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Install Lion additional components error.

I have a Macbook pro a1278 2012 that the HDD has been wiped. When I go into recovery it only allows Internet recovery. I try to install Lion and get the error "Unable to download additional components." I've used Sierra (.dmg file) from a USB drive & from an external HDD. The very 1st time I attempted to restore from the USB, the option came up to install fresh copy of OS X (and didn't say Lion). The install started, but I didn't have journaling enabled and had to exit.  I can't get back to that option to install anything but Lion. I've tried backing up the date via terminal.  Sudo is not recognized in terminal.  Any help would be appreciated.

MacBook Pro

Posted on Sep 6, 2020 10:41 AM

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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Sep 7, 2020 10:08 AM

You will need to use another mac to make the bootable installer.


Here are the instructions. Read them, read them again and follow them to the letter.


If you do have an operating system on your mac and it is functioning then you can download

Sierra using this method.


How to upgrade to macOS Sierra - Apple Support


Go to Section 4 and click on Download macOS Sierra.


This downloads InstallOS.dmg to your Downloads folder.


The next section can only be done on a mac that is capable of running Sierra,

a mac that came preinstalled with an OS later than Sierra will refuse to do the next bit.


When downloaded open to InstallOS.pkg, double-click on

that and an installation window will open, this does not install Sierra

but converts the InstallOS.pkg to the Install macOS Sierra.app which 

you will find in your Applications folder.


 (If the installation window asks which disk you want to install to, you must pick 

the disk that you are booted to at the time. Not any internal or external disk that 

you want to eventually install Sierra on, that is for later.)


Here is the instructions to create a bootable USB installer.


There is a problem with making a bootable USB installer with the Install macOS Sierra.app

where it returns an error Volumes/<USBname> is not a valid mount point. There is a workaround.


With Install macOS Sierra.app in your Applications folder open Terminal.

Paste in this command


sudo plutil -replace CFBundleShortVersionString -string "12.6.03" /Applications/Install\ macOS\ Sierra.app/Contents/Info.plist


press return

enter your password

press return


Now paste in the createinstallmedia command for Sierra where MyVolume can be replaced with the name of your USB stick


If your USB name has more than one word separated by spaces you would need to type it in as

/The\ USB\ Name


sudo /Applications/Install\ macOS\ Sierra.app/Contents/Resources/createinstallmedia --volume /Volumes/MyVolume --applicationpath /Applications/Install\ macOS\ Sierra.app


press return 

follow the prompts


make dinner for your dog.


Similar questions

9 replies
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Sep 7, 2020 10:08 AM in response to Jesssailor

You will need to use another mac to make the bootable installer.


Here are the instructions. Read them, read them again and follow them to the letter.


If you do have an operating system on your mac and it is functioning then you can download

Sierra using this method.


How to upgrade to macOS Sierra - Apple Support


Go to Section 4 and click on Download macOS Sierra.


This downloads InstallOS.dmg to your Downloads folder.


The next section can only be done on a mac that is capable of running Sierra,

a mac that came preinstalled with an OS later than Sierra will refuse to do the next bit.


When downloaded open to InstallOS.pkg, double-click on

that and an installation window will open, this does not install Sierra

but converts the InstallOS.pkg to the Install macOS Sierra.app which 

you will find in your Applications folder.


 (If the installation window asks which disk you want to install to, you must pick 

the disk that you are booted to at the time. Not any internal or external disk that 

you want to eventually install Sierra on, that is for later.)


Here is the instructions to create a bootable USB installer.


There is a problem with making a bootable USB installer with the Install macOS Sierra.app

where it returns an error Volumes/<USBname> is not a valid mount point. There is a workaround.


With Install macOS Sierra.app in your Applications folder open Terminal.

Paste in this command


sudo plutil -replace CFBundleShortVersionString -string "12.6.03" /Applications/Install\ macOS\ Sierra.app/Contents/Info.plist


press return

enter your password

press return


Now paste in the createinstallmedia command for Sierra where MyVolume can be replaced with the name of your USB stick


If your USB name has more than one word separated by spaces you would need to type it in as

/The\ USB\ Name


sudo /Applications/Install\ macOS\ Sierra.app/Contents/Resources/createinstallmedia --volume /Volumes/MyVolume --applicationpath /Applications/Install\ macOS\ Sierra.app


press return 

follow the prompts


make dinner for your dog.


Sep 7, 2020 9:23 PM in response to Jesssailor

Surely you know someone else who has a mac that you can try and make the bootable installer.

If you do know of a mac that you can borrow, you could try the El Capitan installer or macOS Sierra

your mac can also run macOS High Sierra.


In order to get the El Capitan installer you need to borrow a mac that is capable of running El Capitan.

To get macOS Sierra a mac that is capable of running Sierra. These two download a.dmg as described before.

If you want to install macOS High Sierra then it downloads Install macOS High Sierra.app directly to the

Applications folder of the borrowed mac.


You could also try the other Recovery options, to stop your mac from trying to install Lion.

Read this,

How to reinstall macOS from macOS Recovery – Apple Support

Sep 7, 2020 12:48 AM in response to Jesssailor

The certificates for several of Apples OS's expired in October 2019, Apple have been very poor at getting these updated on their Recovery Servers with valid certificates. This may be the problem you are experiencing. 


Try this workaround, we are going to set the time and date on your mac to a date previous to the expiry date of the certificates.


Connect your mac to your router via cable, not WiFi


Boot to your Recovery HD, click on Utilities in the menubar select Terminal.


Make sure WiFi is switched off, it can reset the date back to today.


Enter a new date, for example or just copy and paste


sudo date -u 011421002014


press Return

enter your password

press Return


If Terminal returns an error saying sudo : command not found, then try again without sudo.


Now try downloading the OS.

If this works then when the OS is installed and booted up you can Open System Preferences> Date & Time

and reset the time back to today.

Sep 7, 2020 1:38 AM in response to Jesssailor

Why did you change the date to 2011, Lion was introduced on 20th July 2011

so if you put a date in prior to that could be the reason it failed.

Why didn't you use the date I gave you.

Experiment with other dates, see how you go,

but I think that Apple are making it increasingly hard for people to

restore OS's from the Recovery Servers.

Not renewing the certificates last October is a big clue.


How are you using the Sierra USB,

if you downloaded the InstallOS.dmg did you go through the procedures

to get Install macOS Sierra.app.

Then you need to make a bootable USB installer from that,

this comes up with an error that again Apple haven't fixed,

there is a work around though.

Sep 7, 2020 1:59 AM in response to Eau Rouge

I used a different date way before you told me to do that. I found an article where that fixed the problem. I was downloading the .dmg and restoring it to the harddrive. It's obviously not working. I can't get the Startup Manager to come up using the Option key upon booting. I reset the SMC and NVRAM, but it did no good. I'm not sure how to make the USB bootable without another Mac.

Thank you for your help and suggestions.

Install Lion additional components error.

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