Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Clean Install High Sierra

T

tomwilley

macrumors newbie
Original poster
May 18, 2008
12
2
Hi Guys,
I have a MacBook Pro late 2011 which I still use for some stuff. High Sierra is the latest OS that can run on this model. There's been so much of the software has been installed, updated, deleted over the years that it's gotten pretty clunky. What I'm looking to do is to reset and do a completely clean install. In the past I've been able to create an installer on a USB. The creation should be pretty straightforward but all the techniques seem to rely on me being able to download "Install macOS High Sierra.app" into my applications folder. But every link that I've found for High Sierra takes me straight into an install.

Anybody know where I can find "Install macOS High Sierra.app"?

Thanks,
Tom
 
You can just download the High Sierra installer from the App Store. It won’t start the actual installation process on its own; you can just quit the installer and create the thumb drive with Apple’s instructions: https://support.apple.com/HT201372
 
KALLT said:
You can just download the High Sierra installer from the App Store. It won’t start the actual installation process on its own; you can just quit the installer and create the thumb drive with Apple’s instructions: https://support.apple.com/HT201372
Click to expand...
But can you still now in 2020 download High Sierra directly from the App Store? I didn't think you could. In that link you posted there's a lot of info on how to upgrade but the actual link then given for High Sierra doesn't appear active. If one types in Sierra, High Sierra, or Mojave on the App Store the only OS which is officially displayed there now is Catalina.
Agreed there used to be direct links to download previous OS's but they now seem to be no longer active. As an example THIS was the direct link to the Apple Store to download Mojave. It's no longer active.
Could you pls supply the direct App Store link for High Sierra and also Mojave.
 
Last edited:
CooperBox said:
But can you still now in 2020 download High Sierra directly from the App Store? I didn't think you could. In that link you posted there's a lot of info on how to upgrade but the actual link then given for High Sierra doesn't appear active. If one types in Sierra, High Sierra, or Mojave on the App Store the only OS which is officially displayed there now is Catalina.
Agreed there used to be direct links to download previous OS's but they now seem to be no longer active. As an example THIS was the direct link to the Apple Store to download Mojave. It's no longer active.
Could you pls supply the direct App Store link for High Sierra and also Mojave.
Click to expand...

Screenshot 2020-05-01 at 14.23.30.png
Screenshot 2020-05-01 at 14.23.54.png
Screenshot 2020-05-01 at 14.25.41.png


Works fine for me.
 
  • Like
Reactions: CooperBox
Just tried exactly as you indicated on a MacBookPro6,1 (currently running Sierra and High Sierra compatible). Whilst on section 4, clicking on 'Get Mac OS X High Sierra' takes me to the App Store Launch application prompt:
AppstorePrompt.jpg

Clicking on that brings up the App store but Catalina is shown as available download, not High Sierra.
Catal shown.jpg

Any thoughts as to why High Sierra is not shown?
My thougts are that Apple no longer have OS`s prior to Catalina on their main App Store server, but links such as the DosDude patcher fetches earlier OS's from some other remote server.
 
CooperBox said:
Just tried exactly as you indicated on a MacBookPro6,1 (currently running Sierra and High Sierra compatible). Whilst on section 4, clicking on 'Get Mac OS X High Sierra' takes me to the App Store Launch application prompt:
View attachment 911231

Clicking on that brings up the App store but Catalina is shown as available download, not High Sierra.


Any thoughts as to why High Sierra is not shown?
My thougts are that Apple no longer have OS`s prior to Catalina on their main App Store server, but links such as the DosDude patcher fetches earlier OS's from some other remote server.
Click to expand...
It looks to me like you are using Firefox as your default browser. I booted to a external drive that has macOS Sierra, clicked the High Sierra link in Apple linked page and it worked perfectly. The difference is that I had Safari as the default browser. When I switched to Firefox as the default I saw the Launch Application box and Open Link did not work correctly. Switch to Safari for the "Default web browser:" (System Preferences...>General) and try it as a test.
 
  • Like
Reactions: CooperBox
CoastalOR said:
It looks to me like you are using Firefox as your default browser. I booted to a external drive that has macOS Sierra, clicked the High Sierra link in Apple linked page and it worked perfectly. The difference is that I had Safari as the default browser. When I switched to Firefox as the default I saw the Launch Application box and Open Link did not work correctly. Switch to Safari for the "Default web browser:" (System Preferences...>General) and try it as a test.
Click to expand...
I always use WaterFox - a fork of Firefox. Just tried your suggestion with Safari and..........it worked! Took me directly to the AppStore with High Sierra available. So many thanks for the heads-up, I've learnt something interesting. Thanks also to KALLT. :)
Fwiw, I've been on a Mac for years, and never used Safari, simply because most of the reviews I regularly check on, places FireFox as having higher security and also a higher privacy score than Safari. And that's ok by me, except perhaps when I may require an earlier OS....... ;)
 
  • Like
Reactions: CoastalOR
CooperBox said:
Just tried exactly as you indicated on a MacBookPro6,1 (currently running Sierra and High Sierra compatible). Whilst on section 4, clicking on 'Get Mac OS X High Sierra' takes me to the App Store Launch application prompt:
View attachment 911231

Clicking on that brings up the App store but Catalina is shown as available download, not High Sierra.
View attachment 911232

Any thoughts as to why High Sierra is not shown?
My thougts are that Apple no longer have OS`s prior to Catalina on their main App Store server, but links such as the DosDude patcher fetches earlier OS's from some other remote server.
Click to expand...

My Late 2008 unibody MacBook with Mojave can download full installers for HS, Mojave and Catalina straight from the App Store. Just another reason why Mojave is still the King even on unsupported Macs.
 
You cannot do this on a Catalina machine, those Apple links open the App Store but then SysPrefs - Software Update-, will not allow the download. Use the link the second poster put up, follow the instructions using DosDude, only you will only being downloading High Sierra for example, and then terminating DosDude, unless you intend to use that hack. I only wanted the High Sierra install. Works fine.
 
edenorchestra said:
You cannot do this on a Catalina machine, those Apple links open the App Store but then SysPrefs - Software Update-, will not allow the download. Use the link the second poster put up, follow the instructions using DosDude, only you will only being downloading High Sierra for example, and then terminating DosDude, unless you intend to use that hack. I only wanted the High Sierra install. Works fine.
Click to expand...

Actually you can download the High Sierra (10.13.6) on a system running Catalina 10.15.6 without needing to use DosDude patcher. It could be the case where it won’t work on machines too new to be able to install High Sierra. In my case, my 2015 13” MacBookPro can run High Sierra and I am able to download the installer.

Screen Shot 2020-09-07 at 10.46.09 AM.png


Screen Shot 2020-09-07 at 10.46.22 AM.png
 
Last edited:
KALLT said:
You can just download the High Sierra installer from the App Store. It won’t start the actual installation process on its own; you can just quit the installer and create the thumb drive with Apple’s instructions: https://support.apple.com/HT201372
Click to expand...

CoastalOR said:
Switch to Safari for the "Default web browser:" (System Preferences...>General) and try it as a test.
Click to expand...

Many thanks, the link and switching to Safari enabled me to download High Sierra. :)
 
  • Like
Reactions: CoastalOR
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back