The first Apple Silicon Mac devices were delivered yesterday. Now customers are reporting a problem related to the recovery.
Some customers who have purchased an M1 Mac are facing a rather unfortunate problem. The restore is said to result in an error, causing the process to abort. The error screen displays the following information:
An error occurred while preparing the update. The software update could not be personalized.
So reports the US blog MacRumors, according to which at least three threads were opened in the in-house forum describing this phenomenon. explained forum member RyanFlynn:
I just received my M1 MacBook Pro and Macbook Air. Since I don't need any of the software that comes with it, my procedure is always to restore the OS without things like Garage Band and iMovie.
An error related to “System Update Customization” occurs during the installation process.
After a few hours on the phone with Apple Support, they told me that 75 more people had reported this issue. I was told to return my systems or wait for a fix. Without a running operating system, there is no way for me to install future updates, so these computers are effectively broken.
While Apple Support was unable to provide a reliable solution, other affected parties have taken matters into their own hands – with success.
Apple Silicon: The Configurator 2 takes over the revival
There is a guide on how to use Configurator 2 and a secondary Mac to revive or restore an Apple Silicon Mac that has stopped responding. This method requires the latest version of Apple Configurator 2, a working Mac, and a suitable cable to connect the two devices. This type of restore will restore the firmware, update recoveryOS to the latest version, and erase and install the latest version of macOS on the internal storage, removing all data. This method was successful for two MacRumors readers who had the restore problem - according to the US blog. When Apple will provide an easier solution to the problem is currently unknown, so for now, users of an Apple Silicon Mac should avoid a restore if possible. AirPods Pro on special offer at Amazon – available now. (Image: Apple)