If you are trying to install or reinstall macOS Sierra and keep running into the “No bag entry” error, you are not alone. This issue most commonly appears when starting a reinstall from the macOS Utilities or Recovery environment. While the message looks serious, it is usually easy to fix.

Contents

  • What causes the “No bag entry” error?
  • Solution 1: Sync the system time with Apple’s servers
  • Solution 2: Manually set the system date
  • Fixing install errors in macOS Recovery
  • Conclusion

What causes the “No bag entry” error?

In most cases, this error is related to an incorrect system date or a failed verification between the installer and Apple’s servers. Common reasons include:

  • The Mac’s date and time are incorrect
  • The installer cannot authenticate with Apple due to a time mismatch
  • Temporary network issues or problems on Apple’s side

Correcting the system date and time usually resolves the issue.

Before you start: Open Terminal from the Utilities menu and make sure your Mac is connected to the internet.

Solution 1: Sync time using Apple’s NTP server

The easiest method is to synchronize your Mac’s clock with Apple’s Network Time Protocol (NTP) servers. This does not work in every situation, but it is a good first step.

Steps

  1. Check your internet connection
    Connect to Wi-Fi using the menu in the top-right corner of the macOS Utilities screen, or ensure your Ethernet cable is plugged in.
  2. Open Terminal
    From the menu bar, choose Utilities → Terminal.
  3. Run the sync command
    ntpdate -u time.apple.com
    This command updates your Mac’s clock using Apple’s time server.
  4. Close Terminal and retry the installation
    If the error persists, continue with the next solution.

Solution 2: Manually set the system date

If automatic time syncing fails, setting the date manually is usually reliable.

Steps

  1. Ensure internet access
  2. Open Terminal
    Go to Utilities → Terminal.
  3. Set the date manually
    Example command:
    date -u 0311102625
    This sets the system time to March 11, 2025, at 10:26 UTC. Adjust the values as needed.

Date format explained:

  • MM – Month
  • DD – Day
  • hhmm – Hour and minute
  • YY – Year

Fixing install errors in macOS Recovery

When reinstalling macOS from the Recovery partition, you may instead see the message:

“An error occurred while preparing the installation. Try running this application again.”

This often happens if the Mac has not been used for a long time and the system date has reset—sometimes as far back as 2001.

Check the current system date

In macOS Recovery, open Terminal and run:

date

The output shows the date currently set on the system. If it is incorrect, you will need to update it.

Set the correct date using UTC

Use the following command structure:

date -u MMDDhhmmYY

All values must be two digits and should be entered using UTC time to avoid timezone issues.

Example:
December 29, 2025 at 09:30 local time equals 08:30 UTC. The correct command would be:

date -u 1229083025

After running the command, verify the change by entering date again. Once the time is correct, quit Terminal and retry the macOS installation.

For additional background, you can read the original guide here:
Changing system date from Terminal – OS X Recovery

Conclusion

The “No bag entry” error and related installation failures are usually caused by an incorrect system date. Start by syncing the time with Apple’s servers. If that does not work, manually set the date using Terminal—especially when working from macOS Recovery.

Once the system clock is correct, macOS Sierra should install without further issues.

If this guide helped you—or if you found another solution—feel free to share your experience in the comments.