11.10.2024

macOS update breaks refurbished MacBooks

Don't rush to upgrade.

Updating macOS &laquo ;breaks» refurbished MacBooks

Earlier this week, Apple released updates to all operating systems – including macOS 12.3. While most users have had no issues with the update, 2021 MacBook Pro owners (14″ and 16″ on the M1 Pro and M1 Max) have experienced a significant problem.

When trying to install the update on laptops running macOS 12.2.1 and with earlier versions, the device turns into a brick or goes into an endless reboot if the logic board was previously changed on the computer. It does not matter if the repair was carried out in an official Apple service or an independent workshop. -macbook-e2c67cf.jpg” alt=”macOS update “breaks” refurbished MacBooks” />

According to the forums, the problem started back in the third beta version of macOS 12.3. The discussion thread notes that contacting the official service does not help: the employees only offer to re-replace the logic board, but this does not fix the update error.

The only working way to save the MacBook is to roll back to macOS 12.2.1. This requires a second Mac with the Apple Configurator 2 app and a macOS 12.2.1 IPSW file. The faulty MacBook must be put into recovery mode, connected to a second Mac using a USB-C cable, and reinstall the firmware following the instructions on the program screen. This will save the data on the device and bring the computer back to life. More detailed instructions are available on the Apple support site.

Probably, the problem will be fixed in one of the following builds. If you have one of these MacBook models, we recommend that you do not update macOS until Apple announces a fix.