Reinstalling macOS High Sierra on an old iMac

Question

Reinstalling macOS High Sierra on an old iMac

Hi, I've got an old iMac (27-inch, Mid 2011) the latest macOS that supports it is High Sierra (10.13.6). The iMac accumulated a number of useless apps and utilities over the years, and I'd just like to wipe it, and do a clean install of High Sierra. I'm having trouble finding where to download the full install version though. I searched the App Store on the iMac for "High Sierra" and it didn't com up. I found this page on the Apple Support site "https://apps.apple.com/us/app/macos-high-sierra/id1246284741?mt=12". When I open it on my iMac, I get the App Store Preview page, but there is no link to take me to the App Store. (Interestingly enough, when I try this URL from my other, newer Mac (macOS 12.2), the preview page, does contain a link to the App Store High Sierra page, but when I click on it, it just takes me to the Software Update pane in Control Panel where it tells me that my Mac is up to date, instead of allowing me to download the software").

Any help with downloading the legit installer from Apple would be greatly appreciated.

Posted on Feb 5, 2022 8:18 AM

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Answer 1

MartinR

Level 6

19,249 points

Feb 9, 2022 3:56 PM in response to Troy Gourrier

The following ink, used in Safari, should take you to the High Sierra download page in the App Store: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/macos-high-sierra/id1246284741?mt=12 It opens the preview page you referred to, and then opens the App Store and takes you to the High Sierra download page. I just tried it and it worked.

The above, and links for other older versions of macOS are on How to get old versions of macOS. Again, you must use Safari to download these.

Then again, you said you have an "old iMac (27-inch, Mid 2011)". What version of OS X/macOS is on it? Does it have the App Store App?

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Answer 2

my ginger

Level 5

4,904 points

Feb 5, 2022 6:19 PM in response to Troy Gourrier

First here is the link you need.How to get old versions of macOS - Apple Support Also this.How to reinstall macOS - ApplSupport You would need to use disk utilities to erase your startup volume and then reinstall, Do you have a time machine backup ?Use Disk Utility to erase an Intel-based Mac - Apple Support

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Answer 3

my ginger

Level 5

4,904 points

Feb 9, 2022 4:40 PM in response to tgourrier

Troy. If you did get to the site and downloaded High Sierra. It would download it to your application folder. So unless you plan to make a bootable usb installer, you would still only be doing a reinstall. Since you have access to recovery, all you need to do is go into recovery and then Disk Utilities. Once there erase the startup volume only. Not the full drive. That would be the indented volume. Then close and go back to recovery And install High Sierra. Which would be a fresh clean install. Your computer would restart twice and then go to setup.

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Answer 4

Feb 9, 2022 1:45 PM in response to my ginger

I was reluctant to do a wipe before I had the High Sierra installer downloaded. The High Sierra link on the page you referenced above takes you to the page that I screen shotted above <.How to get old versions of macOS - Apple Support>. Once I get there, there is no link or mechanism to actually download the installer. Do you know how I can get a copy of the installer in this case?

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Answer 5

Feb 5, 2022 3:53 PM in response to dialabrain

Hi @dialabrain. Thanks for the response. The link that I included above came from the web page that you referenced. When I open that URL in Safari on my 2011 Mac, it takes me to a web page that is titled an "App Store Preview" page and looks like the High Sierra page in the App Store, but it's a web page. I believe there should be a link on that web page that takes me to the High Sierra page in the App Store (that's what happens when I open the page on my new Mac), but there is no link there.

Also, I've tried to reinstall using the "Command R" method, but that just reinstalls on top of the existing install, and does not do a full wipe of the hard drive.

Thanks

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Answer 6

dialabrain

Level 10

122,627 points

Feb 5, 2022 6:08 PM in response to Troy Gourrier

You're welcome. There should be a button under the word "Free" that says "View in Mac App Store". I don't know why it's not there on yours. Plus, once that page opens it should launch the App Store. I don't know why it'd not working for you. I still have a 2011 iMac running High Sierra and I see it.

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Answer 7

Feb 9, 2022 1:46 PM in response to dialabrain

Yes, it's frustrating. I've restarted safari, rebooted my Mac, nothing I do makes it work. There is something amiss with my Mac, which is one of the reasons I want to do a clean install in the first place.

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Answer 8

my ginger

Level 5

4,904 points

Feb 9, 2022 2:24 PM in response to tgourrier

Some thing to try. Go to iTune on your iMac and click Accounts in the top menu bar. Then click on authorize, then authorize this computer. Then see if you can get to the AppStore page to download High Sierra. My computer is already authorize so that is why I think the page opens for me.

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Answer 9

MartinR

Level 6

19,249 points

Feb 9, 2022 4:15 PM in response to Troy Gourrier

Troy Gourrier wrote:

Also, I've tried to reinstall using the "Command R" method, but that just reinstalls on top of the existing install, and does not do a full wipe of the hard drive.

When you are in Recovery Mode you should be able to open Disk Utility and erase & reformat the drive. Then you should be able to continue with a fresh install. It's supposed to reinstall the latest version of whatever version of OS X/macOS was on your Mac.

You might find this guide useful: The Ultimate Guide to macOS Recovery (current for High Sierra and APFS)

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Answer 10

MartinR

Level 6

19,249 points

Feb 9, 2022 6:28 PM in response to my ginger

my ginger wrote:

... Once there erase the startup volume only. Not the full drive. That would be the indented volume. ...

That would be the case if the drive is already APFS. Not so if the drive is HFS+ which it may still be since it's an 11-year old iMac and probably has an HDD as its system drive.

When installing or upgrading to High Sierra, if the system drive is an HDD you can use/retain HFS+ format. You only have to convert to APFS if the system drive is an SSD.

Troy ... exactly what version of OS X/macOS is currently on your 2011 iMac? Is it 10.13.6?

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Answer 11

my ginger

Level 5

4,904 points

Feb 9, 2022 7:54 PM in response to MartinR

I stand corrected. Your right. What I should be saying is to erase the startup volume and not the main drive. Which is the second one showing and is not indented. And should be HFS unless the drive is already AFPS.

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Answer 12

Feb 13, 2022 12:11 PM in response to my ginger

My bootable drive was a SSD, and at some point over the years did get upgraded to APFS, so this worked fine. As a side note, for some reason, I could not trigger the High Sierra App Store page from Safari, but once I hit the page you all referenced from Chrome, I was able to get to the web page with the link to the App Store page, and re-download the installer.

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