Your Mac will restart during the installation process—this is normal

Provide steps for installing on an unsupported Mac. Let me know how you'd like to proceed! Share public link

Release the key when you see the Startup Manager screen showing bootable volumes. Select the drive and press Enter .

Even with a correct download, you may encounter errors. Here is how to fix the most common "won’t work" scenarios.

If your Mac is officially compatible, you might be able to upgrade to instead. It runs on most of the same hardware and has a bit more modern support for file systems (APFS) and software.

Before diving into the download mechanics, it is essential to understand what makes this specific version (10.12.6) the most desirable among Sierra releases.

Turn off your Wi-Fi/disconnect internet cables to prevent your Mac from automatically correcting the time.

After completion, log in to your updated macOS Sierra system

If you are assembling an installer for an older Mac from a modern Mac running macOS Catalina or newer, you can query Apple's Software Update servers directly through the command-line interface.

sudo /Applications/Install\ macOS\ Sierra.app/Contents/Resources/createinstallmedia --volume /Volumes/SierraInstaller --applicationpath /Applications/Install\ macOS\ Sierra.app --nointeraction Use code with caution.

Before downloading, ensure your Mac supports macOS Sierra 10.12.6. Apple officially supports the following models for this operating system version: Late 2009 or newer MacBook Air: Late 2010 or newer MacBook Pro: Mid 2010 or newer Mac mini: Late 2010 or newer iMac: Late 2009 or newer Mac Pro: Mid 2010 or newer