Having difficulties creating bootable Ventura USB installer for M2 Mac Studio

[Yebubbleman]

createinstallmedia should work just as well on both platforms. The only caveat is that you cannot use versions of it from Catalina and earlier macOS version installers on Apple Silicon Macs as the app is lacking in a signature the specifics of which escape me at the moment. So, don't go downloading Catalina, Mojave, and High Sierra installers on your Apple Silicon Mac thinking you can make bootable installers for all of your old Intel Macs that you have lying around because it won't work. Big Sur, Monterey, Ventura, Sonoma, the createinstallmedia command built into installers for all of those ought to work just as well on both architectures/hardware platforms of Mac.

 

[Yebubbleman]

My guess is that the system specific version of macOS Ventura for the 2023 Mac Studio is finicky for this. Incidentally, this is probably not the optimal method of restoring THAT version of the OS on THAT machine. I'd honestly use the Apple Configurator 2 method instead and reserve creating bootable install media for a build of macOS Ventura that isn't just limited to WWDC 2023 Macs.

 

[RumorChaser]

@bogdanw Thanks. I've invested as much time in creating a bootable USB as is justified, for me. I have built a bootable USB for every release of MacOS but I've never actually had to use it in the heat of battle. Kind of the mentality of "If you have it you won't need it." I hope the converse is not true.

If you meant to create a USB right before upgrading to the next version as a failsafe in case you need it for rolling back, then it is a good idea.

But flash drives are not good for long term storage of OS images. I just found out some of my USB flash drives are dead because I haven't touched it in so long, and the electron charges in the flash cells degraded and causing a critical failure making not only the data lost but the entire drive unsalvageable.

 

[QuickMik]

The only way I was able to create a new bootable installer for 13.4.1 is using an Intel Mac. At the meantime, I tried multiple methods mentioned above and from other websites, non of them worked for Apple silicon based Macs (tried on M1 and M2 models).

same here :-(
saves me a lot of time IMHO. otherwise i would certainly have tried more because i don't want to believe it.
was able to create a bootable thumbdrive with 13.6.1-22G313 on intel (imac with 10.13.6).
with 13.6.2-22G320 neither on the intel, nor on a MBA 15" M2.
once again, apple has done a great job.
THX for nothing Apple.

 

[chrfr]

same here :-(
saves me a lot of time IMHO. otherwise i would certainly have tried more because i don't want to believe it.
was able to create a bootable thumbdrive with 13.6.1-22G313 on intel (imac with 10.13.6).
with 13.6.2-22G320 neither on the intel, nor on a MBA 15" M2.
once again, apple has done a great job.
THX for nothing Apple.

13.6.2 is only for 14 and 16” MacBook Pros, so it won’t install on your MacBook Air, which is also why it fails to create the installer.

 

[Mike Boreham]

@QuickMik Did you try Mist app mentioned in my post#2 in this thread? I have now used it successfully many times to create bootable installers for my M2 MBA.

 

[chrfr]

Did you try Mist app mentioned in my post#2 in this thread? I have now used many times to create bootable installers for my M2 MBA.

I use Mist (I support a few hundred Macs for a living) all the time, but I’m not the one trying to make a 13.6.2 installer on a MacBook Air.

 

[Mike Boreham]

I use Mist (I support a few hundred Macs for a living) all the time, but I’m not the one trying to make a 13.6.2 installer on a MacBook Air.

Yes sorry about that. Intended to reply to QuickMic

 

[QuickMik]

13.6.2 is only for 14 and 16” MacBook Pros, so it won’t install on your MacBook Air, which is also why it fails to create the installer.

absolutely correct!
I'm an idiot, I figured it out today too

 

[CylonGlitch]

I have a M3 and am trying to create a boot image of Sonoma 14.1.1 and am having the same problems. Get the same error. No idea how to work around this. Like others I have an installer for every MacOS ever used (and yes, I've used them extensively). So I'd like to have a backup of Sonoma if I end up having a problem in the future.

Any suggestions?

 

[chrfr]

I have a M3 and am trying to create a boot image of Sonoma 14.1.1 and am having the same problems. Get the same error. No idea how to work around this. Like others I have an installer for every MacOS ever used (and yes, I've used them extensively). So I'd like to have a backup of Sonoma if I end up having a problem in the future.

Any suggestions?

The M3 Macs require a special build of 14.1.1- 23B2082. If you download the 14.1.1 installer on the M3 Mac, it will likely be the correct build for that computer, depending on how you do it.

 

[bogdanw]

The M3 Macs require a special build of 14.1.1- 23B2082.

Link for Build 23B2082 OSVersion 14.1.1

https://swcdn.apple.com/content/downloads/50/19/042-95558-A_EWFKLKJ2BT/pml2xngdyskimzad55ogcomovjo5pzb32d/InstallAssistant.pkg

 

[CylonGlitch]

The M3 Macs require a special build of 14.1.1- 23B2082. If you download the 14.1.1 installer on the M3 Mac, it will likely be the correct build for that computer, depending on how you do it.

Unfortunately that doesn't seem to work.

 

[CylonGlitch]

Link for Build 23B2082 OSVersion 14.1.1

https://swcdn.apple.com/content/downloads/50/19/042-95558-A_EWFKLKJ2BT/pml2xngdyskimzad55ogcomovjo5pzb32d/InstallAssistant.pkg

Trying this version now, will update. Thank you for helping.

 

[CylonGlitch]

Update : Exactly the same results.

 

[chrfr]

Update : Exactly the same results.

What steps are you trying, and what errors are you getting from that process?

 

[CylonGlitch]

What steps are you trying, and what errors are you getting from that process?

Downloaded the image linked above and extracted it as expected. It builds the "Install macOS Sonoma.App" in the Apps directory,. Then I use the following command :
sudo /Applications/Install\ macOS\ Sonoma.app/Contents/Resources/createinstallmedia --volume /Volumes/Untitled

I get the following results :
To continue we need to erase the volume at /Volumes/Untitled.
If you wish to continue type (Y) then press return: y
Erasing disk: 0%... 10%... 20%... 30%... 100%
Copying essential files...
Copying the macOS RecoveryOS...
Making disk bootable...
Failed to extract AssetData/boot/Firmware/Manifests/InstallerBoot/* from update bundle
The bless of the installer disk failed.