How to resolve 'Compatible internal storage is required' error during macOS Monterey installation on mid 2015 MacBook Pro with Apple SSD?

LizArt1956 wrote:

Now we're going above my head... I have never backed up my lappy. I have all files in the cloud...

"On the cloud" is great for sharing photos, but is not a viable backup solution for everything you have. The stuff is not under your control, and is subject to sloppy handling, arbitrary changes in policy, theft, accidental deletion, data loss [are they making frequent backups using best practices?], and discontinuation or throttling of the service. It can easily take three days to restore it at ordinary Internet speeds.

If you do not have a recent local, disk-based backup, your computer is like a ticking Time bomb. You are only one disk failure, one mainboard failure, one crazy software, or one "oops" away from losing EVERYTHING! Drives do not last forever. It is not a question of IF it will fail, only WHEN it will fail. In addition, you never know when crazy software or Pilot Error throws away far more than you intended.

If you are using another direct-to-disk backup method that you prefer, and you currently have a recent disk-based backup, that is great. If not, you should consider using Built-in Time Machine. Take steps to acquire an external drive as soon as possible. If you buy one, a drive 2 to 3 times or larger than your boot drive is preferable for long term trouble-free operation. Do not pay extra for a drive that is fast.  (You can get by for a while with a "found" smaller drive if necessary, but it will eventually become annoying).

Attach your external drive and use

Settings > General > Time machine ...

... to turn on Time Machine and specify what drive to store your Backups on.  It may ask to initialize the new drive, and that is as expected. APFS format is default format if running MacOS 11 Big Sur or later.

Time machine works quietly and automatically in the background, without interrupting your regular work, and only saves the incremental changes (after the first full backup). Time machine backs up your machine — including every connected drive that is in a Mac compatible format. it can not back up Windows format drives.

Time Machine's "claim to fame" is that it is the backup that gets done. It does not ruin performance of the rest of the computer while doing its backup operations. You do not have to set aside a "Special Time" when you only do backups. When you need it, your Time machine Backup is much more likely to be there.

How to use Time Machine to Backup or Restore your Mac:

Back up your Mac with Time Machine - Apple Support

Time Machine may spend all afternoon making your first full backup. You can continue to do your regular work while it does this. The first Full Backup is by far the biggest backup.

"I tried to install mac os Monterey but it gives the internal storage compatibility error. Other threads say I need an Apple SSD, but I have that. And I have over 200GB free space. So why am I getting the ghastly error?? And how can I do the install?"

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Reinstall to High Sierra, then Upgrade to Monterey:

Installing from a USB Bootable Installer of High Sierra and then upgrading to Monterey would reportedly fix this, as the partition would be overwritten by formatting. But, reformatting would erase everything. So, see about backing up your Mac and then performing this. Then, perform the upgrade to your current macOS (Monterey). Go here: "A Required Firmware Update Could Not Be Installed" ON Genuine Apple SSD. Source: Reddit: "A Required Firmware Update Could Not Be Installed" ON Genuine Apple SSD - Reddit

LizArt1956 wrote:

Back to the old question with a twist:

I have a mid 2015 15" macbook pro with apple ssd: 

 Physical Drive:

 Device Name: CT500P1SSD8

I tried to install mac os Monterey but it gives the internal storage compatibility error. Other threads say I need an Apple SSD, but I have that.

[Re-Titled by Moderator]

Original Title: A required firmware update could not be installed. Compatible internal storage is required in order to update

The Device Name shown here appears to be a Crucial P1 500GB SSD.

If macOS Monterey was never previously installed while the original Apple internal SSD was installed, then you cannot install Monterey now while that Crucial SSD is installed internally.

If you still have the original Apple internal SSD available, then reinstall the original Apple SSD internally & install macOS Monterey to it or even to an external drive. This will update the system firmware after which you should be able to reinstall the Crucial SSD internally and install/upgrade the Crucial SSD to Monterey.

LizArt1956 wrote:

I do not have the original SSD. I bought the refurbished MacBP as is.

Then you are stuck with running macOS 11.x Big Sur as latest supported OS for that laptop.

<< At least they are not as expensive to acquire. >>

Your statement as written is only partly correct.

The life-cycle cost of owning a Mac is lower, because the Mac includes so many add-ons that a PC simply leaves for you to obtain on your own. Some simple examples:

• a backup Utility? That's included on a Mac, extra on a PC.

• Virus protection? The Mac has become immune to spontaneous attacks by placing the System onto a crypto-locked virtual System Volume. Nothing can become executable unless you provide your Admin password to "make it so".

In addition, the entry-level MacBook Air has more computer power than the typical 2013 MacPro desktop, so you can buy a new Mac for comparatively little.

if you reconsider, be sure to obtain a model with MORE than 8 GB RAM. All currently for sale as new models have more than 8GB RAM.

"Thank you."

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You are most welcome. Any success in doing so?

¿What is the date of your most recent local disk-based backup, and by what method?

This may be needed to make further progress.

NB>> That firmware is installed into a private store on the processor module, not onto any drive. That is why, once installed, it is essentially permanent.