Downgrade Options MBP-M1 - Sonoma 14.1.2 -> Monterey 12.any... Or No Option at All?

[qwerter18]

Hello to you,

Situation:
I bought a used MacBook Pro 14" - 2021 - M1 Pro Chip - Running Sonoma 14.1.2 right now.

Some of my older hardware apparently requires pre-Ventura-OS, as Presonus documents on their website.

So I would like to install MacOS 12.x.x - Monterey, if possible.

I did a lot of research, but get different opinions and instructions (also on apple support site).

On apple support site, they claim how "easy" it is, to go back to a previous OS. But following the links, I end up on a site, where they say, "the most recent OS will be installed" (not like the earlier Intel Macs, where a simple keyboard shortcut decides which OS will be installed...)


Question:
Is there any way to install MacOS 12 - Monterey?
I obviously do not have a backup of any kind, as I received the MBP with Sonoma 14 installed.

I'd really appreciate your help on this one.

Thank you

 

[fisherking]

the presonus hardware doesn't work? there's a big difference between 'not supported' and 'not working'.

you can only go back to the OS that shipped with your mac. as far as i know, that one shipped with ventura. but see what others here suggest...

 

[chrfr]

Hello to you,

Situation:
I bought a used MacBook Pro 14" - 2021 - M1 Pro Chip - Running Sonoma 14.1.2 right now.

Some of my older hardware apparently requires pre-Ventura-OS, as Presonus documents on their website.

So I would like to install MacOS 12.x.x - Monterey, if possible.

You can downgrade as far back as 12.0, which is the first version of macOS that shipped on the 2021 14" and 16". The easiest way to do this is by using another Mac and Apple Configurator to do a DFU restore, but if you don't have another recent Mac available you can create a USB installer with Monterey on it and then start up from that to erase the disk and reinstall. I would still install the latest version of Monterey, which is currently 12.7.2.

 

[qwerter18]

Hi, thank you for your quick replies!

I think Ventura came out 2022. My MBP is 2021, so it should be Monterey (hopefully)

So, if I understand right...
1. I cannot go back to Monterey with Recovery mode, because it will install latest MacOS currently available, right?
2. I need to prepare an USB Stick with Monterey 12.7.2, right?
3. I need to do this from a machine with M1 processor, or can I do this from an old Intel MacBook Air 2011 with 10.14.6 Mojave on it?
4. Tomorrow I will be having an USB 3.1 SSD external drive with 2TB, could I be using this for install, or does it have to be an USB Stick - I only have those small USB C ports on my MBP.
5. What is "Apple Configurator" and "DFU" restore? (I only did reinstall Mojave 10.14.6 via USB stick on my old MacBook)

Thank you!

 

[anshuvorty]

@qwerter18 just follow these instructions: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204904

The DFU + Apple Configurator method is more complicated and is only meant to be used if your Mac is bricked (eg you can't boot into recovery mode on the Mac itself). Ignore this method for now.

 

[chrfr]

The DFU + Apple Configurator method is more complicated and is only meant to be used if your Mac is bricked (eg you can't boot into recovery mode on the Mac itself). Ignore this method for now.

It's by far the fastest way to do a fully clean installation- it takes a fraction of the time that using a USB installer takes, even if a computer is not bricked.
On Apple Silicon Macs, the directions you linked will not allow backdating of the OS, so they're not applicable here.

 

[chrfr]

Hi, thank you for your quick replies!

I think Ventura came out 2022. My MBP is 2021, so it should be Monterey (hopefully)

So, if I understand right...
1. I cannot go back to Monterey with Recovery mode, because it will install latest MacOS currently available, right?
2. I need to prepare an USB Stick with Monterey 12.7.2, right?
3. I need to do this from a machine with M1 processor, or can I do this from an old Intel MacBook Air 2011 with 10.14.6 Mojave on it?
4. Tomorrow I will be having an USB 3.1 SSD external drive with 2TB, could I be using this for install, or does it have to be an USB Stick - I only have those small USB C ports on my MBP.
5. What is "Apple Configurator" and "DFU" restore? (I only did reinstall Mojave 10.14.6 via USB stick on my old MacBook)

Thank you!

You can use the SSD to create an installer- either make a 16GB or larger partition and install to that, or use the whole SSD and just erase it when you're done. You'll probably need to create the installer disk on the new Mac, and your old MacBook Air won't be able to do the DFU restore so just make the USB installer.

 

[qwerter18]

Ok.
Yes, I was wandering, thank you anshuvorty, that i were I came from, which leads me to the only option installing the newest MacOS available right now.

I just learned for DFU I would have to use another MAC with 12.4.+ installed. I don't have that...
So I will wait until tomorrow, and try to configure the SSD as install medium.

I found the "MacOS Install Monterey.app" (Version 12.7.2) directly from the App Store.
But I also found all other available options, but:
I found a couple of other versions... ie: lets say 12.3.1
Or for the current Sonoma... 14.1.2
But they all come in a 12GB .pkg file... Instead of the .app file format in applications folder.
Can I also use those to restore to any version...

More important:
Do you think I could make a timemachine backup first... From my 14.1.2 MBP.
Then downgrade my MBP to 12.7.2
Then restore this 12.7.2 with the timemachine backup from my current 14.1.2 machine?
So I would have all my apps installed and personal data available on the newly installed 12.7.2?

Thank you, very much

 

[chrfr]

Ok.
Yes, I was wandering, thank you anshuvorty, that i were I came from, which leads me to the only option installing the newest MacOS available right now.

I just learned for DFU I would have to use another MAC with 12.4.+ installed. I don't have that...
So I will wait until tomorrow, and try to configure the SSD as install medium.

Do you think I could make a timemachine backup first... From my 14.1.2 MBP.
Then downgrade my MBP to 12.7.2
Then restore this 12.7.2 with the timemachine backup from my current 14.1.2 machine?
So I would have all my apps installed and personal data available on the newly installed 12.7.2?

Time Machine from 14.x probably won't work as expected from 12.x, but if there are specific files you need you can access them manually from the Time Machine backup files.

 

[qwerter18]

Ok. thats what I expected...

 

[qwerter18]

@fisherking
Do you know by chance, how to get a Presonus Studiolive 16.0.2 Firewire, to work with Silicon MAC on Monterey (or even higher) I have serveral adapters Firewire->Thunderbolt->Thunderbolt... And Mac M1 still has Firewire Support, but Presonus stoppt developing or releasing their KEXT drivers...

 

[fisherking]

@fisherking
Do you know by chance, how to get a Presonus Studiolive 16.0.2 Firewire, to work with Silicon MAC on Monterey (or even higher) I have serveral adapters Firewire->Thunderbolt->Thunderbolt... And Mac M1 still has Firewire Support, but Presonus stoppt developing or releasing their KEXT drivers...

yikes, sorry, haven't been around firewire in a decade. might be time for a new interface, but otherwise... google. still, you're trying to support old abandoned tech with modern hardware/software, and that's not easy. good luck 👍

 

[anshuvorty]

yikes, sorry, haven't been around firewire in a decade. might be time for a new interface, but otherwise... google. still, you're trying to support old abandoned tech with modern hardware/software, and that's not easy. good luck 👍

this...this might've been possible on Windows because MS/OEMs are resistant to change and allow for legacy tech to still work on their devices, but with macOS, Apple rapidly forces their devs and users to update to the newest and greatest and legacy support is almost nonexistent on this platform...unfortunately....

 

[fisherking]

this...this might've been possible on Windows because MS/OEMs are resistant to change and allow for legacy tech to still work on their devices, but with macOS, Apple rapidly forces their devs and users to update to the newest and greatest and legacy support is almost nonexistent on this platform...unfortunately....

'rapidly'? hardly. apple moves tech forward, and i for one am glad they do. but these changes don't happen rapidly...

 

[qwerter18]

Thanks for the comments!
I was trying to keep everything up as long as possible. But my Macbook Air doesn't cut it anymore. So, now the attempt to move everything to the new Silicon Aera. And it went pretty smooth until the Mixer-Problem. I googled...and found lots and lots of people sharing the same problem. Only solution so far -> Intel MacBook.
So, I bought another MacBook Pro 2015 i7... 280€
But I still hope to get the M1 working... the deeper I dive into reading about drivers, the more I get the feeling, everyone's blaming the otherone.

 

[Joeronzk]

Create a Monterey bootable USB and ease the internal drive with Sonoma in Recovery mode.

After that, boot your Mac from install USB and start installing Monterey.

Is this not working?

 

[qwerter18]

Hey. Thanks for your help.
I managed to do it. Installed 12.7.2 without any problems.
Creating the install stick took several attempts until it finally worked - and took quite a while!
Install went flawlessly and fast.
Sidenote:
Unfortunatly, even with 12.7.2 installed the firewire drivers need to provided by Presonus for Silicon.
(On Intel Macpro with 12.7.2 it worked without any problems)

More interesting than that:
Timemachine Backup from my old MacBook Air 10.14.6 took
1. 1:30 hr on the newly setup "Intel MacBook Pro from 2015" until finished.
2. 36:00 hr + on the newly setup "M1Pro MacBook Pro from 2021" - and was still running... when I cancelled.