OK... Just to get some idea of what I "might" be up against...

[Dreambird]

Re: an upgrade of the MacBook Pro in my signature to High Sierra which is really as far as I want to go right now. I did downloaded the whole installer when it was available on the Mac store, archived it and saved it in a folder I call "Utilities (Mine)" which is in the Applications folder.

Something I saw online is that it may not work because Apple doesn't sign old OS's... something to worry about? According to here: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT211683 one can still get High Sierra by using Safari to download it. I believe they are still there but hidden.

I also wonder about the best way to do an upgrade since I still have some glitches currently on the El Capitan that I'm currently running, I'm not sure an install over the current OS is the best way to do this, unless there's the possibility it might solve a thing or two. I have seen other complaints online about Time Machine not working as expected under El Capitan although mine used to do so very well.
Don't particularly want to do a clean install but if Migration Assistant could be used to restore stuff from Time Machine or a clone that would be OK. I believe the clone on my USB Flash Drive should be bootable... as it did say so but I've not tried it yet.

Also I remember that letting the High Sierra installer convert to APFS caused a problem with external drives that were not flash drives. Is that still an issue... if so I have saved the site with the command line to start the install from Terminal with the directive not to convert to APFS.

https://osxdaily.com/2017/10/17/how-skip-apfs-macos-high-sierra/

I understand that APFS is a better system however I still need my non-flash external drive to work.

[Dreambird]

No one remembers upgrading to High Sierra? 

Just asking!  It's really not that long ago as Apple pushes out a new OS roughly annually of late. Just want to know the best way to do so given that my current OS does have glitches that I can't find help for and I do clearly remember the APFS conversion causing problems with External drives that are not Flash or SSD as they call it. Far as that goes I'm only asking if it will still be a problem because all I can do is assume so. I do have the proper command line to avoid that happening but even though I'm not afraid to use, I'd rather not if not necessary. I suppose another answer might be to buy another external drive that is SSD in which case I suppose it wouldn't matter but it's another expense I can't really afford especially since the one I have still works just fine.

Alternatively the little portable external flash drive I have is 2TB which I suppose is enough for Time Machine but it really is just that... a little portable. My internal SSD drive is 500GB so it is big enough I guess. All I want to know is if anyone has an idea as to if that would be the best way to go. Otherwise all I need to know is the best way to upgrade with the hope of fixing whatever might be wacky on my current setup as Time Machine for one still is not working as it should and I'd hate to drag that issue with me to a new OS. I won't know if my stored High Sierra will even work anyway as I don't know if Apple signed it.

I would truly be grateful for any suggestions...  Even just a point to another thread for some of this is great... of course I'll try a search too.

[Dreambird]

Oh... I did find this:

https://techsurvivors.net/forums/index.php?topic=28494.msg214916#msg214916

Re: the external drive and APFS issue... I did find online that so far as Disk Warrior goes, they've just recently resolved that issue, I believe with their newest version. Ooopss... sorrry that's not entirely true... the new DW will NOT repair disks running Mojave, Catalina or Big Sur, nor machines with the M1 chip.
https://www.alsoft.com/diskwarrior5apfs

*edit** After further search... Disk Warrior does not mention that it can't repair High Sierra internals running APFS either... had to find that out from some other place. If said internal is running APFS then DW cannot repair it, they say nothing about if one did not allow the upgrade to APFS... soooo... I really don't know what happens if the internal SSD drive is left as HFS+ or whatever.

[Dreambird]

For what it's worth https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT211683 will NOT allow a download of High Sierra using Safari. 

First of all what I neglected to note is that the URL specifies en-us so if you are not in the US... forget about it. Upon trying Safari... yeah, nope... no way. It will start the download and then quit after about 2 min. giving a message that you have to be running OS 10.6.6 to access the app store... excuse me? I'm running OS 10.11.6 so that should be more than sufficient.

Anyway... this is all way above my pay grade so to speak! I give up... will continue to run El Capitan until I can decide what my next move is if I can't get the HS Installer I already have to run.

It's a shame one can't find a way to upgrade older machines to a higher OS even though they still work just fine. I know someone with an older MacBook capable of running Mavericks but there is no way they can even get Mavericks.

Sorry to bother you all... please just ignore this thread.

[kimmer]

No one remembers upgrading to High Sierra? 

Honestly I don't remember, that was back in 2017. I can barely remember what I had for breakfast, let alone anything from 4 years ago.   LOL

I'm currently using a 27-inch iMac, mid-2011 model and it runs grand on High Sierra. The only issues I have are because even HS is an old OS, and so it doesn't play nicely with some sites; nor does it like my router/modem thingy from Spectrum and I'm constantly having to "turn off wi-fi, turn on wi-fi" to keep a connection.

Regarding Disk Warrior, I haven't used it in years.

For what it's worth https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT211683 will NOT allow a download of High Sierra using Safari. 

Have you tried using another browser? I'm using Chrome, and it asked if I wished to open the link in the App store, I clicked yes, and HS is now downloading. Have you tried going directly to the App store and searching for High Sierra?

This is the best I can suggest. It's kinda beyond me as well.

[Raven]

I just went through a process to upgrade from OS10.13 to 10.14. I was able to find OS10.14 to install on my MBP so all devices would be the same. Can't go any further than that to be able to use my Adobe CX6 apps. Then I had to transfer from a 2009 to a 2017 iMac. Migration Assistant wouldn't work from the 2009 because the cable ports are different. So I transferred files from my cloned EXD. It's been a challenge and a half and I am still trying to fix font issues and Mail sub/mailboxes that do not transfer on the EHD. That was a major headache.
I had also had trouble with Safari on the old iMac opening up websites. I would copy and paste the title into Firefox and then it work. Once I upgraded to 10.14, there have no Safari browser issues. Firefox seems to constantly upgrade itself.
Now, I'm struggling to get my Adobe apps to work on my new iMac. I'll post that problem separately here. Good luck with your challenges. I'll keep watching.
Again, MUCH THANKS to the good folks at TS!

[Dreambird]

Honestly I don't remember, that was back in 2017. I can barely remember what I had for breakfast, let alone anything from 4 years ago.   LOL

Well... yes, that is true in my case as well quite often too...  I was just hoping someone did remember!

I'm currently using a 27-inch iMac, mid-2011 model and it runs grand on High Sierra. The only issues I have are because even HS is an old OS, and so it doesn't play nicely with some sites; nor does it like my router/modem thingy from Spectrum and I'm constantly having to "turn off wi-fi, turn on wi-fi" to keep a connection.

Regarding Disk Warrior, I haven't used it in years.

Have you tried using another browser? I'm using Chrome, and it asked if I wished to open the link in the App store, I clicked yes, and HS is now downloading. Have you tried going directly to the App store and searching for High Sierra?

This is the best I can suggest. It's kinda beyond me as well.

No, I just tried Safari as directed on the site in my link... but I have tried searching the App store which turns up nothing for the High Sierra installer. I think you have to have a newer OS than El Capitan for that to work however since the link I posted does refer to "en-us" I think not being in the US is an issue too. I've tried Firefox which is the only other browser I have right now and it gives me the same message as Safari... that I need OS 10.6.6 or greater to use the App store which I have.

So, yeah... it is frustrating and not understandable, the only conclusion I can come to is that it won't work as I'm not in the US. As it stands with Firefox right now is that it is simply stuck on the OS message and not connecting to the App store. If I click on "more information" it just takes me to a site telling me all about Big Sur. There I see a message: "Choose another country or region to see content specific to your location and shop online." Clicking on continue with Canada selected invites me to upgrade to Big Sur, which my machine can't do even if I wanted to. Trying a search for High Sierra there only brings me to a place with a bunch of other questions from people such as this one: https://discussions.apple.com/thread/250580254  I'm reading through that to see if there is any help.

Raven, I tried copying and pasting into Firefox and then I do get the HS site however it says "Downloaded" presumably because I did about 4 years ago. I do have that installer... all I can do is try it and hope it works. The download might be messed up also because when I first tried it with Safari... it did "start" the download but only got a small bit which is useless before it stopped the download and gave me the message about needing OS 10.6.6 or better which I have. I did find a hack that can supposedly fix the issue of an older OS not being signed by Apple anymore which might fix the installer I have, however it is an extremely complicated thing requiring more use of Terminal than even I care for.  I have seen your posts re: all the problems you're running into with a new machine and trying to get things working... I'm sorry... It just shouldn't be so hard, when I bought this machine after my last one bought the farm I just used Migration Assistant and everything copied and worked, Photoshop CS6 included, mine is an "owned" version no subscription and as for Mail first time I opened the App it as best as I can remember prompted me to import my mailboxes which it did and all was fine.

Thank you both for the suggestions... greatly appreciated! I can only hope if I'm lucky enough I may find a way around this. I suppose I could go for Mojave as I have never even tried to download that one so it can't say "downloaded" but then I really am stuck with APFS and no way to repair my internal SSD drive should it go TU. This machine will run Mojave but I hesitate due to the file system thing, I "think" it will run Catalina, not sure have to check the system requirements but could be that Mojave is as far as I could go.

Does anyone know if Photoshop CS6 will indeed run on High Sierra or Mojave. Mine is an owned copy... no Creative Suite or Creative Cloud or subscription.

[Dreambird]

Re:

I'm currently using a 27-inch iMac, mid-2011 model and it runs grand on High Sierra. The only issues I have are because even HS is an old OS, and so it doesn't play nicely with some sites; nor does it like my router/modem thingy from Spectrum and I'm constantly having to "turn off wi-fi, turn on wi-fi" to keep a connection.

Regarding Disk Warrior, I haven't used it in years.

Luckily I'm not having a lot of issues with El Capitan other than I suspect some possible corruptions have happened... it doesn't seem that re-installing El Capitan to try correcting that makes much sense if I can get a newer OS. The only issue I have with other software right now is that I use Firefox and support for EC has been discontinued... I can still get Security updates on their ESR channel for now but that will stop soon so if I want to keep using it I need to update. I'm thinking other things will stop working all too soon anyway. As for Disk Warrior, I can still use it but it seems that after El Cap. it's become essentially useless anyway as it won't repair or optimize an internal SSD drive anymore.

[Dreambird]

OK... so I was able to find the High Sierra that Safari "started" to download and then quit after barely 2min. and gave me the message that I needed OS 10.6.6 or better to use the App store using these directions from a link found in the thread re: Raven's troubles downloading Mojave:

This link: https://discussions.apple.com/thread/251050657

From Finder>Go >Go To Folder  copy and paste:

/Library/Updates

... as said link advised... trashed it. So hopefully I can try the download again now. I'll try it tomorrow...

[Dreambird]

Tried the download again this time using Firefox... it first opens iTunes which states it's not available there... of course not. It comes from the App store, so I closed iTunes. So far as the App store goes I'm once again getting the stupid message as seen here:
Clicking on the link shown only takes me to page for Big Sur and the opportunity to upgrade to that.

[Dreambird]

Oh... the "more info" link gets me nothing but another pages to Big Sur and the opportunity to upgrade to that.

[Xairbusdriver]

Did you ever try this Apple Support page: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT211683
I suggest you change the “us” to “ca”.

If I remember correctly, iTunes included an “Apps” button. Apparently, you do not have an OS that can run the new App Store, which replaced the iTunes access to applications.

If you have any local friends running a newer Mac OS, they might be able to download one of these older Mac OS versions for you. They will probably be more willing if you provide a thumb drive for them to keep. If you can’t find a willing friend, any computer repair store, that works on a Mac, should also be able to accomplish this little task.

I just don’t think the forum format is an efficient method to solve this kind of problem.

[Dreambird]

Actually yes, that is the link I tried, it's the one that tells me I have to have OS 10.6.6 or better to use the App store. I do have El Capitan (OS 10.11.6) which is far newer than what they say I need. But you have given me an idea... it may be that I need to upgrade my version of iTunes first because I'm using v.12.6.4.3 of that which was released after people complained about not being able to use iTunes for Syncing with mobile devices, which I still wanted to be able to do. That may be an issue as I can't find where to get a newer version of that either... upgrading to newer OS should upgrade that as well. I did try changing the "us" to "ca" but that didn't work. I so have the App Store in El Capitan... in fact that is where I downloaded and installed that OS and the full installer of High Sierra that I do have saved but not sure it will run since Apple apparently stopped signing anything but the newest OS. That link is supposed to be a way to download an old OS using Safari which should work "I think" as my Safari is certainly newer than what the "message" says.

However... you have given me the idea of asking my sister who runs Big Sur to check if she can download it and ask her to put it on a USB stick for me if she can.

*edit** Actually I did find iTunes 12.8.3 here: https://support.apple.com/kb/DL1977?viewlocale=en_US&locale=en_US which says it's good for OS 10.11.4 or better. Should do the trick for my OS 10.11.6.

Not sure that I can get the answer for the problem here either but I had to at least try!

[Dreambird]

Just found this:

https://osxdaily.com/2020/04/13/how-download-full-macos-installer-terminal/

Perhaps trying a full download of HS from Terminal will do the trick... maybe just another option. One really nice thing about OS X Daily site is that they always give the command to enter into Terminal in a highlighted grey box.

[Raven]

I was able to upgrade my 2012 MBP to 10.14. My newer iMac is also at 10.14 after I upgraded that from 10.13. Can't go any further while I use CS6 apps. Now I have no problem using any of my Adobe CS6 apps - Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign. 

Aside, to transfer my files from 2009 iMac 10.10 to 2017 iMac 10.14, the ports are not the same and I did not have the adapters.  So, I could not use Migration Assistant. Just transferred all files from my cloned EHD. It would not transfer Mailboxes, etc and had to find cumbersome other way to do that. I think I'm good for a year or two using my CS6 apps in 10.14.