robertdurkin

Q: Just bought a 2011 macbook pro ! - there s no disks ! , Help with set up !

Hello everyone, Im Robert from Manchester (UK)

 

.. Im posting on here asking for a bit of help & im sure some of you guys will be able to point me in the right direction ..

 

Ive just bought a used macbook pro (2011 model) with applecare from eBay which runs out in September, but the original disks are missing, I have yet to recieve the macbook (whuch should arrive late this week) but can see from the description it's listed as a late 2011 model and have been told the system runs on snow leopard ..

 

From what I can see online I will need the original disks to start up the machine when I recieve it ? .. is this true and if so how do I go about getting these disks or can I start up the system online ??

 

also being a late model should it not be on the Lion operating system ? ..

 

any help will be appreciated, as Im new to macbooks and apple products , thanks,

MacBook Pro

Posted on May 28, 2014 2:59 AM

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Q: Just bought a 2011 macbook pro ! - there s no disks ! , Help with set up !

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  • by AnaMusic,

    AnaMusic AnaMusic May 28, 2014 3:04 AM in response to robertdurkin
    Level 9 (57,248 points)
    May 28, 2014 3:04 AM in response to robertdurkin

    If the computer you are intending to purchase Originally Shipped with Snow Leopard Installed you will need those Install Discs and they Should be provided by the Seller.

     

    Also... the Seller should do as stated in these Links...

     

    Apple What to do before selling or giving away your Mac

    http://support.apple.com/kb/HT5189?viewlocale=en_US&locale=en_US

     

    Also See Thomas Reed's How to Prepare your Mac for sale

     

    If these steps are Not carried out Before you take possession and the Discs are not being supplied... then do not purchase it.

  • by OGELTHORPE,Helpful

    OGELTHORPE OGELTHORPE May 28, 2014 3:32 AM in response to robertdurkin
    Level 9 (52,759 points)
    Mac OS X
    May 28, 2014 3:32 AM in response to robertdurkin

    robertdurkin wrote:

     

    From what I can see online I will need the original disks to start up the machine when I recieve it ? .. is this true and if so how do I go about getting these disks or can I start up the system online ??

     

    Duplicate disks can be purchased from Apple Customer Service for a fee, however as AnaMusic says, they should be provided by the seller.

     

    also being a late model should it not be on the Lion operating system ? ..

     

    If it is a late 2011, then yes it shipped with Lion, but Snow leopard 10.6.8 can be installed and run on a late 2011 MBP. 

     

    Essentially you have a couple of 'unknown' aspects here that will only be clarified upon receipt of the MBP. 

     

    Ciao.

  • by a brody,Helpful

    a brody a brody May 28, 2014 3:40 AM in response to robertdurkin
    Level 9 (66,889 points)
    Classic Mac OS
    May 28, 2014 3:40 AM in response to robertdurkin

    Agreed, October 24, 2011 was when MacBook Pros started coming out with no prebundled installer discs.  Given your AppleCare runs out in September, your MacBook Pro obviously is older than that, and must have come with installer discs, as AppleCare is three years from date of computer's purchase.

  • by Linc Davis,

    Linc Davis Linc Davis May 28, 2014 8:41 AM in response to robertdurkin
    Level 10 (208,037 points)
    Applications
    May 28, 2014 8:41 AM in response to robertdurkin

    The first thing to do with a second-hand computer is to erase the internal drive and install a clean copy of OS X. You—not the original owner—must do that. How you do it depends on the model, and on whether you already own another Mac. If you're not sure of the model, enter the serial number on this page. Then find the model on this page to see what OS version was originally installed.

    It's unsafe, and may be unlawful, to use a computer with software installed by a previous owner.

    1a. If you don't own another Mac

    If the machine shipped with OS X 10.4 or 10.5, you need a boxed and shrink-wrapped retail Snow Leopard (OS X 10.6) installation disc from the Apple Store or a reputable reseller—not from eBay or anything of the kind. If the machine is very old and has less than 1 GB of memory, you'll need to add more in order to install 10.6. Preferably, install as much memory as it can take, according to the technical specifications.

    If the machine shipped with OS X 10.6, you need the installation media that came with it: gray installation discs, or a USB flash drive for a MacBook Air. You should have received those media from the original owner, but if you didn't, order replacements from Apple. A retail disc, or the gray discs from another model, will not work.

    To start up from an optical disc or a flash drive, insert it, then restart the computer and hold down the C key at the startup chime. Release the key when you see the gray Apple logo on the screen.

    If the machine shipped with OS X 10.7 or later, you don't need media. It should start up in Internet Recovery mode when you hold down the key combination option-command-R at the startup chime. Release the keys when you see a spinning globe.

    Some models shipped with OS X 10.6 and received a firmware update after 10.7 was released, enabling them to use Internet Recovery. If you have one of those models, you may not be able to reinstall 10.6 even from the original discs, and Internet Recovery may not work either without the original owner's Apple ID. In that case, contact Apple Support, or take the machine to an Apple Store or another authorized service provider to have the OS installed.

    1b. If you do own another Mac

    If you already own another Mac that was upgraded in the App Store to the version of OS X that you want to install, and if the new Mac is compatible with it, then you can install it. Use Recovery Disk Assistant to prepare a USB device, then start up the new Mac from it by holding down the C key at the startup chime. Alternatively, if you have a Time Machine backup of OS X 10.7.3 or later on an external hard drive (not a Time Capsule or other network device), you can start from that by holding down the option key and selecting it from the row of icons that appears. Note that if your other Mac was never upgraded in the App Store, you can't use this method.

    2. Partition and install OS X

    If you see a lock screen when trying to start up from installation media or in Recovery mode, then a firmware password was set by the previous owner, or the machine was remotely locked via iCloud. You'll either have to contact the owner or take the machine to an Apple Store or another service provider to be unlocked. You may be asked for proof of ownership.

    Launch Disk Utility and select the icon of the internal drive—not any of the volume icons nested beneath it. In the  Partition tab, select the default options: a GUID partition table with one data volume in Mac OS Extended (Journaled) format. This operation will permanently remove all existing data on the drive.

    After partitioning, quit Disk Utility and run the OS X Installer. If you're installing a version of OS X acquired from the App Store, you will need the Apple ID and password that you used. When the installation is done, the system will automatically restart into the Setup Assistant, which will prompt you to transfer the data from another Mac, its backups, or from a Windows computer. If you have any data to transfer, this is usually the best time to do it.

    Then run Software Update and install all available system updates from Apple. To upgrade to a major version of OS X newer than 10.6, get it from the Mac App Store. Note that you can't keep an upgraded version that was installed by the original owner. He or she can't legally transfer it to you, and without the Apple ID you won't be able to update it in Software Update or reinstall, if that becomes necessary. The same goes for any App Store products that the previous owner installed—you have to repurchase them.

    3. Other issues

    If the original owner "accepted" the bundled iLife applications (iPhoto, iMovie, and Garage Band) in the App Store so that he or she could update them, then they're irrevocably linked to that Apple ID and you won't be able to download them without buying them. Reportedly, Mac App Store Customer Service has sometimes issued redemption codes for these apps to second owners who asked.

    If the previous owner didn't deauthorize the computer in the iTunes Store under his Apple ID, you wont be able to  authorize it immediately under your ID. In that case, you'll either have to wait up to 90 days or contact iTunes Support.

    When trying to create a new iCloud account, you might get a failure message: "Account limit reached." Apple imposes a lifetime limit of three iCloud account setups per device. Erasing the device does not reset the limit. You can still use an iCloud account that was created on another device, but you won't be able to create a new one. Contact iCloud Support for more information. The setup limit doesn't apply to Apple ID accounts used for other services, such as the iTunes and Mac App Stores, or iMessage. You can create as many of those accounts as you like.