Updating OS on external drive

[RedRallyeZ]

I keep a bootable external ssd handy that I’ve been trying to install OS15 on and I’m hitting a wall. M1 MBP running 14.4.1 currently (on the external drive) and 15 on the internal drive.

I can use the standard “software update” tab in settings, and it will download, prepare and restart only to have stayed at 14.4.1. I’ve changed the startup disc to the ssd and still nothing. Tried it several times to no avail.

Any advice?

 

[Ben J.]

MacOS 15 has not yet been released, so the online installer will install the latest version of Sonoma. I think it's as simple as that.

 

[Fishrrman]

"MacOS 15 has not yet been released"

Wasn't OS 15 Sequoia released on September 16?
Seems to me that folks are downloading and installing it now.
If I'm wrong, please correct me.

OP:
I'm thinking that you might have to create a bootable USB installer to install onto the external drive (if nothing else works).

Here's a page to investigate:

macOS Sequoia Full Installer Database. Download Directly from Apple!

Download macOS Sequoia full installer with one click straight from Apple! Every version of Sequoia Beta & Final available all in one place!!

mrmacintosh.com

 

[Ben J.]

"MacOS 15 has not yet been released"

Wasn't OS 15 Sequoia released on September 16?
Seems to me that folks are downloading and installing it now.
If I'm wrong, please correct me.

OP:
I'm thinking that you might have to create a bootable USB installer to install onto the external drive (if nothing else works).

Here's a page to investigate:

macOS Sequoia Full Installer Database. Download Directly from Apple!

Download macOS Sequoia full installer with one click straight from Apple! Every version of Sequoia Beta & Final available all in one place!!

mrmacintosh.com

Sorry, I missed that.
How did I miss that?
Well, the first mention of it on the macrumors front page was published today:

50 New macOS Sequoia Features and Changes Worth Checking Out

Apple on September 16 released macOS Sequoia, the latest version of the company's Mac operating system. ‌macOS Sequoia introduces interactive...

www.macrumors.com

 

[RedRallyeZ]

"MacOS 15 has not yet been released"

Wasn't OS 15 Sequoia released on September 16?
Seems to me that folks are downloading and installing it now.
If I'm wrong, please correct me.

OP:
I'm thinking that you might have to create a bootable USB installer to install onto the external drive (if nothing else works).

Here's a page to investigate:

macOS Sequoia Full Installer Database. Download Directly from Apple!

Download macOS Sequoia full installer with one click straight from Apple! Every version of Sequoia Beta & Final available all in one place!!

mrmacintosh.com

That’s exactly what I was looking for. I’ll try that. I’ve tried to update from the software update screen as well as downloading the entire file from the App Store and now I get the “failed to personalize update” error.

 

[Fishrrman]

Red wrote:
"I’ve tried to update from the software update screen as well as downloading the entire file from the App Store and now I get the “failed to personalize update” error."

From other posts, I gather that a good number of folks have solved this problem by SIGNING OUT of iCloud and out of their Apple ID (accounts).

And then... running the installer/upgrade again.

Some other folks reported that what seemed to "make the difference" for them is turning off the "find my Mac" feature.

There's a long-running thread in the Sequoia sub-forum about all this...

 

[RedRallyeZ]

Red wrote:
"I’ve tried to update from the software update screen as well as downloading the entire file from the App Store and now I get the “failed to personalize update” error."

From other posts, I gather that a good number of folks have solved this problem by SIGNING OUT of iCloud and out of their Apple ID (accounts).

And then... running the installer/upgrade again.

Some other folks reported that what seemed to "make the difference" for them is turning off the "find my Mac" feature.

There's a long-running thread in the Sequoia sub-forum about all this...

I saw that on Reddit and decided I would try it. I signed out of iCloud on the EXTERNAL drive and tried it to the same result, I’ll read back through it and see if I see the answer, but do you know off hand if turning off find my Mac on the INTERNAL drive makes a difference?

I’ll do a full clean install once 15.1 comes out, but I’d really prefer to not do that if I could. Just don’t want to load and reload my info over and over again.