My Mac accidentally updated from macOS Ventura to Sonoma. Somehow the automatic updates got turned on. I need to go back to Ventura because I’ve got some work that specifically requires Ventura. I’m using a 2020 M1 Mac, which originally came with Ventura OS. Any idea how to revert? I tried wiping the HD and booting it into recovery mode, but it keeps bringing me back to Sonoma.
Hey @emersyn! No worries, you can totally roll it back to Ventura. Since you already wiped the HD, here’s what you need to do:
Download macOS Ventura from the App Store. Make sure the file ends up in your “Applications” folder and it is the installer app called “Install macOS Ventura,” not a .dmg or .pkg file.
Connect to a USB flash drive with at least 16GB of space. You’ll be making a bootable installer with it.
Open Terminal and run this command (replace “USBVOLUME” with the name of your USB):
After running the command, you’ll be prompted to enter your user account password. Type it in and press return.
Next, you’ll see a prompt asking to erase your USB flash drive, type “Y” and press return. The erasing process will begin, and you’ll be able to track the progress as a percentage in Terminal. Once the USB is erased, you might see a pop-up asking if Terminal can access files on the removable volume. Just click “OK” to allow the copy to proceed.
The macOS installer will start copying to the USB drive, and you’ll see the progress percentage in Terminal.
Once the process is finished, the Terminal will notify you that the USB flash drive is ready. Your drive will be renamed to match the installer (“Install macOS Ventura”). You can then quit the Terminal and safely eject the USB.
Now shut down your Mac.
Plug in the USB flash drive.
Restart your Mac into recovery mode. Since you’re using an M1 Mac, hold the power button and “CMD+R” until you see the “Starting up options” screen. Here, you should see your bootable USB drive listed as “Install macOS Ventura.”
Select the USB drive and click “Continue.”
Follow the on-screen instructions to install macOS Ventura.
Once the process is complete, your Mac will be up and running again with macOS Ventura. Let me know how it goes!
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