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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

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49 replies

a brody

Level 10

84,005 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.

a brody

Level 10

84,005 points

Nov 1, 2023 4:08 AM in response to Scott Bernard

High Sierra will only do APFS on solid state drives. While you can format with Disk Utility HFS Extended GUID initially, you will want to reformat it APFS again before installing HIgh Sierra on a solid state computer. I've seen situations where that clears bugs in installers too.

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

245,183 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...