Installing Monterey from macOS Recovery options

Question

Level 7

20,548 points

Installing Monterey from macOS Recovery options

M1 Mini has Big Sur installed. I want to try Monterey on an external first.

I'm hitting a brick wall trying to install Monterey on an external USB C drive erased and formatted to APFS with GUID. The installation runs and give an error right at the end without a restart. Have read lots about issues creating bootable drives with M1 machines, but supposedly most resolved in earlier versions of Big Sur.

If I try to use the installation as a startup disk I get 'Unable to set startup disk' with error 'SDErrorDomain error 108'.

So, having never used macOS Recovery to install the OS before, do you get the same options as with the full installer to select the destination disk, or does it automatically install to the internal SSD?

Mac mini, macOS 11.6

Posted on Jun 18, 2022 7:01 AM

Reply

Answer 1

Best reply

Alley_Cat Author

Level 7

20,548 points

Jun 18, 2022 8:25 AM in response to PRP_53

Well, believe it or not I just succeeded without installing Monterey to the internal drive!

These M1 devices are possibly fickle.

After the installer completed I still had the error 'SDErrorDomain error 108' as the installer appeared to be trying to set the external as the boot drive in System Preferences. I tried to do it manually, another error.

Then the installer window changed and said it was going to restart and after a little wait it did, with several reboots.

I did 3 or 4 things differently:

1) Chose a simpler name for the external drive! Did the Mini prefer this ? 🤣

2) Changed the USB C cable which came with the inexpensive 2.5" enclosure to one from one of my Samsung T5 externals (just in case cable at fault)

3) Used the USB 4/Thunderbolt 3 connector closest to the HDMI socket rather than the adjacent one - had a USB C > lightning cable in this previously but not connected to anything this time around - was an iPhone or iPad hooked up before? I can't remember but would be surprised if the Thunderbolt 3 sockets were not up to powering an SSD in an enclosure with an iPhone/iPad connected.

4) Can't remember if I did this earlier, but naturally only the internal SSD was available to select as a startup disk until the installer completed installing to the erased SSD - I unlocked this locked preference while or before the installer ran surmising that if it was locked could the system fail to reboot to the external? Seems unlikely as installers have never required this to be done in the past and would just reboot automatically to a new installation to complete set up.

Reply

Answer 2

PRP_53

Level 10

85,711 points

Jun 18, 2022 7:11 AM in response to Alley_Cat

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 ?

In your specific case, the External Drive is the intended Destination for the Monterey Installation

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.

The suggestion and reported solution with require first Installing to the Internal Drive of this machine. Thereby satisfying the EFI BOOT ROM Flashing the Computer.

Only then, the Installation to an External Drive maybe possible

Reply

Answer 3

PRP_53

Level 10

85,711 points

Jun 18, 2022 7:24 AM in response to Alley_Cat

That or if one can get their hands on an Apple Original SSD Drive and in an enclosure.

It may or may not fool the Verification process enough to install Monterey Directly.

This I have never tried myself but others may have :-)

Reply

Answer 4

Alley_Cat Author

Level 7

20,548 points

Jun 18, 2022 7:32 AM in response to PRP_53

Thanks, have not come across those posts specifically - as people managed to install Monterey and betas to externals on the M1 machines in the past has the EFI Boot ROM update happened in more recent versions of Monterey perhaps?

I've noted reports in the past/elsewhere saying that people have had success with different ports on the M1 Macs, some having success with external SSDs connecting to the USB-A ports , some with USB C connections, some insisting a proper Thunderbolt 3 enclosure/drive is needed.

It's a shame Apple have made this far more difficult than in years gone by on Intel Macs.

If the EFI issue is the reason I guess I'll just have to update the internal drive at some stage.

Will give it a few more attempts using different ports and a different USB C cable, just in case.

I thought it might be worth trying from macOS Recovery, but as I've never needed to use this, just a little cautious in case it simply installs to the internal automatically, though I'd hope the process would be consistent with installers allowing you to select all disks and choose a target.

Unless I'm missing something there is no setting available in macOS Recovery or System Preferences required with M1 Minis to enable booting from an external drive?

Another option as I'm primarily looking to run a system from a larger SSD is to try to install Big Sur on the external, whether or not that would then allow it to be updated to Monterey is another question!

Reply