Yeah, saw that. See my edited post above.
P.S. If you're on Sierra, you don't have the option of APFS. Which OS are you running?
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
HELP! 2009 iMac issues.
- Thread starter rwh63
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
P.S. If you're on Sierra, you don't have the option of APFS. Which OS are you running?
It will format it at HFS+. HFS+ would work fine for High Sierra, but APFS is preferred.
Are you running Sierra? Cuz Sierra does not support APFS. You'd have to be running an install of High Sierra or later to get the option of APFS.
If you want to install APFS and you're currently on Sierra, then a way to do it would be to make a High Sierra USB installer. To do that you need the High Sierra installer and a 16+ GB USB flash drive. Google will tell you what commands are used to make the bootable installer.
Or you can do what I suggested last time and run the installer from your MacBook Pro thru FireWire target disk mode.
Are you running Sierra? Cuz Sierra does not support APFS. You'd have to be running an install of High Sierra or later to get the option of APFS.
If you want to install APFS and you're currently on Sierra, then a way to do it would be to make a High Sierra USB installer. To do that you need the High Sierra installer and a 16+ GB USB flash drive. Google will tell you what commands are used to make the bootable installer.
Or you can do what I suggested last time and run the installer from your MacBook Pro thru FireWire target disk mode.
why can't i just put sierra on the iMac, and later i can update it to high. don't know what hfs and apfs are. significance?
No problem. It's a nice distraction when I sit here and do paperwork. I might be outta here for the night soon though.
You know what? Go ahead and format it as HFS+ and then run the installer on it. The High Sierra installer may even automatically convert it to APFS during the install, but I can't remember.
HFS+ will work fine, but it's a very old disk format from ancient Mac times. APFS adds a whole bunch of new features, including better optimization for SSDs.
HFS+ v. APFS: Which Apple File System is Better? | TechRepublic
Apple's newest file system, APFS, has modern advancements over the antiquated HFS+, but how does its pros and cons stack up in comparison to its venerable predecessor? Read on to find out.
www.techrepublic.com
EDIT:
According to that link, the High Sierra installer should convert HFS+ to APFS anyway during the install for new installs, as I suspected.
just read this: cracked one could probably be tossed on until a new one comes, though as long as i don't touch the lcd, that might not matter.
so, i think easiest will be to go with sierra, then if that is successful, i can upgrade to high sierra.
under format: Mac OS Extended (journaled, encrypted)?
under scheme: Quid ?
installer: i'll have top locate that. probably haven't touched that in a long time. under utilities?
i'll order a screen when i know the software loading is successful and the machine functions normally. no point in throwing $50 away!
under format: Mac OS Extended (journaled, encrypted)?
under scheme: Quid ?
installer: i'll have top locate that. probably haven't touched that in a long time. under utilities?
i'll order a screen when i know the software loading is successful and the machine functions normally. no point in throwing $50 away!
That will work, if you want to do it that way, but I'm not sure why you want to do the extra step.
Journaled yes. Encypted not necessary unless you really want that.
GUID (not QUID).
As mentioned earlier in the thread, the easiest way to get the installer is to install Dosdude's High Sierra (or Sierra) patcher application. It has an option to download the OS installer from Apple. Just don't use the patcher section of it.
EugW,
here is your previous suggestion:
"Do you have access to another Mac? If so, you can use that other Mac to make a bootable USB OS X installer drive. All you need is a 16 GB or larger USB drive, and an OS X installer file (which you can download directly from Apple). Google will tell you what commands are needed to create the USB installer from that file.
If you don't have the macOS installer file handy, you can download the High Sierra patcher application, which includes a menu option to download OS X High Sierra direct from Apple. (That downloads the untouched installer for people to patch later, but you don't need to patch High Sierra for that machine, since High Sierra is natively supported.)
What I would suggest is using the USB installer to install High Sierra on an external USB drive. Booting off USB 2.0 will be slow, but if High Sierra works fine, then you know the machine is usable. Once you've confirmed the machine is working fine, then you can take on the project of disassembling machine to install a cheap SSD in there to make it a fast machine again. If you get this far, then we can give you a few pointers about doing the SSD install. Specifically, if you don't do something about the hard drive temperature sensor, then the iMac will run the fans at maximum, which obviously is not ideal of course."
one issue i may have is my 2011 laptop usb ports are flaky at best, so downloading via them would probably not work. that is one of the reasons i was leaning towards the firewire method.
here is your previous suggestion:
"Do you have access to another Mac? If so, you can use that other Mac to make a bootable USB OS X installer drive. All you need is a 16 GB or larger USB drive, and an OS X installer file (which you can download directly from Apple). Google will tell you what commands are needed to create the USB installer from that file.
If you don't have the macOS installer file handy, you can download the High Sierra patcher application, which includes a menu option to download OS X High Sierra direct from Apple. (That downloads the untouched installer for people to patch later, but you don't need to patch High Sierra for that machine, since High Sierra is natively supported.)
What I would suggest is using the USB installer to install High Sierra on an external USB drive. Booting off USB 2.0 will be slow, but if High Sierra works fine, then you know the machine is usable. Once you've confirmed the machine is working fine, then you can take on the project of disassembling machine to install a cheap SSD in there to make it a fast machine again. If you get this far, then we can give you a few pointers about doing the SSD install. Specifically, if you don't do something about the hard drive temperature sensor, then the iMac will run the fans at maximum, which obviously is not ideal of course."
one issue i may have is my 2011 laptop usb ports are flaky at best, so downloading via them would probably not work. that is one of the reasons i was leaning towards the firewire method.
Downloading the installer is over WiFi or Ethernet. USB has nothing to do with downloading the installer.
You would only use USB if were going to make a USB installer from that downloaded installer. Installation over FireWire will work fine, but you still need the installer of course.
You would only use USB if were going to make a USB installer from that downloaded installer. Installation over FireWire will work fine, but you still need the installer of course.
ok, so i don't actually need the 16gb usb thumb drive.
i think i'm expending too much mental energy mapping out this procedure, and wasting time thinking sierra vs. high sierra. apple allows sierra users to upgrade to high sierra, presumably with no problems, and i have sierra on my laptop ,so path of least resistance. hfs vs. apfs can be handled later. apfs seems to be geared to ssd, which i presume apple and others have moved onto; however, my laptop has a disk hd, so should put high sierra on it? i don't know.
feel free to add/edit:
1) go to apple support or app store, download sierra installer onto laptop
2) firewire target mode with imac
3) disk utility: choose ssd, name it, choose Mac OS Extended (journaled, encrypted), choose GUID
4) then: ?
i prefer vertical instructions, rather than horizontal. thx again (not sure where all the earlier thread participants disappeared to!).
my main goal is too demonstrate that this iMac is healthy and fully functional (incl. hardware like port and superdrive). sierra should do that.
i think i'm expending too much mental energy mapping out this procedure, and wasting time thinking sierra vs. high sierra. apple allows sierra users to upgrade to high sierra, presumably with no problems, and i have sierra on my laptop ,so path of least resistance. hfs vs. apfs can be handled later. apfs seems to be geared to ssd, which i presume apple and others have moved onto; however, my laptop has a disk hd, so should put high sierra on it? i don't know.
feel free to add/edit:
1) go to apple support or app store, download sierra installer onto laptop
2) firewire target mode with imac
3) disk utility: choose ssd, name it, choose Mac OS Extended (journaled, encrypted), choose GUID
4) then: ?
i prefer vertical instructions, rather than horizontal. thx again (not sure where all the earlier thread participants disappeared to!).
my main goal is too demonstrate that this iMac is healthy and fully functional (incl. hardware like port and superdrive). sierra should do that.
Last edited:
My point is if you want to make a new install of Sierra, you need to download the Sierra installer.
If you want to make a new install of High Sierra, you need to download the High Sierra installer.
If you want to make a new install Sierra and then update to High Sierra, then you need to download the Sierra installer, install it, and then download the High Sierra installer, and update using that. This is a waste of time.
My instructions, to save time:
1) Go to www.dosdude1.com and download his High Sierra Patcher. Launch that application, and choose the High Sierra Installer download option. This downloads it direct from Apple.
2) Once the High Sierra Installer is downloaded, you can delete the High Sierra Patcher. (Do NOT patch the installer.)
3) Activate FireWire Target Disk Mode on the iMac and attach it to your MacBook Pro.
4) Open Disk Utility and format the iMac Crucial SSD as GUID, Mac OS Extended Journaled.
5) Run the High Sierra Installer, and choose the iMac Crucial SSD.
---
BTW, I mentioned earlier that the other option is just to make a clone of your MacBook Pro onto your iMac, using SuperDuper!.
If you want to make a new install of High Sierra, you need to download the High Sierra installer.
If you want to make a new install Sierra and then update to High Sierra, then you need to download the Sierra installer, install it, and then download the High Sierra installer, and update using that. This is a waste of time.
My instructions, to save time:
1) Go to www.dosdude1.com and download his High Sierra Patcher. Launch that application, and choose the High Sierra Installer download option. This downloads it direct from Apple.
2) Once the High Sierra Installer is downloaded, you can delete the High Sierra Patcher. (Do NOT patch the installer.)
3) Activate FireWire Target Disk Mode on the iMac and attach it to your MacBook Pro.
4) Open Disk Utility and format the iMac Crucial SSD as GUID, Mac OS Extended Journaled.
5) Run the High Sierra Installer, and choose the iMac Crucial SSD.
---
BTW, I mentioned earlier that the other option is just to make a clone of your MacBook Pro onto your iMac, using SuperDuper!.
installer links?
appleinsider.com
How to download an old macOS installer | AppleInsider
That old collection of macOS installer disk images you used to keep is probably worthless now, and Apple makes it harder to find downloadable copies of anything before macOS Monterey. Yet there are still good reasons to get old OSes, and here's how to do it.
appleinsider.com
thx for your patience. i have lots of disparate things i'm working on, and software procedures and terminology/language is just something else to decipher and decide upon. i'm sure its easier done than discussed. just never did it before, and last computer effort was my new 2011 MacBook pro!
No! As mentioned you do NOT want to patch the downloaded installer. Once you have the downloaded the installer (with the built in command in the patcher application), you can just run the installer. Make sure you choose the iMac SSD as the target for the install.
