iMac “Can’t download the additional components needed to install Mac OS X” (mid 2011)

[SZZB]

Hi

I had Windows installed on iMac with no MacOS. The gpu drivers were causing it to crash and eventually not boot at all.

I’ve opened her up and put in a 1tb SSD which I just formatted using my bros PC. It now loads with a question mark file icon that keeps flashing.

I’ve got ya typical windows keyboard and have tried holding alt, alt + R, windows + R, few other combinations and no results.

Thanks for any help, or even having wasted time reading this on XMas eve. LUV

 

[SZZB]

PS. The SSD was formatted with a NTFS file type as it was the only option I had to wipe the drive

 

[Bigwaff]

It is not clear what you are trying to do. Install Mac OS? Install Windows?

 

[DeltaMac]

If the SSD is "wiped"/blank, and is the only drive in the iMac - with no operating system installed, just a blank drive, then there is no bootable system of any kind, and you will simply get the folder/with flashing ?.
That simply means that there is no bootable file system detected, which would be correct.

If you want to install a Mac system:
You could try booting to internet recovery. Best is to plug into your router (ethernet network cable) as you need an internet connection. Boot while holding these keys (on a Windows keyboard) Alt-Windows-R. You should see a rotating globe. The recovery system can take several minutes to finish booting, so be patient. If you decide that Alt-Windows-R is not working, try booting again (from power off) while holding Shift-Windows-Alt-R.
If you successfully boot to the recovery system, you will get a window with some choices. Go to Disk Utility, and erase the SSD. Make sure you select the topmost line in the list, which should show the manufacturer's info/part number/etc.
Change the format to Mac OS Extended (journaled), and click the Erase button. Takes a few seconds, and your drive is prepared for the Mac system install. Quit Disk Utility, then select Reinstall OS X. The system to install will probably be Lion - maybe something newer - but that will put a Mac system on your iMac, so you have something.

 

[Nguyen Duc Hieu]

If the SSD is "wiped"/blank, and is the only drive in the iMac - with no operating system installed, just a blank drive, then there is no bootable system of any kind, and you will simply get the folder/with flashing ?.
That simply means that there is no bootable file system detected, which would be correct.

If you want to install a Mac system:
You could try booting to internet recovery. Best is to plug into your router (ethernet network cable) as you need an internet connection. Boot while holding these keys (on a Windows keyboard) Alt-Windows-R. You should see a rotating globe. The recovery system can take several minutes to finish booting, so be patient. If you decide that Alt-Windows-R is not working, try booting again (from power off) while holding Shift-Windows-Alt-R.
If you successfully boot to the recovery system, you will get a window with some choices. Go to Disk Utility, and erase the SSD. Make sure you select the topmost line in the list, which should show the manufacturer's info/part number/etc.
Change the format to Mac OS Extended (journaled), and click the Erase button. Takes a few seconds, and your drive is prepared for the Mac system install. Quit Disk Utility, then select Reinstall OS X. The system to install will probably be Lion - maybe something newer - but that will put a Mac system on your iMac, so you have something.

Some mechanical keyboards are not recognized by the iMac fast enough to receive signal for Internet Recovery or PRAM reset.
I got the same issue before, when plugging in my Mechanical keyboard for the first time, I couldn't do a PRAM reset or access to boot menu by pressing Alt+R etc. After a while it was possible.
My solution then was purchasing a cheap USB keyboard. These are simpler and faster to be recognized by the iMac.

 

[DeltaMac]

I totally forgot, and assumed that the OP had a USB wired keyboard. Yes, a wireless keyboard may not be the best choice for a total wipe and reinstall. And, some generic windows keyboards may not always pass through the keyboard commands that you might expect an Apple-brand keyboard to provide.

 

[SZZB]

Should’ve explained im just trying to get any OS installed, assumed it be easier to install MacOS on an empty drive.

I’ve been using a cheap wired keyboard, the type with ****** rgb and the lights usually come on to show the keyboard is on with a second or so of booting.

Is it possible to get into the recovery mode menu without it being connected via Ethernet?

 

[SZZB]

I’ve got into the recovery, thank you

 

[SZZB]

Merry Christmas

 

[SZZB]

Error message, can’t download the additional components needed to install Mac OS X

 

[DeltaMac]

That's a common error on older Mac system installers.
I think the consensus is that the installer certificates have expired (basically, outdated)
Easiest try is to change your Mac's system date to something older.
You can boot to your recovery system again, then open the terminal (from the Utilities menu)
type the command

date 1116211618

Then, press enter. That will change your system date to an older date, and may allow the system install to complete, so you can quit the terminal at that point, then try the system install again. good luck!

 

[SZZB]

Just tried this, it said the date was changed to 2018 but I got the same error when trying the system install.

Changed to the date from 2018 to 2011 just outta curiosity and same error.

 

[Fishrrman]

Some thoughts.

Can you get to INTERNET recovery?
This is NOT THE SAME as "the recovery partition".
Command-OPTION-R
at boot.
Keep holding down that key combo for a while.

Use a WIRED keyboard.
Use ethernet -- even if that means moving the Mac.
If you must use wifi, have your wifi password ready.

Once the internet utilities load, open disk utility.
IMPORTANT QUESTION:
Is there a "view" menu?
If there IS, you MUST go to it and choose "show all devices".
(you can't erase the internal drive unless you do this)

Now, in the list at the left, the internal drive should be "the topmost item".
Click on it to select it, then click "erase".
Erase to APFS, GUID partition format.
Close disk utility and open the OS installer.

For a 2011 iMac, the installer should offer you OS 10.13 "Big Sur".
Accept this, even if that's not your favorite OS. Reason why:
A Mac that boots (even if the OS version is different) is better than one that won't.

Start clicking through.
The Mac will reboot one or more times, and the screen will go dark for a minute or more, with no other indication of activity. Be patient.

When done, you should see the initial setup screen (choose your language).
If you have a backup, ATTACH IT NOW and continue.

Good luck.

 

[SZZB]

From internet recovery my option to format the drives are as follows:

 

[SZZB]

This is the menu, no options to install anything but Lion

 

[SZZB]

Created a bootable usb with OSx Lion. trying to hold options (alt) on start up to load boot menu to no avail.

 

[Fishrrman]

Do you have access to another, working Mac?
If so, what version of the OS is running on it?

Do you have a USB drive around (either HDD or SSD)?

Just wondering... how did you create the flashdrive?

 

[SZZB]

Used TransMac on my brothers Dell Laptop. followed instructions from https://iboysoft.com/amp/howto/create-macos-bootable-usb-from-windows.html

 

[SZZB]

Okay so using a bootable usb with Lion gave me the same errors but using High Sierra I got the following…

The Disk Utility looked different and allowed me to format to APFS

I know a previous comment advised Big Sur but is that not OS 11?

 

[Fishrrman]

You need access to another Mac.
You should use a Mac to create the bootable flashdrive, NOT a PC.
Also use a Mac to download the OS installer.

It looks like 10.13 "High Sierra" is the OS you want.
Or... 10.12 [Low] Sierra might be worth trying as well.

You could use the free utility "Install Disk Creator" to create the flashdrive.

Make a Bootable USB macOS Installer Download the update for Big Sur compatibility -

What’s needed for a clean install on a Mac A backup of the disk before it’s erased. Two options are to use Duplicate (a free utility which can copy and paste an entire bootable volume), or Mac Backup Guru (a paid, fully featured backup utility with unique incremental backups capability) for...

macdaddy.io

Another option (maybe better):
There's a new free utility called "Mist".
It will download and create a bootable OS installer with just a few clicks.
You MIGHT need an Apple Silicon Mac to use it, however.

Release 0.9.1 · ninxsoft/Mist

Fixed insecure HTTP URLs for certain Firmware files Thanks F1248! Fixed a bug where downloads were not being cancelled when the Escape key was being pressed Thanks F1248! Rolled back the Bootable D...

github.com

I'm thinking you're probably going to have to get "outside help" to resolve things, if you can neither get the installer to work through internet recovery or by using a bootable flashdrive.

 

[SZZB]

I don’t have access to another Mac. is there a preferred OS version to use prior to Lion for me to create a bootable USB

 

[SZZB]

Any reason I can’t format the SSD now?

 

[Fishrrman]

Do you have an EXTERNAL USB drive of some kind?
Either a platter-based hard drive (HDD) or an SSD?

If you do.
Connect it.
Use disk utility to erase it to "Mac OS extended, journaling enabled" (DO NOT use case sensitive)

Try to run the installer again, but this time "point" the installer to the external drive.
See if you can get the OS to install onto the external drive.

 

[SZZB]

I’ve got USB, and a few SSDs. Fixed the formatting issue using terminal though

Okay I’m gonna try that now. Been stuck here for 10 minutes

Managed to get around it, still getting the error “can’t download the additional components needed to install Mac OS X” when directing to a different drive (64gb USB)

 

[Fishrrman]

"Managed to get around it, still getting the error “can’t download the additional components needed to install Mac OS X” when directing to a different drive (64gb USB)"

Are you trying to connect via wifi or ethernet?
Ethernet is better.
Move the iMac if you need to.
(no promises)