Apple mac mini 2014 & macOS Monterey!!!

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yaleellee Author

Level 1

4 points

Apple mac mini 2014 & macOS Monterey!!!

Hello,

Greetings!

Please help to figure out what and why this happens with macOS Monterey?

Have macOS High Sierra installed on external SSD#0 using mac mini 2011 machine#0
Get mac mini 2014 machine#1 boot with SSD#0 and proceed with macOS Monterey installation on internal SSD#1
Erase external SSD#3 and restore from SSD#1 using mac mini 2014 machine#1
Erase internal SSD#2 on another mac mini 2014 machine#2 and restore from external SSD#3

Now, while boot into macOS Recovery mode; the reinstall macOS behaves,

On machine#1, macOS Monterey image is there to proceed with; while,
On machine#2, macOS High Sierra image appears to be there and NOT Monterey image!!!

Continue normally with machine#1 or machine#2 results in regular macOS Monterey wizard to create user and the rest of configurations.

Sorry for the above complicated scenario but I'm new with macOS and can't figure why macOS High Sierra image still there by default when only macOS Monterey cloned into another machine while doesn't show on the same machine at which macOS Monterey installed.

The objective here is to avoid continue further with the too long installation process of macOS Monterey on other machines; The above scenario has been done and it works with macOS Catalina with no issues.

Please advice,

Sincerely,

Mac mini, macOS 10.13

Posted on Mar 31, 2023 3:17 PM

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Answer 1

Barney-15E

Level 10

124,836 points

Apr 2, 2023 9:44 AM in response to yaleellee

I'm not certain what you are trying to do, but I think so.

It seems to be unreliable to clone the sealed, signed system volume in Big Sur or later.

Restoring with Time Machine isn't the same as it was. "Restore," now means install the OS, then Migrate from the backup (or other Mac). So, in step 4. where you state you "restore from external SSD#3," I don't know what that means when the context of your post is to get rid of the installation process. Restoring now implies installing the OS, first. If you mean "clone" from SSD#3 when you say restore, that doesn't work well--certainly not reliably.

CarbonCopyCloner states they can make a bootable clone, still, but by sacrificing other features of CCC.

https://bombich.com/kb/ccc6/cloning-macos-system-volumes-apple-software-restore

I don't know if that process can be used to go backwards as you are trying to do.

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Answer 2

yaleellee Author

Level 1

4 points

Apr 2, 2023 10:55 AM in response to Barney-15E

Thanks for your valued feedback!

Well, to narrow the point, please consider multiple machines and the target is to provide end-users with OEM macOS Monterey installed without continue further with adding user wizard; that's will be left for users to do so.

My approach detailed above, is to have ready "OEM macOS Monterey" on external "SSD#3" to be used while restoring using macOS Recovery feature on other machines.

"It seems to be unreliable to clone the sealed, signed system volume in Big Sur or later."

Is there any method to get "OEM macOS Monterey" copy on different machines without going with typical installation per machine? Please advice.

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Answer 3

Barney-15E

Level 10

124,836 points

Apr 2, 2023 11:05 AM in response to yaleellee

Is there any method to get "OEM macOS Monterey" copy on different machines without going with typical installation per machine? Please advice.

I don’t know. There were several similar questions asked when the new drive scheme was rolled out and they could no longer do what you want. I don’t know if there was any resolution.

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Apple mac mini 2014 & macOS Monterey!!!

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