I have got a second hand M1 MBA, I'm spending almost 3 hours already trying to install Big Sur from the recovery assistant. Terminal install does not work, re-install Big Sur gets me stuck at the create computer account screen, and I do not have a second Mac to run the Mac configurator.
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Re-installing of Big Sur Woes.
- Thread starter Ev0d3vil
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What do you mean you get stuck on account creation? How "stuck"? What do you mean Terminal Install doesn't work?
If this is the original release of the OS that shipped with the first M1s and hasn't been updated at all, there was a flaw in the recovery system that got fixed in the first update as well. If that's the case and you don't have another Mac to make a newer bootable installer with you could be kinda bummed there - But I can't remember exactly what that issue was or what symptoms it exhibited or anything
If this is the original release of the OS that shipped with the first M1s and hasn't been updated at all, there was a flaw in the recovery system that got fixed in the first update as well. If that's the case and you don't have another Mac to make a newer bootable installer with you could be kinda bummed there - But I can't remember exactly what that issue was or what symptoms it exhibited or anything
I just did a clean install on my M1 Air last night and was surprised by how smooth it was. What issues are you having exactly? Can you post an image?
About to buy M1 Macs, a question. So since apple fixes the problem (the one where you can't format the whole disk to reinstall) ... If I were to now make a latest big sur bootable installer and booted to it on an M1 Mac , and then i do a clean install (reformatted the whole disk. Not just partition using disk utility. Like we used to do) and then reinstall Macos from the bootable installer. It should be fine right?
As long as the installer you use is a recently made one and not one you made when the problem still existed, I'd assume all would be good, and I'd have no problem trying it on own hardware, but I don't have an M1
Finally managed to install after rounds of trial and errors, playing with Terminal, and pressing re-install again. Took almost 3 hours. Its a second hand relative new M1 Mac
, that's why the previous owner had to wipe it. I don't remember Macs being this complex to manage a re-install of the OS..I kept getting fail to write in Terminal, then the Mac getting stucked at the Create Computer Account page, now seems to be resolved after 3 hours of playing in Recovery mode and following all the steps on Apple support page.
Here are some of the images I got before I successfully installed. Took me the whole night to resolve these issues. This is really unlike Apple where everything just works in the past ?
Attachments
I was following these instructions on Apple.
If an error occurred while updating or installing macOS - Apple Support
The message might say that an error occurred while downloading, preparing, or installing, or that the software is damaged, could not be verified, or failed to personalize. The cause of messages like these can vary, and sometimes they're only temporary.
I just got a new iMac a couple of weeks ago, a fusion 1TB hard drive. I made a hash of it as I used migration during initial set up & I felt it brought too many problems from my old MacBook. So I decided to do a factory reset but then another hard drive appeared, saying Macintosh HD Data. Tried to sort it out as I wanted it "clean" & not messy. Eventually I removed them in the disk utility & attempted reinstall of Big Sur but it wouldn't let me choose the original Macintosh HD, so I had to create a new one & it went with that.
I had decided to live with it to continue set up/personalisation but I saw your post & decided to give it a shot by asking you?
Any pointers?
Tried to install Big Sur on a late 2018 15" MBP i9 and it basically bricked my computer. 14 hours and a time machine backup later, I have High Sierra back. What a nightmare.
The Data partition is a feature of APFS that was introduced in Catalina. It’s supposed to be there.
I can see why you weren't getting anywhere. You didn't use quotation signs for your Terminal operations.. the first line Failed because you didn't need quotation signs there - I can only see a single ´
Code:
cd /Volumes/UntitledYou should use quotes for when you have a path with spaces in them unless you put in '\' as the space indicator
Of course now that you have it all resolved I will take a step back and just say congratulations 🎉
It shouldn't be this hard to install macOS - and it isn't, if the user just uses the various Terminal commands correctly
(as a general rule and not a put down on you specifically. I mention this for myself also)well when I first set up the iMac there was only one hard drive showing on the desktop. I like to have it showing there so always click for that. only 2 started appearing when I messed things up by doing a reinstall