Apple Fixes Bug That Bricked Some Intel Macs After macOS Monterey Install

[MacRumors]

Apple has fixed an issue that could cause some Intel Macs with a T2 chip to fail to boot up after macOS Monterey was installed, Apple said in a statement. There was a problem with the firmware on the Apple T2 security chip that prevented some users from being able start their Macs after updating to the macOS Monterey software.

Apple says that a BridgeOS firmware update is now included with the existing macOS updates to prevent further failures, and users already impacted by the issue should contact Apple Support for assistance with their machines.

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1456672355992866816

Following the launch of macOS Monterey, there were multiple reports from users who found their Macs bricked after updating. Affected users were unable to turn their Macs on, an issue that affected models with a T2 security chip that powers things like Touch ID. Macs with M-series chips were not affected as they do not have a separate T2 chip. Macs with a T2 chip were manufactured between 2017 and 2020, with a list available below.

• iMac (Retina 5K, 27-inch, 2020)
• iMac Pro
• Mac Pro (2019)
• Mac Pro (Rack, 2019)
• Mac mini (2018)
• MacBook Air (Retina, 13-inch, 2020)
• MacBook Air (Retina, 13-inch, 2019)
• MacBook Air (Retina, 13-inch, 2018)
• MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2020, Two Thunderbolt 3 ports)
• MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2020, Four Thunderbolt 3 ports)
• MacBook Pro (16-inch, 2019)
• MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2019, Two Thunderbolt 3 ports)
• MacBook Pro (15-inch, 2019)
• MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2019, Four Thunderbolt 3 ports)
• MacBook Pro (15-inch, 2018)
• MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2018, Four Thunderbolt 3 ports)

Intel Mac users will no longer run into this issue now that new firmware has been released to address the problem, but those who already have a dead Mac will need help from Apple to get their devices up and running again.

Article Link: Apple Fixes Bug That Bricked Some Intel Macs After macOS Monterey Install

 

[beerseagulls]

is this really a "bug"?

or is it Apple's polite way of reminding people to upgrade to a Mac with M1 chip?
(a.k.a. time to contribute more money to the "Tim Cook & Apple Executives New 225-foot Yachts Fund")

 

[mikeb13]

How are they going to get the update if they can’t boot their Mac?

 

[bsbeamer]

Does Configurator 2 from another machine not work to revive?

 

[KaliYoni]

This is a bug that never should have made it past QA testing. I think the frequent problems with macOS, iOS, iPadOS, and tvOS releases and updates are symptoms of how Apple's culture (secrecy, compartmentalization, non-collaborative across company enforced silos) hurts us, Apple USERS. An OS is a lot different from a social media app; the Keep Shipping mentality can do a lot of damage to somebody who completely loses the ability to use their machines.

 

[TheYayAreaLiving 🎗️]

LOL! For Intel Mac's. Trash!

With this software did it fixed the heating issues, LOL?

 

[Born Again]

I actually appreciate Apple is being more transparent to push obsolescence on the intel macs.

Your pc wouldn’t have been bricked if it were an iMac M1 chip

/s

*edit - added sarcasm note*

 

[jclo]

How are they going to get the update if they can’t boot their Mac?

They can't, or at least Apple hasn't released instructions on how it can be done. Fix will prevent more Macs from having this problem, but those who already have a bricked Mac will need to get it fixed by Apple.

 

[ArtOfWarfare]

This is why I don't update my Apple devices on day one anymore.

Apple's quality has become atrocious.

How the heck do they not catch that Intel based computers fail to boot after installing this update?

There was a 6 month long public beta for Monterey - how was this not caught during that?

And then when it's discovered, the OS was released 11 days ago. Apple was just too busy making other broken software to bother fixing the fact that a lot of Macs couldn't boot for nearly two weeks?

 

[MBAir2010]

Typical 
what a bunch of soulless CrOOKs!

I am trying to get their Mountain Lion to do ONE thing via the cloud,
or even using 1  app that might work for 5 minutes in an older macbook air
while I am trying i am just thinking how psychopathic soulless people work under premiere Cook.

 

[MBAir2010]

How are they going to get the update if they can’t boot their Mac?

buying a new M1
rinse
repeat

 

[antiprotest]

is this really a "bug"?

or is it Apple's polite way of reminding people to upgrade to a Mac with M1 chip?
(a.k.a. time to contribute more money to the "Tim Cook & Apple Executives New 225-foot Yachts Fund")

They have been incompetent enough in recent years for me to believe that this was indeed an unintentional bug.

 

[Rooster 🐓]

Monterey installed perfectly first time on my Intel 16” MBP and it runs far better, and gets less hot and noisy 🤣

Pleased to see AMD graphics card drivers released end of August this year, so now my boot camp partition is happy too 🙂

 

[Ronald Watt]

Sadly there fix was a replacement of two components and a WIPE of my SSD with laying down the new OS. I'm wondering if I should of waited for this resolution and then go to Apple with my issue, would the outcome have been different?

 

[imran5720]

is this really a "bug"?

or is it Apple's polite way of reminding people to upgrade to a Mac with M1 chip?
(a.k.a. time to contribute more money to the "Tim Cook & Apple Executives New 225-foot Yachts Fund")

Polite Way? HAHAH

 

[Analog Kid]

T2 is the gift that just keeps giving, it appears...

 

[chetzar]

Great. Now they can focus on fixing iOS 15 and the damn CarPlay issues.

 

[canadianreader]

LOL! For Intel Mac's. Trash!

The only great thing about Intel Macs for now is the ability to run an eGPU something like 6900XT AMD card for gaming.

 

[jz0309]

good to see they id'd a fix, and folks, please read comments even here that it did NOT effect all Macs with T2.
As long as humans write SW, there will be bugs, and when robots are writing SW, they have been trained by humans, so there will be bugs.
I do believe that QA can be improved, and I also think that the remote working model that Apple needed to adopt has had its impacts ...

 

[w5jck]

I actually appreciate Apple is being more transparent to push obsolescence on the intel macs.

Your pc wouldn’t have been bricked if it were an iMac M1 chip

Not everyone can go out and plop down thousands of dollars to replace their Intel Macs. It takes time to replace those Macs. I can't write out the rest of my response to you as it would certainly get deleted by the mods...

 

[mi7chy]

I feel like the definition of "bricked" is drifting. It always used to mean "left in an unrecoverable state, never to be used again". As in well and truly inert.

This might need Apple service to put hands on it and update some firmware, a bad situation for sure, but that doesn't fit the definition I've always used-- that just means it's failing to boot.

Bricked has always meant beyond the user's ability to recover.

Sh*tbricked is beyond the manufacturer's ability to recover.

 

[00sjsl]

If it's a problem with firmware on the Apple T2 chip, then how come problems are reported for older Macs that don't have a T2 chip?

 

[Fabercon]

You would think that this would have come out during testing of the OS.

Might have been a smaller impact and only a bad batch of T2 chips are affected.

 

[Devnul0]

Apple controls the hardware, and there's a finite set of it, and of configurations, that any MacOS release supports. That giant spaceship campus of theirs should have rooms full of all the different old hardware taking both clean installs nd updates. When something like this happens, it really shows their QA process has some gaping holes.

 

[MrMacintoshBlog]

They can't, or at least Apple hasn't released instructions on how it can be done. Fix will prevent more Macs from having this problem, but those who already have a bricked Mac will need to get it fixed by Apple.

I've released instructions for anyone who is having this issue. ?

You are affected by this issue if your T2 Intel Mac (2018-2020) is booting up to a black screen after installing the Monterey 12.0.1, Big Sur 11.6.1 or Catalina 2021-007 Security Update.

You will need a 2nd Mac for the fix and will be restoring the BridgeOS firmware. Once connected, you will perform a REVIVE. This will fix the issue + retain all OS and User data.

The Apple Store can do this for you but BE SURE to say you need a REVIVE and not a restore. If they click the restore option all your data will be ERASED.

How to Restore BridgeOS on a T2 Mac + Boot a Mac to DFU Mode

macOS Update brick your Mac? This article will show you how boot to DFU Mode and restore BridgeOS on a T2 MacBook Pro, Air, iMac Pro, Mac Mini & Mac Pro!

mrmacintosh.com