How can I reinstall Mountain Lion on new hard drive?

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Level 1

24 points

How can I reinstall Mountain Lion on new hard drive?

I've had to install a new hard drive as old one was failing.

Have loaded Snow Leopard from disc onto the new drive but can't install Mountain Lion which I was running prior to drive failure; very frustrated.

Have tried several options.

1. Tried to reboot from OS X Utilities but whenever I restart, holding the cmd + R keys, I can only ever get the standard screen. I've tried pressing keys early in restart, later in restart, keys on either side of the keyboard, cmd + alt/option + R but still can't get to the OS X Utilities.

2. Having given up on 1 I've tried to download ML from my purchase history in iTunes. I can see the purchase recorded but there appears to be no way to get to a reload option - at least not in the iTunes loaded from Snow Leopard

3. I tried downloading ML updates, hoping that might allow me to bypass 1 and 2. The download wasn't recognised by my machine.

4. I've be willing to just buy the **** OS again from scratch but iTunes won't allow me to do that either, at least not using my current Apple ID.

Does anyone have any bright ideas? I hate bloody computers.

Mike

iMac, OS X Mountain Lion (10.8.4)

Posted on Oct 4, 2013 12:02 PM

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Answer 1

Csound1

Level 9

59,973 points

Oct 4, 2013 12:12 PM in response to enigmatix

You buy and download from the Mac App Store, not iTunes.

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Answer 2

arthur

Level 5

5,242 points

Oct 4, 2013 12:12 PM in response to enigmatix

Ah, the joy of computing.

See: How to Re-Download OS X Mountain Lion Installer from the Mac App Store

If you hold down option while you click on the Purchases tab it should let you download it again.

After you download it, but before you install it, make a copy of the installer on a flash drive with Lion DiskMaker, and you'll have a hard copy for the next time. Lion DiskMaker

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Answer 3

enigmatix Author

Level 1

24 points

Oct 4, 2013 12:37 PM in response to Csound1

I'm not sure whether you were trying to be helpful or not. I can't buy or download it from either Mac App or iTunes Apps.

When I click on the Upgrade Now button in the Mac App Store it opens a screen titled Mac Store App Preview. Under the image of the Mountain Lion on this screen is an invitation to view in the Mac App Store in order to upgrade. Takes me right back to the previous screen. Round and round in little circles.

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Answer 4

Csound1

Level 9

59,973 points

Oct 4, 2013 12:42 PM in response to enigmatix

Do you know how to go to the Mac App Store?

Click the Apple Menu, select App Store, go to Purchased and redownload Mountain Lion from there.

What happens when you try the same procedure as I outline above.

Note: iTunes has nothing to do with this!

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Answer 5

enigmatix Author

Level 1

24 points

Oct 4, 2013 12:49 PM in response to arthur

Arthur,

this might help but first I need to upgrade Snow Leopard from the disc version 10.6.3 to 10.6.8

The Mac App Store in 10.6.3 doesn't have a Purchases tab.

Mike

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Answer 6

enigmatix Author

Level 1

24 points

Oct 4, 2013 12:54 PM in response to Csound1

Csound,

as I replied to Arthur, the older versions of SL don't seem to allow this. The Apple menu doesn't have an App Store option; I opened it directly from my browser and can't find a Purchased tab. I'm upgrading SL now but my broadband is very slow and it will take hours.

Do you have any suggestions why I can't open OS X Utilities.

Thanks,

Mike

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Answer 7

Csound1

Level 9

59,973 points

Oct 4, 2013 12:56 PM in response to enigmatix

enigmatix wrote:

Csound,

as I replied to Arthur, the older versions of SL don't seem to allow this.

Update your copy of Snow Leopard to 10.6.8, then the App Store will appear.

Do this with Software Update.

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Answer 8

enigmatix Author

Level 1

24 points

Oct 4, 2013 12:58 PM in response to Csound1

I'm doing it now. It will take a while as my broadband is slow but hopefully will get there.

Thanks

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Answer 9

Csound1

Level 9

59,973 points

Oct 4, 2013 12:59 PM in response to enigmatix

You'll have to patient, there is no other way. 😟

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Answer 10

Oct 4, 2013 1:00 PM in response to enigmatix

Hold down command and R while rebooting your computer and then when you get to the screen (OS X Recovery mode) Click on reinstall OS X and then it will reinstall it. Be warned that you could lose your data, I have not previously done it before so back up your hard drive using time machine. You could also take it to the apple store and have them do it for you.

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Answer 11

Csound1

Level 9

59,973 points

Oct 4, 2013 1:06 PM in response to enigmatix

enigmatix wrote:

Csound,

Do you have any suggestions why I can't open OS X Utilities.

Thanks,

Mike

How old is your Mac, if it came with 10.6 installed it is too old to have Internet Recovery (command-option-R) And as it has a new hard drive you won't be able to use Recovery (command-R) either until a new copy of Mountain Lion is installed and ceates a recovery partition on the drive.

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Answer 12

Csound1

Level 9

59,973 points

Oct 4, 2013 1:07 PM in response to CWMChapman

CWMChapman wrote:

Hold down command and R while rebooting your computer and then when you get to the screen (OS X Recovery mode)

Machine has a new hard drive, thus there is no Recovery Partition to boot to.

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Answer 13

enigmatix Author

Level 1

24 points

Oct 4, 2013 1:13 PM in response to Csound1

I think I'll just have to let the software update overnight and try to reload from Purchases in the morning.

Thank for your help.

I don't hate computers all of the time

Mike

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Answer 14

Csound1

Level 9

59,973 points

Oct 4, 2013 1:17 PM in response to enigmatix

Overnight?

The full 10.6.8 update is 1GB, overnight is a very long time.

Download it from the link above, it should take less than 1 hour with a broadband connection.

The Mountain Lion download will be more than 4 times this size, if your connection is really slow you may want to download it at another location.

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Answer 15

enigmatix Author

Level 1

24 points

Oct 4, 2013 1:26 PM in response to Csound1

You probably can't believe this but my broadband speed in this part of rural UK is less than 1Mbps. It will take about 4 hours. And I'm on a desktop... bit difficult to pull out of my bag in the nearest Starbucks.

I'll be downloading Mountain Lion overnight too.

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