upgrade to Sequoia 15.0 - "Failed to personalize the software update. Please try again."

I tried updating through the command line with

sudo softwareupdate -i -a -R

and got the following much more descriptive error:

Failed to download & prepare update: Error Domain=SUOSUErrorDomain Code=201 "Failed to personalize the software update. Please try again." UserInfo={NSLocalizedRecoverySuggestion=An error occurred while downloading the selected updates. Please check your internet connection and try again., NSLocalizedDescription=Failed to personalize the software update. Please try again., NSUnderlyingError=0x6000016a0300 {Error Domain=SUMacControllerError Code=7723 "[SUMacControllerErrorPreflightPersonalizeFailed=7723] Failed to perform PreflightPersonalize operation: [MobileSoftwareUpdateErrorDomain(MSU):MSU_ERR_PERSONALIZATION_FAILURE(2)]" UserInfo={NSLocalizedDescription=Failed to personalize the software update. Please try again., SUMacControllerErrorIndicationsMask=0, NSDebugDescription=[SUMacControllerErrorPreflightPersonalizeFailed=7723] Failed to perform PreflightPersonalize operation: [MobileSoftwareUpdateErrorDomain(MSU):MSU_ERR_PERSONALIZATION_FAILURE(2)], NSUnderlyingError=0x6000016a1110 {Error Domain=MobileSoftwareUpdateErrorDomain Code=2 "could not obtain device identity information through SFR installer" UserInfo={NSLocalizedDescription=could not obtain device identity information through SFR installer, target_update=24A348}}}}}

Plenty of into, but "could not obtain device identity information through SFR installer" seems most relevant.

I tried booting in safe mode and that also didn't work. I am now trying a direct download of the update:

https://swcdn.apple.com/content/downloads/05/43/072-01382-A_5URDEOHRHL/chwodorv8xcjx5ea41i5gmmw9ofgjwxtq1/InstallAssistant.pkg

[This is a Direct Download Link]

Went to the Genius Bar today and we tried changing the network location, and performed a hardware diagnostic test - passing for now. They weren't sure what the hardware level error is showing (looking like "mac controller" or "SFR installer"). I'm going to try reinstalling the OS from recovery mode, and if that fails just wait until 15.1.

I deleted all data and did a clean install. This cleared a lot of space, but I am still getting the same issue.

I created a bootable USB with Sequoia on it and tried to install the operating system from recovery mode with it and it still failed with the same error.

In all my searching on this issue, I haven't seen anyone really interpret the detailed error output and figure out the root cause, whether it's a MacController thing or what. Apple really needs to chime in here because none of these workaround approaches have worked - there really is an underlying error that needs to be addressed.

I will go ahead and do that. Thanks.

P.S. - Any idea how to change my name on here?

Awesome! Thank you, they got back to me immediately.

I did try disabling “Find My Mac” as seen on another thread but that still did not work for me.