HT201364: OS X Mavericks system requirements

Learn about OS X Mavericks system requirements
toque

Q: how to reinstall free mavericks upgrade

I reformatted my macbook pro hard drive and was trying to reinstall the free mavericks upgrade i got last year, but the app store doesn't recognize it as a purchase and won't let me reinstall. any ideas?

powerbook g4, Mac OS X (10.5.6)

Posted on Jan 11, 2015 6:19 AM

Close

Q: how to reinstall free mavericks upgrade

  • All replies
  • Helpful answers

Page 1 Next
  • by Eric Root,

    Eric Root Eric Root Jan 11, 2015 7:59 AM in response to toque
    Level 9 (72,571 points)
    iTunes
    Jan 11, 2015 7:59 AM in response to toque

    If you didn't download it previously, Mavericks is no longer available. If you did download it, isn't it in your App Store Purchases tab?

  • by toque,

    toque toque Jan 11, 2015 8:11 AM in response to Eric Root
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jan 11, 2015 8:11 AM in response to Eric Root

    thanks eric

    yes it was downloaded last year i think, maybe year before. i guess it doesn't show as a purchase because it wasn't purchased. i got it free the same way they are doing yosemite now. my big problem is now i have a reformatted hard drive with no operating system to install. if i could i'm just go back to the os that was installed when i bought it, snow leopard i think. can't do that either.

  • by BobHarris,

    BobHarris BobHarris Jan 11, 2015 8:24 AM in response to toque
    Level 6 (19,604 points)
    Mac OS X
    Jan 11, 2015 8:24 AM in response to toque

    If you Downloaded Mavericks from the Mac App Store in the past, then it should be listed in the App Store -> Purchases (even a free app is listed under "Purchases").

     

    I have Yosemite, Mavericks, Mountain Lion, and Lion listed in my App Store -> Purchases list.  They are listed in the order in which I obtained them from the Mac App Store.

     

    Screen Shot 2015-01-11 at 11.23.44 AM.png

  • by toque,

    toque toque Jan 11, 2015 9:03 AM in response to BobHarris
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jan 11, 2015 9:03 AM in response to BobHarris

    thanks bobharris

    ok, silly me. seems the problem was i didn't have up to date purchasing info listed. so when i tried to log in to the app store i used my apple id. i did know that was different than the app store login. anyway i now got into the app store now to review and there is no listing of purchases. now i wonder if i have more than one account. can't be right? but by doing all this i was able to clear up the first reinstall hurdle, except the next screen came up and said the item is temporarily unavailable which probably confirms what eric said earlier. so if its not available, now what? i don't have an option to do anything else other than install mavericks

  • by toque,

    toque toque Jan 11, 2015 9:06 AM in response to toque
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jan 11, 2015 9:06 AM in response to toque

    to clarify, this my old macbook pro i'm cleaning up. i just purchase a new macbook pro which i'm using for this discussion. would the listed purchases on the app store be different for each computer? or is all purchases under my name.

  • by BobHarris,

    BobHarris BobHarris Jan 11, 2015 3:13 PM in response to toque
    Level 6 (19,604 points)
    Mac OS X
    Jan 11, 2015 3:13 PM in response to toque

    would the listed purchases on the app store be different for each computer? or is all purchases under my name.

    They are all associated with the Appie ID used to download them.  For example, further down the list below, I downloaded Lion and Mountain Lion on an older white polycarbonate 13" Macbook.  Mavericks and Yosemite were downloaded using my current Macbook Pro.  I ONLY have a single Apple ID, so all my purchases/downloads are associated with my one and only Apple ID.

     

    Screen Shot 2015-01-11 at 6.04.52 PM.png

      App Store

     

    Screen Shot 2015-01-11 at 6.05.28 PM.png

     

    I do not know what else to say.

     

    The other possibility is, if you have Mavericks on the older Mac, clone it to a partition on the newer Mac or an external disk, and use that one.

  • by toque,

    toque toque Jan 11, 2015 3:22 PM in response to BobHarris
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jan 11, 2015 3:22 PM in response to BobHarris

    thanks for the help bob. i'm not sure what happened here. i have already reformatted the old unit so i can't clone it. i know i got an offer from apple to upgrade to mavericks just like we were getting offers for yosemite a month or so ago. can't really say what happened. it should have gone on my account. i don't really want to spend any money on this to ask tech support to get involved. i was just going to give it away. thanks again

  • by Lanny,

    Lanny Lanny Jan 11, 2015 3:35 PM in response to toque
    Level 5 (7,979 points)
    Desktops
    Jan 11, 2015 3:35 PM in response to toque

    i was just going to give it away. thanks again

    If you're going to give it away, you should install the version of the OS X that shipped with the Mac. Otherwise, no one would be able to update the newer OS X version without the use of your non transferable Apple ID.

  • by toque,

    toque toque Jan 12, 2015 3:05 AM in response to Lanny
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jan 12, 2015 3:05 AM in response to Lanny

    Thanks lanny, but i don't know how i can do that. after reformatting the drive, the only option i get is to reinstall mavericks thru the app store, but when it looks at the app store it doesn't see that i purchased it i guess. i don't have a os disk.

  • by Lanny,

    Lanny Lanny Jan 12, 2015 8:26 AM in response to toque
    Level 5 (7,979 points)
    Desktops
    Jan 12, 2015 8:26 AM in response to toque

    You have to use the same Apple ID that you used to get it the 1st time.

     

    It's hard to be anymore specific since you have never identified the model of your Mac. It's obviously not a PowerBook G4 as your 1st post suggests.

     

    It's a waste of everyone's time and effort to provide suggestions.

     

    But it either came with a set of 2 grey DVDs, a Lion USB dongle, or with Lion or Mountain Lion installed. The later two would require you to use Internet Recovery to re-install the OS X version that shipped with the Mac.

  • by Eric Root,

    Eric Root Eric Root Jan 12, 2015 8:53 AM in response to toque
    Level 9 (72,571 points)
    iTunes
    Jan 12, 2015 8:53 AM in response to toque

    Even though these are titled selling, they apply when giving a computer away.

     

    Selling old Mac

     

    Selling old Mac (2)

     

    Selling old Mac (3)

     

    Selling old Mac (4)          Apple support

  • by toque,

    toque toque Jan 12, 2015 10:49 AM in response to Eric Root
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jan 12, 2015 10:49 AM in response to Eric Root

    thanks eric, i think i already read those. and sorry lanny for the first post about my computer. i don't know where that came from. its a macbook pro mid-2009. and i did find the grey disks (2) but when it ask to pick the disk to install snow leopard to, it won't let me install it on my hard drive for some reason. the icon has a yellow triangle with an exclamation point. i could go back and restore through time machine, but i can't pick what i want to re-install, its all or nothing

  • by Lanny,

    Lanny Lanny Jan 12, 2015 10:58 AM in response to toque
    Level 5 (7,979 points)
    Desktops
    Jan 12, 2015 10:58 AM in response to toque
    and i did find the grey disks (2) but when it ask to pick the disk to install snow leopard to, it won't let me install it on my hard drive for some reason. the icon has a yellow triangle with an exclamation point.

    Did you repartition or erase the hard drive first? You can't install Snow Leopard over top of a newer OS X version.

     

    From the grey DVD, you open Disk Utility to repartition the hard drive. Repartitioning would be preferred over erasure because repartitioning will remove any previous Recovery partition as well.

     

    Depending on the exact model of Mid 2009 MacBook Pro, you didn't specify whether it was a 13", 15", 15" 2.53 Ghz, or 17" model, it shipped with either Leopard or Snow Leopard.

  • by toque,

    toque toque Jan 12, 2015 11:00 AM in response to Lanny
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jan 12, 2015 11:00 AM in response to Lanny

    no, i erased. is that the issue with it not letting me install? it needs to be partitioned?

Page 1 Next