After much waiting, Apple has finally released macOS Ventura. And you might be looking for a way to directly download the update package instead of going through the Software Updater or Mac App Store.

There may be several reasons for this. During the initial days of releasing the update, Apple servers would likely be busy serving downloads from users worldwide. Hence, many may face issues during the update, such as slow downloading speeds, unable to resume download, interrupted download, frequent disconnection, etc.

By using the direct download links, one can take advantage of download managers primarily for faster downloads, and resume capability in case of an interrupted download.

In this article, we’ll explore a way to download macOS Ventura directly from the Apple server instead of via the MAS System Settings, using your favorite web browser or a dedicated download manager.

Note: This post is specific to macOS Ventura direct download from Apple servers. For other macOS and OS X releases, check our earlier articles in this series.

 
Download and install macOS Ventura without MAS / Software Update

In macOS, whenever you download a new system update, some package files are downloaded to your computer, and then processed by the Software Update utility, to convert them into an executable “.app” file.

In this workaround, we’re going to directly download the raw package from the Apple server using a web browser or a suitable download manager. Then, we’ll run the package file to extract the “Install macOS Ventura.app” executable file. Once extracted, we’ll run the executable to install the update locally.

 
macOS Ventura Direct Download

Step 1: Download the following file from the respective URL provided below.

macOS Ventura 13.0 (22A380) / October 28, 2022 (Updated)

macOS Ventura InstallAssistant.pkg file download URL: 

InstallAssistant.pkg –  https://swcdn.apple.com/content/downloads/25/16/012-92138-A_KGGGN26YQB/d0kr042ixfvkboeft8qt2i3aclr5bx1e6p/InstallAssistant.pkg

Note: In our tests, we found that with certain download managers, a much smaller version of the InstallAssistant.pkg file (size within tens of megabytes) is downloaded rather than the complete offline installer package. If you notice a similar scenario, try using your web browser’s downloader to download the file. It supports Pause and Resume functionality for the download within the browser.

Step 2: Run the package file by double-clicking it.

Once the package is fully downloaded, simply double-click on the file and follow the installation wizard. You would be asked to enter the system (Mac) password.

When the installation is completed, go to the Applications directory (/Users/[username]/Applications/) on your Mac by opening Finder and clicking on Go >> Applications from the menu bar. You should be able to find the “Install macOS Ventura.app” file there. To install the update, simply run the installer.

 
Is the workaround genuine?

In this workaround, we are downloading the required resources from the Apple Server and running the package to create the macOS Installer. So yes, it is as genuine as the official method.

 
macOS Ventura Bootable Installer (macOS Ventura DMG)

Now that you have the “Install macOS Ventura.app” installer, you can upgrade multiple Macs to the latest version using the same file. However, if you are looking to perform a fresh installation, you need to create a bootable installer for Ventura.

The bootable image for Ventura (SharedSupport.dmg) is located within its “.app” file. To get the InstallESD.dmg file, do the following:

  1. Right-click on “Install macOS Ventura.app”.
  2. Select the “Show Package Contents” option, and browse to the “Contents/SharedSupport/” folder.

Alternatively, the bootable installer for macOS Ventura may be directly created from the “.app” file using the “createinstallmedia” command, as suggested by Apple.

If this workaround has helped you to get macOS Ventura easily or saved your Internet bandwidth on single or multiple installations, let us know in the comments below.