reverting from Sonoma to ventura

MacOS has NEVER allowed you to simply install Older MacOS over newer.

First, you have too want this a LOT, because it's going to take a while. Are you sure you would not rather work with readers to get it working withOUT going backward?

Next, you will need to ERASE every trace of the old MacOS, so you MUST have at least one Trusted Backup, and preferably two, or you WILL lose all your files. Once you have that backup, you can ERASE your drive. Exactly how you do that depends on what era: {Apple silicon, Intel/T2 (2018 and later), or Intel pre-T2 (pre-2018)}

Erase and reinstall macOS - Apple Support

NB>> CAUTION, select your CURRENT MacOS for completely accurate directions from this article!!

The approved method sends you back to the factory-issued MacOS that shipped with your Mac when new, then you can upgrade to the MacOS you desire.

The cheater method has you create a bootable USB-stick Installer BEFORE you Erase your drive, so you can go right to the desired version. Requires a 16GB USB stick you can completely ERASE.

Create a bootable installer - Apple Support

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You can revert to Ventura but it’s not quick and easy. Reverting using APFS Snapshots no longer works as of Ventura because of the way the MacOS is now sandbagged.

There are a few ways. Once you get Ventura installed, you may have to do a clean install of your apps—this will recreate the support files in the Library. Your docs and other files can be copied from a Time Machine backup without being migrated — same with your network settings or you can reset them from scratch.

Worst case, you may have to involve a second Mac running Configurator.app. This will completely wipe and re-initialize your internal storage. You will then have the ability to reinstall the OS that came with your Mac originally and upgrade to Ventura using a USB installer.

I have done all of this within the last year. Get Apple Support to walk you through it. Have another Mac handy in case Configurator needs to be run. My 2012 MacBook Pro worked fine when I rolled back my iMac Pro from Sonoma to High Sierra — I didn’t need it to roll back to Ventura. I’m getting ready to sell it so I’ve not reinstalled but I have been through that before.

Having only a 256GB system drive, this won’t take as long as on a 4TB drive as I went through about a year ago when I went from Ventura to Monterey.

jk_123 Said:

"reverting from Sonoma to ventura: I am trying to revert back to Ventura from sonoma"

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Downgrading the macOS:

A. Restore from a Backup.

Have no Backup?...

B. Manually Downgrade.

If not backup, downgrading would take effort. Simply. it's a matter of...

1. Creating a Time Machine Backup
2. Reformatting: the drive to APFS in Disk Utility, while booted in Recovery Mode.
3. Installing: the macOS with a USB Bootable Installer
4. Importing: data from the Time Machine Backup.

¿Do you have a Trusted backup of all your files, so that you do not lose them in the next step?

¿Have you then ERASED your boot Device by its immutable manufacturer-given device-name?

All options listed do NOT work for me. I have an intel MacBook Pro 2020 with a 256gb ssd drive and 8 gb of RAM. I am stuck with a useless Mac OS. Every path I try ends up with some kind of message that the operation cannot be completed due to some kind of issue. Backup does not work. If you use a bootable USB drive I get the message that this drive cannot be downgraded. Internet recovery does not allow me to pick the 256gb ssd drive. Any thoughts?

i am sorry you are having so many problems. At this point, in order for us to help you in a meaningful way, it would be helpful if you could provide is with more specifics such as what messages are you getting? What specifically is preventing you from using internet recovery? Maybe you could recap specifically what steps you've down and what then happened. For example, in order to downgrade, as noted above, did you first erase and reformat the HD in order to prepare it?

Get Apple Support on the phone. Have them walk you through it. Internet Recovery failed to connect properly a few times while I was on the phone with them but then it worked. Schedule a call-back on Apple's Support site. Your issue is macOS.

If Apple Configurator.app is required to completely erase your drive, you must have another Mac on the network to run it. The macOS does not have to be current but Apple Configurator.app needs to be — you can download it ahead of time from the App Store.

Did you read ALL the items in the discussion above?

What part of "You can not install OLDER versions over newer versions" did you not understand?

Trying to use internet recovery does not work because when I reach the step to choose the drive to install the original OS on is totally blank. No drive visible to choose. On trying to re install Ventura from a bootable flash drive I receive the message that the drive cannot be downgraded. The only option to install an OS from the Time Machine backup is Sonoma. I have not erased and reformatted the drive. I want to be sure that if I do I can still reinstall Ventura on the drive.

I run Ventura. I don't want Sonoma but my Macbook Air keeps telling me there is an upgrade for Sonoma. How do I stop it from telling me about Sonoma? It is annoying to see the red 1 beside the Settings and thinking that I have an improvement but it is for Sonoma that I don't actually have or want!

Technically, your statement “The approved method sends you back to the factory-issued MacOS that shipped with your Mac when new, then you can upgrade to the MacOS you desire.” Does not work on my Macbook Pro. It only allows a reinstall of Sonoma on the drive with NO other options.

<< not charging >>

on an Apple-silicon Mac, shut it down.

Now double-tap the power button to effect a system reset.

it will likely power up, wait a minute for all to settle.

¿Charging now?

Technically, going from Sonoma to Ventura is not 'reverting' as Ventura is a newer operating system than Sonoma. It is an upgrade.

technically, it would be reverting because Ventura was last year's release and Sonoma was just released. Sonoma is the latest OS.

Thank you. I stand corrected. I was thinking of the OS that was issued prior to Ventura.