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Hi
I have a Macbook Pro early 2010. Disk has been wiped. I tried to format it as APFS and MacOS Extended Journaled
I try to run the internet recovery and it offers me to install MacOS Sierra. However whenI try to install it it always says Couldn't connect to recovery server. Wifi is ok.
I am unable no matter what to install MacOS on this system and its beginning to be tiresome
Earlier Mac models
" I partitioned the disks, I tried APFS and MacOs Extended, but I don't think this has anything to do with my probkem."
Partitioning a drive means to Divide the Drive into more than one Disk
Partitioning a drive and formatting the drive in either APFS to macOS Extended will require giving it the GUID Partition Map
Unless this computer has a SSD Drive and Not a Rotational Drive it can use the APFS / GUID
But if this is a Rotational Drive for High High Sierra macOS 10. 13 - it will Require macOS Extended / GUID Partition Map
Use Disk Utility to erase an Intel-based Mac - Apple Support (CA)
How to reinstall macOS - Apple Support (CA)
Macbook Pro early 2010 will require MacOS extended to install 10.13
Start up from macOS Recovery
Option-⌘-R
Upgrade to the latest macOS compatible with your Mac.
APFS won't work for Sierra, Sierra 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.
https://discussions.apple.com/thread/254793247?answerId=258936149022#258936149022
Clean Install of High Sierra: Multiple Fa… - Apple Community
Then suggest the " Scorched Earth Method "
This method will WIPE ALL Data and there is No DATA Recovery - Period.
To perform this action will require booting from a Bootable Installer.
The Bootable Installer can Only be performed on an Apple Computer
This will have to be performed from a Qualifying Computer to run the version of macOS to be made on the Bootable Installer. Example : Bootable Installer of High Sierra would have to be done on a computer that Qualifies to run High Sierra.
Notation: If the computer being used to perform this action is Too New or Too Old to qualify to run the version of macOS - this computer can not be used.
Alternative is, to gain access to a Qualifying Apple Computer from a family member, friend or associate.
1 - Shutdown computer and disconnect all external drive Except the newly created Bootable Installer.
2- Restart and immediately hold the OPTION key until the Startup Manager appears and choose the USB Drive.
3 - It will present options >> Disk Utilities >> View >> View ALL attached Drives.
4 - Choose the Upper Most Drive ( not the volumes indented and list below ).
5 - Formatting for macOS 10.13 High Sierra and below requires HFS Journaled with the GUID Partition Map
6 - Once that is done >> backup out of Disk Utilities and choose install macOS.
7 - Follow the prompts and it may automatically reboot several time.
8 - Upon a final reboot - Setup Assist will present with the newer version of macOS.
i don't have any of those options available. None around has a MacOS Computer (lucky guys)
I downloaded the HighSierra DMG image file from a support article on the Apple site. This one:
How to download and install macOS - Apple Support
Here you have links to some versions that you can download with the browser. they give you a DMG file. I checked the image and there's a PKG file.
But to create a bootable USB you can't use the PKG file. So there's no simple way to do this at all outside a Mac. Or maybe from the recovery terminal. I am UNIX/Linux savvy enough, but if there's no way to unpack that PKG file then I won't be able to create the bootable USB
My notes on Sierra...
Sierra won’t install to SSD, thanks to Eau Rouge…
https://discussions.apple.com/thread/251358124?answerId=252770772022#252770772022
Open Terminal (Applications/ Utilities) now copy and paste this command into the Terminal window,
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
Hi,
No, I can start macOs Recovery succesfully over the Internet. I use the Option - Command - R combination. Asks for a Wifi SSID and password, and then when it boots, I add the Wifi credentials again.
I partitioned the disks, I tried APFS and MacOs Extended, but I don't think this has anything to do with my probkem.
Then there's the "Reinstall MacOs" option, and invites me to install High Sierra, which I presume is the last one available for this Mac, as its a 2010 one.
When I press "Continue" it displays a box on the top saying "the recovery server could not be contacted", but the Wifi is setup properly, as pings using the terminal come up just fine.
Thank you
Hi
Correct, it has a SSD disk, for such reason I believe using APFS is more appropiate. But either way, APFS or macOS Extended, High Sierra installer won't connect to the recovery server as shown on the image above.
I have followed the partition instructions just as told. And it makes no sense that the installer doesn't connect to the server because of this. The problem is somewhere else.
I ran terminal, ran some pings to apple.com, all OK, but installer won't connect to the recovery server.
Thank you.
I have the feeling people here don't read my description properly.
I have done all that. Option-Command-R, partition as APFS or macOS Extended Journaled. I tried both. None of them make me pass through the "the recovery server could not be contacted"
I have read that article too.
It doesn't work. Does even Apple support the recovery of this Operative System at all?
I have tried all these methods
Just noticed there's a log on the MacOs Installer view section
Aug 1 14:10:18 MacBook-Pro opendirectoryd[186]: [session] UID: 0, EUID: 0, GID: 0, EGID: 0
Aug 1 14:10:18 MacBook-Pro opendirectoryd[186]: [session] ODNodeRelease request, NodeID: DDB439AE-454B-4F3D-B009-469BA19D189C
Aug 1 14:10:18 MacBook-Pro opendirectoryd[186]: [session] ODNodeRelease completed
Aug 1 14:11:36 MacBook-Pro osinstallersetupd[564]: Using product <OSISPredicateUpdateInstallerProduct: 0x7fee29429fa0> at distance 25
Aug 1 14:11:36 MacBook-Pro osinstallersetupd[564]: OSISPredicateUpdateProduct: OS Installation Payload: Timed out loading catalog
Aug 1 14:11:36 MacBook-Pro osinstallersetupd[564]: OSISPredicateUpdateProduct: OS Installation Payload: No products found.
Aug 1 14:11:36 MacBook-Pro osinstallersetupd[564]: Predicate update product fetch failed with error: Error Domain=com.apple.OSInstallerSetup.error Code=300 "The recovery server could not be contacted." UserInfo={NSLocalizedDescription=The recovery server could not be contacted.}
To my guess Apple just doesn't provide this version anymore through the recovery. Which is a complete joke
Yes. I know the Bootable USB method @P. Philips. But I can't do this. I have no other Mac computers, just a Windows computer.
Seriously. This is an extreme joke. The only way I could try to do this is from the Terminal of the recovery mode.
I already downloaded the High Sierra DMG file, but there's only a pkg file there. Not an App file to do this process.
I guess a pkg file is just those files compressed to install. But I obviously can't do this on the Recovery
Apple is definitely giving me a hard time headache to do something simple that has been ever possible to do on other operative systems
Can you point aother method. Or a method to make the bootable USB using the terminal of the recovery mode?
Thank you
alb2001_ wrote:
Just noticed there's a log on the MacOs Installer view section
Aug 1 14:10:18 MacBook-Pro opendirectoryd[186]: [session] UID: 0, EUID: 0, GID: 0, EGID: 0
Aug 1 14:10:18 MacBook-Pro opendirectoryd[186]: [session] ODNodeRelease request, NodeID: DDB439AE-454B-4F3D-B009-469BA19D189C
Aug 1 14:10:18 MacBook-Pro opendirectoryd[186]: [session] ODNodeRelease completed
Aug 1 14:11:36 MacBook-Pro osinstallersetupd[564]: Using product <OSISPredicateUpdateInstallerProduct: 0x7fee29429fa0> at distance 25
Aug 1 14:11:36 MacBook-Pro osinstallersetupd[564]: OSISPredicateUpdateProduct: OS Installation Payload: Timed out loading catalog
Aug 1 14:11:36 MacBook-Pro osinstallersetupd[564]: OSISPredicateUpdateProduct: OS Installation Payload: No products found.
Aug 1 14:11:36 MacBook-Pro osinstallersetupd[564]: Predicate update product fetch failed with error: Error Domain=com.apple.OSInstallerSetup.error Code=300 "The recovery server could not be contacted." UserInfo={NSLocalizedDescription=The recovery server could not be contacted.}
To my guess Apple just doesn't provide this version anymore through the recovery. Which is a complete joke
Yes. I know the Bootable USB method @P. Philips. But I can't do this. I have no other Mac computers, just a Windows computer.
Notation: If the computer being used to perform this action is Too New or Too Old to qualify to run the version of macOS - this computer can not be used.
Alternative is, to gain access to a Qualifying Apple Computer from a family member, friend or associate.
Seriously. This is an extreme joke. The only way I could try to do this is from the Terminal of the recovery mode.
I already downloaded the High Sierra DMG file, but there's only a pkg file there. Not an App file to do this process.
About 1 year ago, things do change at Apple.
I download the Full Version of High Sierra from a Qualifying machine circa 201 Mac Mini Running OS X 10.13 High Sierra
Was successful in creating the Bootable Installer no issue
I guess a pkg file is just those files compressed to install. But I obviously can't do this on the Recovery
Apple is definitely giving me a hard time headache to do something simple that has been ever possible to do on other operative systems
Can you point aother method. Or a method to make the bootable USB using the terminal of the recovery mode?
Thank you
" I already downloaded the High Sierra DMG file, " High Sierra Full Installer Application does not come in a DMG files format.
So I do not know where you are downloading this or have download this file from.
So based upon the provided info as being accurate - this does draw into question the actual source of this High Sierra Installer
Yes, OS X Sierra 10.12 and below would come in DMG format
There's a tool called pkgutil, I was able to use this tool to unpack the pkg file (there is another one called xar but this one didn't work)
So by using pkgutil using an argument --extract-full instead of --extract (because --extract-ful isn't even displayed --help) I was able to extract the contents of the pkg file just like this:
pkgutil --expand-full <PATH_TO_PKG> <FOLDER_TO_EXTRACT_TO>
If you don't use the --expand-full option, the Payload folder won't have all the contents needed
So from there I ran the createinstallmedia using the --volume and --application path just to guess what! run into a new problem
It said that the macOS Sierra.app (which is a directory at all) was not a valid MacOS Installer file
Honestly, I thought this could be due to not using the standard installation methods that you usually do where it copies itself to the Applications directory
Unfortunately, this is a bug on the release itself. Bravo Apple. Love you, I don't understand how people blindly follow this company.
This guy explains the process (he exactly has the same release version as I do, from 2019. we are in 2023)
https://krieger.io/creating-bootable-macos-sierra-installation-media-on-macos-catalina/
Long story short: the InstallESD.dmg file is missing from the Contents/SharedSupport directory. So you have to copy it manually there. Then you have to change a version number from the Info.plist file.
Just impressive, this guy did a great work of reverse engineering.
This leads me to believe that resorting to a "friend" or "family" member to get this installed would have yielded the same results, as the issue was from the relase itself.
@P. Phillips. You are right, things chaned at Apple. To worse, no doubt. I am just impressed on how these older devices are no meant to repair, or reinstall
I have just managed to create the USB installer. Lets see which new problems arise (had to modify a few things on the release, so lets see to which new problems this leads me)
Actually, I just created a second Bootable Installer on a second 16 GB flashdrive
To double check and pardon the pun Tested both and yes they work
The instructions on making the Bootable Installer were included in earlier posting
By the way. I noticed that Apple only offers dmg for Sierra, and not High Sierra. The dmg that fails is the Sierra one. Wonder why they don't offer High Sierra (which is newer and compatible with this MacOS). I mixed up those
I do know installing OSX Sierra is problematic at best and creating a Bootable Installer is equally problematic.
To be honest , to get this right, my More Learned Colleague has way better insights to achieve this than me.
Shall observe quietly and hope to learn from @BDAqua on this one
the recovery server could not be contacted