Unable to download macOS High Sierra from App Store

[nad23]

Hi,
Where can I download macOS High Sierra? It's unable to download it from App Store as I'm using 2021 MacBook.
I have iMac late 2009, tried to erase and reinstall it, but always stuck at the end of process (about a few minutes), so I want to try to reinstall it from USB.

 

[sdfox7]

See here, Apple has a page with all the links:

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/yosemite-macbook-air-wont-update-to-el-capitan-7-years-later.2377273/post-32192322

 

[nad23]

Thanks. I did go to the apple page to download directly from apple apps, it's there, but it didn't allow me to download, the button is grey.

 

[sdfox7]

Thanks. I did go to the apple page to download directly from apple apps, it's there, but it didn't allow me to download, the button is grey.

I see that. It says it's not compatible with your device. The machine you download it from in the App Store must be compatible, otherwise you need to use the direct link. If you open the link with Safari it may work for you, you should get a download prompt after clicking on GET:

 

[sdfox7]

If all else fails, I'd recommend using the High Sierra Patcher to download the full copy from the Apple servers into your Applications folder.

You can skip the part about creating a USB automatically, or just let the program do everything for you. The patched USB will still work on natively supported machine, it just won't apply any patches.

When rebooting off the USB, before installing go to Utilities and make sure you use terminal and type date 0101010118

macOS High Sierra Patcher

 

[DeltaMac]

You can download High Sierra by using DosDude1's MacOS High Sierra Patcher app.

dosdude1's Personal Web Server - Software

Use the Tools menu in that app to download the full installer app for High Sierra. The app will offer to make a patched installer, and for your supported iMac, you can ignore the patching part. And DosDude also has a USB Drive Creator, to help you make a bootable installer from the HS download.
Other download possibilities are the MDS app, and the OpenCore Legacy Patcher app. Again, you can ignore the patching part, as the app allows you to simply download the High Sierra installer. All of those choices download directly from Apple servers, so not to worry about some of the dicey download sites that exist elswhere.

 

[nad23]

You can download High Sierra by using DosDude1's MacOS High Sierra Patcher app.

dosdude1's Personal Web Server - Software

Use the Tools menu in that app to download the full installer app for High Sierra. The app will offer to make a patched installer, and for your supported iMac, you can ignore the patching part. And DosDude also has a USB Drive Creator, to help you make a bootable installer from the HS download.
Other download possibilities are the MDS app, and the OpenCore Legacy Patcher app. Again, you can ignore the patching part, as the app allows you to simply download the High Sierra installer. All of those choices download directly from Apple servers, so not to worry about some of the dicey download sites that exist elswhere.

If all else fails, I'd recommend using the High Sierra Patcher to download the full copy from the Apple servers into your Applications folder.

You can skip the part about creating a USB automatically, or just let the program do everything for you. The patched USB will still work on natively supported machine, it just won't apply any patches.

When rebooting off the USB, before installing go to Utilities and make sure you use terminal and type date 0101010118

macOS High Sierra Patcher

View attachment 2208644

View attachment 2208645

I see that. It says it's not compatible with your device. The machine you download it from in the App Store must be compatible, otherwise you need to use the direct link. If you open the link with Safari it may work for you, you should get a download prompt after clicking on GET:

View attachment 2208640

View attachment 2208641

Yes, I tried to download it from my MacBook 2021 and I don't have any other Mac devices that will be compatible with Sierra, I have 2 Macs (2009 and 2021).

 

[nad23]

I can't install macOS High Sierra patcher into application, there is a message (see attached), and when I clicked ok --> start operation, it failed. so, I can't get in the Menu Bar to select Tools.
Did I do it wrong or I just need to find old Mac to be able to download the OS?
Thanks

 

[Alex_Kirk]

You can download the .dmg installers of previous systems (Lion/Sierra) but to get the .app installer you have to open it from a mac that can install them.

Or you can use the DVD that came with your mac and then update the system.

I have the Yosemite installer on Mega but I don't know if I can put the link in the forum.

 

[DeltaMac]

I can't install macOS High Sierra patcher into application, there is a message (see attached), and when I clicked ok --> start operation, it failed. so, I can't get in the Menu Bar to select Tools.
Did I do it wrong or I just need to find old Mac to be able to download the OS?
Thanks

You don't need to start the patcher (which is the window that you show in your screenshot) where you could select a location for the install. You don't need to do that at all. Just close the file browsing window, which will leave you with the "macOS High Sierra Patcher" window. Don't click on anything in that window. You don't need anything in that window.
Now, you will be able to go to the Tools menu, where you can click "Download macOS High Sierra..."
choose to continue with the download (the system will prompt you for a location to copy the download), and then wait for the 5GB download to complete. Use that download to create a bootable USB installer,and there you go!
(You WILL be asked by the patcher app, if you want to make a patched installer. Just click "Not Now", and the download will be available for you to use, in the location you chose to save it.

 

[nad23]

Thanks heaps, will try that!

 

[sdfox7]

You don't need to start the patcher (which is the window that you show in your screenshot) where you could select a location for the install. You don't need to do that at all. Just close the file browsing window, which will leave you with the "macOS High Sierra Patcher" window. Don't click on anything in that window. You don't need anything in that window.
Now, you will be able to go to the Tools menu, where you can click "Download macOS High Sierra..."
choose to continue with the download (the system will prompt you for a location to copy the download), and then wait for the 5GB download to complete. Use that download to create a bootable USB installer,and there you go!
(You WILL be asked by the patcher app, if you want to make a patched installer. Just click "Not Now", and the download will be available for you to use, in the location you chose to save it.

I think I found this post somewhat confusing. The OP showed in the screenshot that High Sierra was not compatible with the machine they were attempting to download it to (it's not known from the info given if the machine was too old or too new). So, there was no way to download HS on that machine without using the patcher tool menu, which I provided a screenshot of.

Also, in order to install High Sierra on an unsupported machine, a patched USB would be required.

However, I also noted (as did you) "You can skip the part about creating a USB automatically, or just let the program do everything for you. The patched USB will still work on natively supported machine, it just won't apply any patches."

There's really no reason NOT to created a patched USB, IMO. I've used them before, and if the machine is natively supported the USB install will simply function as a normal High Sierra install. However, having the patched USB is nice to have in the event you come across an unsupported machine in the future where the install/post-install patches are required.

 

[nad23]

I used other MacBook which is older than mine, it's fine now, I can downloaded and successfully installed macOS High Sierra on my iMac late 2019. Somehow it didn't work for me with the patcher, not sure why. Thanks guys!

 

[sdfox7]

I used other MacBook which is older than mine, it's fine now, I can downloaded and successfully installed macOS High Sierra on my iMac late 2019. Somehow it didn't work for me with the patcher, not sure why. Thanks guys!

I am surprised you were able to install it at all. I had assumed the patcher was designed for "old" unsupported Macs, not ones that shipped with newer versions of MacOS.

A Late 2019 iMac would have shipped with 10.15 Catalina. Did everything work properly such as wifi, bluetooth and graphics? Sometimes kext updates are required for newer machines if the older OS doesn't have the drivers for the newer hardware.

 

[Alex_Kirk]

I am surprised you were able to install it at all.

This is a mac late 2009, nad23 made a mistake.

I have iMac late 2009, tried to erase and reinstall it

 

[nad23]

This is a mac late 2009, nad23 made a mistake.

Yes, sorry it's iMac late 2009, it was mistyped