Unable to install A Fresh High Sierra On My 2009 MacBook Pro

[fastlanephil]

I’m trying to reinstall High Sierra on my 2009 MacBook Pro with a SSD, after erasing the drive as i have replaced the MacBook Pro with a 2014 Mac Mini. It gets so far along and then I get a screen with a large MacOS in the background and a message that says, “No packages were eligible for installation. Contact the software manufacture for assistance. Try again”.

This happens with the full last update of High Sierra from my external HD, using Apple’s option/command Cloud install and even when trying to install Snow Leopard from Apple’s Snow Leopard DVD.

I do have a bootable High Sierra volume on my external SSD which I use with CCC to clone to the 2009 MacBook Pro but I’d like to wipe it clean with no trace of me left if possible.

My MacBook Pro’s SSD passes fine with Disk Utility’s First Aid.

 

[fastlanephil]

Not High Sierra. It’s El Capitan that won’t install.

 

[Muttznuttz]

Not High Sierra. It’s El Capitan that won’t install.

You might be using a copy that you downloaded before October 25th this year.
The certificates expired on that day so either download a fresh copy from Apple or set the clock back to October 20 or something, disconnect from Internet and try again. Should sort it

 

[TohMac]

You might be using a copy that you downloaded before October 25th this year.
The certificates expired on that day so either download a fresh copy from Apple or set the clock back to October 20 or something, disconnect from Internet and try again. Should sort it

I am presently trying to find an El Capitan d/l myself for a 2009 MBP. I am unable to see it via that MBP at the apple store, naturally.

Can anyone provide me with a working link after Oct 25th? T.I.A.

 

[Muttznuttz]

Can you get onto the App Store and look at previously downloaded items?

 

[TohMac]

Unfortunately I never d/l it in the past. This is an old MBP I had sitting in a drawer for several years. It is still on Snow Leopard 10.6.8 but I had installed an SSD drive before I put it away, or or about mid/late 2014 so I understand it can handle El Capitan. Sadly, I only just remembered this MBP, after Oct 25th.

 

[CoastalOR]

I am presently trying to find an El Capitan d/l myself for a 2009 MBP. I am unable to see it via that MBP at the apple store, naturally.

Can anyone provide me with a working link after Oct 25th? T.I.A.

Just follow the instructions (Step 4 has the download link):
https://support.apple.com/en-gb/HT206886

 

[Muttznuttz]

What are the upgrade options in the App Store (if you can get onto it from that Mac)
I have a good copy of El Cap dowloaded after the cert was refreshed, I had a Mavericks Mac lying around that I went onto the App Store using Mavericks and was offered it as an upgrade....Saved that offline...
I 'could' share an ISO with you that you could burn onto Dual Layer DVD and do a clean install from there if you need

 

[fastlanephil]

You might be using a copy that you downloaded before October 25th this year.
The certificates expired on that day so either download a fresh copy from Apple or set the clock back to October 20 or something, disconnect from Internet and try again. Should sort it

Yes, I’m sure the copy I have is much older than October 25th. I also attempted reformatting using Apple’s Cloud install but got the exact same message. I’ll try setting the MacBook Pro’s clock back, disconnect from the internet and give it another go.

 

[Muttznuttz]

date 1023200019

Should do the trick

 

[TohMac]

Just follow the instructions (Step 4 has the download link):
https://support.apple.com/en-gb/HT206886

Thank you. Worked perfectly!

 

[fastlanephil]

Well, I tried setting the clock back with no luck. I downloaded the recert El Capitan from the link that CoastalOR provided but no luck with it either. I did manage to install Snow Leopard from my Apple DVD but I couldn’t upgrade to El Capitan with it either. I also tried using apple’s Start Up utilities reinstall. That took a number of restarts/command-R to get it to come up instead of the usual login screen.

I’m thinking there might be some sort of physical corruption or incompatibility on my MacBook Pro’s 3rd party internal SSD although not detected by Disk Utility.