Fix Your Stuff Community Store

Repair guides and disassembly information for Apple's Macintosh personal computers.

42808 Questions View all

Options

MacBook Pro early 2011 recovery problems

I have a Macbook Pro early 2011. The machine had a non responsive SSD which I replaced. Now I can use internet recovery to reinstall Mac OS. I've tried a few various commands which take me to different internet recovery locations(command+R; option+command+R; Shift+option+command+R). Two offer Mac OS X Lion, but they give an error that the install file cannot be downloaded. The other provides High Sierra, and it gives the error saying it cant connect to the server. I have used disk utility to format the new SSD first. I have tried using a windows machine with trans mac software to make a boot disc as per the directions online and using Mac OS X Lion. I have tried using a newer iMac to download and make a boot disk as per the direction from the apple support page. None of the above has worked.

Are the Mac OS servers dead?

Do I have more options?

Is there any hope for this old laptop?

Answered! View the answer I have this problem too

Is this a good question?

Yes No
Score 0
Add a comment

1 Answer

Filter by:
Most Helpful Newest Oldest
Chosen Solution

Options

Hi Christopher,

I just ran into this exact problem when I was wiping my wife's old MacBook Air for my use. Turns out Apple did something screwy and now their security certificate isn't any good for the server so the fix for me turned out to be editing the script that accesses the server and change the HTTPS:// reference to HTTP:// instead. After that the connection will go through and work like it should.

While I'm not that big of a YouTube tutorial fan, the fix for me came from this video. Just follow it through and it'll get you fixed right up just like it did for me.

The Recovery Server Could Not Be Contacted Error! High Sierra Internet Recovery Error - YouTube

Update (04/17/24)

I poked around the YouTube page a bit more and ran across a link to the author's website where he has a page going through the process in text format rather than video. This would be my preferred set of instructions.

(FIXED) High Sierra "The Recovery Server Could Not Be Contacted" Error. High Sierra Internet Recovery is Still Online, but Broken!

Was this answer helpful?

Yes No
Score 2

3 Comments:

Thanks so much! It is now installing! Ifixit team, perhaps this should be in a guide as it seems apple wont be fixing it.

by

@flannelist Alisha, is this something you might be able to add as a troubleshooting guide for MacBooks?

by

@dadibrokeit - Downloading the OS installer from the Apple server gets you the re-certified certificate. Once you setup a bootable OS installer it’s a handy tool to have to deal with all sorts of issues How to download and install macOS and it’s quicker!

by

Add a comment

Add your answer

Christopher Bohnert will be eternally grateful.
View Statistics:

Past 24 Hours: 2

Past 7 Days: 2

Past 30 Days: 30

All Time: 30