High Sierra installer download fails on Mac App Store application

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High Sierra installer download fails on Mac App Store application

Currently running High Sierra (HS) on this 2012 iMac computer but want to do fresh install to a different drive.

I click on the link presented in How to download and install macOS - Apple Support for the HS installer. It opens a page in the Mac App Store App that's clearly for HS. That part works.

I click on the "download" button and for a few seconds it says "calculating" and something about a "minute". About 10 seconds after clicking "download" I get a message saying "macOS High Sierra failed to download" and "Use the Purchased page to try again." I go to the purchased page and there is no mention of High Sierra. The only OS installer is for an El Capitan installer I downloaded a few years ago.

I am using an old Mac App Store application but I have used it for other applications and it "gets" them. This must have worked at some time in the past because I must have used it to upgrade from my old Mavericks to High Sierra a year or two ago.

I have looked in my Applications and Downloads folders and there is no installer file there.

I have been trying this for several days now so I don't think it's a temporary server glitch.

Earlier Mac models

Posted on Jun 23, 2025 7:43 AM

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Answer 1

Jun 23, 2025 12:14 PM in response to Limnos

FWIW a few days ago "Fix #3 Change the NVRAM Software Update URL" worked to bypass the very old High Sierra recovery install issue on my MacBook 13.3-inch Mid 2010 High Sierra install:

https://mrmacintosh.com/how-to-fix-the-recovery-server-could-not-be-contacted-error-high-sierra-recovery-is-still-online-but-broken/

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Answer 2

Jun 25, 2025 6:49 AM in response to Limnos

<< The operation couldn’t be completed. (NSURLErrorDomain error -1012.). >>

We have seen that problem before, but I don't have the RESET information at hand.

Your system software update server name has been set to somewhere that is either invalid, or has an httpS: when it needs an http:

This used to happen when you were running macOS Server, and deliberately pointed your software update source to a local server. Deleting the custom name you added would reset it to default server (you did not need to know the correct name) fixed the issue.

maybe this will ring a bell with someone else following here.

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Answer 3

Jun 25, 2025 4:23 AM in response to Limnos

Today I could download High Sierra via both App Store link below and 'softwareupdate --fetch-full-installer --full-installer-version 10.13.6' on MacBook Air (13-inch, Early 2015) running Monterey 12.7.6.

Mac mini late 2009 running High Sierra 10.13.6 does not support softwareupdate download but also there the App Store link worked.

How to download and install macOS - Apple Support

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Answer 4

Jun 25, 2025 1:19 PM in response to Limnos

Your iMac 2012 model looks to be good for macOS 8.2 to MacOS 10.15 Catalina

What macOS are you offered it you invoke Recovery and say, "Re-install MacOS"?

IF it will send you the currently running macOS, you can "steer" that onto another drive when it starts the Install phase.

How to reinstall macOS - Apple Support

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Answer 5

Jun 26, 2025 2:39 PM in response to Limnos

Limnos wrote:

That direct link to Sierra works for me, since it is basically FTP, but I don't need Sierra.

I don't want Catalina. I want to keep this old iMac on an OS that is 32 bit application capable should I really need to use several applications I use daily that have no 64 bit application equivalents just using what it has now. I simply want the OS on the internal drive instead of booting to the external drive the way I am now. I do have Mojave on a USB flash drive for "emergencies". I know those aren't really good as a boot drive but if comes down to it just for downloading High Sierra I could boot to it.

That's interesting that Apple axed Mavericks from its downloads. I do remember in the past they have removed certain versions of software where if your hardware was too new to run one version but could run various newer versions, they just offered you the newest your computer could run. So maybe now they are telling you if you have hardware that is capable of more than Mountain Lion you should at least be running Yosemite? I don't have the time to research it now.

Incidentally, trying to download Mojave using the Mac App Store application does get me a stub installer.

understood.

It is a shame Apple makes it difficult to retrieve these old installers.

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/macos-high-sierra/id1246284741

The stub idea did create problems as well...

Mojave is still capable of running the 32 bit applications.

good luck !

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Answer 6

Jun 25, 2025 6:55 AM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder

it is possible that this might be the solution:

sudo defaults delete /Library/Preferences/com.apple.SoftwareUpdate CatalogURL

the first token is the plist file, the second token is the field-name to delete inside that file.

my softwareUpdate.plist seems to be working and the plist does NOT have that field-name in it:

source of that reference was this article, which has a bit more information as well.

https://apple.stackexchange.com/questions/29070/how-do-i-change-software-update-server-to-official-one-on-os-x-lion-or-later#29071

it also suggests:

On system newer than 10.10

sudo softwareupdate --clear-catalog

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Answer 7

Jun 25, 2025 5:17 PM in response to Limnos

you are not going to find High Sierra via the Terminal, Catalina is the oldest via this method,

copy & paste:

softwareupdate --list-full-installers

there is no link to a Mavericks download in the Apple support pages any longer.

Both High Sierra and Mavericks No longer available for undocumented reasons(?)

you can try Sierra from Apple's own CDN—if that does you any good. I know if you can run Sierra, you can run High Sierra; not necessarily the other way around depending on what your mac shipped with when new

report back your success or failure

push past the security warnings...if you are using a third party browser. Safari should go straight away.

Sierra :

http://updates-http.cdn-apple.com/2019/cert/061-39476-20191023-48f365f4-0015-4c41-9f44-39d3d2aca067/InstallOS.dmg

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Answer 8

Limnos Author

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424,469 points

Jun 23, 2025 1:02 PM in response to Matti Haveri

Yes, I had tried standard Recovery Mode and it failed there too, as outlined in #3 of the link you provided. It's a bit of a chore to do all that, particularly since I will have to print all the instructions since I can't be using an Internet browser from inside Internet Recovery.

Good find!

Incidentally, that second solution of downloading the installer using Apple's link does not work for me. That's what my first post was outlining. What I am actually wanting to do is install HS on a different drive, not do anything to HS on my boot drive.

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Answer 9

Limnos Author

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424,469 points

Jun 25, 2025 8:36 AM in response to Matti Haveri

The App Store link most definitely does not work on my late 2012 iMac running 10.3.6

In Terminal I tried running the command you posted and got:

softwareupdate: unrecognized option `--fetch-full-installer'

softwareupdate: unrecognized option `--full-installer-version'

Must be the Monterery command.

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Answer 10

Jun 25, 2025 8:56 AM in response to Limnos

Limnos wrote:

softwareupdate: unrecognized option `--fetch-full-installer'

softwareupdate: unrecognized option `--full-installer-version'

Must be the Monterery command.

AFAIK macOS 11 Big Sur is the oldest which supports softwareupdate Terminal commands.

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Answer 11

Limnos Author

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424,469 points

Jun 25, 2025 9:07 AM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder

I tried both of those commands. The first one resulted in:

Domain (/Library/Preferences/com.apple.SoftwareUpdate) not found.

Defaults have not been changed.

The second one:

Changed catalog to Apple production

I then restarted my computer and tried using the App Store. Same error messages as described at the start of this thread. I am guessing it is using "Apple production" but not getting it from Apple itself but maybe referring to something that is part of what was installed with the original High Sierra.

Thanks for the suggestion though. :-)

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Answer 12

Limnos Author

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424,469 points

Jun 25, 2025 1:05 PM in response to Limnos

"/Library/Preferences/com.apple.SoftwareUpdate.plist" :

defaults:

defaults write /Library/Preferences/com.apple.SoftwareUpdate AutomaticCheckEnabled -bool false

defaults write /Library/Preferences/com.apple.SoftwareUpdate AutomaticDownload -bool false

defaults write /Library/Preferences/com.apple.SoftwareUpdate ConfigDataInstall -bool false

defaults write /Library/Preferences/com.apple.SoftwareUpdate CriticalUpdateInstall -bool false

defaults write /Library/Preferences/com.apple.SoftwareUpdate InactiveUpdates -array

defaults write /Library/Preferences/com.apple.SoftwareUpdate LastAttemptBuildVersion -string "10.13.6 (17G66)"

defaults write /Library/Preferences/com.apple.SoftwareUpdate LastAttemptSystemVersion -string "10.13.6 (17G66)"

defaults write /Library/Preferences/com.apple.SoftwareUpdate LastFullSuccessfulDate -date "2025-06-25 19:50:49 +0000"

defaults write /Library/Preferences/com.apple.SoftwareUpdate LastRecommendedUpdatesAvailable -int 0

defaults write /Library/Preferences/com.apple.SoftwareUpdate LastResultCode -int 100

defaults write /Library/Preferences/com.apple.SoftwareUpdate LastSessionSuccessful -bool true

defaults write /Library/Preferences/com.apple.SoftwareUpdate LastSuccessfulDate -date "2025-06-25 19:50:49 +0000"

defaults write /Library/Preferences/com.apple.SoftwareUpdate LastUpdatesAvailable -int 0

defaults write /Library/Preferences/com.apple.SoftwareUpdate PrimaryLanguages -array -string en -string en-US

defaults write /Library/Preferences/com.apple.SoftwareUpdate RecommendedUpdates -array

defaults write /Library/Preferences/com.apple.SoftwareUpdate SkipLocalCDN -bool false

======

I know it reports a successful download but I also updated a non-Apple application today.

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Answer 13

Jun 25, 2025 5:27 PM in response to Limnos

Limnos wrote:

All 2012 iMacs are capable of running 10.15.7 Catalina.... this is available via the Terminal for what it is worth, if you can get it to populate...

if not the whole shoot'n match as follows:

sudo softwareupdate --fetch-full-installer --full-installer-version 10.15.7

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Answer 14

Limnos Author

Level 10

424,469 points

Jun 26, 2025 2:16 PM in response to leroydouglas

That direct link to Sierra works for me, since it is basically FTP, but I don't need Sierra.

I don't want Catalina. I want to keep this old iMac on an OS that is 32 bit application capable should I really need to use several applications I use daily that have no 64 bit application equivalents just using what it has now. I simply want the OS on the internal drive instead of booting to the external drive the way I am now. I do have Mojave on a USB flash drive for "emergencies". I know those aren't really good as a boot drive but if comes down to it just for downloading High Sierra I could boot to it.

That's interesting that Apple axed Mavericks from its downloads. I do remember in the past they have removed certain versions of software where if your hardware was too new to run one version but could run various newer versions, they just offered you the newest your computer could run. So maybe now they are telling you if you have hardware that is capable of more than Mountain Lion you should at least be running Yosemite? I don't have the time to research it now.

Incidentally, trying to download Mojave using the Mac App Store application does get me a stub installer.

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Answer 15

Limnos Author

Level 10

424,469 points

Jun 26, 2025 2:26 PM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder

I am using the "reinstall" button to see if it will do anything at all in terms of getting High Sierra (I don't want to actually reinstall it on this drive but to install it on another one). I have simply been trying pretty much everything that didn't involve booting to a newer OS just to see if I could download it using that, or involve doing all that Terminal stuff while booted to recovery (I'd have to print those pages of instructions). Neither the App Store application nor trying to get it while booted to Recovery will work.

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High Sierra installer download fails on Mac App Store application

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