Apple Warns macOS Catalina Users About Installing macOS 12.3 Beta on Volume With FileVault Enabled

[MacRumors]

Apple today updated its macOS 12.3 beta release notes to warn macOS Catalina users about a potential boot loop issue when installing the macOS 12.3 or macOS 11.6.4 betas on a separate APFS volume with FileVault enabled.

"If your Mac currently has macOS Catalina installed, installing macOS Monterey 12.3 beta or macOS Big Sur 11.6.4 beta on a volume with FileVault enabled might cause a boot loop when attempting to log back into the previous volume," says Apple.

On a Mac running macOS High Sierra or later, it is possible to install macOS on a separate APFS volume and then switch between versions of macOS, including betas, as if each were on a separate disk. Apple has a support document with more details.

Apple seeded the first beta of macOS 12.3 earlier this week, with a key new feature being Universal Control. macOS 12.3 also features new emoji, deprecates kernel extensions used by Dropbox and OneDrive, removes Python 2.7, and more.

Article Link: Apple Warns macOS Catalina Users About Installing macOS 12.3 Beta on Volume With FileVault Enabled

 

[yellow8]

I wonder how many people in that case will actually receive the information.

 

[randyhudson]

Wait, are you saying Apple only tested a Beta release in the simplest and most basic install config? I’m SHOCKED!!

 

[dr_lha]

I wonder how many people in that case will actually receive the information.

If you're not reading changelogs, you probably shouldn't be installing betas.

 

[contacos]

If you're not reading changelogs, you probably shouldn't be installing betas.

Next you assume people read TnC of anything

 

[antnythr]

If you're not reading changelogs, you probably shouldn't be installing betas.

And if you are installing betas, your data should be backed up so when something like this inevitably happens, it’s not actually an issue.

 

[TheYayAreaLiving 🎗️]

A backup will definitely come in very handy for a situation like this.

 

[Realityck]

If you're not reading changelogs, you probably shouldn't be installing betas.

Most of us that install betas always do. But that warning was added after the beta was available so some would have still encountered it possibly. It also might be applicable to specific Macs with system FW.

Still you want to be external storage backed up, so if needed you can do a DFU restore with data/settings restored by accessing that backup at a Apple Store or doing it yourself if you have the necessary second M1 Mac with USB-C ports.

I also posted the warning in both beta threads just now because devs or PB testers might miss this news.

 

[sdf]

Wait, are you saying Apple only tested a Beta release in the simplest and most basic install config? I’m SHOCKED!!

Discovering bugs in a variety of real world conditions is why beta tests exist.

 

[now i see it]

i.e. Our installer has bugs

 

[Mr. Dee]

This is a reality of betas. But I have only tested one macOS beta and that’s Sierra 10.12. After that I’ve avoided. They are just two risky compared to say Windows 10/11 that you can dual boot without it affecting any other volumes. Also, you can install betas in VMs.

 

[Realityck]

i.e. Our installer has bugs

I was thinking this is a much older issue related to Catalina. FileVault is enabled using T2 security chip. Also most beta testers would have updated long ago from Catalina to Big Sur.

 

[apparatchik]

Not only shouldn't you install betas on critical / important devices but, just out of caution, you shouldn't jump head first to new major releases whatever the OS.

I was once left out of my bank's mobile app (which meant I couldn't withdraw money, pay for critical stuff, etc.) because I updated my phone right away to the new release and the app would crash. It took three weeks for the bank to fix it. On iOS you should wait at least six months, and on a Mac you use for a living, you better wait a full year and always stay a version behind if possible.

Beta testing should be left to either platform developers or people with the time and spare devices to actually test things. People shouldn't expect it to be seamless.

 

[Realityck]

This is a reality of betas. But I have only tested one macOS beta and that’s Sierra 10.12. After that I’ve avoided. They are just two risky compared to say Windows 10/11 that you can dual boot without it affecting any other volumes. Also, you can install betas in VMs.

Discussing the first public beta from Jan 2016. I been testing all the releases including that one since then. Catalina was the worse in my long varied experiences. It was against multiple betas against specific Catalina releases that had memory leak publicly discussed.

But a Mac install was very simplistic to Windows install + applicators unless you had a snapshot or script that supported you HDD or SDD volume size.

 

[appleguy123]

Updating to Mac OS 12 destroyed my Catalina partition since day one. I couldn’t access it or even delete it in the normal way. Had to turn off SIP and erase it by terminal then unpartition in disk utility.

 

[Realityck]

Not only shouldn't you install betas on critical / important devices but, just out of caution, you shouldn't jump head first to new major releases whatever the OS.

Beta testing should be left to either platform developers or people with the time and spare devices to actually test things. People shouldn't expect it to be seamless.

The purpose of a Public Beta Test is to expand the pool of testers so that more hardware/software variety catches instances of unexpected behavior, or something not working within that Mac OS beta with its associated hardware that it supports. Most might do this with one Mac, while use another for everything that they need to have operational. But in the very least even if your were naive about something and had a recent external backup, the Apple store staff could get you going again almost always.

 

[Realityck]

Updating to Mac OS 12 destroyed my Catalina partition since day one. I couldn’t access it or even delete it in the normal way. Had to turn off SIP and erase it by terminal then unpartition in disk utility.

Monterey also was the first MacOS that the install specially requires your Admin password to install after download/preparation. My example was with with 12.0 B3 seeing some kind of update induced errors checking data volume structure where I erased just the data partition and found to my horror, that's where they store data to access that volume instead of just the system volume. Well learn something everyday. Just need DFU and backup.

 

[Macintosh TV]

Apple has recommended against deploying on FileVault encrypted volumes for years with all beta versions. This is just the first time they've had an explicit warning in the install. Hardly news.

 

[Shirasaki]

Beta testing should be left to either platform developers or people with the time and spare devices to actually test things. People shouldn't expect it to be seamless.

Then there’s no point for public beta. Plus most beta users only have one device, be it mission critical or not. While I agree most beta users aren’t that informed and educated, getting the gist of beta seems to be better nowadays.

 

[turbineseaplane]

I think some folks in here don't understand the purpose for having public betas

(These aren't developer betas -- they are public betas -- very specific reasoning there)

 

[TheGenerous]

I have file vault in my MacMini in case it gets stolen. That's a decision I took in 2012.
Should I enable filevault in my new MBP 14?
Thank you

 

[Wolf1701]

Wait, are you saying Apple only tested a Beta release in the simplest and most basic install config? I’m SHOCKED

whatever it takes for the new emojis!

 

[Realityck]

Funny even the IT security News follows MacRumors

see https://www.itsecuritynews.info/app...s-12-3-beta-on-volume-with-filevault-enabled/

 

[coolfactor]

Not only shouldn't you install betas on critical / important devices but, just out of caution, you shouldn't jump head first to new major releases whatever the OS.

I was once left out of my bank's mobile app (which meant I couldn't withdraw money, pay for critical stuff, etc.) because I updated my phone right away to the new release and the app would crash. It took three weeks for the bank to fix it. On iOS you should wait at least six months, and on a Mac you use for a living, you better wait a full year and always stay a version behind if possible.

Beta testing should be left to either platform developers or people with the time and spare devices to actually test things. People shouldn't expect it to be seamless.

While I see the point you're trying to make, a mobile banking app is just ONE way to access a bank account. You made it sounds like it was the only way. And how do you withdraw cash using your banking app exactly? ?

 

[coolfactor]

whatever it takes for the new emojis!

Getting old, my friend. Getting old.