2

My kiddo recently got a iMac 12 mid 2011 model as a gift for homeschooling purposes. The device was working perfectly fine until the reset to remove the previous owners information as per the Apple web instructions. Holding "Options" only activates internet recovery which then is unable to reinstall - at first High Sierra. The device now wants to reinstall Lion but says <Unable to download additional components. I have a bootable drive created on a Windows PC using TransMac with High Sierra 10.13.dmg however, it does not give the option to select the USB as a bootable, it only gives internet recovery - which does not work.

When opening disk utility, the main computer drive is there as well as USB - where I can see the High Sierra drive, and then a disk1 - Mac OS X Base System - that I can do nothing to.

Any advice or steps to try and get the iMac working again? I have been at this for a couple of days now with no success, going through forums, Youtube videos and Apple support site. iStore refuses to assist with vintage device and I do not have an additional Mac available. My kiddo is 8, I really was not thinking of getting her a new iMac at this stage for the purpose and just to get use to Apple before investing further, the device was able to do everything she needed before the reset. Would appreciate any assistance here.

Improve this question
2
  • You'll have to get someone who has a working Mac to create a bootable installer for you. I assume you've already come across the instructions for doing this in your research.
    – Linc Davis
    Commented Jan 1 at 20:51
  • Like @Link D. says: you need a Mac (generally) to create a bootable installer. Just putting the DMG on a thumb drive is insufficient. I have seen people who have created bootable macOS installers on a Windows PC, but the process looks complicated. MacWorld maintains an updated list of commands to run for each macOS version, all you need is a Mac. If you don't have one an Apple store will often let you do it there using their Macs. Just make a genius appt.
    – Steve Chambers
    Commented Jan 1 at 20:59

1 Answer 1

Reset to default
2

In a way, this is a tough question to answer. Apple frequently changes the rules only to change back to the original rules. The only rule that Apple holds consistent is you can solve all your problems by purchasing a new Mac. My answer below is just one attempt at an answer. I am sure there are many others.

You might consider first installing an older version of macOS, then use the Apple App store to upgrade to High Sierra. According to Apple, you need at least Mountain Lion (10.8) before upgrading directly to High Sierra. Basically, here are some steps to follow.,

  1. Use a Windows machine to create a bootable installer. See this answer for some details.
  2. Install OS X/macOS. You can use the Disk Utility to erase the internal drive before installing.
  3. Install all software updates.
  4. Use the Apps store to download the "Install macOS High Sierra" application. See here for a link to the URL or enter the URL given. You should use the Safari application when accessing the link or entering the URL. 
    macappstores://apps.apple.com/app/macos-high-sierra/id1246284741?mt=12
    Depending on the circumstances, you may need an Apple ID and/or 2FA.
  5. Use "Install macOS High Sierra" application to upgrade.

If you have any question or problems, post a comment.

Improve this answer
1
  • 1
    Hi David, thanks for this... it worked. I had to however, install Lion first through a pkg file via windows and USB. Then was able to get El Capitan and High sierra from there. Was a bit of a walk around, they make it so much effort. Anyways, thank you, it's up and running and all good to go with no issues. Made backups of all installation files for future. This helped much more than Apple Store, they told me they can't help and there was nothing I could do.
    – Kerz06
    Commented Jan 3 at 12:50

You must log in to answer this question.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged .