When trying to reinstall High Sierra, I get the message "The recovery server could not be contacted" in two different locations so it's not the internet connection which is the block. I'm told date & time on my "down" MacBook has to be correct but, without an operating system functioning, I can't check. Any assistance would be greatly appreciated.
MacBook Air 13″, macOS 10.14
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.
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Reinstalling MacOS High Sierra on 2019 MacBook: "The recovery server could not be contacted"
