Can't upgrade from Catalina to Monterey

Hello ,

The error you’re seeing when trying to upgrade from macOS Catalina to Monterey—"STORAGE SYSTEM VERIFY OR REPAIR FAILED: (-69716)"—points to an issue with your iMac's storage system, likely the APFS (Apple File System) volume. Essentially, this means macOS has detected a problem with the disk that prevents it from upgrading safely.

But don’t worry! You can resolve this issue with some straightforward steps that will help repair your drive and allow you to smoothly upgrade to Monterey.

Why this is happening:

When macOS upgrades to a new version, it first verifies your storage to ensure everything is in order. If there’s any corruption, file system errors, or disk issues, the upgrade is blocked to prevent further damage. That’s why you’re seeing this error—macOS is being cautious.

Here's how to fix it:

1. Back Up Your Data (Just In Case)

• Why: Before we dive into repairs, it’s always good practice to back up your data. Disk errors are rare but can worsen during repair attempts.

• How:
  • Use Time Machine (in System Preferences > Time Machine) to create a full backup of your system.
  • Alternatively, you can manually copy important files to an external drive.

How this helps: If anything unexpected happens during repairs, your data will be safe, and you can restore it.

2. Run Disk Utility in Recovery Mode

• Why: Disk Utility is a powerful tool built into macOS that can repair many common issues with the storage system. Running it from Recovery Mode provides access to more powerful options that can’t be used while macOS is running.

• How:

1. 1. Shut down your iMac.
   2. Power it on and immediately press and hold Command (⌘) + R until you see the Apple logo or a spinning globe. This boots your system into Recovery Mode.
   3. In Recovery Mode, open Disk Utility from the macOS Utilities window.
   4. Select your main disk (it might be called Macintosh HD) from the sidebar.
   5. Click First Aid at the top and then click Run. Disk Utility will scan for issues and attempt to repair them.

How this helps: This process scans your storage system for errors and repairs any damage to the file system,

potentially fixing the issue that’s preventing the upgrade.

3. Reformat with Disk Utility (If Step 2 Fails)

• Why: If Disk Utility can’t repair the errors, you may need to reformat the disk. However, this will erase everything, so ensure your backup is ready.

• How:

1. 1. In Disk Utility, select the main disk again.
   2. Click Erase and choose APFS as the file system format.
   3. Once the process is complete, reinstall macOS Catalina from the Reinstall macOS option in the Recovery Mode menu.
   4. After reinstalling, use Time Machine to restore your files and settings.
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How this helps: Reformatting completely removes any corrupt data, allowing for a fresh start. This is a more drastic step, but it guarantees that disk errors will be eliminated.

4. Check for Disk Space

• Why: Insufficient disk space can also trigger errors during the upgrade process.

• How:
  • Go to Apple Menu > About This Mac > Storage and make sure you have at least 25-30 GB of free space for the Monterey upgrade.
  • If needed, clear out unnecessary files or move large files to an external drive.

How this helps: Having enough space ensures that the upgrade process runs smoothly without interruptions or errors caused by lack of room.

5. Attempt the Upgrade Again

• Why: Now that your disk has been checked and repaired, you should be ready to retry the Monterey upgrade.

• How:
  • Go to System Preferences > Software Update and initiate the upgrade again.
  • Follow the on-screen instructions and allow the upgrade to complete.

How this helps: After repairing the storage system and ensuring your disk is in good health, macOS should proceed with the upgrade without encountering the previous error.

Additional Option (if the above doesn't work):

If you’re still running into issues even after trying these steps, you can attempt to create a bootable USB installer for macOS Monterey. This bypasses some of the issues tied to updating through Software Update.

• Download the Monterey installer from the Mac App Store.
• Use Terminal to create a bootable installer with a USB drive.
• Boot from the USB and attempt to upgrade from there.

There is either an issue with the iMac's hard drive or you have installed some sort of third-party Anti-Virus or Protection software that is preventing the upgrade to Monterey.

For a good picture of what is causing the problem,

Download and run the free version of EtreCheckPro, from > https://etrecheck.com/en/index.html

Then post your Report, as per > How to use the Add Text Feature When Post… - Apple Community

I would suggest following the advice from @den.thed 👍 - First and Post the Full Etrecheck results

Post back the Full Report - copy and paste - >>>> using the Additional Text Icon ( 3rd Icon to last ) <<<<

Cautionary note

AI / LLM are basically a Super Version of Predictive Text which is based upon a Data Set.

When that Data Set is based upon older data points, the outcome of the response will be equally out dated and / or unreliable

AI is also the newest form for Data Mining by Large Corporations.

Suggest being very careful about this.

" Material submitted must be your own work or work to which you have a license. By posting a Submission, you warrant and represent that you own or otherwise control all of the rights to the information contained in your Submission. Apple has the right, but not the obligation, to remove any Submission that is wholly or substantially created by using generative AI tools. Generative AI tools include image generators (such as Midjourney or Stable Diffusion), large language models (such as GPT-4, PaLM, or Claude), code generation tools (such as Copilot), audio generation tools (such as VALL-E or resemble.ai.), or any other tool or system that primarily functions to automatically generate content or answers for a user. "

To follow on from @den.thed regarding, Posting the Etrecheck Report

Form an older Report before upgrading to macOS 15.0 Sequoia

In Good Faith

PeteJimBrock wrote:

I've run EtreCheck (thanks for directing me towards it) and it finds no problems.

You're welcome.

FWIW it is safe to post the EtreCheckPro report and get a second opinion.