Monterey Beta Bricking 16-inch M1 Pro MacBook Pro

No answer. It's happened to me, too:

I updated to Monterey 12.3 beta 3 and it bricked my laptop. My own attempts at revive/recover via Apple Configurator 2 failed. They also failed at my local service center and after conversation with Apple they replaced the logic board.

I misread the release notes on Monterey 12.3 beta 4 and thought that the issue was fixed but... yep, bricked again and requires logic board replacement. Apple developer for 36 years and have NEVER had software require a logic board replacement. Be careful out there.

Also, I sent messages about this via the developer's Feedback Assistant app but have heard nothing in return. Also, there has been no acknowledgement in the subsequent release notes.

I hope against hope that this is not a harbinger of disaster and will wait several weeks after public release before trying to update that development machine again (and just keep daily working on my 2019 MacBook Pro). Y'all be careful out there, too!

https://developer.apple.com/forums/thread/701419

There is a firmware bug in Mac OS 12.3 that renders the update impossible to install on any 2021 14 or 16 inch MacBook Pro that has had it's logic board replaced.

The cycle is:

• You try to upgrade, the upgrade will fail but recovery to handle it correctly, you'll reboot still on 12.2.1 but with a report a problem dialogue informing you of an iBoot Panic
• You'll try to upgrade again. This time, the iBoot FW will corrupt. You'll see the apple icon flash on boot 5-6 times before seeing the exclamation mark symbol telling you recovery is needed.
• You can try and revive using a second Mac with Apple Configurator 2. This will fail, because it tries to load the 12.3 firmware from the IPSW, in either DFU or Recovery mode.
• The only way to get things running again is to manually download the 12.2.1 IPSW and use Apple Configurator 2, with the Mac in DFU mode, to load the revive image. This will update the firmware of iBoot, and the recovery image to a working build. The Mac will then restore 12.2.1's OS, keeping your data upon finishing.

I've submitted as many logs of all this to AppleSeed via Feedback Assistant, but I suspect this will take days to actually get to someone to can acknowledge the issue. In the meantime, there's going to be many bricked MBPs as most people won't have a second Mac to preform a revive, and even if they do, won't understand why that fails as it tries to load 12.3.

There's seemingly no point going to the Apple Store Genius Bar based on @sfriedrich's comments. They'll just do a logic board replacement again which will fail on upgrade.

Exact same problem on 14" M1 Pro.

Feb 2022: (Everything except bottom panel replaced due to liquid damage)

Today: (12.3 Upgrade attempt 1 fails to iBoot Panic) -> (12.3 Upgrade attempt 2 fails to recovery screen with exclamation mark) -> (DFU Revive works, only with 12.2.1 IPSW) -> (macOS Recovery Options (Full disk erase + 12.3 install from internet) leads to deeper bricked state with no recovery screen, but entering DFU is possible.) -> (Currently being looked at by Apple store)

This is being discussed in the user forums also https://discussions.apple.com/thread/253743699?login=true&page=2

Macrumors and 9to5Mac have picked this up.

https://www.macrumors.com/2022/03/17/macos-monterey-bricking-macs-logic-boards/

https://9to5mac.com/2022/03/17/repaired-m1-macs-being-bricked/

I share those only to hopefully encourage Apple to address this issue. I spent several hours with a Genius at the Genius Bar yesterday to get back to a working 12.2.1. Hopefully we'll see a 12.3.1 with a fix shortly.

Mine also bricked (16in 2021 MBP). I sent it in in January for water damage repair. Genius bar sent it out and was "repaired" in a day and sent back. All working now, except it's stuck not updating, and instead when I go to update and restart, it doesn't do anything, despite it looking like it installed the update... super weird! Tried Apple Config 2 at home and in-store, and was bugging out or erroring out every time. Hopefully, there's a fix for this soon. Tried Universal Control on my MBA, and it's AMAZING!

Mine also bricked (16in 2021 MBP). For context, I updated this past Monday, so not on Beta but official release. I sent it in in January for water damage repair. Genius bar sent it out and was "repaired" in a day and sent back. All working now, except it's stuck not updating, and instead when I go to update and restart, it doesn't do anything, despite it looking like it installed the update... super weird! Tried Apple Config 2 at home and in-store, and was bugging out or erroring out every time. Hopefully, there's a fix for this soon. Tried Universal Control on my MBA, and it's AMAZING!

This MacOS update also bricked my MacBook Pro's MagSafe 3 charger logic board. So the Genius Bar just replaced it and everything works again.

...is there any update on this? Has anyone successfully updated? 16" M1 MacBook Pro with a replaced logic board here; luckily I searched before I tried to update.

Got my 16" M1 Max mid-January, water damage and repair in mid-February, then bricked on 12.3 (standard) update attempt on March 14. Took it to the closest Apple store, they did not have the parts, so they sent me to one a bit further away. Apparently the new parts were in stock and repair was attempted. Notice on the support page still shows it is being "Running final quality checks" as of March 18. It did not complete the repair. Began calling to get updates, and I understand all the turmoil, but there has been no progress and I am not sure that the technicians know that this is not a reparable issue. I was told it was unique until I pointed out that it was in the news and on Apple News. They are trying once more to fix it, and I have been assured that there is a replacement computer waiting if/when this repair fails. Hopefully I will get a computer back today or tomorrow. I think the issue is that the T2 chip has been so "hardened" that it even rejecting Apple authorized parts, and will not accept any changes to factory installed hardware, even when done by the manufacturer. It's a huge bug unless Apple is willing to give out new computers each time there is a repair, which is not sustainable. (Sorry, we've reduced the packaging and taken out the charger and the headphones to save the environment, but if your device fails, we need to chuck it and give you a new one, but there is no wasted plastic or paper here) I just hope that they can issue a firmware update. The "right to repair" also includes the possibility that your computer is not disposable.

Same story and I have got the first update failed. Now I'm trying everything to prevent my MacBook Pro 16" to restart and update himself to 12.3 at night.

Same here, but (based on my experience alone) I think it may have been an issue prior to 12.3. In late Dec 2021 my 16" M1 MacBook Pro failed to update from 12.0.1 to 12.1 with the symptoms above. Apple replaced the logic board. In March 2022, same issue occurred when attempting to upgrade to 12.3, Apple again replaced logic board. Because my user backups were still on 12.0.1, as was the freshly reformatted drive, when I attempted to upgrade to 12.3. again today it failed to install. Very glad I found this thread while 12.3. was re-downloading for the 3rd time, before I bricked it for the 3rd time!

Switching off automatic updates for now...

I am having exactly the same problems as TobyStokes but I did not replace the logic board. I hope Apple fixes this issue soon. I never had an MBP that has so many problems with updates.

Same here. 14-inch 2021 MBP, Logic Board replaced due to accidental damage, bricked trying to update 12.3 after trying the software update reboot fail repeat iBoot Panic.

Just got it back from AppleCare yet again (twice in one year for a brand new machine - FML) and it's on 12.2! It's like Apple knew and wouldn't update to the latest version, despite what the receipt says about "fresh install."

Now, i've got this notification that won't go away on software update and i don't dare try it again (i did it once when i got it back today - iBoot Panic again)

Same here, mine was brand new, no logic board replacement. 12.3 was not a beta, It was downloaded automatically by apple and I just accepted the installation, during the installation it showed an error "iBoot panic" installation failed, so I tried again and that bricked my laptop, I tried revive with apple configurator 2 and DFU mode several times and it failed, went to the store and they replaced the logic board with a new one that came with 12.1, I tried to upgrade again and after seeing the same iBoot Panic error I freaked!! so I restored the system and obviously I didn't try again it would brick the laptop again, now and I am waiting for a solution, this is stupid...

Apple released 12.3.1 today which allegedly addresses this issue.

My MacBook Pro is still at the repair shop waiting for a second replacement logic board.

Does anybody who was experiencing this issue have theirs handy to test and verify this?

Did any of you above check to see under about this Mac if under serial number was showing unavailable? If so then the Apple Store could have failed to flash the replacement logic board with existing serial number which likely caused issues installing software update?

I am also assuming that's why Apple has not released any new betas due to complaints of logic board replacments causing bricked MacBooks?

I just updated to 12.3.1 A-OK, so it seems that they've patched the bug!

Should I wait? 12.3.1 update still fails for my M1 Max MBP 16 inch 2021. I am afraid to try safe mode again.