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Big Sur Upgrade: Unable to set startup disk in MacOs Update assistant (SDErrorDomain error 104).

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So after updating Clover to 5128 (see other thread, mostly SBK) I initiated Big Sur Update. With about 20 minutes remaining indicated, I get error message in image below. Update Assistant failed to restart with the startup disk given on screen, so I chose to restart the computer. On that restart there was still an OS Install option in Clover but that attempt also failed after a short while. This time around there is no available startup disk to choose in MacOs update assistant, utterly discouraging. There is no response whatsoever when selecting recovery boot in Clover.

What should my next step be?

[EDIT: I was able to launch old system (Mojave) through the Launch...-Data option in Clover and the system appeared exactly as it was when initiating the upgrade i.e. with the Install MacOs Big Sur dialogue available on-screen... It seems like the upgrade program has created two new partitions as part of the upgrade sequence: I have HD (my system disk), HD-Data (which seems to be what I left before the Upgrade). I addition there is also an additional partition Update which also seems to be a part of the upgrade process. ]
IMG_6702.jpg
IMG_6703.jpg
 
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@furion3000 commented as below in this thread which resembles both what I saw on screen during update process (e.g. Device is write locked) and the fact that I am using Samsung M2 disks. Could this be the culprit? If so, would one way to go about be to try to remove the from MB slot, insert in usb case and try to install that way? Or is there some kind of tweak to the system I need to perform, e.g. bios settings change or bios update or change of nvramsmo position? @pastrychef, anything you are aware of?

do not add more kext as it goes into kernel panic. use my kext and in the bios you have configure bios after update bios . in the boot verbose mode, writes "device is write locked" ? remove the samsung 970 evo disk. install on ssd, unplug all sata devices, leave only sata ssd disk . if it is written "device is write locked", the NvramSMI driver has not been placed correctly in the bios.
 
@furion3000 commented as below in this thread which resembles both what I saw on screen during update process (e.g. Device is write locked) and the fact that I am using Samsung M2 disks. Could this be the culprit? If so, would one way to go about be to try to remove the from MB slot, insert in usb case and try to install that way? Or is there some kind of tweak to the system I need to perform, e.g. bios settings change or bios update or change of nvramsmo position? @pastrychef, anything you are aware of?

That guy looks like he's modifying his motherboard BIOS to get NVRAM working. You should not have this problem with your motherboard.
 
Here is the EFI which is installed now. Really appreciate you reaching out, @pastrychef!

I don't know if it will make any difference, but try with the attached config.plist.
 

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Alas, this config exhibited the same behaviour. Isn't it rather odd? I restored to the backup before I made a new update attempt, so there should be no funny things there.
The only impact of upgrade attempts are the additional partitions HD-Data, HD and two instances of Update partitions. The "disk 5" which the verbose output in the entry previously does not seem to exist. The disk image is disk 4 and the otherones as stated in image.

Screenshot 2021-01-10 at 16.29.54.png
Screenshot 2021-01-10 at 16.35.49.png
 
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Alas, this config exhibited the same behaviour. Isn't it rather odd? I restored to the backup before I made a new update attempt, so there should be no funny things there.
The only impact of upgrade attempts are the additional partitions HD-Data, HD and two instances of Update partitions.
View attachment 504540

You should be booting in to the "Install" partition until the update is done. With Big Sur, you will see multiple partitions for the system drive. This is normal. When you get to the desktop, you won't see those partitions. Big Sur is very different from previous versions of macOS.
 
You should be booting in to the "Install" partition until the update is done. With Big Sur, you will see multiple partitions for the system drive. This is normal. When you get to the desktop, you won't see those partitions. Big Sur is very different from previous versions of macOS.
Ok, understood but I still get the same error as in the first entry. But I will make another restore and upgrade attempt while keeping control of startup of Install partition until it is no longer available (as I interpret it). But its still odd, I think, that I get the "unable to set startup disk". Doesnt that indicate some error still?
 
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