How to properly update Mac Mini M1 to Monterey

Question

I have a Mac Mini M1 which I want to have its OS updated. When I try to go with the normal procedure: go to Settings > Check Update and install it, I get this problem: the bar at the top of the screen goes up (disappears) and the dock too goes down (disappears). All I get is a screen with its wallpaper and a working mouse, but nothing else responds. Clicking does nothing and no other action will do anything.

I left it in that state for 2 hours and I received a black screen. When I clicked, it went back to the wallpaper and mouse screen. Left it like that for 5 more hours and nothing, until I decided to force a restart. After restarting, I have a normal Mac with apps, etc all working fine. But when I tried restarting, it proceeded to install a new Safari version and the same thing happened. So, the problem seems to be with restarting. I don't know where I am going wrong, but I want to update its software and I don't have much practice with macOS. So, I need help on possible solutions or workarounds.

Answer 1

Try installing Monterey from the App Store instead. Go to the App Store on your computer and use the search bar to search "macOS Monterey". It should be the first result, listed under "Utilities" and from the developer "Apple". Click "View", then "Get". You may be asked for your Apple ID password to install. Once it is downloaded, open it, and it will prompt you through an install of macOS Monterey. Be sure to back up any important files from your computer before updating, as they could be lost. (You can use Time Machine if that's your style, or just offload files to external storage manually.)