macOS "Failed to personalize the software update": how to fix it

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The message "Failed to personalize the software update. Please try again later." is a generic failure near the end of an update and doesn't say why. Start with a restart and a clean network connection, then try reinstalling macOS from Recovery. If that fails, reviving the firmware from a second Mac is the fix with the best evidence behind it, and it doesn't erase the Mac.

Applies to:macOSBig Sur and later (reported on Ventura, Sonoma and newer)
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What it means

The update downloads, runs for a while, and then stops near the end with "Failed to personalize the software update. Please try again later." The wording suggests a temporary problem, but on many Macs it keeps coming back on every newer release.

The message doesn't say which part went wrong, so the fixes below go from cheap checks to more involved ones. It is reported mostly on Apple silicon Macs, though Intel Macs see it too.

Apple has no support article for this exact error. The order of fixes comes from a TidBITS case study and a vendor blog, plus Apple's own article on reviving and restoring a Mac, which supports the repair method but never mentions this error. Treat the causes as likely, not proven.

Symptoms and causes

You are likely dealing with this problem if:

  • The macOS update or installer downloads fine, then fails near the end with "Failed to personalize the software update."
  • The same error appears again for every newer macOS release you try.
  • Updating from inside macOS fails on a Mac where the same update run from Recovery may behave differently.

The usual causes, most common first:

Outdated or failed Mac firmware
The TidBITS author suspects that a failed automatic firmware update during installation triggers the error. In that one case, updating the firmware fixed it. That is the author's inference, not an Apple statement.
Network or server reachability
Apple's revive article says to disable VPN and security software and, when a proxy or firewall is in use, to allow traffic to 17.0.0.0/8. A blocked connection to Apple is a plausible cause, though no source proves it for this error.

How to fix it

Work through these in order. They start with the quickest, safest checks and move to deeper repairs; stop as soon as the problem is gone.

1.Do the basic checks and retry

Easy

Cheap to try, and network interference is one of the listed possible causes.

  1. Shut the Mac down fully, wait a few seconds, and start it again.
  2. Use a stable connection. If you use a VPN, proxy or security software that filters traffic, turn it off for the duration of the update and turn it back on afterwards. On a managed network, ask the administrator to allow traffic to 17.0.0.0/8.
  3. Retry the update from System Settings > General > Software Update.

2.Reinstall macOS from Recovery

ModerateChanges settings

Running the installer from Recovery is a common suggestion. Evidence for it is thin: in the TidBITS comments, readers say it worked for an M1 Mac Studio and a 2018 Intel Mac mini, but these are unverified reader reports, and for the M1 Studio the error came back with later updates. It did not fix the article author's Mac.

Before you start: Back up with Time Machine first. Don't interrupt the installation. If it succeeds, expect that the error may return on the next update.

  1. Boot into macOS Recovery.
  2. Open Disk Utility and run First Aid on the startup disk.
  3. Quit Disk Utility, choose Reinstall macOS and follow the prompts.

3.Check the firmware version

Easy

An old firmware version supports the firmware theory and tells you whether reviving is worth trying.

  1. Hold Option and click the Apple menu, then choose System Information.
  2. Under Hardware > Overview, read System Firmware Version. Compare it with the latest version for your Mac. The TidBITS article's June 2024 number is out of date, so look up a current one.

4.Revive the Mac's firmware from a second Mac (Apple silicon)

AdvancedChanges settings

Apple describes Revive as a way to repair firmware without erasing the Mac. In the TidBITS case, a firmware update fixed the error. The key timings below are for Apple silicon Macs only.

Before you start: Back up first as a precaution. Keep both Macs on power and the host awake until the progress bar finishes. If your Mac has an Intel processor with a T2 chip, the key timing is different: follow Apple's article linked in the sources instead of these steps, because holding the keys for the wrong time will not enter DFU mode.

  1. You need a host Mac on macOS 14 or later that is online, with about 60 GB free, and a USB-C data and charging cable (not a Thunderbolt 3 cable). Apple's page may have changed since, so check the current requirements in Apple's article.
  2. Laptop: connect both Macs to power and plug the cable into the affected Mac's DFU port, leaving its other USB ports empty. Hold the power button up to 10 seconds until it turns off.
  3. Press and release power, then immediately hold Left Control + Left Option + Right Shift + power for about 10 seconds. Release the three keys, keep holding power up to 10 more seconds until the host shows a DFU window. Click Allow if an accessory alert appears.
  4. Desktop: unplug power, hold the power button, plug power back in while still holding it, and keep holding up to 10 seconds until the DFU window appears.
  5. In the host's DFU window click Revive Mac, then Continue. When it finishes, select the volume, sign in with a known user's password and restart.
  6. If no DFU window appears, enable CDs, DVDs, and iOS Devices in Finder Settings > Sidebar, look for the Mac under Locations, and retry. Try a different cable.

5.Restore the Mac (erases everything)

AdvancedBack up first

Use only if reviving fails. It is the heaviest option and resets the Mac to factory settings.

Before you start: Restore erases your data. Back up first, and make sure you know your Apple Account sign-in.

  1. Put the Mac in DFU mode as in the previous fix, then in the host's DFU window choose Restore Mac, then Restore and Update.
  2. Afterwards, sign in with the previous Apple Account if prompted, finish Setup Assistant, restore your data, and retry the update.

Check that it worked

  • The update installs and the Mac restarts into the new macOS version.
  • Software Update shows no failed-update message when you check again.

If it still fails

  • Contact Apple Support or visit an Apple Store, and tell them which of the steps above you already tried.
  • A bootable USB installer did not help the TidBITS reporter, so it is probably not worth the time.
  • On Intel Macs without a T2 chip, Revive and Restore don't apply. Stay with the Recovery reinstall and Apple Support.

Sources

  1. Solving the macOS Installer's "Failed to Personalize" Error with New Firmware · TidBITS
  2. Revive or restore a Mac with Apple silicon using FinderOfficial · Apple
  3. Failed to personalize software update · MacPaw

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