.

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How to downgrade from Monterey 12.3 to 12.2

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