Software Update failing on High Sierra: (NSURLErrorDomain error -1012.)

When I try to run Software Update (on High Sierra), I get the following error:

"An error has occurred / This operation couldn't be completed. / (NSURLErrorDomain error -1012.)"

I've been trying a few solutions I've found here and on google, but I don't want to make the problem worse by trying something more complicated that I don't fully understand, so guidance would be appreciated.

I noticed I've had a few 'network' related errors popping up in different places the last few weeks, so I think this is another one, and I suspect they are all part of the same problem. Hopefully these can give you a clue:

-screen sharing (with Apple support) won't connect any more. it says it's connected but they see nothing.

-adding new accounts in SystemPreferences>InternetAccounts fails to load remote web content.

-when I connect new iPhone 15 - 7.0.3, high sierra will prompt to install update to support the device, but the download fails to establish after I click to install.

-High Sierra installer 1) downloaded from Mac App Store or 2) from Recovery Install, both fail to connect to servers during attempted installations.

-and now software update.

As a test, I installed a clean High Sierra on another drive (same Macbook Pro) and 4 of those 5 issues don't occur on the clean system. I can't test screen sharing or I might be 5 for 5.

I tried reinstalling High Sierra on top of itself (on the problem system), but I still get the same errors afterward.

I tried a different internet connection, but no change.

I have NO VPN.

I have tried with built-In firewall disabled.

I have Little Snitch, but it's disabled.

Ideas?

Help?

MacBook Pro 17″

Posted on Oct 21, 2023 10:21 AM

Top-ranking reply

Scott Bernard Author

Level 1

46 points

Posted on Nov 15, 2023 2:35 PM

Scott Bernard wrote:

Well, we sort of finally found the problem, and I have a painful working solution to get around it, since we can't fix it.

Well, I have to revise my earlier post after further testing revealed some things, and other helpful users gave some really good instruction.

The big discovery since my earlier post:

***ALL High Sierra Clean Installs come with the errors/problem... ...until you restart it once.***

Everything below is revised to reflect this.

We sort of finally found the main problem, and I have a working solution to get around it, since we can't fix it.

If you are on High Sierra and none of the other "(NSURLErrorDomain error -1012.)" threads fixes have worked for you, keep reading.

The Problem:

It seems there is something local stopping connections to at least swscan.apple.com, but we don't know what/where it is in order to fix it in-place.

Do you have the same problem?

1. First, I suspect you have to be on High Sierra to have this problem. I installed multiple Mojaves and they were all error-free.

2. Second, take a look at these related errors to the main problem. Errors 1-3 are the easiest to test for, but maybe some of the other errors already look familiar.

1) Can't add Google or Yahoo email accounts to Internet Accounts pane.

2) Software Update failing on High Sierra: (NSURLErrorDomain error -1012.) (this thread)

3) iOS 17 iPhone 12 not showing up on 2009 iMac iTunes.*

*make sure you have the latest iTunes version if you test. On High Sierra this should be 12.8.3. For some users, this version never appeared in the App Store software Updates section. Get it here: Download iTunes 12.8.3 for Mac

4) Can't download High Sierra full installer.

5) other unspecified "server" or "connection" errors.

3. Third, do 1-3 occur together? If you have 1 or 2 of the errors, but a 3rd one works fine, you likely don't have the problem described above, and this solution would be overkill.

The Solution:

1. The eventual workaround is to install a clean copy of High Sierra.
2. Migrate your users and data into the clean copy, but to avoid ugly permissions problems, try following the outline found here: Is there a difference in results between Migration Assistant app and 'Transfer Information' option during OS installation?
3. The High Sierra installer installs an older version of iTunes. You want to install the latest version of iTunes or you may have device connection issues. On High Sierra this should be 12.8.3. Get it here: Download iTunes 12.8.3 for Mac
4. Check the App Store software Updates section to see if the error is gone. If it's NOT gone, don't panic, just restart your system once, and check again.

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49 replies

BDAqua

Level 10

250,253 points

Oct 22, 2023 5:16 PM in response to BDAqua

I believe you can delete any with a red X because they're not going to work unless you override & self sign them, but do you have a backup?

I'd try adding the new ones first & see how that works.

Oct 22, 2023 10:21 PM in response to BDAqua

BDAqua wrote:

I wonder if a brody forgot his cure‽

Resolving NSURLErrorDomain error -1012 - Apple Community

I gave this a run, as much as I could since I don't have all the plists. It actually made the error pop up faster, but it's still the same error.

Oct 30, 2023 5:14 PM in response to a brody

a brody wrote:

Scott, I'm sorry, but we can't comment on installing unsupported software.

I just want my functional High Sierra back. I don't want Mojave. But I felt the results of that testing might provide some clue to somebody.

a brody

Level 10

85,296 points

Oct 30, 2023 6:42 PM in response to Scott Bernard

Ultimately you may be right. The installer could be flawed in some way from Apple. How it originally downloaded.

Apple hosts its installers in the Cloud. What that means is it has multiple server farms in different part of the world. Whichever has the least network traffic at the time of download is tapped into.

I can tell you that I didn't get the High Sierra installer to work on an external hard disk of mine that was running Sierra. I expect because my 2015 MacBook Pro has a firmware installed on its SSD that blocks High Sierra or Mojave from being used. I need to at some point locate the original SSD that doesn't have the firmware on it.

It complains the firmware is wrong on the volume I am trying to install it on.

a brody

Level 10

85,296 points

Oct 30, 2023 6:43 PM in response to Scott Bernard

The only date I would recommend i the date of Mojave's release. There is no reason for it to be upset about it with any version of HIgh Sierra. The downloaded release may actually be a full 10.13.6, meaning it would need to be a little newer than the last patch released of 10.13.6.

Oct 31, 2023 10:47 PM in response to a brody

a brody wrote:

Ultimately you may be right. The installer could be flawed in some way from Apple. How it originally downloaded.

I can tell you that I didn't get the High Sierra installer to work on an external hard disk of mine that was running Sierra. I expect because my 2015 MacBook Pro has a firmware installed on its SSD that blocks High Sierra or Mojave from being used. I need to at some point locate the original SSD that doesn't have the firmware on it.

It complains the firmware is wrong on the volume I am trying to install it on.

I actually didn't think of redownloading the High Sierra installer and trying it again. Probably worth trying, but it won't explain the original system going bad before I ever downloaded an installer. It may take me a few days to test as I'm making a huge backup right now.

If I learned correctly, a Mojave install would require an APFS volume, but I thought High Sierra could do either MacOS Extended Journaled or APFS. I can't imagine Apple would force APFS for High Sierra, but if testing says otherwise, then I'm wrong.

Nov 1, 2023 9:16 AM in response to a brody

BDAqua wrote:

I'm running Mohave on a MacOS Extended Journal external drive right now,

I was 100% sure that wasn't possible intil you said that.

a brody wrote:

I can tell you that I didn't get the High Sierra installer to work on an external hard disk of mine that was running Sierra. I expect because my 2015 MacBook Pro has a firmware installed on its SSD that blocks High Sierra or Mojave from being used. I need to at some point locate the original SSD that doesn't have the firmware on it.

It complains the firmware is wrong on the volume I am trying to install it on.

Ignore my previous reply, I misunderstood.

Were you installing High Sierra while booted into Sierra, or did you find a way to boot from a higher OS and successfully run the installer, pointed at the Sierra drive? Or were you on a bootable installer?

I'm asking because I tried to install Sierra to do some testing, and had issues. Two different bootable installers were happy to START the installation, but when I get to the restart step, my machine absolutely refuses to boot off the Sierra drive so it can finish installation. If I boot back into either bootable installer and open up Startup Disk, it can see the Sierra drive and select it fine. But boot up just picks another drive every time.

BDAqua

Level 10

250,253 points

Nov 1, 2023 9:47 AM in response to Scott Bernard

Yep, & funny thing is Civ5 game will play on Mojave HFS+, but not on the HFS+ cloned to an APFS Drive‽??

It very well may be that the later Mojave installers require APFS, like versions that include the Security Update 2020-004 or 005, like build 18G5033 or earlier...

Nov 11, 2023 5:41 PM in response to BDAqua

BDAqua wrote:

Whew... I wonder f t's juat a Certificate issue?

If you check the horrible long read link, we tried all of that already.

Edit: I lied. I don't see it here. I was hitting this from multiple angles, so I think it's in a different thread, but it WAS all tried.

Edit 2: It was THIS thread. Just go back a page. LOL

a brody

Level 10

85,296 points

Oct 21, 2023 7:13 PM in response to a brody

Plugins for Safari are also likely to no longer be supported, as Apple only supports Safari on Monterey, Sonoma and Ventura.

BDAqua

Level 10

250,253 points

Oct 22, 2023 8:31 AM in response to Scott Bernard

I wonder if a brody forgot his cure‽

Resolving NSURLErrorDomain error -1012 - Apple Community

Of course it may be a bit diff in 10.13.6...

BDAqua

Level 10

250,253 points

Oct 22, 2023 5:13 PM in response to Scott Bernard

I believe you can delete any with a red X, but do you have a backup?

I'd try adding the new ones first & see how that works.

Oct 22, 2023 6:49 PM in response to BDAqua

BDAqua wrote:

I'd try adding the new ones first & see how that works.

Did that, restarted, tested Software Update and a few of my other suspicious issue, and no change.

BDAqua

Level 10

250,253 points

Oct 22, 2023 9:15 PM in response to Scott Bernard

Franky, I'm currently at a loss, will mull, but hopefully we get other help in here.

Oct 23, 2023 7:01 PM in response to BDAqua

I also found a thread about a similar problem, where the guy had Apple servers blocked in his private>etc>hosts file.

Sadly, my hosts file was fine.

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Software Update failing on High Sierra: (NSURLErrorDomain error -1012.)