app store not supported?

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Level 1

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app store not supported?

I recently upgraded to the new OS X Version 10.9 on my MacBook Pro. Now for some reason I am unable to open up the App Store which I need to do as their updates/downloads available. I get a message that says "You can't open the application "App Store" because it is not supported on this type of Mac."

Additionally if I go to System Preferences, then App Store. There is a message that states Software updates are available, but when I select Show Updates I get a message stating... "There is not application set to open the URL macappstore://showUpdatesPage?scan=true. Search the App Store for an application that can open this document or choose existing application on your computer."

I've tried to select App Store and that doesn't work. What do I need to do?

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MacBook Pro, OS X Mavericks (10.9)

Posted on Nov 5, 2013 6:13 AM

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Answer 1

markwmsn

Level 6

15,017 points

Nov 5, 2013 10:10 AM in response to DTAlady

Sounds like somehow your Mavericks installation failed to replace the previous App Store app with the version needed for 10.9. My only suggestion would be to try reinstalling Mavericks.

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Answer 2

Jan 19, 2014 12:51 PM in response to markwmsn

I see this thread is a couple months old now, but I had the same problem as DTAlady over the holidays. I like markwmsn's suggestion to reinstall Mavericks, but without the App Store functioning, I can't even do that. Did DTAlady find a solution; or can markwmsn suggest a method for reinstalling Mavericks that does not involve the App Store (since the App Store is not functioning)? Thanks.

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Answer 3

markwmsn

Level 6

15,017 points

Jan 19, 2014 1:05 PM in response to Trinapsulie

Boot from the recovery partition.

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Answer 4

Jan 20, 2014 6:28 AM in response to markwmsn

I don't think I have a recovery partition. (I guess I mistakenly believed all the hype that "it just works" with Apple; I haven't backed anything up yet.) Is there a way to reinstall Mavericks, or the App Store app, the "old fashioned" way, by just downloading an installer pack and reinstalling?

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Answer 5

markwmsn

Level 6

15,017 points

Jan 20, 2014 7:21 AM in response to Trinapsulie

Trinapsulie wrote:

I haven't backed anything up yet.

First things first.

Go get an external drive and back up everything on your internal drive. Preferrably two copies on two drives, at least one bootable. Only then should you think about messing with the operating system.

I suppose it is possible that you don't have a recovery partition, but it is unlikely. How old is your MacBook Pro (MBP)? What version of the operating system came with it?

If your MBP came with Mavericks, Mountain Lion, or even Lion, it should have a recovery partition. Recent MBPs also come with an emergency network-based recovery facility ("Internet Recovery").

If you have a very old (pre-Lion) MBP, I suppose it is possible that the upgrade to (whichever of Lion, Mountain Lion, or Mavericks is the first you added) failed to create the recovery partition.

Read http://www.apple.com/osx/recovery/.

What happens when you reboot while holding down Command-R? Do you see one of the screens shown on the page linked above?

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Answer 6

Jan 22, 2014 5:57 PM in response to markwmsn

I followed those instructions; backed up everything on an external drive, then booted while holding Command-R to start on the recovery partition. There was an option to reinstall the operating system, and Mavericks was the OS that popped up (after Apple verified that the machine was authorized). It took a while (an hour or two?...I left it running and came back later), but after that the machine booted up without trouble and the App Store is functioning (along with everything else). I'm so glad I didn't have to clean the hard drive and start over. (The backup drive wasn't used for the OS reinstall.) Thanks markwmsn for the instructions.

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