The Monterey upgrade this week broke an important application, so I need to go back to 12.2. However, when I boot to the recovery partition and attempt to recover a time machine backup, it prompts me to reinstall Mac OS, and the only version available is 12.3.
What is the best way to revert the OS to 12.2 until the app developer corrects the issue? Thanks!
Mac mini, macOS 12.3
FWIW, It's not quite true nothing before 12.3 is available.
softwareupdate --list-full-installers
* Title: macOS Monterey, Version: 12.3, Size: 11936503KiB, Build: 21E230
* Title: macOS Monterey, Version: 12.2.1, Size: 11870533KiB, Build: 21D62
* Title: macOS Monterey, Version: 12.2, Size: 11871411KiB, Build: 21D49
* Title: macOS Monterey, Version: 12.1, Size: 11872104KiB, Build: 21C52
* Title: macOS Monterey, Version: 12.0.1, Size: 11844168KiB, Build: 21A559
If you run this in the terminal you can download an earlier version.
softwareupdate --fetch-full-installer --full-installer-version 12.2.1
or whatever earlier version you want.
Unless you have a Time Machine backup from macOS 12.2 and then did not allow Time Machine to backup 12.3 to it, you are stuck on 12.3, as there is no other means to get a full 12.2.1 installer now.
Have you contacted that developer and checked if they have an application version that works on 12.3 now, or a time estimate before it is available?
It is possible to downgrade, but the process is not painless. It involves wiping the internal HD/SSD, booting into Recovery, and using a USB installer. Finally you recover your apps and data from TimeMachine.
I've outlined the process I used to rollback my M1 MacMini.
Thanks for all the helpful replies, especially dialabrian for noting the terminal software update options. Using Monterey recovery mode, I was not able to restore a time machine backup of Monterey 12.1 from January. When the backup was selected, I was prompted to "reinstall the OS." So, after erasing the disk, I installed Big Sur, created a dummy admin account, and recovered apps and my user profile from the January Monterey 12.1 backup using Migration Assistant. Except for Maps crashing (Monterey preference file format change?), everything seems to be working again. I'll use the terminal commands to retrieve Monterey 12.2.1 and update Big Sur to complete the downgrade from Monterey 12.3 to Monterey 12.2. Honestly, Apple should make this downgrade process easier, especially since recent "dot" updates are implementing big changes under the hood!
Thanks again to everyone who replied with helpful suggestions!
If in fact, that Time Machine backup was last done prior to the 12.3 update, then you should be able to boot into Recovery and select Restore from Time Machine backup. That would wipe the drive and repave it with the 12.2 and all of your applications and data just as it was prior to 12.3.
Hi Scifitechguy,
The version of macOS that came with your Mac is the earliest version it can use.There isn't a way to choose the incremental update, but you can install an older version of macOS, depending on the OS that came with your Mac, take a look at How to get old versions of macOS.
Regards.
Yes, the developer is aware of the incompatibility and working on an update, but with no ETA and I need it now.
I did have a time machine backup before the update that did not run since the update, but I could not recover that backup without a "reinstall OS" prompt.
I was hoping I could just install the initial release version of Monterey and then hold off on the updates. Is that non-updated version not available any longer? I usually save off a copy of the OS installer, but it looks like I neglected that when Monterey came out.
a brody wrote:
Did not know that. Albeit I tried one of the commands, and it goes right to "installing." Is it possible to capture it as an image I can install later?
The only time I tried the command I was already on the latest version so it basically installed "Install macOS Monterey" into the Applications folder. That's the extent of what I know.
How did you stop it from automatically installing updates during the install? I have a copy of 12.2.1 but when I try to install; it forces me to connect to the internet and automatically updates it to 12.3.
Nope it is no longer available.
Did not know that. Albeit I tried one of the commands, and it goes right to "installing." Is it possible to capture it as an image I can install later?
great, it works back to High Sierra, but not earlier. Good to know
Downgrade from 12.3
