Installer download

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Level 1

9 points

Installer download

Where to download Big Sur installer since the App Store won't let me download as I already have the latest installed via upgrade? But I want to install on a fresh disk and need the installer.

Posted on Jul 4, 2022 6:28 PM

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Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

a brody

Level 10

84,049 points

Jul 4, 2022 6:54 PM in response to John Willsey

Open Applications -> Utilities -> Terminal

type:

softwareupdate --fetch-full-installer --full-installer-version 11.6.7

followed by the enter key.

The installer will download in your Applications folder. Rename it when you are done, so you know which installer it belongs to (11.6.7)

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Answer 2

Lemmi1963

Level 2

424 points

Jul 4, 2022 6:52 PM in response to John Willsey

do the same, as if you would install it. It then downloads the installer into the download folder. When the download is finished, instead of doing the next step, cancel the installation. You have now the installer in the download folder, and you can do with it, what you want, e.g. move it to a memory stick.

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Answer 3

John Willsey Author

Level 1

9 points

Jul 4, 2022 9:35 PM in response to a brody

Thanks. I found some 3rd party site with a .pkg installer for it, which is a terrible way to go. I would have rather downloaded from Apple. One would think with their security focus they would not have policies that encourage other sites to host Apple software and just provide the links like they used to. Hard to imagine in this day and age a vendor like Apple does not offer a download to do a fresh new install/dmg/iso via UI to guarantee authenticity for their website like almost every other OS vendor does.

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Answer 4

Jul 8, 2022 4:11 AM in response to a brody

Thanks for this hint.

I actually get

Scanning for 11.6.7 installer
Scan finished with error: Error Domain=SUErrorDomain Code=106 "Can’t load data from the Apple Software Update server." UserInfo={NSLocalizedDescription=Can’t load data from the Apple Software Update server.}

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Answer 5

Jul 8, 2022 3:45 AM in response to John Willsey

Fully agree, this is a nightmare. B.t.w. - it's also not possible to download older dmg/iso files via an Apple Developer account. How should one test backward compatibility then?

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