MacBook Pro - Update to MacOS Monterey Error

[Jerry88]

Hi everyone,
I have a MacBook Pro (2015) which runs Big Sur. I'm trying to update to Monterey but during installation I get en error message "Unable to install a required firmware update. Compatible internal storage is required to perform an update."
What does that mean? The only thing I did is that I upgraded the ssd to 1TB.

 

[Raz0rEdge]

Was the hard drive the original or was it replaced?

A required firmware update could not be i… - Apple Community

discussions.apple.com

This thread indicates that the Monterey does a firmware update and requires the original HDD. Looks like some folks are putting the original drive back in to do the update and then doing the update again or something. So you might have to do something similar.

 

[Jerry88]

Was the hard drive the original or was it replaced?

A required firmware update could not be i… - Apple Community

discussions.apple.com

This thread indicates that the Monterey does a firmware update and requires the original HDD. Looks like some folks are putting the original drive back in to do the update and then doing the update again or something. So you might have to do something similar.

Yes it has been replaced with an ssd m.2 1TB. I do not have the original one. I tried to do a clean format and reinstall os but when I go to disk utility to erase the disk I doesn't shown anything there and I cannot procceed. What else I can do?

 

[Rod]

Let me just get one thing clear, are you saying that the Macintosh HD does not appear in the side menu bar of Disk Utility? Do you have "Show All Devices" ticked in the View menu?

As I assume you already have the Monterey installer you might try creating a bootable installer on a thumb drive, boot from that, erase the Macintosh HD from the bootable installer and instal Monterey from that. I would think that would initiate a firmware update as well but I'd get others opinion on that first.

 

[Jerry88]

Yes that’s right. When I enter the OS X Utilities (with command+R) then I go to disk utility to erase the disk but at the left side it doesn’t shown the Macintosh HD. It shows only a disk image OS X Base System 2GB.
I did create a bootable usb as well but when I tried to boot from the usb I got the same message.

 

[Rod]

And you definitely have Show All Devices selected in the View Menu? Sorry for rechecking but if there is no Macintosh HD (or you may have renamed it) then what's running Big Sur?

Here is a screen shot of mine;



If this is what you see, you need to click the little > symbol circled above. Then you should see something like this;



Mine may look a little different to yours, I'm running Ventura on a silicon Mac but what you want is the 1st Macintosh HD.

 

[Jerry88]

This is what I see on my Mac. I know this isn’t normal, it is like there is no hdd inside.

 

[Rod]

That is weird. I'm just guessing here but I can only suggest that the 1TB drive was never formatted correctly of Big Sur was not installed correctly. It appears to be indicating a Disk Image as the HD and that as an external source, none of which is correct.
I realise thats not very helpful.