Can Sonoma create a bootable USB installer of High Sierra? I'm in a tough spot here.

I have an older iMac (intel from 2010) and it was running High Sierra. I'm running into many problems with recovering the system after a failure. I've reformatted the hard drive and the drive is working fine now. I tried to recover from a time machine backup, but it failed and will not complete. I also tried installing a fresh version of High Sierra from the bootable file built in, but it just hangs and does not start installing. I then tried recovering with the internet recovery method, but I kept getting the error that it couldn't find the recovery server. I followed all the steps to troubleshoot that (including changing the date/time in the terminal). No luck. I'm at my last option (unless you can think of something else) to create a bootable USB installer. I downloaded the High Sierra .dmg file from Apple, but now I need to create a bootable installer file from that .dmg. We have a newer iMac (2020) running Sonoma, and it will not allow me to create this file. I double-click on the .dmg and that opens a window with the .pkg file. If I double-click on that, it tries to open an installer but fails saying this version can't be installed on this computer. I'm not wanting to install it on that computer. I just want to open up the package to get the installer file to create the bootable USB installer. My only other computer is a work laptop with Windows 11. As a last ditch effort, would it be possible to create the installer file from a Windows machine? If none of these work, I may have a really old 2007 iMac put away in storage somewhere that I can pull out to see if I can get it to work to create this image. It's been really frustrating. Any advice would be appreciated.

Earlier Mac models

Posted on Jan 26, 2024 7:26 AM

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Posted on Jan 27, 2024 3:52 AM

Am sorry, but last time I downloaded the Full Version of High Sierra it came as an Install High Sierra Application and not as a . dmg file


Also, the last time looking, the last .dmg offered from Apple would have been macOS 10.12 Sierra


Suggest rechecking what .dmg file is actually be downloaded


Making a  Bootable Installer


The Bootable Installer can Only be performed on an Apple Computer 


So this would close off the work Windows 11 computer


This will have to be performed from a Qualifying Computer to run the version of macOS to be made on the Bootable Installer.


Example : Bootable Installer of High Sierra would have to be done on a computer that Qualifies to run High Sierra.


Notation: If the computer being used to perform this action is Too New or Too Old to qualify to run the version of macOS - this computer can’t be used.


Alternative is, to gain access to a Qualifying Apple Computer from a family member, friend or associate.

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Jan 27, 2024 3:52 AM in response to eROCK1

Am sorry, but last time I downloaded the Full Version of High Sierra it came as an Install High Sierra Application and not as a . dmg file


Also, the last time looking, the last .dmg offered from Apple would have been macOS 10.12 Sierra


Suggest rechecking what .dmg file is actually be downloaded


Making a  Bootable Installer


The Bootable Installer can Only be performed on an Apple Computer 


So this would close off the work Windows 11 computer


This will have to be performed from a Qualifying Computer to run the version of macOS to be made on the Bootable Installer.


Example : Bootable Installer of High Sierra would have to be done on a computer that Qualifies to run High Sierra.


Notation: If the computer being used to perform this action is Too New or Too Old to qualify to run the version of macOS - this computer can’t be used.


Alternative is, to gain access to a Qualifying Apple Computer from a family member, friend or associate.

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Jan 30, 2024 6:38 AM in response to eROCK1

UPDATE: I fixed it!

The only way I could get this to work: I dug out my old 2007 iMac from storage and got it to boot up. Found that it was running "MacOS El Capitan". So I downloaded the El Capitan .dmg from the Apple website. Apple can sometimes be a bit cryptic in how to do an easy task, so here's how I did it. I double clicked the dmg, and that opened a window with 1 file - a pkg file. I double clicked on the pkg file and it asked if I want to install the new OS. This is tricky wording, but you want to select "yes" even though you aren't wanting to install the new OS on THAT computer. What it really does is it installs an installer file into your Application folder. That's the file you really want. Once you get that installer file in the Application folder, you can right click and select open containers to find the resource folder with the install file that you need. You then follow the steps on how to create a bootable USB that everyone posts here. *Pro tip* - you don't have to write it all out in the terminal; you can drag and drop the files to create the paths. For instance, write the word "sudo" and then drag and drop that install file into the terminal to create the path. Once I got El Capitan installed, it wouldn't let me use Time Machine because it had a newer OS on it (High Sierra). I then went to the App Store to search MacOS or High Sierra, and it's not there. I then went on Google and searched for "MacOS High Sierra download installer" and found the link: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/macos-high-sierra/id1246284741?mt=12 and click on the button for "Find in mac app store". NOW it displays in the Mac app store with a download button that actually works. Why doesn't Apple make this easier? Oh yeah, they're still in the hardware business so they'd rather sell you a new compter than help you fix your old one. Got it.

Thanks to all who replied.

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Jan 30, 2024 6:41 AM in response to eROCK1

UPDATE: I fixed it!

The only way I could get this to work: I dug out my old 2007 iMac from storage and got it to boot up. Found that it was running "MacOS El Capitan". So I downloaded the El Capitan .dmg from the Apple website. Apple can sometimes be a bit cryptic in how to do an easy task, so here's how I did it. I double clicked the dmg, and that opened a window with 1 file - a pkg file. I double clicked on the pkg file and it asked if I want to install the new OS. This is tricky wording, but you want to select "yes" even though you aren't wanting to install the new OS on THAT computer. What it really does is it installs an installer file into your Application folder. That's the file you really want. Once you get that installer file in the Application folder, you can right click and select open containers to find the resource folder with the install file that you need. You then follow the steps on how to create a bootable USB that everyone posts here. *Pro tip* - you don't have to write it all out in the terminal; you can drag and drop the files to create the paths. For instance, write the word "sudo" and then drag and drop that install file into the terminal to create the path. Once I got El Capitan installed, it wouldn't let me use Time Machine because it had a newer OS on it (High Sierra). I then went to the App Store to search MacOS or High Sierra, and it's not there. I then went on Google and searched for "MacOS High Sierra download installer" and found the link: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/macos-high-sierra/id1246284741?mt=12 and click on the button for "Find in mac app store". NOW it displays in the Mac app store with a download button that actually works. Why doesn't Apple make this easier? Oh yeah, they're still in the hardware business so they'd rather sell you a new compter than help you fix your old one. Got it.

Thanks to all who replied.

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Jan 27, 2024 2:03 PM in response to eROCK1

You can boot Internet Recovery on that Mac: Computers that can be upgraded to use OS X Internet Recovery - Apple Support, but it's a moot point since we are no longer able to install High Sierra from Apple's Internet Recovery servers. You will get the error you describe:


... I kept getting the error that it couldn't find the recovery server.


Correct.


Your alternatives amount to the following:


  • use another Mac, even a borrowed one, capable of actually running High Sierra to create that "bootable installer". You can't use the 2007 iMac to do that for the reasons a brody explained.
  • ask an Apple Store to install it for you (reportedly, they can do that)
  • install Snow Leopard from a retail, white, Mac OS X Snow Leopard DVD and subsequently upgrade macOS via the App Store
  • install that Mac's originally installed operating system by booting from its original, grey, System Install DVD. Those two discs must accompany that Mac from cradle to grave.


Forget using a Windows PC.

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Jan 26, 2024 9:34 AM in response to eROCK1

Unfortunately your machine pre-dates internet recovery. And if you didn't install the firmware to allow internet recovery you have to install


Snow Leopard from the prebundled Snow Leopard installer, run the 10.6.8 combo update, then run the El Capitan install from the App Store, and then run the High Sierra installer from Apple's support page.


Your only alternative is to find someone who already has made a flash drive of Lion or later or hard drive that connects via USB or Firewire to clone over to your system with Carbon Copy Cloner or Superduper.


Some Mac usergroups may have some people who have this:


http://www.apple.com/usergroups/


You can also contact http://www.apple.com/buy Apple Authorized Service Center to find out who can recover data.


You can't install Mac OS from DMG.

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Jan 26, 2024 10:51 AM in response to eROCK1

I would be concerned about the health of the internal hard drive. Most likely it is worn out or even failing. You can try running the Apple Diagnostics to see if any hardware issues are detected. Unfortunately the diagnostics do not most issues, but it never hurts to try.


If Internet Recovery Mode (Command + Option + R) doesn't work, then you will either need to purchase the original iMac gray restoration DVD for OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard which originally shipped with the 2010 iMac, or you will need to find someone with a Mac generally from 2007 to 2018 so you can create a bootable macOS USB installer using the instructions in this Apple article (read the instructions carefully if you are downloading & extracting a macOS 10.11 installer):

Create a bootable installer - Apple Support


For macOS 10.11 you generally need a Mac from 2007 to 2015

For macOS 10.13 you generally need a Mac from Late-2009 to 2018


You can use the information in this article to see which versions of macOS are compatible with various Apple hardware in order to find a compatible Mac....the other Mac can currently be running any version of macOS:

https://eshop.macsales.com/guides/Mac_OS_X_Compatibility


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Jan 26, 2024 7:32 PM in response to HWTech

Thanks everyone. I've already tried all of these suggested recovery modes. This older online installer is not available for me, so I'm out of luck there. I think I'm going to have to get my old 2007 iMac out of storage to work on for a bit. We initially retired that 2007 machine because it has a flakey power supply. Sometimes it will boot up, sometimes it won't. Sometimes I press the power button and nothing happens, but then I find the computer booted up on its own overnight several hours later. If I can get that one up and running, I'll try to make a bootable USB installer on that machine to use on this 2010 machine. Thanks again.

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Jan 27, 2024 6:36 AM in response to eROCK1

The 2007 machine should be able to get you back on Lion. But it won't be able to get you to High Sierra. It might get you to El Capitan if it is one of the right models. Once you are on Lion on the newer computer, then you can upgrade back to El Capitan and then High Sierra.

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Jan 27, 2024 9:50 AM in response to Owl-53

PRP_53 wrote:

Am sorry, but last time I downloaded the Full Version of High Sierra it came as an Install High Sierra Application and not as a . dmg file

If the OP downloaded some sort of High Sierra .dmg file direct from Apple, then it would just be an update patch bundle. Apple used to release OS update patches in .dmg format for people who wanted to install them manually (also helped reduce network bandwidth for people with multiple computers so they only had to download the update once).


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Jan 27, 2024 5:57 PM in response to Owl-53

PRP_53 wrote:

Do not remember to excite size of the Full Version of HS but seems to be about 5 - 6 GB ?

Correct.


Worth having OP confirm their Size of the . Dmg in hand?

Doesn't really matter. It is either an update patch from Apple, so it is irrelevant. Or they got it from a third party....again irrelevant since we don't know anything about it. Apple has never provided the full macOS 10.13 High Sierra installer in a .dmg archive. Apple has only released it as an actual Apple application bundle "Install macOS High Sierra.app" file through the App Store, although some people may be able to figure out how to acquire it directly from Apple's own CDN servers to bypass the App Store (not easy to find).


The only full macOS installers Apple has released in .dmg format are for macOS 10.7 to 10.12 (at least so far).


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Jan 26, 2024 10:43 AM in response to a brody

a brody wrote:

Unfortunately your machine pre-dates internet recovery. And if you didn't install the firmware to allow internet recovery you have to install

FYI, the 2010 iMac was provided with Internet Recovery Mode with the macOS 10.12.4 update I believe. The OP should be able to boot into Internet Recovery Mode using Command + Option + R to access the online macOS 10.13 High Sierra installer assuming it is still available (some people are still having trouble accessing some of these older online installers).



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Can Sonoma create a bootable USB installer of High Sierra? I'm in a tough spot here.

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