Monterey not installing on non-Apple SSD.

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Monterey not installing on non-Apple SSD.

I have seen a thread that speaks to Monterey not installing to a non-Apple SSD, failing with an inability to update some firmware. As my configuration might be somewhat unusual, perhaps the solution might be easier?

My situation: Late-2013 Mac Pro (MacPro6,1) with a triple-SSD board installed. The original Apple 500 GB SSD is still in there, along with a Samsung 1 TB SSD that I added a few years ago. When I was getting some odd slowdowns a former Genius Bar tech suggested I replace the Samsung with another SSD. (The brand was not the issue.) I purchased a 1 TB Western Digital SSD, installed it, and migrated Monterey on over. No problems, and I kept all three SSDs installed.

Well, I keep running out of space on the WD drive and, as I await an Apple M4 Mac Studio to become available, I figured I'd just up the SSD and keep going. I bought a 4 TB Samsung 990 EVO Plus and, sure enough, neither at home nor 90 minutes on the phone with Apple Support nor 3-plus hours at the Genius Bar led to even understanding what the problem was. We got Catalina installed, but updating to Monterey failed every time. I don't think any Apple people were aware of this Monterey installation requiring an Apple SSD be present.

Of course, mine is present. It just doesn't have an OS on it — I use it as a cache disk.

Might I have to re-install Monterey on the Apple drive and then, um, I don't know! Install Monterey on the Apple drive then, booted from that drive, install/copy the OS over to the new SSD?

This all just seems too complicated for a non-techie like me.

Earlier Mac models

Posted on Dec 5, 2024 3:52 PM

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Answer 1

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HWTech

Community+ 2026

Level 9

72,402 points

Dec 6, 2024 12:48 PM in response to AJLenser

You need to install the original Apple OEM SSD since that is required by the Monterey installer in order to update the system firmware. That internal Apple SSD must be using a GUID partition. I don't know whether the Monterey installer will require that drive to be formatted as APFS, or if it will also allow MacOS Extended (Journaled). The internal Apple OEM SSD should not need to have any OS installed for this to work.

Then you can do one of two things:

Install macOS Monterey onto the internal Apple OEM SSD
Install macOS Monterey onto an external drive

Either one will allow the Monterey installer to update the system firmware.

After this is done, then you should be able to install the third party SSD internally and install macOS Monterey to it.

Of course you could always clone your old Monterey boot drive to the new one like you did before, but I don't think that is wise since next time you may not have a working Monterey installation to clone. This is the perfect time to properly fix this system.

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Answer 2

Dec 6, 2024 9:15 AM in response to AJLenser

If the original Apple OEM SSD is still working, then just install it internally. That drive must be properly partitioned & formatted. It must have a GUID partition. I don't know if the Monterey installer will care if the file system on the internal SSD is HFS+ (aka MacOS Extended (Journaled)) or APFS.

As long as the original Apple OEM SSD is installed internally and is properly partitioned & formatted, then you should be able to install macOS onto an external drive. The Monterey installer will use the internal Apple OEM SSD to update the system firmware. Once Monterey has been installed one time & the system firmware updated, then you should be able to reinstall macOS Monterey even when the internal drive is a third party one.

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Answer 3

Owl-53

Level 10

106,223 points

Dec 6, 2024 2:19 AM in response to AJLenser

Apple cracked down on using Third Party Aftermarket Drives be that Rotational or SSD

Why, I do not know

The Firmware issue can be gotten around if the Computer itself has been upgraded to say Monterey

There is a Firmware included in the Monterey installer which will verify if the Destination Drive is an Apple Original Drive

If found, the Firmware will Flash the Computer ( not drive ) with a new EFI Boot ROM

Once that is achieved, in theory you maybe able to Install Ventura / Monterey onto Other SSD Drive

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Answer 4

AJLenser Author

Level 1

9 points

Dec 6, 2024 12:18 PM in response to HWTech

The current arrangement is:

Original 500 GB Apple SSD, no system on it;

Samsung 1 TB 970 EVO (I think it is), no system on it;

Western Digital 1 TB SSD, System 12.7.6 installed and acting as boot disk.

All three drives are internal to the MacPro via a card from a Canadian company (I forget the name) and operating at the same time.

The Genius Bar was able to install macOS 10.x.x on the now-removed Samsung 4 TB 990 EVO SSD, but attempts to then upgrade to Monterey would result in the firmware "failure."

Might I need to install at least some macOS 1x on the original Apple SSD, then attempt the installation on the new Samsung 4 TB drive? (I had removed this 4 TB drive as the Genius Bar could only surmise that it was defective in some way.)

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Answer 5

AJLenser Author

Level 1

9 points

Dec 19, 2024 12:22 PM in response to AJLenser

Well, no joy on installing Monterey on the original Apple SSD.

It remains installed, physically, but when I used command-R to install an OS, it installed El Capitan and would go no newer. And booting from that lost connection with the two other SSD entirely. Back to the Genius Bar where, at least, they were able to get Mac to boot on the WD SSD, as it had been previously. (Again, all I was trying to do was install the OS on a new 4 TB drive so the Mac would quit complaining about running out of room.)

Attempts at installing an OS on the Apple SSD would all wind up with a failure regarding a partion and/or firmware problem.

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Monterey not installing on non-Apple SSD.

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