I am unable to upgrade to MacOS 12.5

Please remember that iOS is for iPhones. Macs have MacOS.

So if you want to update to MacOS 12.5 try the following.

• Make a backup of your system
• Uninstall any antivirus or cleanup apps
• Turn off any VPNs
• Shut down all running apps
• If you have it, connect to your router via Ethernet
• Try again

Perhaps you may need to use a USB cable and a Computer to upgrade your iPhone.

There is a support article that covers several options including that one.

When I find the link, I may revisit this discussion; or see if someone else offers it.

PS:

If you can't update or restore your iPhone or iPod touch - Apple Support

Locate and view your connected device on your computer - Apple Support

PS: read about Bombich "Carbon Copy Cloner" here @ their site

..there probably is a current instruction page how to use it.

(Other fish to fry would be first, to see what's going on in Mac?)

Try this first: • How to use safe mode on your Mac - Apple Support

CCC 6: Support for macOS 12 Monterey

https://bombich.com/download

CCC 6.0.4 (and later) is qualified for macOS 12 Monterey. Please take a moment

to review the following resources prior to upgrading your Mac's OS:

• Frequently asked questions about CCC and macOS 11 (all of these are applicable to Monterey as well)
• Best practices for updating your Mac's OS

That idea ~ maybe further down the road, if you go that direction.

Take care & good luck!🌞

There is a way to use an external fast SSD in quick enclosure.

The way around that would be to use an external SSD (OWC

has) Fast enclosure & cables; to run entire system from there.

'Envoy' external SSD within an enclosure, seems like an idea.

Use of faster cables & dedicated SSD, can Bypass internal HD.

Or maybe just try & fix the system? Not sure, maybe try this:

..EtreCheck utility (free) could give us a look 'under the hood'..

To see what's going on, consider getting free utility EtreCheck from

the makers site, and run that; set it to view more background details.

This is not the 'optional' cost Power User Package; so the utility is Free.

https://etrecheck.com/welcome

There is an easier way to also post this report into the ASC reply box.

• How to use the Add Text Feature When Posting Large Amounts of Text, ie an EtreCheck report - Apple Community

//discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-250000211

The OWC Envoy series enclosure can sustain a boot-capable clone;

Another idea use Carbon Copy (Bombich) utility; learn/make copy.

Perhaps had you been ready to upgrade to a newer fully different macOS

well past Catalina 10.15.7, once past Big Sur; you may have/had return path.

Backups are only helpful after a point-in-time where they could leverage

a system within the Mac. ~ That changes with upgrade steps after/before

Catalina; and then for those whose Macs go further, to Big Sur 11.x etc.

Even the use of Time Machine backups can't help bring a complete system

back; after some big steps. When the installer makes 'unreadable partitions'

on the drive, inaccessible to the User. That's all folks. (More intense Security.)

Then, awareness and readiness are required; to have external enclosed SSD

and run the Mac from an installed system, there. Or have/use a 'Clone' copy.

Sadly, you've gone a bridge too far; in some instance. At least we've figured

your product doesn't use iOS! (Sometimes discussion threads get Relocated.)

Titles of where these end up, can be misleading; however identifiers abound.

It's macOS, not iOS.