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If Mountain Lion comes pre-installed on my machine, how can I get the OS discs if it's only available via download?

Had someone ask a very good question, I think.

If you buy a new Mac that has Mountain Lion pre-installed on the machine, you are able to download updates as they come out; however, you can't necessarily download the Mountain Lion installer via the App Store since it came already installed on your computer.

So my question is, how can you get a OS disk/drive of Mountain Lion if your computer fails? I know Apple has the Recovery drive, and even the Internet Recovery drive, along with Time Machine and whatever else, but what if none of these options are available to recover the computer?

I suggested to the person to clone their hard drive using the 30-day trial of Carbon Copy Cloner. That way, they have a bootable image with the OS already available in case they run into this option. BUT, what if that isn't even an option? How does one go about recovering their computer if no OS disc of Mountain Lion is available?

I haven't been able to find anything about workarounds besides the methods I mentioned above, so please tell me if I am missing something.

Posted on Dec 19, 2012 2:12 PM

17 replies

parexcel

Level 1

0 points

Jun 7, 2013 2:30 PM in response to RandomAppleID

RandomAppleID wrote:

>>I guess this is their attempt to prevent the pirating of OS X.

No, the reason was simple. They wanted to make money when a user had to reinstall the entire OS. Because if piracy was a concern then they wouldn't let users download installers.

Just like they change their charging ports every few gens.

Not only is a reinstall of the entire (original) OS without charge, they have provided so that you don't even need a recovery disk. Furthermore, the Apple Store stands ready to help you, for free in most cases. So actually they wanted to have a successful and satisfied customer, and were ready to spend support money to do it.

Apple doesn't buy into the tweak, tinker, and break everything mode of hacking one's PC. Lots of dongles, accessories and endless layers of dialog boxes to do just one thing are not their style. Geeks love it just like they would love for their car to have a see-thru plexiglass body. More power to them (though it's actually the opposite of power since it makes everything harder and take longer and more error prone.) They can bask in the mistaken impression that their mental catalog of minutia that should be in the code is a form of "smarts."

Most Apple customers prefer a car with a fine finish and leather seats, plenty of automation, good sound, no boom boxes in the trunk. no radar detector stuck to the windshield, and likely factory wheels. Pimp up those PCs! but don't expect a lot of under the hood tinker toys to come with your new Mac.

sheffi

Level 1

17 points

Mar 20, 2015 6:07 AM in response to theviolinruns

Well I have a Mac with Mountain Lion Pre installed and I was annoyed when I wanted to re install ,it changed to Mavericks instead. I have already purchased it on another Mac too and Ipurchase Lion they keep on pushing me to Upgrade to Mavericks Yosemite both are free and they can call the shots .But because we purchased the 7 an 8 they have to abide by the contract. free is not free Cheap is not cheap

If Mountain Lion comes pre-installed on my machine, how can I get the OS discs if it's only available via download?