Why can't update this Mac?

wesley · 1 Dec 2021 at 14:03

Hi guys

A Mac at work developed problems so I reinstalled via command R button at start up. I erased the disk with hard disk utility. Installed lion then rebooted.

When login for the first time and I couldn't update at all. Internet is working.

Not sure why. I tried WiFi teething from my phone. Same problem.

Thanks

See pictures below

visibleman · 1 Dec 2021 at 16:02

Highly likely Apple have removed resources as it's EOL.

Best bet is to see if you can download Catalina 10.15 (use Safari), last OS version for your Late 2012, from https://support.apple.com/en-gb/HT211683 ~~and then create a bootable USB installer https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201372. Then reinstall from that.~~

Otherwise it's downloading Catalina (or older) on another Mac (that's running a similar or newer version) and then using that image to create a bootable USB - this is what i had to do with a 10.6 Mac years ago.

Edit - You can probably scrap the need to create a USB installer and just run it directly (on the 10.8 system).

wesley · 1 Dec 2021 at 16:35

The problem is we don't have another Mac at work.

Thanks

tom_e · 1 Dec 2021 at 16:41

wesley said:
The problem is we don't have another Mac at work.

Thanks

If you do some googling it is possible to create what you need from a Windows laptop, I had to do it a while ago

visibleman · 1 Dec 2021 at 17:11

wesley said:
The problem is we don't have another Mac at work.

Thanks

Were you able to download Catalina, or any other OSX/MacOS version, via AppStore using the support article?

Failing that, you can use gibMacOS that will allow you to download the installer contents (multiple image and package files; works on Windows/Linux/MacOS) and then build them into an installer (need a Mac).
https://github.com/corpnewt/gibMacOS

Edit - Reddit post that outlines gibMacOS and patcher apps for downloading MacOS installers - https://www.reddit.com/r/hackintosh/comments/efjy5g/how_to_download_macos_from_apples_official/

wesley · 1 Dec 2021 at 17:23

I was able to download Lion .

I'll have a look tomorrow

Thanks again

wesley · 2 Dec 2021 at 10:35

visibleman said:
Were you able to download Catalina, or any other OSX/MacOS version, via AppStore using the support article?

Failing that, you can use gibMacOS that will allow you to download the installer contents (multiple image and package files; works on Windows/Linux/MacOS) and then build them into an installer (need a Mac).
https://github.com/corpnewt/gibMacOS

Edit - Reddit post that outlines gibMacOS and patcher apps for downloading MacOS installers - https://www.reddit.com/r/hackintosh/comments/efjy5g/how_to_download_macos_from_apples_official/

thanks, somehow i cant download gibMACOS, i cant find the download button???

visibleman · 2 Dec 2021 at 13:12

wesley said:
thanks, somehow i cant download gibMACOS, i cant find the download button???

If you haven't already, then i would try downloading Catalina from the AppStore first before jumping in with gibMacOS (or similar) - https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/macos-catalina/id1466841314?mt=12 (this should open the AppStore).

Otherwise, make sure you have Python 2/3 installed and then on the Github repo link (above), click 'Code', then 'Download Zip' and then extract the Zip file somewhere - saves having to install the git CLI tool (with requires XCode tools or Homebrew to be installed).
And then read through the Reddit post above for help using it - it's fairly straight forward.

wesley · 2 Dec 2021 at 14:25

visibleman said:
If you haven't already, then i would try downloading Catalina from the AppStore first before jumping in with gibMacOS (or similar) - https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/macos-catalina/id1466841314?mt=12 (this should open the AppStore).

Otherwise, make sure you have Python 2/3 installed and then on the Github repo link (above), click 'Code', then 'Download Zip' and then extract the Zip file somewhere - saves having to install the git CLI tool (with requires XCode tools or Homebrew to be installed).
And then read through the Reddit post above for help using it - it's fairly straight forward.

app store doesn't work on the mac. see pictures in my OP

thanks

wesley · 2 Dec 2021 at 15:21

i downloaded and installed phyton 3. also downloaded and extracted gibMacOS

how to run the script ./gibMacOS.command

thanks

visibleman · 2 Dec 2021 at 16:25

wesley said:
i downloaded and installed phyton 3. also downloaded and extracted gibMacOS
how to run the script ./gibMacOS.command
thanks

So if your gibMacOS directory is on the desktop, for example, then within terminal -

Code:

python3 ./Users/{YOURUSERNAME}/Desktop/gibMacOS/gibMacOS.command

OR

cd /Users/{YOURUSERNAME}/Desktop/gibMacOS/
python3 ./gibMacOS.command

It'll display a list of OS's available, then enter the number that corresponds with the version you're wanting and press Enter. It'll then download the installer contents (~8GB for Catalina) and state the directory once the script has run and finished.
Afterwards, open Finder and navigate to the directory/folder where the contents is and again in terminal run -

Code:

python3 ./Users/{YOURUSERNAME}/Desktop/gibMacOS/BuildmacOSInstallApp.command

You'll then be asked to drag + drop the directory, from Finder, into the terminal window and it should start building the installer .app file.
Once complete, takes a little while, you should then see the installer .app file in the same directory. From there you can either run it or create a bootable USB media.

If the installer works, then take a backup for future use.

Edit - Worth mentioning, to test Python is installed correctly, you can get it to display the version number -

Code:

python --version

OR

python2 --version

OR

python3 --version

wesley · 2 Dec 2021 at 17:11

Thanks for this.

Should have mentioned that it was on win10 Pc.

I'll try install phyton on the Mac tomorrow

demonix · 2 Dec 2021 at 18:15

visibleman said:
Highly likely Apple have removed resources as it's EOL.

Best bet is to see if you can download Catalina 10.15 (use Safari), last OS version for your Late 2012, from https://support.apple.com/en-gb/HT211683 ~~and then create a bootable USB installer https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201372. Then reinstall from that.~~

Otherwise it's downloading Catalina (or older) on another Mac (that's running a similar or newer version) and then using that image to create a bootable USB - this is what i had to do with a 10.6 Mac years ago.

Edit - You can probably scrap the need to create a USB installer and just run it directly (on the 10.8 system).

He doesn't need to as he could hold down command + option + r when powering up the MAC to get around the "most likely to only allow internet recovery to download the version that was shipped with the system" issue and get the most recently supported version.

visibleman · 2 Dec 2021 at 19:32

demonix said:
He doesn't need to as he could hold down command + option + r when powering up the MAC to get around the "most likely to only allow internet recovery to download the version that was shipped with the system" issue and get the most recently supported version.

Does 'Option-Command-R' work on EOL systems?
I couldn't get a 10.6 system to download under Internet Recovery, hence the rigmarole i had of building a bootable USB drive for installation.

wesley said:
I'll try install phyton on the Mac tomorrow

You can download the initial installer contents on any system that runs Python but the building of the installer itself requires a Mac (due to needing hdutil etc).

Might be worth trying the internet recovery option @demonix mentioned above though.

wesley · 2 Dec 2021 at 20:32

What is EOL?

I used ALT + R on window keyboard. Download the Mountain Lion. ( Pic in my OP)

Thanks

wesley · 3 Dec 2021 at 09:20

hi guys

used the option + command and R worked!!!!

haha i spent hours faffing about!!!

demonix · 3 Dec 2021 at 16:07

visibleman said:
Does 'Option-Command-R' work on EOL systems?

It worked for that guy and that was a slightly newer imac.