Macbook M1 Max - no HD to install Monterey

[Carrillion]

Dear all,
Following online instructions (after I changed my mind about a migration from my older Macbook Pro), I erased my brand new 16" Macbook Pro M1 MAX 64GB 2TB in order to perform a clean install. I had the seemingly common problem of the Monterey installation freezing constantly and following other suggestions, somewhere along the line I have ended up with no visible drive in which to install Monterey.
This is terrifying to me!
Here is where I am at:

I get "Erase process has failed" when I try to erase the SSD "in use by process 0 (kernel)"

I have an late-2013 Macbook Pro i7 running Mojave 10.14.6, if this can be used in some way in recovering the M1.

I would dearly appreciate some guidance on this and hope someone out there knows how to help.

 

[chabig]

First, every installation of Monterey is exactly the same. There is no "benefit" to trying to perform a clean install. If you were wary of migration you should have just copied your data over and reinstalled your apps from scratch. Again, reinstalling the operating system is not necessary and a waste of time.

However, since you're now starting from scratch, you'll have to boot into Recovery to perform the installation. Here are Apple's instructions:

How to reinstall macOS - Apple Support

You can use macOS Recovery, your computer's built-in recovery system, to reinstall the Mac operating system. Reinstalling macOS doesn't remove your personal data.

support.apple.com

 

[Carrillion]

First, every installation of Monterey is exactly the same. There is no "benefit" to trying to perform a clean install. If you were wary of migration you should have just copied your data over and reinstalled your apps from scratch. Again, reinstalling the operating system is not necessary and a waste of time.

However, since you're now starting from scratch, you'll have to boot into Recovery to perform the installation. Here are Apple's instructions:

How to reinstall macOS - Apple Support

You can use macOS Recovery, your computer's built-in recovery system, to reinstall the Mac operating system. Reinstalling macOS doesn't remove your personal data.

support.apple.com

Thank you for your swift reply Chabig. Following the instructions you pointed me at (which I had previously tried without success), I am in fact now seeing the HD icon (named "untitled")... however the installation seems frozen at "2 hours and 58 minutes", which is what led me to try and start again in the first place!?

 

[chabig]

The installer should automatically create the needed volumes, but 2+58 does seem extraordinarily long. You mentioned that you also have a 2013 Mac. If it can run Apple Configurator 2, you can use that to restore the M1 MacBook Pro. I'm not sure if the 2013 Mojave Mac can run Configurator 2. Try installing it from the App Store. If it installs and runs, count yourself lucky. If not, you probably need to talk to Apple about a restore at an Apple store. You might also find a friend with a more modern machine for Configurator 2.

‎Apple Configurator

‎Apple Configurator makes it easy to deploy iPad, iPhone, iPod touch, and Apple TV devices in your school or business. Use Apple Configurator to quickly configure large numbers of devices connected to your Mac via USB with the settings, apps, and data you specify for your students, employees...

apps.apple.com

Revive or restore a Mac with Apple silicon using Apple Configurator

In rare circumstances, Apple computers become unresponsive and the chip’s firmware must be revived or restored.

support.apple.com

 

[kitKAC]

Thank you for your swift reply Chabig. Following the instructions you pointed me at (which I had previously tried without success), I am in fact now seeing the HD icon (named "untitled")... however the installation seems frozen at "2 hours and 58 minutes", which is what led me to try and start again in the first place!?

I work in IT and for every Mac I build at work with Monterey 12.3.1 (from a memory stick), the time remaining always starts at 2 hours and 58 mins... and it never takes that long. I'd just let it run, the time remaining will drop as it gets going.

 

[Carrillion]

Thank you for your continuing help Chabig and KitKAC...

Regarding the Monterey download, After the "2 hours 58 minutes" had been on screen for about half an hour it changed to "22 hours and 38 minutes".

I took your advice and left it alone. About five hours later when I looked it was asking me to select a start up disk. I chose Untitled but I got this error warning:

I tried powering on and off but it just takes me back to selecting a start up disk which fails.
Disk Utility is showing this now:

Should I attempt to install Monterey again?

Any advice very welcome.

 

[curdy]

Hey, I just went through this today with M1 Pro 14 inch after erasing to sell to a friend. I will try to find the link that worked for me from another thread. Stand by…

 

[curdy]

Exclamation at startup on M1 Macbook Air - Apple Community

discussions.apple.com

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/macos-11-3-bricked-my-m1-air.2294389/

I originally had the same looking screen as you in Disk Utility and then restarted and just got an exclamation mark with a support link to Apple and I thought I bricked my MacBook. I Googled a lot and found these threads which helped me.

Edit: I was also unable to install Monterey and was stuck at 2 hours and 58 mins until I followed these links.

 

[Carrillion]

Exclamation at startup on M1 Macbook Air - Apple Community

discussions.apple.com

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/macos-11-3-bricked-my-m1-air.2294389/

I originally had the same looking screen as you in Disk Utility and then restarted and just got an exclamation mark with a support link to Apple and I thought I bricked my MacBook. I Googled a lot and found these threads which helped me.

Edit: I was also unable to install Monterey and was stuck at 2 hours and 58 mins until I followed these links.

Hi Curdy - thank you for the link. The last part of it - the Double Press Power Button - got me to at least seeing an icon of the SSD, but clicking continue nothing happens.

Unfortunately - again! - a long-standing issue with my old Apple ID (which seems indestructible) also reared its ugly head during the initial migration and Apple say they are sending the Unlock/Password reset instructions on May 22. Until that happens I cannot use the Apple Store to download Configurator2, which I see is often mentioned in threads...

At the moment I am attempting to re-install Monterey once more...

Unless anyone out there has any other ideas..?

 

[curdy]

Configurator saved me today. And the link that I shared made sure it was in DFU mode (dotted square in Configurator 2, and not an icon of a MacBook). Im quite a novice when it comes to this kind of stuff and it literally took me all afternoon to get my MacBook Pro 14 to be able to boot, which I was trying to sell and why I erased it in the first place.

You also need a second Mac to use Configurator 2 so that can be a challenge as well for some users. Luckily I had my new 16 inch to use. As well as a USB C cable to connect the two MacBooks.

Feel free to private message me and I can try to explain what I did and try and help you out.

 

[curdy]

The holding Power plus Right shift, left control and left option for 10 seconds and then releasing all buttons except the power button got it to show up in Configurator 2 for me. At first, it was just a logo of a MacBook, but by following the link above I was able to make sure it was DFU mode (dotted square in Configurator) and then it worked. It never worked when I tried to revive or restore when it was a logo of a MacBook in Configurator.

Edit: during the Restore through Configurator, it somehow reinstalled Monterey as well and it then booted with the “Hello” screen (as brand new) and my friend has had no issues setting it up. One other thing I did was log in to my Apple ID and deleted the device from my Apple ID.

 

[Carrillion]

Configurator saved me today. And the link that I shared made sure it was in DFU mode (dotted square in Configurator 2, and not an icon of a MacBook). Im quite a novice when it comes to this kind of stuff and it literally took me all afternoon to get my MacBook Pro 14 to be able to boot, which I was trying to sell and why I erased it in the first place.

You also need a second Mac to use Configurator 2 so that can be a challenge as well for some users. Luckily I had my new 16 inch to use. As well as a USB C cable to connect the two MacBooks.

Feel free to private message me and I can try to explain what I did and try and help you out.

Thank you Curdy! It sounds like I'm trying to do a mirror-image of what you successfully did e.g. Use my old Macbook Pro to fix my new Macbook Pro!

But although I do have the second (2013 Macbook Pro) and USB-C cable to connect the two... until my AppleID is sorted I will not be able to download Configurator2, so I guess right now I'm stuck...

 

[Carrillion]

Thank you Curdy! It sounds like I'm trying to do a mirror-image of what you successfully did e.g. Use my old Macbook Pro to fix my new Macbook Pro!

But although I do have the second (2013 Macbook Pro) and USB-C cable to connect the two... until my AppleID is sorted I will not be able to download Configurator2, so I guess right now I'm stuck...

Configurator saved me today. And the link that I shared made sure it was in DFU mode (dotted square in Configurator 2, and not an icon of a MacBook). Im quite a novice when it comes to this kind of stuff and it literally took me all afternoon to get my MacBook Pro 14 to be able to boot, which I was trying to sell and why I erased it in the first place.

You also need a second Mac to use Configurator 2 so that can be a challenge as well for some users. Luckily I had my new 16 inch to use. As well as a USB C cable to connect the two MacBooks.

Feel free to private message me and I can try to explain what I did and try and help you out.

Actually I also now see that Configurator requires 10.15.6 and my old Macbook Pro (and all its apps) is very happy with Mojave 10.14.6.

I'm loathe to update the OS in my old Mac which might mean I am unable to do anything on either Macbook!

This is a real conundrum...

 

[kitKAC]

Do you have enough free disk space to create a new partition to install Catalina on? That way, you can install Catalina to do what you need to do and leave Mojave intact.

 

[Carrillion]

Do you have enough free disk space to create a new partition to install Catalina on? That way, you can install Catalina to do what you need to do and leave Mojave intact.

I think I have enough space but I'm afraid I'd have to be talked through the entire process...

 

[kitKAC]

Boot into Mojave, open Disk Utility and click on the Volume + button at the top. If your disk is formatted as APFS, just add a volume called Catalina. If it's still HFS+, you'll have to partition the disk and give the Catalina partition enough space for the installation.

Once that's done, download the Catalina installer from the AppStore: https://support.apple.com/en-gb/HT211683

Run the installer and when asked, point it at the Catalina volume/Partition and wait for it to install.

 

[Carrillion]

Boot into Mojave, open Disk Utility and click on the Volume + button at the top. If your disk is formatted as APFS, just add a volume called Catalina. If it's still HFS+, you'll have to partition the disk and give the Catalina partition enough space for the installation.

Once that's done, download the Catalina installer from the AppStore: https://support.apple.com/en-gb/HT211683

Run the installer and when asked, point it at the Catalina volume/Partition and wait for it to install.

Fantastic kitKAC - I will certainly use this anyway... but... (drum roll)... trying the reinstall of Monterey a further time worked!! I'm not sure exactly how long because I left it going while I went to work but 12 hours later when I got back it was asking me for language preferences and the rest of the set up.

I hope anyone else encountering this issue doesn't give up hope - try and try again to re-install Monterey via wifi.

Thank you all so much for your help and advice ?

 

[curdy]

Glad you got it worked out!