Changing security setting on M1 MacBook Pro 16" running macOS 12.6.7

Obviously something is not quite right with your laptop, but it is hard to know what is going on here. The only possible idea I have why it is showing 13.4.1 in Recovery Mode when selecting a boot disk to authenticate against is what you already suspect.....that it has to do with the Ventura installer being downloaded & perhaps the installer partially ran just enough to make the security enclave think Ventura was installed even if the process never completed. I have seen the macOS installer automatically launch after being downloaded and even had a Mac reboot to the installer all on its own without any interaction from the user. I have seen some bugs with the security enclave on Intel Macs, so it would not surprise me Apple Silicon Macs could have their own bugs with the security enclave.

As for the SoftRAID software not working...maybe you have some other third party software installed which is interfering with the normal operation of macOS. Usual culprits are anti-virus software, cleaning/optimizer apps, or third party security software....none of which are needed on a Mac. Personally I would uninstall these types of apps, but you could also try booting into Safe Mode to see whether you can get SoftRAID installed. SoftRAID will not work while booted into Safe Mode, but perhaps the install process can be successfully completed. If Safe Mode does not help to install SoftRAID, then uninstall all of the apps I mentioned previously to see if SoftRAID will complete its installation successfully (you will need to reboot as well after uninstalling those apps and perhaps even after installing SoftRAID).

If none of this works, then you may need to perform a clean install of macOS by erasing the disk before reinstalling macOS & restoring from a backup....even better would be to perform a firmware "Restore" which will also reset the laptop's security enclave in addition to pushing a clean OS onto the internal SSD. You may want to try installing SoftRAID before installing any other third party software or even before restoring from a backup....since if SoftRAID refuses to install or work with a clean install under these conditions, then it means OWC will need to assist you the SoftRAID software has a problem, or you may have a hardware issue with your laptop which needs to be repaired by Apple.

P.S. I would proceed (after making sure you have at least one resilient backup of all files) to update to 13.4.1. Several things have been improved since Monterey. Including SoftRaid setup:

(from OWC) "A major focus in the development of SoftRAID 7.5 was easier setup. We're proud to say that SoftRAID now seamlessly integrates into both macOS 13 Ventura and the latest build of Windows 11 thanks to the app's new driver loading architecture."

"With macOS 13.3 the user no longer has to jump through hurdles to install SoftRAID and the SoftRAID driver. With SoftRAID 7.5, we have a new UI which, along with our new support pages and instructional videos, make this process much easier. And, we have further enhancements in SoftRAID coming which will make this process completely transparent."

Hey Richard Liu,

Welcome to Apple Support Communities.

If you're experiencing an issue with locating the settings, we recommend upgrading the MacBook Pro to the latest version. You can confirm if your MacBook Pro is compatible which the latest version macOS Ventura here: macOS Ventura is compatible with these computers. For steps on how to back up and update, click here: Update macOS on Mac.

If the information doesn't help, providing more details may help you get more answers. Information like the entire MacBook Pro name, including the year, which macOS was originally installed on the Mac, the exact error message you're getting, etc

Take care.

Beginning with macOS 10.15 Catalina, Apple created a new APFS "update" volume to hold & prep new OS updates & upgrades. This APFS "update" volume is usually hidden by macOS. I just never paid much attention to how it works in such detail such as when an update patch or a new OS upgrade is downloaded....that is when the hidden "update" volume is modified. I think some of is based on the exact settings/preferences configured for this behavior in System Preferences/Settings app.

Apple has been changing so many things here, that they don't seem to thoroughly test things out to prevent these types of weird oddities which can cause people such confusion (Apple is also not known for advertising these changes to their users which can add to the confusion & misunderstandings).

dialabrain wrote:

Yes, that's why I was ahem'd. lol

The MacOS numbering and labeling has gotten too confusing between 10.xx and then changing starting from 11.xx, 12.xx, 13.xx etc.

I'm still waiting for a new version to be called "SanAndreasFault" which will be upsetting to some ... :)

FWIW, Catalina 12.6.7 never ran on an M1 MacBook Pro. It was released with Big Sur.

ahem! :)

😎

Yes but Monterey (12.6.7) came after Big Sur. (Catalina was 10.15 before Big Sur but the OP is running Monterey 12.6.7.)

Yes, that's why I was ahem'd. lol

steve626 wrote:

The MacOS numbering and labeling has gotten too confusing between 10.xx and then changing starting from 11.xx, 12.xx, 13.xx etc.

That's not why. I haven't had my afternoon nap yet.

Richard Liu wrote:

macOS 12.6.7 is Monterrey. 13.4.1 is Ventura. Do you mean perhaps Catalina is OS X 10.15

Yes I know, as should be apparent from the previous posts. 😎