{"id":3526,"date":"2025-01-30T21:42:35","date_gmt":"2025-01-31T02:42:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/drkeithjones.com\/?p=3526"},"modified":"2025-01-30T21:46:30","modified_gmt":"2025-01-31T02:46:30","slug":"manually-download-macos-sequoia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/drkeithjones.com\/index.php\/2025\/01\/30\/manually-download-macos-sequoia\/","title":{"rendered":"Manually Download MacOS Sequoia"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Apple\u2019s macOS updates are typically seamless through the App Store, but sometimes, a bug can throw a wrench in the process. I recently encountered this firsthand when updating one of my Macs to macOS Sequoia. No matter what I did, the App Store refused to download the installer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After some research, I found a workaround: manually downloading the installer and writing it to a USB stick. If you\u2019ve ever been stuck in a similar situation, here\u2019s how you can do it, too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The Problem: App Store Download Issues<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Updating macOS through the App Store should be straightforward\u2014find the update, click download, and let the system handle the rest. However, some users (myself included) have encountered a strange issue where the macOS Sequoia installer refuses to download correctly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Usually, when the App Store fails, you can use a bootable USB installer to upgrade your system. But what do you do if you can\u2019t get the installer from the App Store in the first place?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Solution: Manually Downloading macOS Sequoia<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

While looking for a solution, I came across this article<\/a> by Wolf Paulus. It provided the key information I needed: using a script called gibMacOS<\/strong> to fetch the macOS installer manually.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

gibMacOS is an open-source tool that allows you to download macOS installers directly from Apple\u2019s servers. The best part? It can build a bootable USB installer for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Step-by-Step Guide to Manually Download macOS Sequoia<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re experiencing the same issue I did, follow these steps to download and install macOS Sequoia manually:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Download gibMacOS<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

First, you\u2019ll need to grab the gibMacOS script from its GitHub repository:

\ud83d\udd17 gibMacOS on GitHub<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

To download it, open a terminal and run:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

git clone https:\/\/github.com\/corpnewt\/gibMacOS.git\ncd gibMacOS<\/code><\/code><\/pre>\n\n\n\n
If you don\u2019t have git<\/code> installed, you can manually download the ZIP file from GitHub and extract it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
2. Run gibMacOS<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
On macOS, run:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
.\/gibMacOS.command<\/code><\/code><\/pre>\n\n\n\n
This will open a menu where you can choose the version of macOS you want to download. Look for macOS Sequoia<\/strong> and select it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
3. Install The Instaler<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Double-click the downloaded installer to create the MacOS installer in the \/Applications directory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
4. Create a Bootable USB Drive<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Now that you have the full installer, you must create a bootable USB drive. Insert a USB stick with at least 16GB<\/strong> of space and format it as Mac OS Extended (Journaled)<\/strong> using Disk Utility.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Then, run the following command (replace MyUSB<\/code> with the actual name of your USB drive):<\/p>\n\n\n\n
sudo \/Applications\/Install\\ macOS\\ Sequoia.app\/Contents\/Resources\/createinstallmedia --volume \/Volumes\/MyUSB<\/code><\/code><\/pre>\n\n\n\n
This will write the installer to the USB drive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
5. Install macOS Sequoia<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Once the USB installer is ready:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
    \n
  1. Restart your Mac<\/strong> and hold Option (\u2325)<\/strong> while booting.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. Select the macOS Sequoia Installer<\/strong> from the boot menu.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. Follow the on-screen instructions to install or upgrade macOS.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
    \n\n\n\n
    Final Thoughts<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
    Dealing with unexpected issues updating macOS can be frustrating, especially when the App Store refuses to cooperate. However, as this experience showed me, there\u2019s always a workaround. gibMacOS<\/strong> is a powerful tool that helps you manually download macOS installers and gives you complete control over the upgrade process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
    Whether you\u2019re troubleshooting a buggy system, creating a bootable installer for multiple Macs, or simply preferring to have a local copy of macOS on hand, this method ensures you\u2019re never stuck waiting on the App Store. While it requires a few extra steps, the ability to bypass download issues, build a bootable USB, and install macOS on your terms<\/strong> makes it well worth the effort.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
    PS – I found a second script, but I haven’t tried it yet: https:\/\/github.com\/munki\/macadmin-scripts\/blob\/main\/installinstallmacos.py<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
    Apple\u2019s macOS updates are typically seamless through the App Store, but sometimes, a bug can throw a wrench in the process. I recently encountered this firsthand when updating one of my Macs to macOS Sequoia. No matter what I did, the App Store refused to download the installer. After some research, I found a workaround: […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[74,61],"tags":[425,424,422,423,99],"class_list":["post-3526","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-how-to","category-tools","tag-apple","tag-mac","tag-macos","tag-sequoia","tag-tools"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t