Resolved macOS Monterey Installer - downloaded on an Apple Silicon Mac. Can it be used on an Intel Mac?

[anshuvorty]

I have a quick question:

• Can you use a macOS Monterey Installer downloaded on an Apple Silicon Mac on an Intel Mac? OR
• Do you have to download an Intel-specific version of macOS Monterey on an Intel-equipped Mac so that you can use it on another Intel-equipped Mac?

Thanks!

 

[Mike Boreham]

I am 99% sure that the answer is yes. Installers are universal. I tested this when I got my first Silicon Mac and still had an Intel. I can't find any supporting links except this one.

 

[anshuvorty]

Awesome, thanks! These installers are sooooo huge these days that I prefer to download the latest version ahead of time and then use them to upgrade my Macs instead of directly downloading it directly from the App Store, which can take ages!

 

[Mike Boreham]

Awesome, thanks! These installers are sooooo huge these days that I prefer to download the latest version ahead of time and then use them to upgrade my Macs instead of directly downloading it directly from the App Store, which can take ages!

I do the same, but I get them from the Apple servers with the excellent free MDS app which also makes it very easy to create bootable installers.

 

[anshuvorty]

When I tried it in the very early days of Silicon, with


I do the same, but I get them from the Apple servers with the excellent free MDS app which also makes it very easy to create bootable installers.

Awesome, thanks!

 

[Mike Boreham]

I am 99% sure that the answer is yes. Installers are universal. I tested this when I got my first Silicon Mac and still had an Intel. I can't find any supporting links except this one.

This is a post I made at that time. So not just the Install Assistant file (what is downloaded) but actual bootable installers work across Intel/Silicon. But not a bootable external using macOS.

 

[bogdanw]

Mr. Macintosh: "macOS 12 Monterey Full Installer Database. Download Directly from Apple!"
https://mrmacintosh.com/macos-12-monterey-full-installer-database-download-directly-from-apple/

 

[gank41]

I use an app called Download Full Installer, does the same as the other app above, and pulls from the same links Mr Macintosh uses on his site. I definitely prefer getting the Direct Installers from Apple. I'm also pretty sure that when you download the large .pkg file like this app does, and then install it, the 'Universal' part is that it then puts the correct App Installer in your Applications folder.

GitHub - scriptingosx/DownloadFullInstaller: macOS application written in SwiftUI that downloads installer pkgs for the Install macOS Big Sur application.

macOS application written in SwiftUI that downloads installer pkgs for the Install macOS Big Sur application. - scriptingosx/DownloadFullInstaller

github.com

 

[Fishrrman]

I could be completely wrong (and welcome correction from others).
I'm thinking that the days of the "universal binary boot drives" are over.

The installer app itself may be "universal", but it will install "CPU specific" versions of the OS, depending on which OS is running it.

Seems to me if you are using an Apple Silicon Mac to create a bootable external drive, the end result will be a drive that can boot an Apple Silicon Mac, BUT NOT an Intel-based Mac.

And the same goes for "doing it the other way".
You can't use an Intel Mac to create a bootable external drive that will also boot Apple Silicon.

Please note the emphasis on "external" drive...

 

[Mike Boreham]

I could be completely wrong (and welcome correction from others).
I'm thinking that the days of the "universal binary boot drives" are over.

The installer app itself may be "universal", but it will install "CPU specific" versions of the OS, depending on which OS is running it.

Seems to me if you are using an Apple Silicon Mac to create a bootable external drive, the end result will be a drive that can boot an Apple Silicon Mac, BUT NOT an Intel-based Mac.

And the same goes for "doing it the other way".
You can't use an Intel Mac to create a bootable external drive that will also boot Apple Silicon.

Please note the emphasis on "external" drive...

Yes you are right (as I said in post#6 above). The summary is:-
-Downloaded Install Assistant files.....binary
-Bootable Installers.....binary
-Installed macOS on external.....will only work on either Intel or Silicon.