Problem reinstalling OS X Lion

I am installing a different hdd in a Macbook Pro to give to friend. After highest security (7 pass) erase on the original disk, then install of MacOS Sierra I decided to go ahead and upgrade it to a larger used hdd. So after installing the drive and using internet recovery to perform the erase/highest security, I kept getting the error: "UNTRUSTED_CERT_TITLE", when trying to reinstall MacOS... (-_Q) #facepalm

I am SO thankful to @snevas for the information:

"The certificate couldn't be verified because a wrong system time (mine was reset to 31/12/2000). You can check by executing `date` from the terminal (is located under the utilities).

To fix the date execute: `date MMDDHHMMYY` (M=Month, D=Day, H=Hour in 24-hour notation, M=Minute and Y=last 2 digits of year).

After this you can install Mac OS..."

You are so right @snevas!!! I am installing Mac OS Sierra on that machine as I type my elated response!!!

Blessings!!!! 🙂 😀 🙂

I get this untrusted cert error BUT I can't find the place to fix the date. Under the apple it just says to shut off/restart there's a Language Chooser and then the US language, WiFi battery life. Please help

I am so sorry for the delay in replying to this... Here's what might help:

"To start up from macOS Recovery, hold down Command (⌘)-R immediately after turning on or restarting your Mac. Release when you see the Apple logo."

(from: About macOS Recovery - Apple Support)

then look across the top of the window for the drop down "Menu" items... "Utilities" is one of those drop down menus from which you can select "Terminal"...

Here is the command you would enter in the "Terminal" app available from the "Utilities" menu in the menu bar while in Internet Recovery Mode:

date MMDDHHMMYY

(where M=Month, D=Day, H=Hour in 24-hour notation, M=Minute and Y=last 2 digits of year)

EXAMPLE:

If we were performing/entering this command in Terminal at 1:45pm (i.e. 13:45) on 11/21/2016, we would enter the following command at the cursor in the Terminal app (without the quotes):

"date 1121134516"

and then hit "enter".

Now that the system date and time has been corrected, we could try again to reinstall the OS, by choosing "Reinstall macOS" and if the certificate error was due to incorrect date/time, the reinstall should now proceed without a problem. (See the Apple knowledge base article: About macOS Recovery - Apple Support for additional information that might be helpful.

I sure hope this helps!

Blessings! 🙂 MegH

Are you running this from a USB stick containing the Lion install and Recovery files or from the Recovery HD partition on the internal drive?

Also the Recovery HD system included on the internal drive is called Lion Recovery and if you upgraded to Mt Lion then it is called OS X Recovery. So if you are looking at a screen that says OS X Recovery did you at one time install Mt Lion on that system?

If you did the only way to ge back to Lion is to Wipe the drive and reinstall Lion clean. It can't be installed over the top of Mt Lion.

I am installing a different hdd in a Macbook Pro to give to friend. After highest security (7 pass) erase on the original disk, then install of MacOS Sierra I decided to go ahead and upgrade it to a larger used hdd. So after installing the drive and using internet recovery to perform the erase/highest security, I kept getting the error: "UNTRUSTED_CERT_TITLE", when trying to reinstall MacOS... (-_Q) #facepalm

I am SO thankful to @snevas for the information:

"The certificate couldn't be verified because a wrong system time (mine was reset to 31/12/2000). You can check by executing `date` from the terminal (is located under the utilities).

To fix the date execute: `date MMDDHHMMYY` (M=Month, D=Day, H=Hour in 24-hour notation, M=Minute and Y=last 2 digits of year).

After this you can install Mac OS..."

You are so right @snevas!!! I am installing Mac OS Sierra on that machine as I type my elated response!!!

Blessings!!!!

Excellent, thanks so much, worked great! Found your answer almost immediately after encountering the problem. Saved me a bunch of frustration re-installing Sierra. The date had been reset to about 1 year earlier due to replacing the internal SSD which involves disconnecting the battery for a few minutes. I wonder why? Maybe there is a dedicated clock battery that is dying? It's a 2011 MacBook Air.

Wow guys, after a hour of trying I finally figured out what the problem was!

The certificate couldn't be verified because a wrong system time (mine was reset to 31/12/2000). You can check by executing `date` from the terminal (is located under the utilities).

To fix the date execute: `date MMDDHHMMYY` (M=Month, D=Day, H=Hour in 24-hour notation, M=Minute and Y=last 2 digits of year).

After this you can install Mac OS X (in my case Mavericks).

It surpises me that there arn't alot of poeple who encounter this issue. I encountered it during web install and a USB installation I created from the InstallESD.dmg/BaseSystem.dmg .

Could you explain how to do this in greater detail? Struggling with it!!

I am ****** this was the problem, but just happy to have a solution. Thanks OP!

Thanks, I hit this issue too. Saved me a ton of time trying to figure it out.

Thank you! I was worried for a sec when I was rebooting. I did this and it worked!

Thank you for sharing your method, @snevas! I had the same 'untrusted_cert_file' error and I tried changing the dates and macOS Sierra is now being installed!

You are awesome. Thank you