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

If mountain Lion is preinstalled there is also the hidden partition with all the necessary files to reinstall it.

Also at any new upgrade also the hidden partition will be updated.

More info here http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4718?

theviolinruns wrote:

... 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 none of these options are available to recover the computer?

The ability to reinstall a new Mac's original OS exists in its firmware. No discs are necessary, and this will work even if a user replaces a hard disk or SSD (or Fusion Drive, presumably) with a completely empty one. I've done it. It works.

It will not appear in the App Store, unless you bought it from the App Store.

Here's how to create a bootable USB disk for Mountain Lion:

http://www.macrumors.com/2012/07/25/create-a-bootable-mountain-lion-usb-key-inst aller/

http://support.apple.com/kb/DL1433

Remember - the Mountain Lion itself is not free. Yes, the article I sent tells you how to create the image if you have the installer, but having the installer implies you bought it already.

No, therefore, you should not expect to create a bootable disk image without some evidence you are authorized to do so.

From the first post:

"If you buy a new Mac that has Mountain Lion pre-installed on the machine"

Regards.

theviolinruns wrote:

Is it even possible to create a boot disk from the files that are embedded in said firmware in case it is needed? Just because?

The firmware only includes the code required to download and install the OS from Apple's servers. It does not include OS X itself. The only requirement is an Internet connection (preferably a fast one).

Once it is downloaded, follow the OS X Recovery Disk Assistant instructions to create a bootable recovery volume.

you can't necessarily download the Mountain Lion installer via the App Store since it came already installed on your computer.

Not true. You can go to the Mac App Store and download the installer

(from the link that WALTER-MILANO-ITALY posted above)

Install OS X Lion or OS X Mountain Lion

If you completed your installation of OS X, your installer may have been removed after your successful first login to OS X Lion or OS X Mountain Lion. Mac App Store's Purchases page should show Install OS X as being "Installed", and disallow its download, when viewed from a computer running OS X.

To redownload the installer on a computer running OS X Lion or OS X Mountain Lion, press and hold the Option key while you click the Purchases tab. If the button to the right of the Install OS X Lion or OS X Mountain Lion item doesn't change to "Install" and allow you to download OS X, use Spotlight to search for "Install OS X Lion or OS X Mountain Lion" on your computer.

But if there's Mountain Lion on my Mac then I obviously paid for it along with my MAcBook Air when I bought it. Apple certainly didn't give a free complimentary Macbook Air.

So, why do I have to pay when I want to install OSX again after it fails, or wants to create a recovery?

So, even this requires buying Mountain Lion installer even though the OS is already on my Mac and hence and I've already paid for it.

RandomAppleID wrote:

So, even this requires buying Mountain Lion installer even though the OS is already on my Mac and hence and I've already paid for it.

This is an incorrect conclusion to draw from the responses in this thread.

The Mac OS X version installed when the Mac was built may be reinstalled on that Mac as often as necessary. That Mac may be sold, and its license to use Mac OS X may be transferred to the new owner. This applies to Mountain Lion as well as every previous version of OS X. Nothing has changed.

The license to use OS X installed on that Mac applies only to that Mac. This is nothing new either.

I was having the same thoughts too. I found this on the web today. I was successfully able to perform the steps and create a bootable usb drive. I don't like that Apple doesn't 1. Provide a usb drive with the OS software or 2. make it easy to create a bootable USB with the OS X software on it. I guess this is their attempt to prevent the pirating of OS X.

http://hints.macworld.com/article.php?story=20110831105634716&query=lion+usb

>>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.

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

Well, yes, that is the primary purpose of a business. In other unexpected news, the Sun rose in the East, today.