Installing an older OS over a more recent OS?

Hi HWTech & BDAqua,

After about three hours of trying everything you suggest, and a bunch of variations, I lost heart. Just now got back from the Genius Bar at the Apple store in Montreal. Apparently one can't make an external bootable drive for any MacBook Pro since 2019. There is an internal security system on the MacBook Pro that prohibits both installing and running a bootable external drive. Grrr.

The only solution to my problem is finding an older Mac. Turns out my Mom has an iMac from 2014. I just have to retro install its original Yosemite OS, and then I'll be able to install FCP7 ... once I find a copy. My FCP7 copy is deep in storage in British Columbia. Tsk tsk.

Thank you for all your help guys (girls?) (those are pretty gender neutral names). But a sincere thank you for your help. It is much appreciated. And all the best in the New Year.

Ben

Hi Guys,

First place I looked. And when it was supposedly downloading for an hour, at the end of the hour the installer wasn't there open and needing to be closed. It wasn't there. There was no pop-up telling me anything was wrong. And it isn't in my Applications. I've looked for InstallOS, and High Sierra, and many variations thereof, and it isn't on my computer. Actually I just went through every single app to make sure. Not there.

When I Google for answers it seems I'm not the only one having this trouble. The Apple Store won't let you download the app (only the upgrade of the app; or possibly if your computer is on an earlier OS). And Apple Support gives you a link that takes you to the Apple Store and the same problem.

It looks like downloading early OS is no longer possible.

Ha ha ha ... I just went back to an older computer (I've tried it on three) where I thought the download had also failed, and it looks like there is a High Sierra Installer in the applications. I will move it over to my main system ... and then follow all your instructions to the letter HWTEch ... and make a report once it's done.

Holding my breath. Will do this in the morning after a double espresso. Thank you for your patience and help gang. And, for the record, I couldn't get the Apple Store download to work on the Big Sur OS. The one it looked like it worked on is Catalina. More later ...

Ben

Aha! Just the guy I want to talk to. My machine is MacBook Pro 15 inch Mid 2014, 2.5 GHz Quad Core Intel i7, 16GB of memory ... right now running on MacOS Big Sur 11.6.2.

"or you can install macOS 10.13 to an external USB 3 SSD"

I like this one. I don't risk screwing up the laptop (it's a backup, but I'd rather it stays running as is). I haven't partitioned anything in a decade. I never work with partitioned systems. Have never worked with a VM. But I can certainly dig up a USB 3 SSD drive.

What I need to do with FCP7 is just open some original project files, export an XML, and then move the 'project' via XML to FCPX. I've done this with a good chunk of the film, successfully, because I'd already created the XML's when I was still working in FCP7. But scenes are missing. And I know they exist because I have the exported masters of those scenes (which need to be re-edited).

So I'm thinking I didn't finish the XML exports when I was working in FCP7 for some reason.

There is no way to open the FCP7 project files without FCP7. And no way to create XML files without having a running FCP7.

One of the issues I was having trying to install an earlier OS on the laptop was that I'm being told the current 'installer' does not work with the OS already installed on the laptop. Which means hunting down the earlier 'installer'. A nightmare.

But ... I like the idea of using an external SSD drive. So if I have a naked SSD drive ... do I still have the same problem? Also, it seems like the Apple store is downloading the final update of High Sierra, rather than the original 10.13. But say I could download the real original 10.13 ... then move it to the SSD drive and open and install it there, off the laptop, would I still have the problem of the 'installer'?

I can't remember ever running an OS from an external drive. I'm wondering what the protocol is.

This is very helpful HWTech. I'm out of my depth here.

Ben

Hey HWTech,

Argh.

Issues. My computers are Big Sur. I cannot download the High Sierra installer, coz the Apple store is automatically trying to INSTALL it on the download, which won't happen because of course the computer is already numerous OS's more recent. (I couldn't even download the installer if I wanted to override the current OS and install the HS. The Apple Store won't let me.)

I thought I could download the High Sierra installer, and then somehow get it to install High Sierra on the new bootable SSD drive I just bought. Attached are the two popups.

The first time I tried it the Apple Store said it was downloading (5GB), took an hour to do so, and then there was nothing in the Downloads folder, and I couldn't find any .dmg file on the computer that might have been the High Sierra installer. And any Finder search revealed nothing for HS.

So I'm jammed at the 2nd step. I got the SSD drive. I set it up as a GUID, MacOS Extended (Journaled). And then I was stumped ... as I can't get the bootable installer for HS.

Any ideas?

Ben

Hi BDAqua,

Yeah. On three different computers. The Apple Store won't let you just download the HS installer. It want's to install HS on whatever computer I'm using to try and download it. And then it refuses to do so because the OS on the computer is Big Sur.

Actually, when I click 'Get' the Apple store immediately starts checking for an update, then tells me no update is available, then if I close the pop-up there is another pop-up underneath wanting me to update to MacOS Ventura. Grrrrr.

One would have thought there'd be enough demand for creating a bootable external drive with whatever OS that Apple would have a simple process for doing it.

I see online that one is supposed to be able to DOWNLOAD High Sierra et al with no issues. And one is able to make a bootable external drive with no issues. But. All articles and tutorials point me to the Apple Store macOS High Sierra. And it is NOT downloadable.

It allowed me to 'Get' (there is no selection for 'Download') ... the first time I did it. One hour downloading, and then the .dmg file was not in Downloads, or anywhere on my computer. After that it would NOT allow me 'Get' (see attachments in reply below).

I 'GOT' the download on 2 other computers ... the first time ... but then there is no .dmg file on the computer. Nothing.

Got to check out the iPhone 14 Pro Max. I've been saying for about 15 years that one day we would be able to shoot IMAX resolution on a small camera. I'm using a Panasonic GH6 this week ... and getting good enough resolution to go up on an IMAX screen (and look gorgeous). And checking the iPhone 14 ... I've got a sneaking suspicion we are there, or almost there. On an iPhone!!

Sorry HWTech, you're right. Apologies.

I'm actually running a 2019 16 inch. But I have access to the other, older machine. I think I mentioned it with the hope that I could install High Sierra, then install Retro-whatever-it-is, then be able to install FCP7.

Somehow I conflated two different possibilities, sorry about that ... working with the older computer vs. creating a bootable drive with an older OS (which I thought might allow me then to access the FCP7 project, which is on my newer computer, and everything would be SSD and super efficient).

I bet a buck you could do it. Probably in the blink of an eye. But no matter how carefully I followed your instructions Apple kept sticking pop-ups and black screens with a white circle and a line through it. Way beyond my computing skillset. Ask me to make a film from scratch, zing zing, hardly have to think. Ask me to dig deeper than the apps, I'm a moron.

I've found Final Cut Studio 3 online, downloading as we speak, and its upgrade, already downloaded. Touch wood. I'm going to restore the older computer to its original Yosemite OS, and see if I can install FCP Studio 3 (FCP7) directly on it. And then work from an external drive to get my project & media.

I do really appreciate your help. And if I can't get the simpler way to work ... you get rest assured I'll be going through your instructions again. I think these last paragraphs you added might be what I was missing when I was getting the black screen with the white circle with the line through it.

I'll report back when I've tried the next round.

All the best,

Ben

Dear HWTech,

I'm copying all your instructions to my 'emergency' notebook. Terrific instructions, clean, easy to understand. One day I may need them.

And. I partially lucked out. My kid brother has an immaculate 2014 MacBook Pro with High Sierra installed. I borrowed it. I found a copy of Final Cut Pro Studio 3, plus an update .dmg at www.macintoshrespository.org.

I installed the Retroactive app. Great app, very smooth and efficient. It allowed me to install Final Cut Pro 7 and its FCP 7.03 update from the Final Cut Pro Studio 3. (.iso) file.

Problem. I've owned every Final Cut Pro version since the very first. I have the License for Final Cut Pro 7.03. I know because I took a screenshot of the License the last time I used FCP7 on one of my earlier computers ... and that screenshot was stored on this MacBook Pro 2019.

But when I open FCP7 on the 2014 MacBook Pro with High Sierra ... it opens just as it should, prompting the License number. I carefully type it in. Hit return. And a pop-up tells me the License number is for an 'update' of FCP7, and wants the 'original license'.

???? I remember I used that particular License number on my copy of FCP7 (Studio 3) at least three times in the past, moving FCP7 to different computers over the years.

Could it be that a License number is specific to a unique iteration (copy) of FCP7? Which means it won't work on anything but the copy on my original disks? That it CAN'T be applied to any copy of FCP7?

Or, should it work? And might there be a way to contact Apple and with the update License get the 'original' License. I go to my account at Apple, but it doesn't go far enough back to have any info on my FCP Studio 3. It seems to only go back about 10 years (or less).

Dear HWTEch, is there a solution to my dilemma. Or do I just bite the bullet and buy the discs on EBay? I don't mind buying the discs, but I can't wait the two weeks to get them. And if a License is specific to a particular copy then I can't buy them and get the seller to email me the license and use it on the copy I've got installed, right?

All ears, Ben

Time for a double espresso.