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Help installing full version Mac OS High Sierra when attempting to install in utilities says "Recovery server could not be contacted"

I erased an old MacBook Pro for my son to use, but when I try to install High Sierra on it, it says  "Recovery server could not be contacted.” I have used terminal to correct the date and time, and it still doesn’t work. I read that I need to install the full version by using a thumb drive with the installer on it. Only issue is that when I try to use my other (newer) Mac to get High Sierra, it wants to install high Sierra which it is not compatible with. How to I get it to just put the app of High Sierra Installer on my computer so I can transfer it to a thumb drive to use on the other MacBook Pro? Ugh. Ha ha. Thanks!

Posted on Sep 1, 2023 9:02 PM

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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Sep 2, 2023 2:49 AM

You can boot your Mac into Internet Recovery mode and erase the internal drive to reinstall macOS by following these steps:


**Note:** Before proceeding, ensure you have a stable internet connection and have backed up any important data because erasing the internal drive will delete all the data on it.


1. **Shut down your Mac:** Click the Apple menu in the top-left corner of your screen and choose "Shut Down."


2. **Start in Internet Recovery Mode:** To do this, press and hold the following keys simultaneously:

- Option (Alt) + Command + R


Keep holding these keys until you see a globe or spinning globe icon on the screen. This indicates that your Mac is booting into Internet Recovery mode.


3. **Connecting to the Internet:** Your Mac will need to connect to the internet to download the necessary recovery tools. You may be prompted to select your Wi-Fi network and enter the password if your Mac isn't already connected.


4. **Access Disk Utility:**

- Once Internet Recovery mode is loaded, you'll see the "macOS Utilities" window.

- Select "Disk Utility" and click "Continue."


5. **Erase the Internal Drive:**

- In Disk Utility, select your internal drive (usually named "Macintosh HD" or something similar) from the list on the left.

- Click the "Erase" button in the toolbar at the top.

- Choose a name for your drive (you can keep the default name if you prefer).

- Select a format (usually "APFS" for macOS 10.13 or later, or "Mac OS Extended (Journaled)" for earlier versions).

- Click the "Erase" button to confirm and proceed.


6. **Reinstall macOS:**

- After erasing the internal drive, close Disk Utility.

- In the "macOS Utilities" window, select "Reinstall macOS" and click "Continue."

- Follow the on-screen instructions to reinstall macOS. You'll need to select the drive you just erased as the destination.


7. **Complete the Installation:** Once the macOS installation is complete, follow the setup instructions to configure your Mac as you desire. You can restore your files and settings from a backup if you have one.

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2 replies
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Sep 2, 2023 2:49 AM in response to Steaklover

You can boot your Mac into Internet Recovery mode and erase the internal drive to reinstall macOS by following these steps:


**Note:** Before proceeding, ensure you have a stable internet connection and have backed up any important data because erasing the internal drive will delete all the data on it.


1. **Shut down your Mac:** Click the Apple menu in the top-left corner of your screen and choose "Shut Down."


2. **Start in Internet Recovery Mode:** To do this, press and hold the following keys simultaneously:

- Option (Alt) + Command + R


Keep holding these keys until you see a globe or spinning globe icon on the screen. This indicates that your Mac is booting into Internet Recovery mode.


3. **Connecting to the Internet:** Your Mac will need to connect to the internet to download the necessary recovery tools. You may be prompted to select your Wi-Fi network and enter the password if your Mac isn't already connected.


4. **Access Disk Utility:**

- Once Internet Recovery mode is loaded, you'll see the "macOS Utilities" window.

- Select "Disk Utility" and click "Continue."


5. **Erase the Internal Drive:**

- In Disk Utility, select your internal drive (usually named "Macintosh HD" or something similar) from the list on the left.

- Click the "Erase" button in the toolbar at the top.

- Choose a name for your drive (you can keep the default name if you prefer).

- Select a format (usually "APFS" for macOS 10.13 or later, or "Mac OS Extended (Journaled)" for earlier versions).

- Click the "Erase" button to confirm and proceed.


6. **Reinstall macOS:**

- After erasing the internal drive, close Disk Utility.

- In the "macOS Utilities" window, select "Reinstall macOS" and click "Continue."

- Follow the on-screen instructions to reinstall macOS. You'll need to select the drive you just erased as the destination.


7. **Complete the Installation:** Once the macOS installation is complete, follow the setup instructions to configure your Mac as you desire. You can restore your files and settings from a backup if you have one.

Sep 2, 2023 7:13 AM in response to Steaklover

"Recovery server could not be contacted.”


This problem is a recent occurrence, "recent" meaning it was first reported within the past several weeks.



Complaints are becoming frequent:


Re: macOS Sierra Recovery

Re: Error Recovery server can't be contacted

Re: iMac A1312 goes straight to macOS Utilities and can’t get it to do anything else


The list is growing by the day. We are waiting patiently for Apple to either fix it or acknowledge that older versions of macOS are no longer available on their Recovery servers.


In the interim, without a Time Machine backup, the only practicable way to that Mac operate again is to boot from its original, grey, System Install DVD or a retail, white, Mac OS X Snow Leopard Install DVD. Or, a bootable USB installer that you created on an eligible Mac: Create a bootable installer for macOS - Apple Support.


Lacking one of those several options, and pending an answer from Apple, that Mac is a brick.


Only issue is that when I try to use my other (newer) Mac to get High Sierra, it wants to install high Sierra which it is not compatible with.


Creating a "bootable installer" requires creating it on a Mac compatible with High Sierra, so even that is not an option. It may not work anyway, if its security certificate has expired. If Apple fails to respond I may investigate that option at a later date.

Help installing full version Mac OS High Sierra when attempting to install in utilities says "Recovery server could not be contacted"

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