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Mac OS Catalina can't download

Rimmsi

Rimmsi

macrumors regular
Original poster
Jun 19, 2021
200
69
Czech Republic
Hi, can you please advise me. I have the latest MacOS Mojave installed on my MBP Mid 2015 and I want to install MacOS Catalina on an external drive, but I can't download the disk image from the App store, the attempt to open it ends with this window. Don't know what the problem may be? Thank you.
 

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the sceenshot shows software for iOS (not Mac OS).
On your MBP go to:
preferences>software updates .
Catalina should show up there.

If not , you can find it here:

How to download and install macOS - Apple Support

Download and install current or previous versions of the Mac operating system on compatible Mac computers.
support.apple.com support.apple.com

Open this link with Safari, click on Catalina, the App Store should open and show Catalina for download.
 
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Yes, I tried exactly this guide, but without success. I found this application, which I used to obtain the original MacOS Catalina installation medium.
 
That dosdude patcher app will download the current full Catalina installer, so you should be good with that.
Then you would make a bootable external installer. It will install and upgrade your current Mojave system.
 
Yes, I downloaded the complete installer, using the command in the Terminal to create installation USB boot drive. I installed Catalina on external SSD disk and tried to download the Catalina OS from the App store and got the same message as in the introductory post. I don't understand where the problem may be.
 
Strange...
It looks like your App Store is somehow configured to provide downloads for iOS apps. (?) (which, of course, isn't possible on an Intel Mac, and is the reason why you get an error)

Can you provide a screenshot of the App Store screen just before you get to that page with the iOS error.
That should be a page that shows exactly what app you are trying to download, because your screenshot in first post doesn't show the name of the app you are trying to download.
 
I'm not sure I understand exactly what you want to see. This page contains a link to download older versions of MacOS. In my case, I select the link for Catalina, the link will open in a new window, but the App store will no start. I've tried other browsers and the result is still the same.
 
Rimmsi said:
Yes, I downloaded the complete installer, using the command in the Terminal to create installation USB boot drive. I installed Catalina on external SSD disk and tried to download the Catalina OS from the App store
Click to expand...
I dont understand why you want to download Catalina again after successfully creating a USB bootable installer.
You can use the installer to install Catalina on the internal drive.


Rimmsi said:
This page contains a link to download older versions of MacOS. In my case, I select the link for Catalina, the link will open in a new window, but the App store will no start I've tried other browsers and the result is still the same.
Click to expand...
This is not the Apple page.
Like I wrote in post #2 :
KeesMacPro said:
Open this link with Safari , click on Catalina, the App Store should open and show Catalina for download.
Click to expand...
On what device were you trying to open the link?
 
Rimmsi said:
I'm not sure I understand exactly what you want to see. This page contains a link to download older versions of MacOS. In my case, I select the link for Catalina, the link will open in a new window, but the App store will no start. I've tried other browsers and the result is still the same.
Click to expand...
Try the links from that page now.
That link does not work for me today. It doesn't go to the App store correctly, the App store does not open from any of the old system download links.
It seems to be a recent problem, as I can't get any of those old macOS downloads -- the download links don't open the App store. Could be that later today, or in next few days, those links will be working again.
For now, you can get the Catalina installer using some other method that goes straight to Apple's download servers. One such method that continues to work for me is the MDS app. https://twocanoes.com/products/mac/mac-deploy-stick/
 
I agree about the question... Why do you need to download the Catalina installer now, after you made a USB installer, and successfully installed Catalina? Just use your bootable USB to install on some other volume, if you need to install again.
 
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I just wanted to test if the problem is with the Mojave system or not. It seems that the problem will be on Apple servers. Thanks for help.
 
Well this is just peachy... Apple seems to have removed all the legacy MacOS downloads from the App Store. I ended up in this thread after fighting with this for the last 20 minutes. Not sure if it's a temporary issue or if Apple has straight up pulled the external links and ability to search for old versions.

So the Apple support page with download links that we all like to reference is now broken.
 
I think it is related to the App Store (not a problem with direct downloads from Apple's servers), perhaps the old download pages have been pulled, and Apple will soon be using other links for those. Old systems, such as El Capitan and Yosemite, continue to be available, and going back further to Lion or Mountain Lion, use Support page downloads for those.
Alternatives, such as the MDS app, will also pull system installers from the Apple servers (back to High Sierra, as far as I can tell. I downloaded both Catalina and Big Sur via MDS today, just as a test.
By my experience today, it looks like the links for more recent macOS systems that are supposed to open the App Store -- don't open the relevant page on the App Store. Again, there's other methods for getting the system installers, if you really need one.
 
I'm not sure when the change occurred, but Apple has totally pulled all accessible links or addressability for older Mac OS version from the App Store. This is definitely new within the last week. I didn't have MDS handy, but would have been my next solution. I was able to fetch the Catalina 10.15.6 via Softwareupdate command line. What's weird though is it listed 10.15.7 as available, but that version would error out saying unavailable. All other Catalina, and most Big Sur point releases were not showing when I pulled the installer lists. So this goes beyond just App Store links.

I didn't try any links for 10.14 or earlier as I specifically needed Catalina.

I'm hoping it's just a temporary glitch in the matrix and Apple is just reorganizing. I've always maintained my own library of bootable installers just in case, but I didn't want to drive to the office on Friday afternoon to grab one.
 
 
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Nice list... I just checked each one. Monterey is the only one that worked to connect for a download through the App Store. The Yosemite link actually opened the App Store, but with a "Not available in your country" error.
All other links just stall - no errors, just stops without launching the App Store.
Apple either has a current problem with the App Store, or is changing how system installers are offered.
 
There was a pretty big vulnerability recently reported in a frequently deployed server component.
arstechnica.com

Zero-day in ubiquitous Log4j tool poses a grave threat to the Internet

Minecraft is the first, but certainly not the last, app known to be affected.
arstechnica.com arstechnica.com

It wouldn't surprise me at all to learn that the App Store (and other Apple servers) might be working sub-optimally right now, if Apple had to hastily disable or replace things in the underlying server infrastructure.
 
The links are correct (they have been posted before on the forum), but this is not the first time App Store fails to open them.
As pointed above, these days might actually be a reason for the errors.
However, there are other ways to get a macOS installer:
1. From Terminal
softwareupdate --fetch-full-installer --full-installer-version 10.15.7
2. Using gibMacOS https://github.com/corpnewt/gibMacOS , as eplained here https://forums.macrumors.com/thread...led-on-me-several-times.2215873/post-28073346
3. Using MDS https://twocanoes.com/products/mac/mac-deploy-stick/
4. For Big Sur & Monterey, download the InstallAssistant.pkg, updated links here
https://mrmacintosh.com/macos-big-sur-full-installer-database-download-directly-from-apple/
https://mrmacintosh.com/macos-12-monterey-full-installer-database-download-directly-from-apple/
 
The softwareupdate --fetch-full-installer failed to download 10.15.7 yesterday on a few attempts, it would error out saying it was unavailable even though it would show in the list. It grabbed 10.15.6 just fine.
 
It depends on the macOS version you are running the command from.

Running it from Big Sur, I get "Install failed with error: Update not found."
That's probably because softwareupdate --list-full-installers returns two versions of 10.15.7:
* Title: macOS Catalina, Version: 10.15.7, Size: 8248985973K
* Title: macOS Catalina, Version: 10.15.7, Size: 8248854894K

Running softwareupdate --fetch-full-installer --full-installer-version 10.15.7 from Catalina 10.15.4 returns "Downloading and installing 10.15.7 installer". The command softwareupdate --list-full-installers does not work in Catalina.

In Mojave 10.14.6, the two softwareupdate commands do not work, but open "x-apple.systempreferences:com.apple.preferences.softwareupdate?installMajorOSVersion=10.15.7" works just fine.
Mojave.jpg
 
I'm getting the impression that there are 2 topics running parallel in this thread.

1- the OP could not download the installer from App Store (but based on the screenshots I'm pretty sure this was not done on a Mac device with Safari) ...
This remains unsolved/unanswered IMO.
2- problem with Mac installer downloads
It's obvious something isnt working on the Apple servers side...
 
The Catalina link opened in Safari 15.1 (no extension installed) macOS 11.6.1 returns a blank page with this title: "‎@@softwareName@@ on the App Store"
Catalina.jpg

But here is a fun AppleScript to open the links directly into the App Store
Code: 
tell application "App Store"
    activate
    open location "https://apps.apple.com/app/id1147835434?mt=12"
    delay 2
    open location "https://apps.apple.com/app/id1127487414?mt=12"
    delay 2
    open location "https://apps.apple.com/app/id1246284741?mt=12"
    delay 2
    open location "https://apps.apple.com/app/id1398502828?mt=12"
    delay 2
    open location "https://apps.apple.com/app/id1466841314?mt=12"
    delay 2
    open location "https://apps.apple.com/app/id1526878132?mt=12"
    delay 2
    open location "https://apps.apple.com/app/id1576738294?mt=12"
end tell
 
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Nicer script https://github.com/b0gdanw/AppleScripts/blob/master/macOSinAppStore.scpt
Code: 
set theOSNames to {"OS X Yosemite 10.10", "OS X El Capitan 10.11", "macOS Sierra 10.12", "macOS High Sierra 10.13", "macOS Mojave 10.14", "macOS Catalina 10.15", "macOS Big Sur 11", "macOS Monterey 12"}
set the selectedOS to choose from list the theOSNames with prompt "Please select a version:" default items {"macOS Catalina 10.15"}
if selectedOS = {"OS X Yosemite 10.10"} then
    tell application "App Store"
        activate
        open location "https://apps.apple.com/app/id915041082?mt=12"
    end tell
end if
if selectedOS = {"OS X El Capitan 10.11"} then
    tell application "App Store"
        activate
        open location "https://apps.apple.com/app/id1147835434?mt=12"
    end tell
end if
if selectedOS = {"macOS Sierra 10.12"} then
    tell application "App Store"
        activate
        open location "https://apps.apple.com/app/id1127487414?mt=12"
    end tell
end if
if selectedOS = {"macOS High Sierra 10.13"} then
    tell application "App Store"
        activate
        open location "https://apps.apple.com/app/id1246284741?mt=12"
    end tell
end if
if selectedOS = {"macOS Mojave 10.14"} then
    tell application "App Store"
        activate
        open location "https://apps.apple.com/app/id1398502828?mt=12"
    end tell
end if
if selectedOS = {"macOS Catalina 10.15"} then
    tell application "App Store"
        activate
        open location "https://apps.apple.com/app/id1466841314?mt=12"
    end tell
end if
if selectedOS = {"macOS Big Sur 11"} then
    tell application "App Store"
        activate
        open location "https://apps.apple.com/app/id1526878132?mt=12"
    end tell
end if
if selectedOS = {"macOS Monterey 12"} then
    tell application "App Store"
        activate
        open location "https://apps.apple.com/app/id1576738294?mt=12"
    end tell
end if
 
Very nice way to use those download links!
But, not really what I would call a "fun" applescript -- at the moment!
If you do test any one of those, you will discover that none actually work to open the App Store -- continuing since before this last weekend.
(I lied, the link for Monterey DOES open the download page from the App Store, but Monterey, the current system, doesn't need that link to open the download page for Monterey. -- None of the older systems appear to be available through those links.)
But, continue to be available with other methods to download direct from Apple's servers.
I continue to beleive that Apple is making some changes for the older macOS downloads that probably does not involve the App Store. I don't know for sure, it's just what I suspect.
 
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DeltaMac said:
Very nice way to use those download links!
But, not really what I would call a "fun" applescript -- at the moment!
If you do test any one of those, you will discover that none actually work to open the App Store -- continuing since before this last weekend.
(I lied, the link for Monterey DOES open the download page from the App Store, but Monterey, the current system, doesn't need that link to open the download page for Monterey. -- None of the older systems appear to be available through those links.)
But, continue to be available with other methods to download direct from Apple's servers.
I continue to beleive that Apple is making some changes for the older macOS downloads that probably does not involve the App Store. I don't know for sure, it's just what I suspect.
Click to expand...
Have you tried it? Here it is in action, a few minutes ago https://www.veed.io/view/73b2acd6-a1af-4d9c-a6b8-dc34af0ee32b/d0a51443-59b7-4b70-b817-bd14955714d3
 
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