Can I downgrade from Sonoma to Monterey?

TopoTone Said:

"I’ve tried Time Machine to revert, but found out it does not include the OS. My complete TM backup file could not be selected for a rebuild to Monterey. The Apple Store tech told me it’s necessary to make an OS installer external drive to downgrade."

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Thank you for the Followup Reply.

Reinstalling Anew, then Migrating Data Back:

Go Here: Create a Bootable Installer for macOS - Apple Support. It seems what this "tech" is getting at is that you need to install this anew, and then try migrating data from your Time Machine Backup, though use of Migration Assistant: Transfer to a new Mac with Migration Assistant - Apple Support

The way to downgrade back to Monterey isn't supposed to be that difficult (in theory), just create a bootable USB with it as explained here: Crear un instalador de arranque para macOS - Soporte técnico de Apple (ES)

I was determined to do this, as right now my MBP is empty, they had to do the same thing with the "revive" making it go directly to Sonoma.

However, this problem with 12.7 Monterey is making me think twice, if it's really a problem of the upgrade itself, it can happen to me again which would be real bad.

¿Any ideas on how to make sure of the safety of 12.7?

Perhaps quoting some Apple expert here or, I don't know

PS: thanks a lot for sharing your experience and for your help.

chy_app Said:

“[…]The Apple Store tech told me it’s necessary to make an OS installer external drive to downgrade.”

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Reinstalling this Manually:

Perfect call by the Apple Store Tech. That is exactly how I explained it in my above reply.

From the apple support, and local Apple store staff, was told that once the M1 MBP is revived to Sonoma (V14), there's no way to downgrade to MacOs Ventura (v13) or Monterey(V12.7). Is there way to do so, please document them and specific steps, also what do you need as for SD, SSD, or bootable.

Thanks,

P.S. have been working with apple support, etc. on this issue for the last few days. All this is stem from update my M1 MBP from V12 (Monterey) to Ventura, and freeze and stuck on boot up sequence. Then Apple support revive the MBP to V14 Sonoma.

It would be beneficial, if the "Revive" process/Step, include an option to revive it up to your current version, for example, in my case, Monterey. Then it would avoid and eliminate all kinds of trouble to both support staff and users.

TopoTone Said:

"Can I downgrade from Sonoma to Monterey?: I can’t recall if it was Big Sur or Monterey originally on this M1 MBP, but if I understand the directive, dropping back to Monterey will be acceptable. Especially since that’s what I have on my Time Machine backup. What, I understand, would not work is if I wanted to go back prior to Big Sur."

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See if anything here can help you find your original model, along with the preinstalled macOS....

Updating the macOS:

Determining which Update(s) will Install:

I. Verify Compatibility:

A. Start Here: Learn About Compatibility and how to Identify your Specific Mac Model - Apple Support

B. How to Verify:

I. Reveal your Model:

What is the Model of your Mac? To find out...

1. Go to: Apple menu
2. Click: About this Mac
3. View: Second Line-Down

then...

II. Compare the Results:

See if the Model you found is shown here:

• macOS Sonoma is Compatible with these Computers - Apple Support
• macOS Ventura is Compatible with these Computers - Apple Support
• macOS Monterey is Compatible with these Computers - Apple Support
• macOS Big Sur 11 Hardware Requirements - Apple Support
• macOS Catalina 10.15 - Hardware Requirements - Apple Support
• macOS Mojave 10.14 - Hardware Requirements - Apple Support
• macOS High Sierra 10.13 - Hardware Requirements - Apple Support
• macOS Sierra 10.12 - Hardware Requirements - Apple Support
• OS X El Capitan 10.11 - Hardware Requirements - Apple Support
• OS X Yosemite 10.10 - Hardware Requirements - Apple Support

III. If Compatible:

Back Up your Mac First:  Be certain you Create a Time Machine Backup of your Mac, so that way you can have something to restore your Mac from, should anything go wrong with the reconfiguration.

TopoTone Said:

"Yep, it was Monterey. Thanks"

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You are welcome!

So, Monterey is intended for this device. Proceed with the backup, fresh install, and data recover.

Excellent job troubleshooting!

TopoTone Said:

"The Apple Store tech told me it’s necessary to make an OS installer external drive to downgrade."

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Not sure why they told you this. But, likely because it is a hardware error. So, if you feel confident and have the time to do so, then I recommend you perform a backup, fresh install, and data recover.

TopoTone Said:

"Can I downgrade from Sonoma to Monterey?: I was forced to upgrade today when my MBP became unresponsive during the 12.7 update. The Genius Bar had seen a lot of this happening. The user before me had the exact same problem.: I have a recent Time Machine backup from Monterey. Is it possible to restore from that? If so, will the restore include replacing Sonoma with Monterey?"

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Restoring Causing Upgrading:

No. The restore will only restore what is currently installed in the backup: Monterey

Once Restored...

I. Create a Second Time Machine First...

Create a Time Machine Backup of your Mac, that way you can have something to restore your Mac from, should anything go wrong with the install, and to migrate it all back. Use a Second External Hard Drive at least 1.5 times the size of theInternalHard Drive.

II. Reinstall Manually:

Though not necessary, reinstalling the macOS would be wise, as a way to be certain that all is as it should be. Nothing would be lost; it's just that damaged and missing files will be replaced and relocated to where they should be, respectively.

1. Contact: the Developer for the license
2. Update: the System Software (except for the macOS)
3. Proceed from there as necessary

TopoTone Said:

"Can I downgrade from Sonoma to Monterey?: To be more clear, I want to restore to Monterey. My Time Machine backup is from Monterey. My intention is to use the Monterey backup to restore everything, including Monterey. Having never done a restore from Time Machine I want to know if it will, indeed, include the complete restoration of Monterey, as saved to the TM backup."

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Thank you for Clarifying your Thread:

Yes. All will restore is what is included in the Time Machine Backup. Nothing else will be changed.

As for the making of another backup prior to all of this, it's not required, but I strongly recommend it, for safety and avoiding loss of data.