I tried installing mavericks and i always get "This copy of the Install OS X Mavericks application can't be verified. It may have been corrupted or tampered with during downloading."

Question

I tried installing mavericks and i always get "This copy of the Install OS X Mavericks application can't be verified. It may have been corrupted or tampered with during downloading."

OK, so I need to reinstall 10.9 Mavericks to my Mac Pro from a USB stick ... it worked once a while ago, but I need to do it again, but it will not now work. I get the error: "This copy of the Install OS X Mavericks application can't be verified. It may have been corrupted or tampered with during downloading." I have already looked at the date & time in terminal mode and they are correct, nothing to change there, so that common "fix" won't help.

Is there some patch or utility to fix whatever is wrong with the installer file or do I need to obtain a fresh copy? If so, I can't figure out to obtain a new OSX 10.9 download ... I've read through these many threads, but don't see a method to download a fresh copy of the Mavericks installer to correct whatever the issue is. The Mac App Store no longer has 10.9 Mavericks available to download ... is there a link to another location on the Apple site to obtain it?

Thanks in advance for any ideas.

PS: I've already run a disk repair and a permissions repair, so not sure what else to look for.

Posted on Mar 20, 2016 6:24 AM

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Answer 1

Best reply

spudnuty

Level 5

7,116 points

Mar 28, 2016 4:22 AM in response to Lee Warren 500

I've been having the:

“This copy of the Install OS X Mavericks application can’t be verified. It may have been corrupted or tampered with during downloading”problem in the last month. A friend pointed out to me this site:

• PSA: Updated Apple Certificates means old OS X Installers do not work anymore - Ars Technica:

http://arstechnica.com/apple/2016/03/psa-updated-apple-certificate-means-old -os-x-installers-dont-work-anymore/

So the certificate for those installers ran out on Feb. 16th. I saw on another site the fix was to set the date time to a time before the expiration date.

If I'm booted into the USB installer I turn off Wi-Fi and disconnect the Ethernet cable. I open up utilities - terminal and type in:

"date 0202020216"

Hit enter. Now the computer thinks it's Feb 2nd at 2:02 AM, 2016. Fourteen days before the certificate expires.

This worked with a .dmg file while booted into Lion and when booted into my old bootable USB stick.

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Answer 2

Mar 28, 2016 4:22 AM in response to Lee Warren 500

My Mavericks installer download also failed (on 2016-03-20). In the App store I looked at Purchases and Mavericks is still there. I am downloading it now. As a side note I got the same error today from Mountain Lion (which had worked twice before) and Yosemite. Looks like I'm sticking with Snow Leopard unless this Mavericks download works.

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Answer 3

Mar 28, 2016 4:22 AM in response to spudnuty

Wow ... this actually worked ... thanks!

It makes perfect sense that the old installer needs to see a date prior to its expiration ... the trick was know that it occurred and what that date was ... thank you again!

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Answer 4

spudnuty

Level 5

7,116 points

Mar 28, 2016 4:22 AM in response to Lee Warren 500

Yup, thanks. This problem was driving me crazy until a bud in Alaska sent me a link about a possible solution. Everything Mac I have is running Mavericks.

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Answer 5

K Shaffer

Level 7

34,996 points

Mar 28, 2016 4:31 AM in response to spudnuty

Glad to hear of this apparent solution to what may be a common problem, at

least for users who had reason to keep Mavericks 10.9.5 and their associated

applications in the running, and re-install. Also to get and keep whatever last

copy of the full download you can get, while you can; & make bootable clones.

Good luck & happy computing! 🙂

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