Offline Mojave Installer

[Macced]

Hi Guys,

Where can I download a Mojave 10.4.5 or at least the basic Mojave 10.14.1 full DMG so I can create an offline USB installer. I'm on limited data and can't afford to be downloading 6Gb at a time!

So far I've tried numerous sites. Some are just plain dodgy and those that look semi reliable such as [Download macOS DMG [mojave & high sierra] full offline installer] seem to only provide the update file (even if it appears like a proper full one at 3.13gb)

Regards

Macced

Update: Link removed - Raz0rEdge

 

[Slydude]

The only place to get a legitimate copy of the installer is to download it directly from Apple by going to the App Store. The download will be whatever is the most recent version of Mojave. Currently I think that is 10.114.5. The download is between 5 and 6 GB but you should only have to download it once.

If you're going to make an installer don't complete the installation until you have made a copy of the installer file or made a bootable installer disk. Once you have finished the download the installer will ask where you want Mojave installed (what drive). That's the point to make a copy of the installer so you don't have to download it a second time.

You don't have to close the installer window just click outside that window and go to the Application folder and copy the file somewhere else or create an installer.

 

[MacInWin]

If you really want to do a clean install, as you indicated in the other thread you posted on this topic ( Security of High Sierra with Latest 2019-003 update vs Mojave 10.14.5 ), your best bet is to do what Sly says, download from Apple, then cancel out of the installation and look in the Applications folder for the installer. Then use something like Diskmaker ( DiskMaker X ) to create a bootable USB installer. Test that it boots properly before you start. Make a full backup before you start. Boot from the Diskmaker X drive and erase/reformat the internal drive and finish the installation. You will be offered a chance to restore from a backup by Migration Assistant during that installation process. If you want to have everything just as it is now, take that opportunity. If you don't and decide later to migrate manually, you may have to fix a lot of permissions to get everything to work well. Note that Adobe and Microsoft products don't migrate well because of registration processes from those two companies, so be prepared to re-register those products, maybe even having to completely reinstall them.

And for the other thread, if security is a real issue for you, go NOWHERE but Apple for the download as there are malicious characters out there who doctor the installation files to gain access to systems by weakening the Apple security and installing malware along with the OS. Yes, it's a big download, but that's part of the price of making sure you have the REAL Apple product.

 

[Raz0rEdge]

As the others have suggested, the OS installer comes as a single file and anybody that breaks that into smaller pieces is doing so on their own and you shouldn't rely on that. I would suggest hitting your local coffee shop or store that provides free WiFi and using that to download the installer. Then you can make a bootable USB with the instructions from the previous posts and go from there.

 

[ferrarr]

Or check with a friend that has a Mac?

 

[krs]

There are a number of people selling a USB Flash Drive Mojave Installer on ebay.
https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=m570.l1313&_nkw=Mac+Mojave+Installer&_sacat=0

But they all seem to be located in Europe with no shipping option to the US or Canada.

Is it illegal to sell this here?
Apple should really offer a Flash Drive option for $20 or $30.-
Everyone doesn't have a suitable internet connection to download every macOS

 

[chscag]

The only time Apple ever offered one of their operating systems on a flash drive was Lion. (10.7.X) And the reason for that was the MacBook Air did not have an optical drive. Those were the days before Apple offered their operating systems as a download.

Those flash drive sales of the Mojave installer on eBay are questionable. But I guess since Apple has not tried to stop the sales and the fact that Mojave is free, it may be alright to purchase one. I personally would not purchase Mojave that way since I don't particularly trust things like that sold on eBay.

 

[krs]

The only time Apple ever offered one of their operating systems on a flash drive was Lion. (10.7.X) And the reason for that was the MacBook Air did not have an optical drive. Those were the days before Apple offered their operating systems as a download.

Those flash drive sales of the Mojave installer on eBay are questionable. But I guess since Apple has not tried to stop the sales and the fact that Mojave is free, it may be alright to purchase one. I personally would not purchase Mojave that way since I don't particularly trust things like that sold on eBay.

That's all fine and good, but what does one do in the OP's case?

 

[MacInWin]

The OP could:

1. Use up his data limit and download it.
2. Ask a friend with a greater data limit to allow him to connect and download. Or download it for him and put on a USB stick.
3. Go to a coffeeshop or similar location and use the WiFi there to download.
4. Go to an Apple store and do the download.

@Macced has indicated in other threads his strong feelings about security, so getting something dodgy from eBay is probably not attractive at all. Given that proclivity to security, that's about all that is available that I can think of.

 

[krs]

The OP could:

1. Use up his data limit and download it.
2. Ask a friend with a greater data limit to allow him to connect and download. Or download it for him and put on a USB stick.
3. Go to a coffeeshop or similar location and use the WiFi there to download.
4. Go to an Apple store and do the download.

We don't know enough about the OP's specific situation, but this is a pretty big file we're talking about.
At one of my houses the best I can get is DSL at 3 Mps download. At that speed it would take almost 5 hours to download 6 Gigs
At McDonald's the download speed is supposedly 4 Mps, that would still make the download a 3 1/2 hour exercise assuming the 4 Mbs can be maintained to the one computer.
Some of these places have time limits for how long you can use their WiFi before they cut you off - I'm sure the intent of providing free WiFi for their customers was not to download complete operating systems.

As to the friend suggestion....one thing I'm wondering about - could one download the macOS using a PC with Windows or does the friend have to have a Mac. I assume it's the latter.

Apple store sounds like a good solution if there is one reasonably close. The closest one to me is over an hour each way.

For me, at the "3 Mps house". I used to run these downloads over night, but often the connection dropped during the download and I had to try again.
At my other location, the speed is fiber to the house at over 1 Gps, download there is less than a minute.

 

[MacInWin]

You are right that we don't know the OP's situation in detail. But 5 hours, overnight, is not excessive if the connection is consistent. And I think that the download will resume at the last good data on a reconnection. Not sure of that, but I seem to recall reading that somewhere.

Downloading from a cafe would depend on the cafe and their offerings. I've not heard that McD's speed is 4Mps, but I'll take your word for that. In my area Xfinity has free wifi spots all over the place for Xfinity customers, but as already said, we don't know the OP's situation. Panera offers WiFI, along with a lot of other places (hotels, restaurants, even gas stations). There might even be some sort of Internet cafe around the OP's area where the cafe may let him take his Mac in and connect for a fee.

I think you need a Mac to download the OS, but I've never tried it on a PC. Given where Apple now puts the installer (the Apple Store) I strongly suspect you need a Mac.

Consider this--is it better for you to drive two hours for a quick download at the Apple store or take 5 hours over the DSL? That is entirely up to each individual.

I didn't say the options were good, just that they are pretty much all that's available safely. Sometimes you have to pick the least sucky option...

 

[krs]

McD's speed of 4 Mbs came from the net.
It probably varies from place to place, also depends how many people are using WiFi at any one time - but 4 Mps seemed reasonable to me.
This was just for illustrative purposes that this is not a download that will happen while you're having a cup of coffee or a Big Mac.

 

[chscag]

I don't know where you got the McD download speed but the chain's overall download speed is 16Mbs. Starbucks average speed is around 50Mbs according to stats that you can find by doing some googling. If there is a Starbucks nearby our OP, that would be his best choice.

Download speeds are going to vary though especially if a lot of users are on line at once. The Starbucks shops in my area usually have around 10 or 15 users on line during their busy time of day.

 

[krs]

I don't know where you got the McD download speed but the chain's overall download speed is 16Mbs. Starbucks average speed is around 50Mbs according to stats that you can find by doing some googling. If there is a Starbucks nearby our OP, that would be his best choice.

The 4 Mbs was a typical speed per user
If the overall speed is 16 Mbs, the 4 Mbs per user sounds reasonable.
I would think Starbucks average speed is 50Mbs total, not 50 per user - so at 10 to 15 users, your are down to between 3 and 5MBs as well.

Would be interesting to hear back from anyone who actually did that - downloaded a 6Gig or bigger file at one of these places.

 

[MacInWin]

I don't think the bandwidth is going to be evenly distributed between users unless all users are doing the same thing. So one user at Starbucks could be reading email or surfing online, another might be listening to music/podcast and another downloading a big file. In that use, the bulk of the bandwidth would end up with the downloader, I think. In any event, it's not just divided evenly.

 

[krs]

I don't think the bandwidth is going to be evenly distributed between users unless all users are doing the same thing. So one user at Starbucks could be reading email or surfing online, another might be listening to music/podcast and another downloading a big file. In that use, the bulk of the bandwidth would end up with the downloader, I think. In any event, it's not just divided evenly.

Yes, absolutely!
But I think the expectation Starbucks and those places have when they offer free WiFi is that their customers use that service for email, surfing, music these types of tings, not to download an OS.
Places actually used to limit the time one could stay connected to the net, don't know if that is still true.
I hardly ever use the free WiFi at those places and if I do it's only for a few minutes to check something.

As you said before:

I didn't say the options were good, just that they are pretty much all that's available safely. Sometimes you have to pick the least sucky option...

I think we all agree on that.

 

[Macced]

Thanks to all of you for your thoughts / suggestions in this thread. MacInWin was quite right with his deductions based on my previous posts. I ended up using the DosDude Mojave Installer patch which allows you to effectively circumvent having to have an existing (and thus potentially compormised) osx install, and instead download the Mojave installer file straight from the app store (without having to actually use app store) and then I made the bootable USB installer with Diskmaker X (this tool has worked twice for me now on High sierra and now Mojave - faultless installations) before doing a complete CMD-R reboot / disk erase and clean install of Mojave from the USB disk created beforehand.

The only issue I now face is that I can't seem to get the app store to show any updates, and you'll soon see my post about this pending any further info.

Regards

Macced

 

[Rod]

I'd like to verify that the App Store downloads do now resume at the last verifiable point. So if you stop a download or simple shut down, the download will Pause. On rebooting it will be in a paused state and may say "Waiting" in the Launcher but it will resume after a little time (be patient). I have encountered this a few times recently and it is a dream come true for me with my unreliable internet connection here. Was a time (not so long ago) that every time my connection dropped I would have to start a download from the beginning. Sometimes it took 5 or 6 tries to get an OS upgrade.