Level 1 (7 points)

Problem downloading OS from App Store

I am trying to upgrade my Mac Mini, currently running High Sierra. The highest it can go is Monterrey, but I thought it best to go up one version at a time, so I am trying to download Mohave.

I downloading it previously, but had other problems (that's another story), so I deleted it, and emptied the trash. Now when I try to download it from the App Store, I get this message:

macOS Mojave failed to download

Use the Purchased page to try again

I went to the Purchased page but Mohave is not listed.

So, even though Mohave has been deleted from my system, apparently a flag was set somewhere in a system file, so the App Store thinks it has already been downloaded.

I spent a long time with someone from Apple Support, but she was unable to identify the cause the problem. Does anybody here know the cause of the problem?

Posted on Sep 27, 2026 4:07 PM

13 replies

Grant Bennet-Alder

Level 10 (148,617 points)

Sep 27, 2026 5:01 PM in response to robroper

The way the App store operates has changed. Older MacOS versions like the ones you seek are "put away" so that they do not get downloaded by accident.

You may have them by using the links in this article, under the heading:

Download via the App Store.

How to download and install macOS - Apple Support

Grant Bennet-Alder

Level 10 (148,617 points)

Sep 27, 2026 5:39 PM in response to robroper

when using the article:

How to download and install macOS - Apple Support

Download via the App Store

macOS Mojave 10.14 ---(not a valid stand-alone URL here)

it opens the App Store as well --

To EXACTLY the MacOS Mojave page, and invites me to (Get) Mojave

John Galt

Level 10 (162,806 points)

Sep 27, 2026 5:04 PM in response to robroper

In the App Store, search for Mojave. "Mohave" will not appear, nor will "Monterrey" for that matter.

Scroll down a bit where you will find this (Download macOS Versions):

Click it, then

Before you do any of that, I strongly recommend that you Create a bootable installer for macOS - Apple Support for OS X "High Sierra". Obtaining it from Apple has become problematic for reasons not worth discussing. Obviate that concern by creating your own "bootable installer" and keeping it in a safe place.

Having said that, a number of Apple products and services for "older" installations are soon to become unusable due to the impending expiration of their security certificates... a story for another day. High Sierra is already hanging by a gossamer thread. Mojave is sure to follow.

I thought it best to go up one version at a time, ...

I understand your reticence but it's not necessary. Upgrade to the latest macOS version your Mini will support. Just be sure to create a Time Machine backup first (which ought to go without saying). Ideally, create two or more backups. One is never enough.

Servant of Cats

Level 9 (55,707 points)

Sep 27, 2026 7:37 PM in response to robroper

Make sure that when you are trying to get Safari,

You are using Safari
Safari is set as your default Web browser

This doesn't sound like the issue you're facing - but there's some sort of special handshaking going on with that App Store link, and if you try to access it using another browser, you may get a highly misleading message saying that the item you seek is not available. (That happened to me once when trying to access the link from Firefox.)

Grant Bennet-Alder

Level 10 (148,617 points)

Sep 27, 2026 5:04 PM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder

For others who may get here by searching, there are issues with encryption in versions of Safari older than Safari 9, which originally shipped in MacOS 10.11 El Capitan, and was added into the two previous versions by Software update.

robroper Author

Level 1 (7 points)

Sep 27, 2026 5:21 PM in response to robroper

Please confine this discussion to how to solve the problem of this message:

macOS Mojave failed to download

Use the Purchased page to try again

When trying to download Mohave (or any OS) after deleting it.

Grant Bennet-Alder

Level 10 (148,617 points)

Sep 27, 2026 5:22 PM in response to John Galt

John Galt wrote:

In the App Store, search for Mojave. "Mohave" will not appear, nor will "Monterrey" for that matter.

Scroll down a bit where you will find this (Download macOS Versions):

I am unable to duplicate your instructions in Mac App Store Sequoia.

I get a choice of six obscure apps and no MacOS nothin. Scroll down does nothin.

Servant of Cats

Level 9 (55,707 points)

Sep 27, 2026 7:34 PM in response to John Galt

John Galt wrote:

Before you do any of that, I strongly recommend that you Create a bootable installer for macOS - Apple Support

for OS X "High Sierra". Obtaining it from Apple has become problematic for reasons not worth discussing. Obviate that concern by creating your own "bootable installer" and keeping it in a safe place.

Making one or more bootable backups of the High Sierra installation (using Carbon Copy Cloner or SuperDuper!) would be another possibility.

robroper Author

Level 1 (7 points)

Sep 28, 2026 9:32 AM in response to robroper

Here are the console messages when the problem occurs. I will define the problem once again:

When clicking the download button on Mohave from the App Store, the App Store popup displays the following error message:

macOS Mojave failed to download

Use the Purchased page to try again.

Mohave does not appear on the Purchased page.

Please only reply if you know the cause and solution to this specific problem. Please do not attempt to supply a workaround.

2026-09-27 15:58:25-06 vangogh softwareupdated[470]: SUScan: Scan for client pid 470 (/System/Library/CoreServices/Software Update.app/Contents/Resources/softwareupdated)

2026-09-27 15:58:26-06 vangogh softwareupdated[470]: Failed Software Update - Refusing invalid certificate from host: swscan.apple.com

2026-09-27 15:58:26-06 vangogh softwareupdated[470]: SUScan: Elapsed scan time = 0.1

2026-09-27 15:58:26-06 vangogh softwareupdated[470]: SUScan: Error encountered in scan: Error Domain=NSURLErrorDomain Code=-1012 "(null)" UserInfo={NSErrorFailingURLStringKey=https://swscan.apple.com/content/catalogs/others/index-10.13-10.12-10.11-10.10-10.9-mountainlion-lion-snowleopard-leopard.merged-1.sucatalog, NSErrorFailingURLKey=https://swscan.apple.com/content/catalogs/others/index-10.13-10.12-10.11-10.10-10.9-mountainlion-lion-snowleopard-leopard.merged-1.sucatalog, NSLocalizedRecoverySuggestion=Make sure you’re connected to the Internet, and then try again., SUErrorRelatedCode=SUErrorCodeScanCatalogNotFound}

2026-09-27 15:58:26-06 vangogh softwareupdated[470]: Scan got error The operation couldn‚Äôt be completed. (NSURLErrorDomain error -1012.)

2026-09-27 15:58:26-06 vangogh softwareupdated[470]: SUScan: Scan for client pid 470 (/System/Library/CoreServices/Software Update.app/Contents/Resources/softwareupdated)

2026-09-27 15:58:26-06 vangogh softwareupdated[470]: Failed Software Update - Refusing invalid certificate from host: swscan.apple.com

2026-09-27 15:58:26-06 vangogh softwareupdated[470]: SUScan: Elapsed scan time = 0.1

2026-09-27 15:58:26-06 vangogh softwareupdated[470]: Scan got error The operation couldn‚Äôt be completed. (NSURLErrorDomain error -1012.)

robroper Author

Level 1 (7 points)

Sep 27, 2026 5:19 PM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder

That's the document I was using. When I click on the OS version, it opens the App Store.

robroper Author

Level 1 (7 points)

Sep 27, 2026 5:20 PM in response to John Galt

I was unable to create a boot installer. I got error messages. That's another issue. This post is for how to solve the problem of downloading an OS installer after I've deleted it.

John Galt

Level 10 (162,806 points)

Sep 27, 2026 6:53 PM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder

🤷🏻‍♂️

I no longer have any Sequoia systems to test, but one of the App Store choices opens Update macOS on Mac - Apple Support.

Grant Bennet-Alder

Level 10 (148,617 points)

Sep 28, 2026 7:18 AM in response to robroper

robroper--

If this is still not working for you, please tell us what you are doing and what errors or failures you are getting, in detail.

Originally posted at discussions.apple.com/thread/256366172