Mac Studio: Problems installing macOS 26 Tahoe
A variant of Apple's compact workstation is experiencing problems with the operating system. Apple is said to be "aware" of the problem, according to reports.
Mac Studio (an older model shown here): macOS 26 may not run.
(Image: Apple)
Users of Apple's currently most powerful Mac, the Mac Studio with M3 Ultra chip, are currently unable to install macOS 26, aka Tahoe. As users report in the official Apple support forums, among other places, the upgrade starts but then ends with an error message shortly before completion. The system then performs an unexpected reboot. At least users don't seem to lose their system as a result: they end up back at the login screen of the previous version, macOS Sequoia. There doesn't appear to be any lasting damage to – at least according to current experience, but there's no Tahoe either.
Driver problem with Neural Engine?
The log files show that there is a validation error in the ANE registry in the ANEHWDevice area. Those affected also tried to download the installer themselves and then install it, but that doesn't work either. Even a previous update to macOS 15.7 does not help. ANEHWDevice appears to be related to the Neural Engine in the M3 Ultra, for which drivers may be missing in macOS 26 – or at least they are not stored for Tahoe.
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It is surprising that Apple apparently did not notice this during the beta phase. Apple could also be using an unsuitable build of macOS 26 for the Mac Studio M3 Ultra, which lacks the necessary support. This sometimes happens –, although this is rare – and could be resolved by reinstalling. As soon as a new build is available, the operating system should signal this by offering a new download via Software Update.
Technicians have been informed
According to information from the Apple support forums, the company has already been informed. However, there is no official statement yet on when the problem will be resolved. If you haven't tried installing macOS 26 yet, it's best to refrain from doing so on the Mac Studio M3 Ultra for now to ensure that the upgrade doesn't cause any damage. As a general rule, you should always create a backup before performing such an update.
Many professionals also tend not to install new Mac operating systems immediately, partly to avoid compatibility issues or bugs that have not yet been fixed. Versions such as macOS 26.2 are likely to be more stable overall. The problem is that all security-related fixes are not included in macOS 15.7, only in macOS 26.0.
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