macOS clean install on ARM Macs

[BetoGaleazzo]

Guys, i'm new to ARM Macs, i have some questions about the macOS installation on them. I like to erase the disk and clean install the macOS every year after the major update.

First of all, Apple says (here) there's no problem on erasing the disk via Disk Utility before installing macOS on recovery mode, but apparently some users hard bricked their Macs doing it, and then had to restore it in DFU mode with another Mac. What did they do wrong, if Apple says it's a normal procedure?

And the other question is, apparently there's no Internet Recovery on these Macs, right? I mean, on Intel machines we can use it to install an older version, the most recent installed or the latest available... When Monterey comes, how can i erase the disk and clean install the new version? Do i need another Mac to restore it on my MacBook M1, or is there another way, like using createinstallmedia + usb flash drive?

Thanks in advance!

 

[jdb8167]

There is both a recovery mode that will let you reinstall macOS and there is also a DFU mode that will let you use another Mac to recover a "bricked" M1 Mac. If you do want to erase everything back to square one, make sure you read this document carefully or you might make your life a bit harder than necessary. The most important point is if you erase everything in recovery mode, make sure you use "Erase Volume Group".

Use macOS Recovery on a Mac with Apple silicon

Revive or restore a Mac with Apple silicon with Apple Configurator 2

 

[chabig]

I like to erase the disk and clean install the macOS every year after the major update.

Maybe you could keep a second (hobby) Mac around so you can continue to get this enjoyment, while you use your real Mac the way it's designed to be used. ?

 

[Mike Boreham]

Guys, i'm new to ARM Macs, i have some questions about the macOS installation on them. I like to erase the disk and clean install the macOS every year after the major update.

First of all, Apple says (here) there's no problem on erasing the disk via Disk Utility before installing macOS on recovery mode, but apparently some users hard bricked their Macs doing it, and then had to restore it in DFU mode with another Mac. What did they do wrong, if Apple says it's a normal procedure?

And the other question is, apparently there's no Internet Recovery on these Macs, right? I mean, on Intel machines we can use it to install an older version, the most recent installed or the latest available... When Monterey comes, how can i erase the disk and clean install the new version? Do i need another Mac to restore it on my MacBook M1, or is there another way, like using createinstallmedia + usb flash drive?

Thanks in advance!

Apple are very clear about erasing the Macintosh HD volume group in its erase/install instructions. The all important 1TR (one true Recovery) exists on a separate partition outside the Macintosh HD volume group, so erasing just the MacIntosh HD group will leave it in tact. Apple does not say what happens if you try and erase at drive level as has been common previously. Maybe some of the early bricking episodes were the result of erasing at drive level.....or maybe they were just due to immature Recovery systems at that stage.
I would be interested to know what happens today if you try and erase at drive level from Recovery Disk Utility. Hopefully it is not possible (if it ever was) to erase the separate Recovery partition.

Correct no internet recovery. If you want to rollback you can use bootable installers but they won't roll back the Recovery partition. Or use Configurator which will roll back Recovery and firmware.

If you want to erase and install between Big Sur and Monterey I think there are three options:

1. Let a normal software update install takes place. This will put Monterey Recovery and Firmware on your machine. Then boot from Recovery and erase and reinstall which will download and install Monterey.

2. Bootable external Monterey installer

3. Apple Configurator 2 from another Mac. I have never used this but you could download the Monterey IPSW and put Monterey Firmware and Recovery directly onto your Mac.

 

[BetoGaleazzo]

1. Let a normal software update install takes place. This will put Monterey Recovery and Firmware on your machine. Then boot from Recovery and erase and reinstall which will download and install Monterey.

Yeap, exactly what i tought. I'll give a try.

2. Bootable external Monterey installer

Do you mean, download the update and use the 'createinstallmedia'? I was wondering if this method still works.

Thanks all you guys for the replies so far.

 

[jdb8167]

Yeap, exactly what i tought. I'll give a try.



Do you mean, download the update and use the 'createmediainstall'? I was wondering if this method still works.

Thanks all you guys for the replies so far.

It does and it can save time if you are trying to reinstall the OS since the media installer already has a copy of the OS and doesn't have to download it.

How to create a bootable installer for macOS

 

[BetoGaleazzo]

It does and it can save time if you are trying to reinstall the OS since the media installer already has a copy of the OS and doesn't have to download it.

That's good news. So all i have to do is download Monterey via AppStore, create a install media using the Terminal command and boot it the same way we did on Intel Macs. The only thing i should do different is to not erase the whole storage device as before, in case something gone wrong and i need to use the Reinstall macOS Big Sur.

Thanks a lot!

 

[Xenomorph]

Can an old Mac wipe/recover a newer Mac?

Like, my 2013 is limited to Big Sur. I may actually go back to Catalina on it because it performs a bit better.

Could I wipe/recover a new 2021 Mac using Apple Configurator on the 2013 Mac? Or would any "recovery" system have to be running what you are trying to restore to (Monterey)?

The official Apple docs do NOT say the restoring computer has to be running the same macOS version:

Revive or restore a Mac with Apple silicon using Apple Configurator 2

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

support.apple.com

 

[BetoGaleazzo]

Can an old Mac wipe/recover a newer Mac?

Like, my 2013 is limited to Big Sur. I may actually go back to Catalina on it because it performs a bit better.

Could I wipe/recover a new 2021 Mac using Apple Configurator on the 2013 Mac? Or would any "recovery" system have to be running what you are trying to restore to (Monterey)?

You won't have any problems, since Apple Configurator 2 is an app, and not a macOS native function.

 

[jdb8167]

Can an old Mac wipe/recover a newer Mac?

Like, my 2013 is limited to Big Sur. I may actually go back to Catalina on it because it performs a bit better.

Could I wipe/recover a new 2021 Mac using Apple Configurator on the 2013 Mac? Or would any "recovery" system have to be running what you are trying to restore to (Monterey)?

The official Apple docs do NOT say the restoring computer has to be running the same macOS version:

Revive or restore a Mac with Apple silicon using Apple Configurator 2

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

support.apple.com

I'm pretty sure you are OK as long as the older Mac can run Apple Configurator 2. Since it can run Big Sur it will probably work.

 

[Mike Boreham]

Yeap, exactly what i tought. I'll give a try.



Do you mean, download the update and use the 'createinstallmedia'? I was wondering if this method still works.

Thanks all you guys for the replies so far.

yes as answered by others. A convenient alternative way to both download full installers from the apple catalogs and make the bootable external is the free MDS app.
https://twocanoes.com/products/mac/mac-deploy-stick/

 

[haralds]

Not sure, why are you doing this since the system is locked and protected against corruption of the system via signing. I tend to watch what is added and superfluous. You can also do occasional cache cleaning with Onyx.

Here is the official approach from Apple to wipe teh system: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT212030

 

[Mike Boreham]

Apple are very clear about erasing the Macintosh HD volume group in its erase/install instructions. The all important 1TR (one true Recovery) exists on a separate partition outside the Macintosh HD volume group, so erasing just the MacIntosh HD group will leave it in tact. Apple does not say what happens if you try and erase at drive level as has been common previously. Maybe some of the early bricking episodes were the result of erasing at drive level.....or maybe they were just due to immature Recovery systems at that stage.
I would be interested to know what happens today if you try and erase at drive level from Recovery Disk Utility. Hopefully it is not possible (if it ever was) to erase the separate Recovery partition.

Correct no internet recovery. If you want to rollback you can use bootable installers but they won't roll back the Recovery partition. Or use Configurator which will roll back Recovery and firmware.

If you want to erase and install between Big Sur and Monterey I think there are three options:

1. Let a normal software update install takes place. This will put Monterey Recovery and Firmware on your machine. Then boot from Recovery and erase and reinstall which will download and install Monterey.

2. Bootable external Monterey installer

3. Apple Configurator 2 from another Mac. I have never used this but you could download the Monterey IPSW and put Monterey Firmware and Recovery directly onto your Mac.

I missed out the easiest option of all:

4. Allow SU to upgrade to Monterey, then use the new Monterey feature, "Delete all data and settings" (like iPhones and iPads) to put the machine back to an out of the box, brand new Mac with Monterey installed.

 

[Chancha]

The previous "bricking" incidents which I also encountered was due to poor Apple documentation (at the time, which was only weeks after M1 launch). Since then Apple has updated its articles with step by step which makes it much more straight forward. Specifically, the one step which is supposed to wipe your old user account must be done via Terminal typing the "resetpassword" command. The user credentials don't seem to reside in the SSD volumes, they are probably saved somewhere onboard / security enclave thus this step is necessary for clean install if all you did was wiping the SSD.

 

[white7561]

The previous "bricking" incidents which I also encountered was due to poor Apple documentation (at the time, which was only weeks after M1 launch). Since then Apple has updated its articles with step by step which makes it much more straight forward. Specifically, the one step which is supposed to wipe your old user account must be done via Terminal typing the "resetpassword" command. The user credentials don't seem to reside in the SSD volumes, they are probably saved somewhere onboard / security enclave thus this step is necessary for clean install if all you did was wiping the SSD.

The updated site shows that step by step (using resetpassword) if you're using the first batch of OS that still has that bug. The later versions use the same disk utility erase way.

The problem was. As far as I can understand. Is that on the first fw when you do wipe the disk. It doesn't remove all of the other things like nvram , the apple id etc. That's why it causes so much problems. Now. If you tried removing the volume group or (from a video in YouTube using new M1 IMac) just erasing the whole disk like when u do the Intel one. It'll tell you that it'll reset everything. When you click okay it'll reboot it since it'll remove everything like resetpassword does too. Then when it boots again you can erase it again to change the name from Untitled to Macintosh HD. And reinstall.

Use Disk Utility to erase a Mac with Apple silicon - Apple Support

How to erase (format) the built-in startup disk of a Mac with Apple silicon.

support.apple.com

Here you can see the step by step. And note that it says : If your Mac isn't using macOS Big Sur 11.2 or later, use Recovery Assistant to erase your Mac instead of the steps in this article.

Recovery Assistant as in resetpassword first then do the reinstall