Cannot proceed with MacOS install - cannot log into Mac App Store in Recovery Mode

[Fishrrman]

OP:

Again, you have never told us WHAT YEAR the iMac was made.
Having that knowledge changes everything.

If you were able to download the Mavericks OS installer, I suggest you try BOTH of these:
DiskMaker X:

http://diskmakerx.com/downloads/DiskMaker_X_503.dmg

Install Disk Creator:

Make a Bootable USB macOS Installer Download the update for Big Sur compatibility -

What’s needed for a clean install on a Mac A backup of the disk before it’s erased. Two options are to use Duplicate (a free utility which can copy and paste an entire bootable volume), or Mac Backup Guru (a paid, fully featured backup utility with unique incremental backups capability) for...

macdaddy.io

Use a USB flash drive that is 16gb or larger. (8gb -might- work).

The version of DiskMaker I linked to is the one for Mavericks.
I'm NOT SURE if the Install Disk Creator app will work for Mavericks, but if DiskMaker fails, try IDC anyway, just to see.

 

[iSpunk]

I just wiped and reinstalled the OS on a 2011 MacBook Pro I'm looking to sell. For some reason it would not connect to download High Sierra. I had to boot into installing Lion. The old version of Safari and the App Store would not connect to anything Apple. I had to download an old version of the Chrome browser. From there I was able to download El Capistan. After that it was Sierra which allowed me to get onto the App Store to download High Sierra. That was a fun couple of hours.

 

[MitzEclipse]

Make sure that your USB drive is erased to Mac OS Extended (Journaled) with a GUID Partition Map. If the drive is formatted as APFS Etcher will hang (this is undoubtedly an Etcher bug).

Thank you - I have done this (see screenshot) and I still cannot get Etcher to flash the drive - just hangs!

 

[MitzEclipse]

OP:

Again, you have never told us WHAT YEAR the iMac was made.
Having that knowledge changes everything.

If you were able to download the Mavericks OS installer, I suggest you try BOTH of these:
DiskMaker X:

http://diskmakerx.com/downloads/DiskMaker_X_503.dmg

Install Disk Creator:

Make a Bootable USB macOS Installer Download the update for Big Sur compatibility -

What’s needed for a clean install on a Mac A backup of the disk before it’s erased. Two options are to use Duplicate (a free utility which can copy and paste an entire bootable volume), or Mac Backup Guru (a paid, fully featured backup utility with unique incremental backups capability) for...

macdaddy.io

Use a USB flash drive that is 16gb or larger. (8gb -might- work).

The version of DiskMaker I linked to is the one for Mavericks.
I'm NOT SURE if the Install Disk Creator app will work for Mavericks, but if DiskMaker fails, try IDC anyway, just to see.

I don't know what year - where do I see this? it says at the bottom: designed by apple in california copyright 2008 - is that what you're looking for?

I downloaded DiskMaker X - does not open (see screenshot)

I downloaded Install Disk Creator - cannot get the drive to flash (see screenshots)

 

[Grumpus]

Etcher is hanging because you're formatting the USB drive as APFS. On the line that says "Format:" click the blue arrows on the right to pop up the menu. Then scroll down and select Mac OS Extended (Journaled). Just below that, make sure that the "Scheme:" says GUID Partition Map. The "Name:" doesn't really matter, as long as there is one, because Etcher will change the name by writing the ISO to the drive.

 

[MitzEclipse]

Etcher is hanging because you're formatting the USB drive as APFS. On the line that says "Format:" click the blue arrows on the right to pop up the menu. Then scroll down and select Mac OS Extended (Journaled). Just below that, make sure that the "Scheme:" says GUID Partition Map. The "Name:" doesn't really matter, as long as there is one, because Etcher will change the name by writing the ISO to the drive.

Thank you! sorry this is way outside my tech competence so didn't catch that earlier... Etcher is now flashing...will report back

 

[MitzEclipse]

Thank you @Grumpus I used Etcher flashed with the Mavericks ISO and booted from the USB drive. Then I changed the date to: date 100821002014 and now the OS is installing...want to get this operational up to El Capitan!

 

[startergo]

Thank you @Grumpus I used Etcher flashed with the Mavericks ISO and booted from the USB drive. Then I changed the date to: date 100821002014 and now the OS is installing...want to get this operational up to El Capitan!

I am just puzzled why did you need Mavericks? If you just wanted EC why didn't you download the image from Apple? Then with the script I provided it would have created you the USB installer straight on any machine. You could have created the USB with MIST as well directly.

 

[Grumpus]

...You could have created the USB with MIST as well directly.

When run on AS hardware, Mist can't create USBs or ISOs for anything older than Big Sur.

 

[MitzEclipse]

I am just puzzled why did you need Mavericks? If you just wanted EC why didn't you download the image from Apple? Then with the script I provided it would have created you the USB installer straight on any machine. You could have created the USB with MIST as well directly.

Thank you as well @startergo for your support. I was looking for Mavericks as this is the OS that was on the iMac.
I now have Mavericks fully installed and updating the mandatory updates via the Mac App Store.

 

[startergo]

When run on AS hardware, Mist can't create USBs or ISOs for anything older than Big Sur.

Interesting. How about creating a zsh terminal for Rosetta and run the CLI interface of mist there?

 

[Grumpus]

Interesting. How about creating a zsh terminal for Rosetta and run the CLI interface of mist there?

I haven't gotten around to trying out mist-cli yet, so I don't know if it has the same limitations on AS hardware. Mist can download installation apps for old OS X versions even on AS hardware, it's just that it can't directly make install USBs or ISOs. But, I've managed to manually create USB installers for Mojave and Mountain Lion from apps downloaded by Mist. I already had Rosetta installed before I did this.