How To Get the Actual Catalina Full Installer (Not just the Update)

[Jack Neill]

OK, that was helpful. Initially, after downloading the "patcher", there were no instructions on what to do next. Given that it was a "patcher", I was definitely reluctant to double click on the resulting file. But the video guided me correctly. It downloaded Catalina V10.15.1.03, which is (I'm assuming) the most recent, stable, non-beta version. I guess the only other "surprise" is that previously, whenever one downloaded the full OS version, that installation file would wind up inside the Applications folder. In this case, it was in my downloads folder.

I'm going to do a fresh, clean installation of OS 10.15.1, using that installer file, onto my external Samsung 860 EVO 500 gig SSD, and then will migrate/copy needed files, folders, settings, etc. from the internal SSD. I'm hoping that works (I expect it to).

Appreciate your assistance. I still don't understand, though, why I cannot get this installer file directly from the App Store, like I've ALWAYS been able to do. And it's true for both of my Macs running OS 10.14.6.

I had that issue with High Sierra and the App store a long time ago, I just starting using the patcher when I needed the full .app installer. DosDude1 is a legend. Love that guy..

 

[honestone33]

I had that issue with High Sierra and the App store a long time ago, I just starting using the patcher when I needed the full .app installer. DosDude1 is a legend. Love that guy..

Up until version 10.15.1 of Catalina, I have ALWAYS been able to visit the App Store and obtain the latest version of the Mac OS software. For example, if I was using OS 10.14.3, I could visit the App Store and obtain OS 10.14.6 (assuming that was the latest one). Similarly, and this actually recently happened, on either of my Macs running OS 10.14.6, I was able to visit the App Store and obtain V10.15 of Catalina. But ever since OS 10.15.1, I cannot obtain it, either via Software Update, or by visiting the App Store.

It's baffling why this has happened. Apple sure seems to be making it difficult!

In any event, I just completed doing a fresh, clean installation of OS 10.15.1 on my external Samsung 860 EVO 500 gig SSD (after Erasing it and Formatting it as APFS), and then a migration of all needed apps, files, folders, settings, etc. from my late 2012 Mac Mini running OS 10.14.6 (that is where I launched the OS 10.15.1 installer from). In fact, I am entering this post in that "environment", via the Brave browser.

 

[fnurl]

Posting this for future reference. I was able to get the full installer by following the method described on these sources:

• https://techsviewer.com/how-to-download-full-macos-catalina-installer-and-mojave/
• https://www.reddit.com/r/MacOS/comments/72m9tf

What you do is that you click the install button from the small installer app, which then starts to download the missing files to /macOS\ Install\ Data

You then quit the install app and create the directory /Applications/Install\ macOS\ Catalina.app/Contents/SharedSupport (use sudo) and then copy the contents of /macOS\ Install\ Data to the created dir using cpio from a sudo shell:

sudo -s bash
cd /macOS\ Install\ Data
find . -mount | cpio -pvdm /Applications/Install\ macOS\ Catalina.app/Contents/SharedSupport

find . -mount grabs all the filenames in the macOS install data dir and sends them to cpio which copies them preserving modification dates and create directories as necessary to the SharedSupport dir in the non-full installer.

You can then proceed to create a bootable installer using

sudo /Applications/Install\ macOS\ Catalina.app/Contents/Resources/createinstallmedia --volume /Volumes/Untitled

(change /Volumes/Untitled as needed)

 

[crp5591]

That did not work. I got the (once again) infamous message "The requested version of macOS is not available.". This used to be so simple!

You have to update that command with the latest version 10.15.7, then it will work. I just did it and it downloaded the full installer to my applications folder.

open "x-apple.systempreferences:com.apple.preferences.softwareupdate?installMajorOSVersion=10.15.7"

UPDATE: You can use that command to get any CURRENT or LAST version of Mac OS. I just used that same command with "11.2.1" to get the current version of Big Sur (as of 2/17/2021). Key is to use the correct version of the the current version or LAST version released for the OS you want.

 

[blinovitch]

You have to update that command with he latest version 10.15.7, then it will work. I just did it and it downloaded the full installer to my applications folder.

open "x-apple.systempreferences:com.apple.preferences.softwareupdate?installMajorOSVersion=10.15.7"

Registered just to say this worked for me without a hitch. Thank you.

 

[fieldtech]

use dosdudes patcher, it will give you the always up to date full installer.

This is great information. Thanks, Jack! I came here looking for the latest Catalina version. I already had 15.7.03 and when I upgrade my teachers' computers, I still have to do a security update which adds at least another 20 minutes. Any time I can shorten the amount of time I take their computers away from them is a plus, so I thought there must be a more complete version of the installer. dosdudes' version is 15.7.02, so that doesn't help me today, but this is valuable information for the future to know his site exists.

 

[chrfr]

This is great information. Thanks, Jack! I came here looking for the latest Catalina version. I already had 15.7.03 and when I upgrade my teachers' computers, I still have to do a security update which adds at least another 20 minutes. Any time I can shorten the amount of time I take their computers away from them is a plus, so I thought there must be a more complete version of the installer. dosdudes' version is 15.7.02, so that doesn't help me today, but this is valuable information for the future to know his site exists.

There is no full installer which includes the latest security updates for Catalina. Based on past trends, Apple will never add these into the full installer.

 

[Jack Neill]

There is no full installer which includes the latest security updates for Catalina. Based on past trends, Apple will never add these into the full installer.

Correct. What I meant by up to date was .x updates.