macOS High Sierra 10.13

Have you reviewed the historical entries in this thread ? There have been a number of posts giving good replies. See my 2 replies on Nov. 26, 2020 and you will be directed to the prior replies and other relevant information that helped me when I sought help with a similar issue. These should help. If you have further questions, take a read through all entries in this thread and you may find the info you require.

That is exactly what I did and you can go to my previous post (the one above yours) to see the result. If I open the link for download High Sierra I get that result. It pops up the Software Updater and it doesn't download anything. Downloading the dmg for whether High Sierra or El Capitan for a manual app Installer installation results on this for a 2018 MacBook pro with Big Sur:

So it seems there is no way to get the High Sierra or El Capitan installer through the App Store nor direct download.

So how to deal with this now? What I am doing is to install Snow Leopard into my 2009 iMac to try getting the High Sierra installer and create the USB from there. A lot of steps, requires a DVD installation, which is slooow and even that I can't be sure what I am doing is the proper thing to do, but as I have no other option, and what it is suppossed from this thread doesn't work if you try to get the USB created in a 2018 MBP with Big Sur.

I remember now those Apple ads saying "everything is easier with a mac"... but the reality is that if it was a Windows or a Linux system I could have it working in half an hour instead of a week and not even being sure I will have any success.

If you get a corrupted message...

Naw, it's not damaged, it's just that you have an old copy already in Applications, there are 2 cures...

Disconnect from the Internet & set the Date back to 2014, then you can run the Install MacsOS ******* App in Applications, so expired Certificates are not expired.

Trash the Install MacsOS *******.app in Applications then a new copy more recent version can be downloaded.

The download link at these locations comes up with a message saying the file is damaged and can't be used to install the OS.

mj279 it is NOT impossible. See my post below (above?) from 4 June 2020.

Ah, it's Apple messing with you, you can use this tool toget it I think...

http://dosdude1.com/highsierra/

Even an expensive Mac Pro (late 2013 -Quad-Core Intel Xeon E5) with a 1 terra SSD memory (Journaled HFS+) can not update from Sierra to High Sierra because of the wrong partition of the SSD memory. The only possibility seems to buy a new expensive MacPro. 

Possibly a new SSD HD-memory with a recent partition could be a solution and afterwards exchange software and files on the new SSD HD-memory.

It is a pity Mac is not clear on this common problem. The given update tool does not work because of the not-compatible partition.

For sure other problems can appear when changing your old HD memory with a new one with a other partition (Software, Old Plug-ins, recognition of external hardware, etc) .

Anyone being successful on this matter ?

You can download the tool again after deleting it from your application, but still it shall not work because a screen shall tell you "you may not install to this volume because the computer is missing firmware partition". It happens with hundreds of Mac Pro owners possibly because of their HD-SSD memory (1 terra OWC Aura) which has another partition (although it was inserted by Mac). 

So what is the solution ?

Hi Kappy,

The problem in my computer, maybe could be that the versión in itunes is 10,13,2 and the last one that I have is 10,12,6 (McOsSierra), therefore I will get fist the 10,13,0 to install the version of itunes...Could you help me to fix that problem?

Thank you, so much.

Did some time ago all of that (deleting High Sierra from Applications, etc..) , but . . . a one terra SSD card from Apple in my MacPro (late 2013) has another partition. So High Sierra can not be installed. So the message is clearly: "you may not install to this volume because the computer is missing firmware partition".

Apple has no solution on that.

Me and hundreds of one terra owners of a HD-SSD disc installed by Apple (1 terra OWC Aura) has no other solution than to buy a new MacPro.

Therefore I tried once more the question, "is there a solution to install a recent OS and without problems with this partition of the SSD disc."

A solution could be: Installing a new SSD HD-disc by Apple and hoping the old files and not common expensive programs will work fine after transmitting them on the new disc with an other (Apple-)partition?

I'm having the same issue. I'm trying to restore a Mid 2011 Mac mini back to factory so I can sell it off. I wiped the drive, and when I try to go into restore mode, it says it can't install the update. Now I'm trying to get a copy of High Sierra so I can create a bootable USB, but the App Store has the GET option for me for the OS, and when I click on GET, it says it's not available.

The original software it came with, that you need to install for a factory reset, is Lion. You can purchase Lion at the Online Apple Store. The cost is $19.99 (as it was before) plus tax.  It's a download. You will get an email containing a redemption code that you then use at the Mac App Store to download Lion. Save a copy of that installer to your Downloads folder because the installer deletes itself at the end of the installation. You will have to create a bootable USB 2.0 flash drive in order to install Lion.

Factory reset of your Mac - Apple Support

Basic Steps to Follow for a Clean Install of OS X Lion and Later

Make Your Own Lion Installer

1. After downloading Lion you must first save the Install Mac OS X Lion application. After Lion downloads DO NOT click on the Install button. Go to your Applications folder and make a copy of the Lion installer. Move the copy into your Downloads folder. Now you can click on the Install button. You must do this because the installer deletes itself automatically when it finishes installing Lion.

2. Get a USB flash drive that is at least 8 GBs. Prep this flash drive as follows:

1. 1. Open Disk Utility in your Utilities folder.
   2. After DU loads select your hard drive (this is the entry with the mfgr.'s ID and size) from the left side list. Note the SMART status of the drive in DU's status area.  If it does not say "Verified" then the drive is failing or has failed and will need replacing.  SMART info will not be reported  on external drives. Otherwise, click on the Partition tab in the DU main window.
   3. Under the Volume Scheme heading set the number of partitions from the drop down menu to one. Set the format type to Mac OS Extended (Journaled.) Click on the Options button, set the partition scheme to GUID then click on the OK button. Click on the Partition button and wait until the process has completed.
   4. Select the volume you just created (this is the sub-entry under the drive entry) from the left side list. Click on the Erase tab in the DU main window.
   5. Set the format type to Mac OS Extended (Journaled.) Click on the Options button, check the button for Zero Data and click on OK to return to the Erase window.
   6. Click on the Erase button. The format process can take up to several hours depending upon the drive size.

3. Locate the saved Lion installer in your Downloads folder. CTRL- or RIGHT-click on the installer and select Show Package Contents from the contextual menu. Double-click on the Contents folder to open it. Double-click on the SharedSupport folder. In this folder you will see a disc image named InstallESD.dmg.

4. Plug in your freshly prepared USB flash drive. You are going to clone the InstallESD.dmg disc image to the flash drive as follows:

1. 1. Open Disk Utility.
   2. Select the USB flash drive from the left side list.
   3. Click on the Restore tab in the DU main window.
   4. Check the box labeled Erase destination.
   5. Select the USB flash drive volume from the left side list and drag it to the Destination entry field.
   6. Drag the InstallESD.dmg disc image file into the Source entry field.
   7. Double-check you got it right, then click on the Restore button.

When the clone is completed you have a fully bootable Lion installer that  you can use without having to re-download Lion.

Thank you for your help. I'll try this tomorrow. WHat's odd is that when I use the system restore feature (command option R at boot up), I have erased the drive with no issue. Then when I select 'reinstall OS' it shows Lion and attempts to install Lion but about 20 seconds in it comes up with an error message saying it couldn't install. Even apple support couldn't assist me with this issue

Hi - read through the thread but cannot find my situation.

I need to make a bootable drive to attempt to recover my mid 2011 iMac - it does not boot up.

All of my other Mac have Catalina on them.

When I follow the instructions in this thread to Get High Sierra, on one of my working Catalina Macs, it says no because I have Catalina (this makes sense to me). The link to iTunes takes me to a page that says I need 10.6.6 or greater (remember I'm accessing this on Catalina). There is a link that takes me to a page that tells me all about Catalina.

Clear help would be greatly appreciated.

To complete your statement I will need someone local with High Sierra OS to do that for me.

So what you are telling me is that there is no way to download software of an older OS using Catalina.

I find that very hard to believe.

Today, 8/12/2020, I tried accessing the 2 suggested links for the high sierra installer but got error messages that the software is currently not available in the US. Where am I able to go to download the package ?