Need help with clean install of Big Sur on Macbook Air mid 2013

NviGate Systems said:
If you throw the mac in a trash bin, it's considered an upgrade.

/sarcasm

Seriously though, 2013? Macs don't age well. Tell the client it's by the hour if they want that hunk of aluminum to fly again.
Click to expand...
I'm just working on this in my downtime. I'm not charging by the hour because if I did, they might as well buy a brand new one. I'm not a Mac guy but this is giving me valuable experience. I know a mac guy but he is super busy right now. Anyways, I'm pretty sure it's the drive. I'm going to order another one but need to know exactly what to get. Someone mentioned OWC?
 
So a few things......

The experience you are getting is generic at best. Apple is moving away from Intel and this will be the fourth iteration of Apple Hardware since they were a company, so it's doubtful that the experience here will really translate well to newer macs other than a vague sense of "a mac sorta does this" because with M1/2 all that has changed..... drastically.

A perfect example of this is the OS Upgrade. That's not found in Updates, but rather in the App Store. (Newer versions of Mac OS have radically changed how updates are done so anything you learn here is limited)

You will need to go to the App Store to get the upgrade to a newer OS. You will be required to sign in and may or may not find what you are looking for unless you get the links from Apple. Apple recently posted a link to old versions of Mac OS for App Store.
 
NviGate Systems said:
So a few things......

The experience you are getting is generic at best. Apple is moving away from Intel and this will be the fourth iteration of Apple Hardware since they were a company, so it's doubtful that the experience here will really translate well to newer macs other than a vague sense of "a mac sorta does this" because with M1/2 all that has changed..... drastically.

A perfect example of this is the OS Upgrade. That's not found in Updates, but rather in the App Store. (Newer versions of Mac OS have radically changed how updates are done so anything you learn here is limited)

You will need to go to the App Store to get the upgrade to a newer OS. You will be required to sign in and may or may not find what you are looking for unless you get the links from Apple. Apple recently posted a link to old versions of Mac OS for App Store.
Click to expand...
Ok, thanks for the advice.
 
Did you log into the App store with a valid ID? The last few versions of macOS stopped showing up "updates/upgrades" in the App Store. Many times, one it's available, it'll show up in the Applications folder as Install <insert whatever version>. Also if you search online, for example download macOS 10.13, you'll usually find options which point you to the installer. For whatever reason Apple makes it hard to find them just searching on the app store.

How to download and install macOS - Apple Support

Download and install current or previous versions of the Mac operating system on compatible Mac computers.
support.apple.com support.apple.com
 
Upgrading the OS often needs you to use a web browser (e.g. Safari) to find the upgrade link on an apple.com page which opens the App Store with the download available. Probably not available by simply searching the App Store.
 
NviGate Systems said:
So a few things......

The experience you are getting is generic at best. Apple is moving away from Intel and this will be the fourth iteration of Apple Hardware since they were a company, so it's doubtful that the experience here will really translate well to newer macs other than a vague sense of "a mac sorta does this" because with M1/2 all that has changed..... drastically.

A perfect example of this is the OS Upgrade. That's not found in Updates, but rather in the App Store. (Newer versions of Mac OS have radically changed how updates are done so anything you learn here is limited)

You will need to go to the App Store to get the upgrade to a newer OS. You will be required to sign in and may or may not find what you are looking for unless you get the links from Apple. Apple recently posted a link to old versions of Mac OS for App Store.
Click to expand...
K, I"m in the app store and I click updates and it just shows safari and a couple other things, no software version update.
 
Please read Markverhyden's post above, click the link he provided and read that page.

I know you are new to Mac but a little effort is needed in this industry, we will not always be able to help you step by step.

Learn to read, read and read again as we tend to gloss over things we figure are not related. Don't be quick to give up.
 
NviGate Systems said:
Please read Markverhyden's post above, click the link he provided and read that page.

I know you are new to Mac but a little effort is needed in this industry, we will not always be able to help you step by step.

Learn to read, read and read again as we tend to gloss over things we figure are not related. Don't be quick to give up.
Click to expand...

I did click the link. In it there are links for a few operating systems but not for Mavericks. If I download and install one of them will it wipe the data off the drive as it would with windows? I have a time machine backup on a drive, but I want to be careful. Also, the only reason I'd be downloading and installing a new OS onto the old drive is to prep the macbook to use the new drive as I read this on a page for a drive I found: "
  • Must update original SSD to macOS 10.13 or later version before moving out. New SSD will not be recognized after replacement if original SSD installed 10.12 or earlier Mac OS."
 
JohnDoe1980 said:
I did click the link. In it there are links for a few operating systems but not for Mavericks. If I download and install one of them will it wipe the data off the drive as it would with windows? I have a time machine backup on a drive, but I want to be careful. Also, the only reason I'd be downloading and installing a new OS onto the old drive is to prep the macbook to use the new drive as I read this on a page for a drive I found: "
  • Must update original SSD to macOS 10.13 or later version before moving out. New SSD will not be recognized after replacement if original SSD installed 10.12 or earlier Mac OS."
Click to expand...
I follow the links, it brings me to the app store for the OS, I click the link "View in Mac APP Store" and nothing happens. I was able to get to the High Sierra page but was unable to click install because it says "installed" and is greyed out but I don't have High Sierra, afaik I have Mavericks. I'm getting ready to give up on this. I appreciate everyone's help so far, but I'm thinking that this is going nowhere.
 
JohnDoe1980 said:
I follow the links, it brings me to the app store for the OS, I click the link "View in Mac APP Store" and nothing happens. I was able to get to the High Sierra page but was unable to click install because it says "installed" and is greyed out but I don't have High Sierra, afaik I have Mavericks. I'm getting ready to give up on this. I appreciate everyone's help so far, but I'm thinking that this is going nowhere.
Click to expand...
I've had a few occasions with old equipment where I had to install an intermediate step. So click on the 10.10 or 10.11 link. Download and install. Then you should be able to get 10.13 installed.
 
Markverhyden said:
I've had a few occasions with old equipment where I had to install an intermediate step. So click on the 10.10 or 10.11 link. Download and install. Then you should be able to get 10.13 installed.
Click to expand...
I'm getting "Safari can't open this page because safari can't establish a secure connection to the server "discussions.apple.com"". Some site work, others don't.
 
JohnDoe1980 said:
I'm getting "Safari can't open this page because safari can't establish a secure connection to the server "discussions.apple.com"". Some site work, others don't.
Click to expand...
Markverhyden said:
I've had a few occasions with old equipment where I had to install an intermediate step. So click on the 10.10 or 10.11 link. Download and install. Then you should be able to get 10.13 installed.
Click to expand...
In "about this Mac" it's saying I have Version 10.9.5
 
The SSL issues are due to the root security certificate having been outdated and replaced. Older versions of Mac OS X and older versions of iOS will no longer be able to connect to sites.

So, this kind of reinforces that these systems were made as junk. Or rather to become junk if you as a maker abandoned them.

eclecticlight.co

El Capitan and older Mac OS X are about to have a security certificate problem

If you’re still running El Capitan, or any version of Mac OS X prior to 10.12.1, then you’re about to run into problems with some popular security certificates. The reason, explained in…
eclecticlight.co eclecticlight.co

This is likely what you are encountering. I have a Mid 2012 MBP that is having the same issue.

Unless you have a machine you can transfer a root certificate from, you may not be able to do anything. So, literally Apple has bricked the device unless you have a hard copy of the needed updates. Because if you can't access the update/App Store servers to get OS Updates, it won't patch the firmware so you can then install new SSD.

Time to give it up and tell your client Apple no longer provides the support required to service the machine, which is the truth.
 
Computer Bloke said:
Never give up. Never surrender.
Click to expand...
galaxy-quest-never-give-up.gif
 
If it's the root certificate expiration issue while running a macOS installer (can't install on this machine error) from a few years ago it was a date matter. If you were unable to download an updated installer, Apple had updated all their installers, you simply had to make sure the machine was not on the Internet, boot from the installer, change the system date back a couple of years, then run the installer.
 
No, this root certificate is regarding websites, and as such that's why op was having issues loading support.apple.com because it's a secure site and the certificate built into previous versions of Mac OS X for internet have expired.

It's more reason why for someone who is not familiar with Mac, and a machine that is well out of support, that it's going to be a nightmare to support the machine. Remember, when we touch something, it's ours for life as far as problems go. Whether that is reasonable or not, the client will always try and think it's something the tech did.
 
I think what I am getting at is for techs to learn how to triage, use time wisely and don't get stuck doing work for cheap even if it might give a chance to learn. I mean, would you take on a project to learn about Windows 95 thinking it would give you experience? Sure it's Windows but nothing like Windows of today.

I'm guilty of doing things OP did back in the day, and now that I'm old and grumpy, I want my wasted time back. Or at least the government could pay me for it. (totally joking about getting paid)

Anyways, best of success!
 
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