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macOS Mojave won't download from App Store

Angus
Updated

Recently purchased a new retina MacBook Air 2018 but the App Store would only install updates.

If I searched for an app or Safari extension, clicking Get > Install shows download icon endlessly spinning. The App Store would not download Apps or Safari extensions.

Here's how to fix it.

Solution

  1. Sign out of App Store.
  2. Close the App Store.
  3. Run this command in Terminal:
    defaults write com.apple.appstore.commerce Storefront -string "$(defaults read com.apple.appstore.commerce Storefront | sed s/,8/,13/)"
  4. Sign in to App Store. 
  5. Restart Mac.

Try to download an app and rejoice it works! 🎉

If symptoms still persist, leave a comment below and I will do my best to help.

Credits

Troubleshooting Process

Searched "App Store" in Console, found these errors:

  error 12:15:39.880988 +1000 kernel Sandbox: App Store(13284) deny(1) mach-lookup
  com.apple.assertiond.processassertionconnection

  default 12:15:39.879884 +1000 App Store AMSMetrics: [51650FA9] Flushing events
  for container: MacAppStore

  default 12:15:39.879887 +1000 App Store AMSMetrics: [18BB0E63] Flushing events
  for container: com.apple.AppleMediaServices

  error 12:15:39.881276 +1000 App Store AMSKeepAliveSession: [1E92A5AD] Failed
  to acquire task assertion

Googled a bit and found no helpful articles.

Maybe it's an account/authentication issue? Signed out. Now sign in failed. 😠

  error 12:18:07.281113 +1000 App Store Sign in failed with error code: 500, description:
  <private>

Searched google "mojave app store sign in failed 500" and found the solution on Stack Exchange.

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Comments

6 comments

Date Votes
  • Germán Guarna

    Hi, unfortunately the problem still persists. I updated my macbook pro 13" mid 2012 to Mojave today, and when I try to update some apps, for example Logic Pro x or iMovie, the little wheel keeps spinning and the update doesn't start.

    Tried to renew certificates in KeyChain and also no luck. Any other advice you could give me?

    Thanks!

    0
  • Angus

    Hi Germán, sorry to hear that. Open Console, search "App Store", share text or screenshots of the errors. The errors have a yellow dot in the Type column.

    0
  • Todd Kelman

    I'm getting similar errors (see attached) to what you're describing, but the solution didn't work for me - followed it to the letter.  When I hit the "update" button on an app in the App Store, it spins for second then the button goes right back to "update" and the following failures occur in the console (again, attached - there's two attempts to update captured in this console screenshot)

    Any thoughts?  Thanks so much!

    0
  • Germán Guarna

    Hi, I found a solution for my issue. Hope it helps you.
    I made a reset to PRAM and SMC. Don't know why but after that, everything worked just fine.
    Never the less I can't say I'm happy with the mojave upgrade on my macbook pro mid 2012.
    Cheers!

    1
  • John Wesley Barker

    Thanks, your Solution worked for me, at last.

    0
  • Permanently deleted user

    I tied this post's solution and it did not work until I tried German's solution (reset to PRAM and SMC). App store now works on Mojave!

    0

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