Andrew Wolczyk

Q: Can I still download Mavericks?

I work in an office environment and administer over 20 macs. We've got a few machines that run Mavericks and a few that run Lion. Withe the release of Yosemite last week, I gather Lion is no longer supported, so I wanted to upgrade but as Yosemite hasn't been tested in our environment, I wanted to take all the machines to Mavericks, but it doesn't seem to be available. Is there anywhere that I can still download that installer?

Posted on Oct 20, 2014 5:01 AM

Close

Q: Can I still download Mavericks?

  • All replies
  • Helpful answers

first Previous Page 10 of 18 last Next
  • by Drew Reece,

    Drew Reece Drew Reece Feb 10, 2015 5:12 PM in response to Katie 'OConnell
    Level 5 (7,709 points)
    Notebooks
    Feb 10, 2015 5:12 PM in response to Katie 'OConnell

    It really doesn't matter where your clone is. The point is to have a copy so you can either go back, or move bits of data that you forgot you needed. I prefer externals because you can remove them & you do not risk installing to the wrong disk. Sometimes mistakes happen that can effect internal disks.


    I don't think it is a good idea to erase a Time Machine backup to use as a clone. You lose all the history doing that (Time Machine keeps older copies - are you certain you don't need them?)


    It difficult to have too many backups, but you can have not enough.

  • by babowa,

    babowa babowa Feb 10, 2015 5:42 PM in response to Katie 'OConnell
    Level 7 (32,168 points)
    iPad
    Feb 10, 2015 5:42 PM in response to Katie 'OConnell

    An internal drive is fine - so is a partition on a drive. Just make sure your clone is on a different drive than your regular system - if your HD fails, you'd lose both your system and your backup.

  • by baltwo,

    baltwo baltwo Feb 10, 2015 10:16 PM in response to Katie 'OConnell
    Level 9 (62,256 points)
    Feb 10, 2015 10:16 PM in response to Katie 'OConnell

    As others have noted, any int HD suffices. Just, as babowa stated, use a different HD. Although I have all of mine on one int HD, I do have backups on two other external FWHDs, but don't do Time Machine, not liking its requirement to be always on to be useful or the requirement to restore it to ensure that it works. A clone is viable and easy to check by just booting into it.

  • by Katie 'OConnell,

    Katie 'OConnell Katie 'OConnell Feb 12, 2015 7:06 AM in response to baltwo
    Level 1 (33 points)
    Mac OS X
    Feb 12, 2015 7:06 AM in response to baltwo

    Thanks to all—I feel much more confident now in moving forward. Your help is GREATLY appreciated.

  • by Katie 'OConnell,

    Katie 'OConnell Katie 'OConnell Feb 14, 2015 8:25 AM in response to Katie 'OConnell
    Level 1 (33 points)
    Mac OS X
    Feb 14, 2015 8:25 AM in response to Katie 'OConnell

    The results are in:

     

    Very glad to report that I was successful in obtaining a copy of Carbon Copy Cloner, performing a clone of my OS 10.6.8 system disk to an external HD and verified that I'm able to boot off the clone and function "normally" on it.

     

    Next step will be to install the OS upgrade and go from there.

     

    Many thanks once again for all who helped.

  • by babowa,

    babowa babowa Feb 14, 2015 8:46 AM in response to Katie 'OConnell
    Level 7 (32,168 points)
    iPad
    Feb 14, 2015 8:46 AM in response to Katie 'OConnell

    Sounds great! Good luck with the next step.

  • by pwolanin,

    pwolanin pwolanin Feb 21, 2015 9:04 AM in response to Andrew Wolczyk
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Feb 21, 2015 9:04 AM in response to Andrew Wolczyk

    I just found a possible work-around to get a copy of the Mavericks installer, since none of the tricks here show it to me in the Apple Store, even though I previously upgraded a computer from 10.6 to 10.9.  I'm frustrated like everyone else here, since I just want to bring an old laptop up to the same OS as the others ones have.

     

    I booted a that upgraded computer into recovery mode, then selected Disk Utility.

     

    I was able to burn a DVD containing the "base system" image that was mounted while in recovery mode.  The resulting disk seems to have a copy of the Mavericks installer application.

  • by babowa,

    babowa babowa Feb 21, 2015 9:16 AM in response to pwolanin
    Level 7 (32,168 points)
    iPad
    Feb 21, 2015 9:16 AM in response to pwolanin

    I just found a possible work-around to get a copy of the Mavericks installer, since none of the tricks here show it to me in the Apple Store, even though I previously upgraded a computer from 10.6 to 10.9.

     

    If you've previously upgraded to mavericks, then all you need is to sign in with your older Mac and go to your Purchases and/or Update sections of the app store which is an app in your Applications folder (not the online apple store). Any previous purchase should show there and you can download it.

  • by Kurt Lang,

    Kurt Lang Kurt Lang Feb 21, 2015 9:19 AM in response to pwolanin
    Level 8 (37,951 points)
    Mac OS X
    Feb 21, 2015 9:19 AM in response to pwolanin

    That will indeed create a copy of your current install, but you still shouldn't have to do that.

     

    You mention that you "previously upgraded a computer from 10.6 to 10.9." The relevant word in that sentence being "a" computer, not necessarily the one you're talking about.

     

    So if you mean you're not seeing your purchase of Mavericks on that computer, it could simply mean you're not logged into your App Store account, or you're not logged into the same one it was purchased under.

  • by pwolanin,

    pwolanin pwolanin Feb 21, 2015 9:31 AM in response to Kurt Lang
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Feb 21, 2015 9:31 AM in response to Kurt Lang

    I used that specific computer that was upgraded from 10.6 to 10.9 and logged into my account on the App store.  I still didn't see it.

  • by Kurt Lang,

    Kurt Lang Kurt Lang Feb 21, 2015 9:41 AM in response to pwolanin
    Level 8 (37,951 points)
    Mac OS X
    Feb 21, 2015 9:41 AM in response to pwolanin

    Open the App Store. If it says you're logged in, log out anyway. Then log back in and check the Purchases tab.

  • by pwolanin,

    pwolanin pwolanin Feb 21, 2015 10:25 AM in response to Kurt Lang
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Feb 21, 2015 10:25 AM in response to Kurt Lang

    Thanks - but every variant of logging in and out and I still don't see it.

     

    Trying to install/upgrade booting from the DVD I mentioned burning above - I get partway and then when I sign in to the App store and it's going to start the install is errors out with a popup saying "This item is temporarily unavailable"

  • by Kurt Lang,

    Kurt Lang Kurt Lang Feb 21, 2015 10:29 AM in response to pwolanin
    Level 8 (37,951 points)
    Mac OS X
    Feb 21, 2015 10:29 AM in response to pwolanin

    There have been quite a few people having this problem. I don't think anyone has really figured out why it happens. I can still see Mavericks in my purchases (I'm currently running Yosemite as my every day OS) and can download it.

  • by Drew Reece,

    Drew Reece Drew Reece Feb 21, 2015 11:34 AM in response to Kurt Lang
    Level 5 (7,709 points)
    Notebooks
    Feb 21, 2015 11:34 AM in response to Kurt Lang

    Kurt Lang wrote:

     

    There have been quite a few people having this problem. I don't think anyone has really figured out why it happens. I can still see Mavericks in my purchases (I'm currently running Yosemite as my every day OS) and can download it.

     

    It's odd, I guess the store & the recovery boot may get the installer via different URLs?

     

    Another option is that the OS is misconfigured with possibly bad/ poor DNS servers that are causing the App store version to fail. A recovery boot will use the default DNS server that the router provides.

     

    I have seen posts recommending using Google DNS (8.8.8.8, 8.8.4.4) & other posts suggesting to avoid Google DNS for fixing the App store downloads issues. The CDN may be part of the issue too.

     

    It's possible to download via recovery mode & abort the installer, which allows you to keep a copy, useful when the store is being useless…

    http://www.macworld.com/article/1165337/create_a_bootable_lion_install_drive_for _newer_macs.html

  • by babowa,

    babowa babowa Feb 21, 2015 1:32 PM in response to Drew Reece
    Level 7 (32,168 points)
    iPad
    Feb 21, 2015 1:32 PM in response to Drew Reece

    It's possible to download via recovery mode & abort the installer, which allows you to keep a copy, useful when the store is being useless…

     

    I've come across the fact the you cannot abort the installer on some models as it goes seemlessly from the download into the installation process; that was about a year ago with models coming preinstalled with Mavericks (from what I can remember). In any case, since it was the preinstalled OS, you could download it again, but not abort/save it and the linked instructions did not work.

     

    And yes, the store does have its quirks more often than not.

first Previous Page 10 of 18 last Next