[Non-COH] How to convert .App to .Dmg in Windows

[WanderingAries]

//we REALLY need a non-game general group

 

Ok, so I can't help the group trying to troubleshoot CoX on Mac because my MBP has been offline for a while. I decided to pull it back out and attempt to rebuild it, but I've a few issues starting with, I need to create a bootable MacOS USB using my archives and a Windows device. I can't use my PPC to make a Dmg that my Intel Mac can read. I didn't think to convert these (misunderstanding of methods) as I downloaded them from the App store, so all I have are them in App format. I've come across a couple methods, but they all require the terminal and a working Mac.

 

Some important backstory, this is a 2012 Non-Retina MBP that has been maxed out in upgrades. RAM is topped off at 16Gb. The OS drive is an Evo 860 500Gb that I was splitting in two for Bootcamp, but that drive is all but RAW right now. I'd pulled the optical out and made it an external. In its place went a 2Tb Seagate (again, split in half) for my Data drive. There ARE Time Machine backups on the drive, but even when I Do get into the recovery mode it refuses to use them to restore the primary drive. I've pulled a clone of the apps from that drive, so I'm not entirely concerned with data loss. That and I already had a copy of my licenses.

 

So why am I in this situation? Sometime late last year / early this year the keyboard started not acting right. Sometimes it didn't want to type some/all letters. Thinking it was an update issue, I rolled back the Windows OS, tried reinstalling the Bootcamp drivers, but nothing helped 100%. Gradually it seemed as if it was affecting the MacOS side and eventually got to the point that I couldn't consistently use Mac boot command keystrokes. I even pulled out my Mac USB keyboard, but after a while even IT behaved the same way. I 'think' a PRAM reset worked at first, but eventually either it wasn't resetting (keys not working) or it no longer worked in general.

 

At this point the OS drive is unpartitioned, the Data drive is intacted, but the device gives a DOS style "please insert a valid boot disk" type message. I'm guessing that's because it sees the split drive and somehow the UEFI/SMC is messed up, so it thinks it's a PC right now. I'm hoping it's software as I don't really wanna replace the keyboard right now. IDK if I can do it myself (yet, need to find guide on iFixit), but I'm not lacking in experience nor tools for the job.