"Downloading the installer build manifest failed" when reinstalling macOS

General
1

I tried to reinstall macOS Monterey, but it failed and showed me the error “Downloading the installer build manifest failed.” My MacBook Air is connected to the power and WiFi. How do I fix this error and reinstall macOS Monterey?

2

Here are the possible reasons that may lead to the error, “Downloading the installer build manifest failed” when installing macOS:

  • Unstable WiFi connection
  • Third-party software intervention, such as antivirus or VPN
  • System glitches

If the error occurs when connected to a WiFi network, try switching to the ethernet cable and repeat the steps to reinstall macOS Monterey.

If that doesn’t help, try reinstalling macOS in Internet Recovery Mode.

For Intel Macs:

  1. Turn off your MacBook.
  2. Press the power button, then immediately press and hold Option-Command-R.
  3. Release the keys when you see the spinning globe.
  4. Once in macOS Utilities, choose Reinstall macOS and click Continue to finish the installation.

Suppose you still can’t reinstall macOS; then back up your Mac and do a fresh install. By erasing the internal hard drive, you should isolate most software issues that may prevent the installation from going smoothly.

3

Have you thought about installing from a bootable USB?

This is often my last resort when a macOS install or upgrade fails in other ways. I’ll write down the steps in case you need them.

  1. Prepare a USB drive (an SSD, a USB flash drive, etc) with at least 16GB of storage space, which can be erased later.
  2. Format this disk to Mac OS Extended (Journaled) in Disk Utility and name it MyVolume.
  3. Download the macOS installer you need from the Mac App Store, and ensure it’s saved to your Applications folder.
  4. Open Terminal, then run the command below. (If you’re using another version, replace macOS Monterey with its label.)
    sudo /Applications/Install\ macOS\ Monterey.app/Contents/Resources/createinstallmedia --volume /Volumes/MyVolume
  5. Type your administrator password and hit Enter.
  6. Type Y and hit Enter to confirm you want to erase the volume.
  7. Wait patiently for the bootable media to be created.
  8. After it says the install media is available, quit Terminal and boot your Mac from the external drive.