MacBook Pro with Touchbar, cannot reinstall macOS

[jason_bracy]

OK, so I have a new 15" MacBook Pro with TouchBar that I have been testing for a month or so. Today I decided to go clean slate and re-image. I did it on this same machine once before when it was new, but this time I am receiving various errors no matter what method I use:
1. Recovery Partition
2. Bootable USB (with 10.12.3)
3. Internet Recovery

Each time the process goes all the way to the end and I get an error either right at the end or when the installer reboots. The errors vary from "the installer payload failed signature check", "Failed to open macOS installer".

I am at a loss. My next step will be to clone the drive from a brand new in box system, but I am hoping to find a real solution, as there is no guarantee that I will always have a spare Mac - or the time to clone.

[tsossong]

Hi,

this problem indicates a macOS version not compatible with the model - or a broken USB stick (in case of the usb stick installation). I know Internet Recovery and Recovery Partition installation should work - but I had the same issue with older models too.

If you use DiskMaker X for the USB Stick version please make sure there is no update available (on 10.11.x installers it was the same - early DMX versions couldnt do it).

I would rely on USB install - i dont trust Internet and Recovery Partition - maybe im to old. :)

UUuuhhh and maybe there is a problem with USB-C in any ways.

Sorry could be a dead end.

But what should work is reimageing it over Deploy Studio or cloning a fresh OS with CCC.

[Sonic84]

Be sure your boot drive was crated using the latest version of Install macOS Sierra.app. Also be sure you are attached to an open network that can reach Apple's servers. Proxied networks may be an issue. The TouchBar Macs will want to phone home to Apple during the install process to grab other install packages not included with Install macOS Sierra.app. I've successfully "nuke-'n-paved" all of the late 2016 MacBook/Pro systems using this method. Cloning a hdd image will break the touchbar according to Apple support. I've not tried to confirm...

Hope this helps!

[jason_bracy]

OK, so I realized what MAY have been the problem. I was running the 10.12.4 beta. When I decided to nuke-n-pave I just did what I always do boot my USB 10.2 installer, erase the drive and reinstall. This time I only erased the partition as I'd heard that the Recovery Partition had something to do with the TouchBar OS, so I figured it best to not erase the entire drive.

Because the Recovery Partition was 10.12.4 and I was trying to install 10.12.3, may have been why it initially failed. However I still have no idea why the Internet recovery would fail. I wiped the entire drive while booted to Internet Recovery.

What I ended up doing - and I am surprised that it worked - is I connected the 2016 MBP in target mode to my 2015 MBP and installed the latest version of Sierra. I then let my 2015 MBP boot from the 2016 drive to complete the install and the setup assistant. When I rebooted the 2016MBP, everything was working fine including the TouchBar. Just to be safe I re-ran the 10.12.3 installer.

I will try the Nuke-N-Pave with a 10.12.3 installer at some point, now that the machine is running the official release version of the OS.