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slbonet Author

Level 1

8 points

High Sierra clean install failure

Hello, I am coming back with my same long lasting issue:

I have been trying for days to re-install macOS High Sierra on my iMac27 late 2009

I am booting on a USB key "Install macOS High Sierra"

I erased my HD and formated it Mac OS Extended (journaled)

now, when I click Install macOS in the recovery menu, i get this message "Alert: macOS High Sierra cannot be installed on this computer", and that's it. No additional information about the reason of this message.

I tried the process again after changing the date in the terminal, tried several different date but always get the same result.

I must say that I successfully installed High Sierra last week but decided to re-install it again after I messed up with the inatallation of Office. And I get the issue since then.

Just in case someone would have a helpful dream...

Thank you. I am still digging

iMac, macOS 10.13

Posted on Apr 28, 2020 10:50 AM

Top-ranking reply

Kappy

Level 10

361,879 points

Posted on Apr 28, 2020 11:41 AM

You cannot install High Sierra onto an erased HDD on that model. You must install the original version of Snow Leopard from Software Restore DVDs that came with the computer from the factory. Alternatively, if you have Lion, then you can install it first, after which you can upgrade to High Sierra. 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.

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High Sierra clean install failure

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