Endless loop trying to get Installers for older versions of macOS, OSX

[MacInWin]

With all the press lately about expired certificates, I decide to get all my archived installers updated. I've used every one of them since Mavericks, so they should all be in the store.

I found a site ( Redownload Archived macOS Installers to Address Expired Certificates - TidBITS ) that listed all the download locations in the Apple store, so I went to one, for High Sierra, to start the process. The link led first to a page suggesting I update to Catalina, but if I really wanted HS, here was where to get it. I took the HS path and ended up at a store location with HS clearly listed as the installer.


So far, so good. I click on Get, expecting it to download, but get this instead:



And after a few minutes, this:



But I don't want to OPEN it, I just want to download it!

Now I know Apple changed the way you download operating systems from the Store to System Preferences, and I understand that if I want to get an update to my current Mojave, or upgrade to Catalina, I have to go through the System Prefs route, but now they seem to be taking every download of every version through the same path, then blocking any attempt to download the older versions because it's not compatible.

So, how do you get past this blockade? What is the secret handshake to get archived versions of the OS?

 

[ferrarr]

i found this, If an installer says it can'''t be verified or was signed with a certificate that has expired - Apple Support. I just found it today, but haven’t started downloading yet.

 

[MacInWin]

Bob, I tried that link. It goes to an Apple website that has a link to the App Store that won't open in Safari. I got about a dozen or so warnings that it could not contact the store. Then the page loaded, but no High Sierra. A search for High Sierra didn't get to the installer. So that approach, given I'm on Mojave, didn't work.

 

[pm-r]

Bob, I tried that link.

FWIW, I just tried the link that Bob suggested, and thought I'd try downloading the OS X El Capitan, found it all worked, at least until I canceled the download.

Using Mavericks and Google Chrome if that would make any difference.


- Patrick
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[MacInWin]

That should work, Patrick, as it is an upgrade from Mavericks to El Cap. I'm on Mojave, want to download HS, can't find a way to get to it that works. If I were responsible for machines in a business that had all sorts of versions and had upgraded my own system to Mojave, I would be stuck not being able to get HS for anyone who needed it. I got Yosemite, El Cap and Sierra to download, can't get High Sierra. I'm on Mojave, so it should not be an issue (at least until I move to Catalina).

 

[pm-r]

That should work, Patrick, as it is an upgrade from Mavericks to El Cap.

I just thought I would try again Jake, but this time see if I could not Download High Sierra. No go.

When clicking on the downloadLink, it took me to the Apple Store where there was absolutely no sign of High Sierra anywhere.

I'd say Apple has really got themselves quite FUBARed once again, especially for many users.

PS: I do have Sierra installed in a separate partition volume which is currently mounted as if that should make any difference.


- Patrick
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[ferrarr]

Yeah, when I went back to that page last night, I was able to download (into Downloads folder) Yosemite, El Capitan and Sierra. But when I went to get High Sierra, it opened in the macOS App Store. Then when I clicked on “Get”, it said it was too old to run on my Mac. Which means I will have to wait until the next OS is released to get the new(er) installers.

Also, I didn’t try to get Mojave yet.