PockMark

Q: All my computers are running Mountain Lion. My refurbished purchase has Yosemite in it. Can I go to Apple store and install Mountain Lion instead?

All my computers are running Mountain Lion. My refurbished purchase has Yosemite in it. Can I go to Apple store and install Mountain Lion instead?

iMac

Posted on Apr 23, 2015 7:50 PM

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Q: All my computers are running Mountain Lion. My refurbished purchase has Yosemite in it. Can I go to Apple store and install Mounta ... more

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  • by Kappy,Helpful

    Kappy Kappy Apr 23, 2015 11:12 PM in response to PockMark
    Level 10 (270,972 points)
    Desktops
    Apr 23, 2015 11:12 PM in response to PockMark

    Only if the new Mac is able to run Mountain Lion, otherwise you can't. But you failed to tell us what refurbished model you purchased. You didn't even tell us what the model is. You must think we have magic powers here.

  • by PockMark,

    PockMark PockMark Apr 23, 2015 9:50 PM in response to Kappy
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Apr 23, 2015 9:50 PM in response to Kappy

    I've never done this before, so I'm an idiot. (I mean that. I'm trying to figure things out for myself now, and it's hard.)

     

    It's an iMAC Core i3 3.2 GHz 4 GB RAM / 1 TB Hard Drive / SuperDrive 27 Inch Unibody Aluminum

     

    It's being delivered Friday (tomorrow).

     

    Does that help?

     

    Yosemite has already been installed.

  • by babowa,Helpful

    babowa babowa Apr 23, 2015 11:12 PM in response to PockMark
    Level 7 (32,024 points)
    iPad
    Apr 23, 2015 11:12 PM in response to PockMark

    Is this the one you are getting:

     

    http://www.everymac.com/systems/apple/imac/specs/imac-core-i3-3.2-27-inch-alumin um-mid-2010-specs.html

     

    If so, it is a 2010 model and would have come with Snow Leopard installed (10.6.x). What vendor are you buying it from? Apple or ?

  • by PockMark,

    PockMark PockMark Apr 23, 2015 11:12 PM in response to babowa
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Apr 23, 2015 11:12 PM in response to babowa

    Actually, it's coming from MegaMacs. They say it's coming with Yosemite, but I have to admit I won't know for certain til it gets here.

     

    They say it has Yosemite in it. I know I should have waited until I received it, but I am trying to learn as much as I can for myself.

     

    I appreciate any and all info.

     

    It never occurred to me that I might not be able to install something prior to the OS it comes with, because I thought if it comes with Yosemite the earlier ones have to be installable. It sounds ridiculous I know, but the questions I seem to have aren't findable even in the Missing Manuals. This is the first time I thought of this kind of interaction.

     

    I'm glad I find this support.

  • by babowa,Solvedanswer

    babowa babowa Apr 23, 2015 11:28 PM in response to PockMark
    Level 7 (32,024 points)
    iPad
    Apr 23, 2015 11:28 PM in response to PockMark

    You might want to check with MegaMacs; Yosemite is only available as a download from the app store and the license is not transferable. When a Mac is sold, you are supposed to remove any OS downloaded from the app store and sell it with the original OS installed and in this case that should be Snow Leopard. I would question them as to what Apple ID they used to download/install Yosemite. You may wind up with a problem of not being able to update apps or reinstall the OS. The easiest way around that would be to completely erase the Mac and start over - that might involve the original install DVD (Snow leopard).

     

    Now, since it did have Snow Leopard initially, you may be able to install Mountain Lion, but I do not know if that will work - you'd have to erase your drive completely and then download ML (which you say you have on your other computers and is perfectly legal for you to use on any computer you own). Before trying it, I'd definitely back up the new Mac just to make sure you can revert back if necessary.

  • by PockMark,

    PockMark PockMark Apr 24, 2015 12:23 AM in response to babowa
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Apr 24, 2015 12:23 AM in response to babowa

    This has helped a lot. I will wait until it comes, see what's in it, and act then. I may be totally wrong about Yosemite. I have a Snow Leopard DVD I bought some time ago, and I loved Snow Leopard. I also have no problem with getting Mountain Lion from the Apple Store download. Thank you for responding to my problem. I appreciate it.

     

    I'll back up the new one, and see what I can do.

     

    This was a good experience, and oddly enough, I learned a lot more than just what I came for.

     

    Thanks again.

  • by PockMark,

    PockMark PockMark Apr 24, 2015 12:27 AM in response to babowa
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Apr 24, 2015 12:27 AM in response to babowa

    I clicked on the "This helped me" and "This solved my problem" on your comment but nothing happened.

     

    Thank you again.

  • by babowa,

    babowa babowa Apr 24, 2015 7:34 AM in response to PockMark
    Level 7 (32,024 points)
    iPad
    Apr 24, 2015 7:34 AM in response to PockMark

    You're welcome and don't worry about the points - there is sometimes a lag. In any case, another note: if you got a retail Snow Leopard disk, then it's most likely 10.6.3; the mid 2010's came with different versions at different times:

     

    https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204319

     

    Yours came with either 10.6.3 or 10.6.4 - important because Macs cannot boot from an OS version earlier than what they came with. So, if you can't boot off your retail Snow leopard disk because the OS version is older, then try the following:

     

    Boot into internet recovery by pressing Command + Option + R while booting up (immediately after the startup sound) - hold keys until you see a spinning globe/progress bar. It will take up to 15 minutes to connect you to Apple's servers. You will see a Utilities screen; choose Disk Utility to erase your drive. When finished, choose reinstall OS X. That process will normally reinstall the original OS; however, since yours predates the electronic delivery method, it should download and install Lion. That worked in two out of three tests I tried with a mid 2010. I would not keep Lion, but then upgrade right away free to Yosemite.

     

    (As a side note: newer Macs all come with a hidden recovery partition in order to be able to repair/erase/reinstall; the mid 2010's were on the cusp of this change and most were enabled with a firmware update.)

     

    You will also want to invest into some additional RAM as 4 GB iis generally considered to be the bare minimum for running anything past Snow Leopard. Go to OWC (macsales.com) or Crucial - the two most recommended Apple RAM vendors online.

  • by PockMark,

    PockMark PockMark Apr 24, 2015 9:35 AM in response to babowa
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Apr 24, 2015 9:35 AM in response to babowa

    Thanks for so much information, babowa. I appreciate your time.

     

    I can see there is a lot I can think about in something that seemed straightforward. Boy am I glad I asked the question!

     

    Thanks also for the site information.

     

    I'm really glad I found this Support Community.