Fixing “The Recovery Server Could Not Be Contacted” Error on High Sierra

Encountering the error message “The recovery server could not be contacted” during a macOS High Sierra installation can be incredibly frustrating. This issue often halts the installation process and leaves users searching for a solution. Fortunately, there is a reliable method to bypass this error and successfully install High Sierra on your Mac. This guide provides a step-by-step approach to resolve this problem, enabling you to complete your macOS installation smoothly.

Preparing a Bootable USB Drive for High Sierra Installation

This method involves creating a bootable USB drive, which will allow you to install High Sierra directly, bypassing the need to contact the recovery server. Follow these steps carefully to prepare your bootable drive:

Format Your USB Drive

First, you will need a USB flash drive with at least 16GB of storage. Use Disk Utility to format your USB drive correctly:

Insert your USB drive into your Mac.
Open Disk Utility (Applications > Utilities).
Select your USB drive from the sidebar.
Click Erase.
In the Erase dialog:
- Name: Enter MyVolume (This is crucial for the terminal command later).
- Format: Choose macOS Extended (Journaled).
- Scheme: Select GUID Partition Map.
Click Erase and then Done.

Download the High Sierra DMG

Next, you’ll need the Install macOS High Sierra application. The easiest way to obtain this is through the patcher application:

Download a macOS patcher tool (many are available online – search for “macOS High Sierra patcher”).
Open the patcher application. You might need to allow it in System Preferences > Security & Privacy if it’s your first time running it.
In the patcher app, navigate to the Tools menu.
Select the option to Download macOS High Sierra DMG from Apple.
The application will download and verify the DMG file.
Once downloaded, locate the “Install macOS High Sierra” app in your Downloads folder and copy it to your Applications folder.

Create the Bootable Installer in Terminal

Now, use Terminal to create the bootable installer on your USB drive:

Open Terminal (Applications > Utilities).

Paste the following command into Terminal:

sudo /Applications/Install macOS High Sierra.app/Contents/Resources/createinstallmedia --volume /Volumes/MyVolume

Press Enter.
Enter your administrator password when prompted (note that no characters will appear as you type) and press Enter again.
Terminal will now create the bootable USB drive. This process will take approximately 8 minutes.
Once complete, Terminal will display “Done.” Click the Apple icon, and select Eject “Install macOS High Sierra” and then remove your USB drive.

Installing High Sierra from the Bootable Drive

With your bootable USB drive ready, follow these steps to install High Sierra, resolving the “recovery server” error:

Boot from the USB Drive

Insert the bootable USB drive into the Mac where you want to install High Sierra.
Power on or restart your Mac and immediately press and hold the Option (⌥) key.
Release the Option key when you see the startup manager screen showing bootable volumes.
Select your USB drive (named “Install macOS High Sierra” or similar) using the arrow keys and press Enter.

Prepare the Target Drive and Adjust System Date

If your Mac boots to the macOS Utilities window (and not directly to the installer), proceed with these steps:

Disconnect from the Internet: Turn off Wi-Fi and disconnect any Ethernet cables. This is crucial to avoid the recovery server error.
Open Disk Utility from the macOS Utilities menu.
Select the drive where you want to install macOS.
Click Erase.
Format the drive as:
- Name: Choose a name for your drive.
- Format: Select macOS Extended (Journaled).
- Scheme: Select GUID Partition Map.
Click Erase and then Done.
Go back to the macOS Utilities menu and open Terminal.
Enter the following command to set the system date back to a time when the installer certificate was valid:
```
date 0101010118
```
Press Enter. This sets the date to January 1, 2018.

Disable System Integrity Protection (SIP)

Disabling SIP can also help bypass installation issues related to contacting the recovery server:

In the Terminal window (still in macOS Utilities), type the following command:
```
csrutil disable
```
Press Enter.
Terminal will confirm that SIP has been disabled.
Click the Apple icon and select Restart.

Reinstall from the Bootable Drive

After restarting, if you are back at the macOS Utilities screen, restart again while holding the Option (⌥) key.
Select your bootable USB drive from the startup manager.
This time, the system should boot directly into the macOS High Sierra installer.
Follow the on-screen installation instructions to install High Sierra on your formatted drive.

Conclusion

By following these detailed steps, you should be able to successfully bypass the “The recovery server could not be contacted” error and install macOS High Sierra. Creating a bootable USB drive and adjusting the system date and SIP settings are effective methods to overcome this common installation hurdle. This process might seem complex, but each step is designed to ensure a smooth and successful installation, getting your Mac running High Sierra without the frustration of server connectivity issues.