Tried to update my moms laptop to Monterrey.

It crapped out at some point. Now I got nothing. Literally nothing. It boots. Then kernel panics. Then reboots. Then kernel panics. Again. And again.

I tried safe booting. Kernel panic. Tried all the other boot options. Kernel panic. Finally tried restoring from network. Even though it would mean going back to Sierra. She WAS on Catalina. I got to the diagnostic screen and tried to run disk first aid. No disks! I tried restoring from Time Machine. No disks to restore back to!

So it's basically a brick now. I have a clone. But I can't boot from it b/c I get a kernel panic. I have a Time Machine backup but as I said, there's no internal disk to restore it to.

What. The. Actual. FSCK!

edit: Currently using my computer to boot the other one into target disk mode. I got moms computer to show do that but it doesn't show up on MY mac.

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Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 03/18/2023 05:55PM by bazookaman.

Do you have Finder/View prefs set to show connected devices? If/once you can see TDM computer on yours, you should (hopefully) be able to clone a working drive onto it, w/ CCC. Not sure what the latest/best MacOS is for CCC is to clone onto TDM machine, but once you get it working that way, you should be able to upgrade as needed from there.
Good luck...., until a better idea is posted.

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Definitely have that chosen in finder prefs. just no dice. at this point id be happy to nuke and pave but I cant even do that

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Try the network boot option to boot to the newest available and see if it sees the drive.

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C(-)ris
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Nope. Nothing sees the drive.

But then I run the Apple Diagnostic and it says everything is AOK. So its all software.

Booted into recovery mode and I can see Apple APFS Media with Preboot, Recovery, and VM underneath it. Its showing as uninitialized. And empty.

I also see APPLE SSD AP0512J Media. Nothing underneath it. It shows as full.

I want to erase one of them. Or try to. But I don't know which is which and what erasing would do. Although at this point, it can't be any worse.

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What model laptop?

If it can boot to Internet Recovery and if you are confident that the Time Machine backup or clone is good then you could wipe the boot drive and install a clean OS, then restore from Time Machine.

Hold down Command+Option+R at the boot-chime to boot to the Internet Recovery option that allows you to install the latest OS that the Mac can run.

Run the Disk Utility and use the option to Show All Devices to show the internal SSD and erase it as an APFS volume (named "Macintosh HD").

Quit the Disk Utility and run the installer to install the new OS.

After the install, when it reboots to the Setup Assistant, one step will prompt you to restore from a Time Machine backup.

...

Obviously, there is some risk to erasing the boot drive to install the new OS. You're relying upon the internal SSD being healthy and the external Time Machine drive or clone having a reliable backup.

Use your best judgment to decide whether this is the best course.

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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/18/2023 07:09PM by Tiangou.

Left last night with it restoring. Came back this morning. Got this error

A critical software update is required for your Mac. But an error was encountered while installing this update. Your Mac can’t be used until this update is installed.

So another dead end.

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Its a 2016 Macbook pro. The small one. I think. Can't really tell for sure b/c there's no way to get into the computer.

Left last night while it was restoring. Came back this AM and had this lovely:

A critical software update is required for your Mac, but an error was encountered while installing this update. Your mac can't be used until this update is installed. Shut Down. Try Again.

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So after trying that multiple times to no avail. I shut down and rebooted into safe mode. Which ACTUALLY WORKED THIS TIME!. Got to login screen. Says safe boot up in the corner. Then I log in. Back to the good ole Mojave desktop. But I'm still in safe boot mode.

If I restart now, I get that same critical error thing. I don't know what the fsck the software is that needs to download so I cannot download it from the finder that is currently working. So its running in safe mode. But that's it. I'm stuck again

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can you take it to an Apple Store? Do they still offer free help these days, or you need to pay? I have not seen an actual genius bar when I picked up iPhone a few months ago.

Were you connected to the Internet when you installed the software?

Each OS requires a unique EFI/firmware update that must be downloaded from Apple at the time of the install. Some Macs require both regular firmware updates and T1/T2-chip updates.

A reinstall of the OS (over-install without erasing) will usually fix the problem. (Make sure that you have a reliable WiFi or Ethernet connection!) You can download a fresh installer and run it while safe-booted to minimize problems.

Here's a link to Apple's official 12.6.3 installer... Which must be installed from the package installer before you see it in the Applications folder:
[swcdn.apple.com]

If this doesn't work then there may be a problem with the logicboard or Secure Enclave (Touch Bar) which must be matched. Was this Mac ever in for a logicboard or Touch Bar replacement?

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So brought the computer back home with me. I'm at my wit's end with this @#$%&.

I rebooted, holding down Command+R, which boots into internet recovery mode, which takes forever. Anyway, I re-erased the disk AGAIN. Then I choose to reinstall the system, which Sierra. But at this point, I could care less. So it takes like ten minutes, and I get this @#$%& screen. I mean. All I tried to do was upgrade to the latest OS. WTF!

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Quote
Tiangou
Was this Mac ever in for a logicboard or Touch Bar replacement?

Nope.

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You said she was previously on Catalina.

Why did you try to reinstall Sierra?

...Did you erase the drive from the root-level (show all devices in the Disk Utility) as macOS Extended (Journaled) + GUID to remove the APFS file-system?

Recall that you can use Command+Option+R when you boot to Internet Recovery and you'll get an installer for the latest OS that can run on that Mac.

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She WAS on Catalina. When I boot into recovery mode (the only place I can erase the drive) I erase it using the GUID partition scheme. Then I choose to install the OS. Sierra is the only option I have.

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None of this makes any sense to me. Nothing works. Literally nothing.

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did you reset PRAM? I don't know if this is still a thing on T1/T2 macs, but I got nothing else to say... or take it an Apple store and see if they can help.

Quote
bazookaman
She WAS on Catalina. When I boot into recovery mode (the only place I can erase the drive) I erase it using the GUID partition scheme. Then I choose to install the OS. Sierra is the only option I have.

COMMAND+OPTION+R

NOT COMMAND+R

NOT COMMAND+SHIFT+OPTION+R

Got it?

If Command+Option+R is not providing you with a Monterey installer when you do it from a 2016 MacBook Pro then your best option is to make an external installer drive or just give up and take it to Apple.

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Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 03/19/2023 01:05PM by Tiangou.

Pull the disk and install a different one. Or pull the disk and reformat using your Mac, then reinstall.

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Saint Cloud, Minnesota, where the weather is wonderful even when it isn't.

Quote
Tiangou
...Did you erase the drive from the root-level (show all devices in the Disk Utility) as macOS Extended (Journaled) + GUID to remove the APFS file-system?

Emphasis on root-level. Just did my bro’s stubborn computer. That was fundamental.

I wonder if this has something to do with the date and expired certificates, and it needs to be set back to sometime in 2019 for the installer to succeed.

Quote
GGD
I wonder if this has something to do with the date and expired certificates, and it needs to be set back to sometime in 2019 for the installer to succeed.

Good idea. The question is: can you reset the date when doing a recovery? Or it will ping an Apple Time Server and refresh automatically?

Quote
Tiangou

Quote
bazookaman
She WAS on Catalina. When I boot into recovery mode (the only place I can erase the drive) I erase it using the GUID partition scheme. Then I choose to install the OS. Sierra is the only option I have.

COMMAND+OPTION+R

NOT COMMAND+R

NOT COMMAND+SHIFT+OPTION+R

Got it?

If Command+Option+R is not providing you with a Monterey installer when you do it from a 2016 MacBook Pro then your best option is to make an external installer drive or just give up and take it to Apple.

Just do this. Apple made so many firmware and disk format changes in the 2016-current time period that trying to move forward or backwards too far is a disaster. They also stopped signing many OS updates and their associate firmware updates.

Get it internet restoring to Monterey and then wipe the drive in Disk utility and reinstall the OS.

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C(-)ris
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what Tiangou said.

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!#$@@$#!

proofraed by OwEn the c@t.

I did all the command + r variations. They ALL brought up the internet recovery option, which only let me reinstall Sierra.

Now. I will admit that after returning home, I immediately started futzing with it again. Very angry. Very frustrated. So then I posted here again. Then I set it aside and stepped away. Finally, I sat down at my table and collected myself. I did a little breathing and tried it again. THIS time I got the result that Tiangou was looking for. I don't know if it was the computer or (more likely) me, and how I was holding down the buttons. Or when I held them. But I could never get ANYTHING but the internet recovery screen to come up.

I FINALLY got the Monterrey installer to appear. Reformatted. Again. Installed the OS. Again. And restored from her Time Machine. Again.

I ran it through the paces. Did a clone and ran the Time Machine backup, and dropped it in the mail this morning. Thank you all for the help.

As a footnote to this ordeal. At least she had a backup! Two, in fact. Not even counting Backblaze!

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excellent!

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!#$@@$#!

proofraed by OwEn the c@t.

Backups are silver, restores are gold.

Glad you finally got through it!

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You did very well.
Glad you could step away and get calm before trying again. Sometimes that’s the hardest part.
Good job. I am sure your mom is very pleased.

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Roswell, GA (Atlanta suburb)