Wrong macOS on M3 MacBook Pro?
I have the new base 14-inch MacBook Pro with the M3 chip, but it shipped with an old version of the operating system. As it turns out, many M3 MacBook Pros and iMacs ship with macOS Ventura 13.5, which came out way back in July. Normally you’d just go to Software Update and get the newest version.
The problem
In System Settings → Software Update, I only had a Safari update, not Sonoma. I tried the App Store and searched for Sonoma, and clicking Get gave: “Update not found. The requested version of macOS is not available. Please check if your Mac is compatible with this software.” Is my brand-new M3 Mac compatible with the latest macOS? Probably. The good news is you can upgrade to Sonoma today, and it isn’t difficult.
The fix
Mr. Macintosh has a list of macOS installers, the same install files your computer would download from the App Store if it were available for your Mac. I used Sonoma 14.1, about 11 GB. Before downloading, I copied the link and checked it: it’s an Apple website link, pulling directly from Apple, so there’s nothing nefarious. The link is in the video’s description.
- Download the installer package, then double-click it in Downloads and authenticate (I used my fingerprint).
- It installs Install macOS Sonoma into your Applications folder. Open it, click Continue, agree to the terms, and click through.
- It reminds you to connect to power; type your password, and the installation starts.
- About 7 minutes in, it asked me to restart. I did, and about 27 minutes after I started, I was running Sonoma. I signed in and chose to keep using iCloud Drive.
No issues at all. If you have a new M3 MacBook Pro or iMac, you should be able to follow the same procedure. Or you can wait a few days or a week for Apple to fix the issue with the App Store and Software Update.
Links
- Get the update
- How to setup a New Mac and Transfer all your data!
- Get the Violet Sky wallpapers
- My Charging Partner: Ugreen Amazon store
- My Case Partner: Pitaka
- https://www.threads.net/@jerryschulzeonyt
- My iPhone Art
- Grovemade Desk Mat and Knife (save 10% JERRY10)
- UNLIMITED Cloud Backup for your Mac with Backblaze
Some links in this post are affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links, I may receive a small commission. See my ethics statement.
