2017 iMac failing to install Sierra in recovery mode after disc wipe

What Format did you erase the drive to?

APFS won't work for Sierra, Sierra needs MacOS Extended Journaled.

What has often worked for others is to use thisRestore Method instead of CMD+r keys...

Option-⌘-R

Upgrade to the latest macOS compatible with your Mac.

Start up from macOS Recovery

Option-⌘-R

Upgrade to the latest macOS compatible with your Mac.

In Disk Utility>View, select Show all Devices, highlight the top left entry.

APFS won't work for Sierra or earlier, Sierra or earlier needs MacOS Extended Journaled. High Sierra won't work for APFS on earlier Macs.

What has often worked for others is to use this Restore Method instead of CMD+r keys...

Option-⌘-R

Upgrade to the latest macOS compatible with your Mac.

Messed up Factory Reset on MacBook Pro Mi… - Apple Community

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/254793247?answerId=258936149022#258936149022

Clean Install of High Sierra: Multiple Fa… - Apple Community

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/255040953?answerId=259391356022#259391356022

Make a good backup 1st, then...

macOS High Sierra - Technical Specifications

General Requirements

• OS X 10.8 or later
• 2GB of memory
• 14.3GB of available storage to perform upgrade*
• Some features require an Apple ID; terms apply.
• Some features require a compatible Internet service provider; fees may apply.

Mac Hardware Requirements

For details about your Mac model, click the Apple icon at the top left of your screen, choose About This Mac. These Mac models are compatible with macOS High Sierra:

• MacBook (Late 2009 or newer)
• MacBook Pro (Mid 2010 or newer)
• MacBook Air (Late 2010 or newer)
• Mac mini (Mid 2010 or newer)
• iMac (Late 2009 or newer)
• Mac Pro (Mid 2010 or newer)

macOS High Sierra - Technical Specifications

https://itunes.apple.com/app/macos-high-sierra/id1246284741?mt=12

Hey BDAqua, I just want to say, after spending hours scouring the net for a solution to this.....I literally had no idea that there were different keystrokes for different OS....I've always used the CMD+R. I've been in the used computer business almost 20 yrs and still didn't know "Option-⌘-R Upgrade to the latest macOS compatible with your Mac"....I have a few 2017 IMACs that have the Fusion drives and I went through so much trouble trying to install Sierra on these....THANK YOU! By the way, there are TONS of people doing the exact same thing I was...

Has your Hard Drive died?

You might need an external dive to install to...

Boot into Restore Mode, CMD+r, Look for Tools or Utilities Menu, In the Disk Utility app  on your Mac, choose View > Show All Devices.

In the Disk Utility app  on your Mac, choose View > Show All Devices.

Note: If you’re checking your startup disk or startup volume, restart your computer in macOS Recovery, select Disk Utility in the macOS Utilities window, then click Continue. If you check your startup volume (Macintosh HD), make sure you also check your data volume (Macintosh HD - Data).

In the sidebar, select the top entry for a disk, then choose Erase.

Repair a storage device in Disk Utility on Mac

Disk Utility can fix certain disk problems—for example, multiple apps quit unexpectedly, a file is corrupted, an external device doesn’t work properly, or your computer won’t start up. Disk Utility can’t detect or repair all problems that a disk may have.

If you run First Aid on a disk, Disk Utility checks the partition maps on the disk and performs some additional checks, and then checks each volume. If you run First Aid on a volume, Disk Utility verifies all the contents of that volume only.

1. In the Disk Utility app  on your Mac, choose View > Show All Devices.
2. Note: If you’re checking your startup disk or startup volume, restart your computer in macOS Recovery, select Disk Utility in the macOS Utilities window, then click Continue. If you check your startup volume (Macintosh HD), make sure you also check your data volume (Macintosh HD - Data).
3. 
   
4. In the sidebar, select a disk or volume, then click the First Aid button .
5. If Disk Utility tells you the disk is about to fail, back up your data and replace the disk—you can’t repair it. Otherwise, continue to the next step.
6. Click Run, then click Continue.
7. If Disk Utility reports that the disk appears to be OK or has been repaired, you’re done. You can click Show Details to see more information about the repairs. Otherwise, you may need to do one of the following.

• • If Disk Utility reports “overlapped extent allocation” errors, two or more files occupy the same space on your disk, and at least one of them is likely to be corrupted. You need to check each file in the list of affected files. Most of the files in the list have aliases in a DamagedFiles folder at the top level of your disk.
    • If you can replace a file or re-create it, delete it.
    • If it contains information you need, open it and examine its data to make sure it hasn’t been corrupted.
  • If Disk Utility can’t repair your disk, or you receive a report that the First Aid process failed, try to repair the disk or partition again. If that doesn’t work, back up as much of your data as possible, reformat the disk, reinstall macOS, then restore your backed-up data.

If your Mac has a Fusion Drive and you see a flashing question mark or alert, see the troubleshooting section of the Apple Support article About Fusion Drive, a storage option for some Mac computers.

If you continue to have problems with your disk or it can’t be repaired, it may be physically damaged and need to be replaced. For information about servicing your Mac, see Find out how to service or repair your Mac.

In Terminal…

diskutil resetFusion

How to fix a split Fusion Drive - Apple Support

using a windows keyboard for now for the setup. Looking at the bindings I’m using windows logo key + alt + R but doesn’t bring me to the new screen to install new OS. Just bring me back to old screen to install sierra. Last night it was taking me to another screen to install Monterey. I change the time to correct but the timezone is still in PST so I put it do what PST would be now’s I’m currently in NY and unable to chnahe the time zone. Anyone able to help?

Thank you very much for this. I have just bought a mint 2017 MacBook in Gold (what a heavenly colour) and it would not install the default OS Sierra. Your instructions enabled me to install Ventura directly without a hitch and now I have a very lovely netbook. Cheers - Ray

Здравствуйте.Подскажите пожалуйста. После стирания диска пытался пере установить систему. Пишет нет подключения к серверу.Wi-Fiработает. Через загрузочную флешку пытался не видит компьютер. включаю через option не определяется в системе

Hello I need some help it’s doing the flashing folder I tried command r and now it’s starting internet recovery but when I try to install Mac OS high Sierra it says click continue so I do and then it says the recovery server could not be contacted

please help

So I’m using a windows keyboard to set up one my friend gave to me. I’m having the same issue.

do I press and hold the ALT

+windows logo key +R (on windows keyboard) to set up? Also do I do this when I restart the machine or when it boots from internet my recover to utility OS screen?

First, make sure the Mac has the correct date and time. Google “set Mac date and time with terminal “. You can access terminal from the recovery screen. If that doesn’t work, boot into recovery by holding cmd+alt+r instead of cmd+r One of those solutions should work.

 man systemsetup

SYSTEMSETUP(8)      BSD System Manager's Manual      SYSTEMSETUP(8)

NAME

   systemsetup -- configuration tool for certain machine settings in System

   Preferences.

SYNOPSIS

   systemsetup [-getdate] [-setdate mm:dd:yy] [-gettime] [-settime hh:mm:ss]

         [-gettimezone] [-listtimezones] [-settimezone timezone]

         [-getusingnetworktime] [-setusingnetworktime on | off]

         [-getnetworktimeserver] [-setnetworktimeserver timeserver]

         [-getsleep] [-setsleep minutes] [-getcomputersleep]

         [-setcomputersleep minutes] [-getdisplaysleep]

         [-setdisplaysleep minutes] [-getharddisksleep]

         [-setharddisksleep minutes] [-getwakeonmodem]

         [-setwakeonmodem on | off] [-getwakeonnetworkaccess]

         [-setwakeonnetworkaccess on | off] [-getrestartpowerfailure]

         [-setrestartpowerfailure on | off] [-getrestartfreeze]

         [-setrestartfreeze on | off]

         [-getallowpowerbuttontosleepcomputer]

         [-setallowpowerbuttontosleepcomputer on | off]

         [-getremotelogin] [-setremotelogin on | off]

         [-getremoteappleevents] [-setremoteappleevents on | off]

         [-getcomputername] [-setcomputername computername]

         [-getstartupdisk] [-liststartupdisks] [-setstartupdisk path]

         [-getwaitforstartupafterpowerfailure]

         [-setwaitforstartupafterpowerfailure value]

         [-getdisablekeyboardwhenenclosurelockisengaged]

         [-setdisablekeyboardwhenenclosurelockisengaged yes | no]

         [-getkernelbootarchitecturesetting]

         [-setkernelbootarchitecture i386 | x86_64 | default]

         [-version] [-help] [-printCommands]

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I currently have sierra 10.12.6

want to install High Sierra

can't get it done

Great news my friend, Take care! :)