Reinstalling Mavericks using a different Apple ID

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Reinstalling Mavericks using a different Apple ID

Hi,

I have recently acquired a used Macbook Air Haswell 2013.

It initially came with Mountain Lion installed. The previous owner installed the Mavericks OS a couple of weeks after release.

I tried restoring the macbook to factory setting using the following steps:

1. Start computer up, holding OPTION key

2. Select Recovery

3. Select language (I'll choose English)

4. Disc Utility

5. Macintosh HD

6. Select Erase tab

7. Erase Disc

8. back to OSX Utilities - Select Reinstall OSX

9. Reinstall to Mac HD

Upon doing the last step, it was going to try install Mavericks, instead of Mountain Lion which it came with from the box.

So I tried to proceed but it asked me about my Apple ID password. When I entered my password it wo't allow me to download Mavericks because it says my account has'nt puchased Mavericks OS yet.

Obviously I want to reinstall everything using my account and not use the previous owner's apple account.

How do i do this?

Thanks in advance.

MacBook Air, OS X Mavericks (10.9.1)

Posted on Dec 18, 2013 12:28 AM

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Answer 1

Best reply

PlotinusVeritas

Level 6

14,872 points

Dec 18, 2013 12:46 AM in response to Josephtan2k

mavericks is free

Continue with recovery with ML

Then login with your user name and password

Go to APP store and download free Mavericks upgrade

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Answer 2

Josephtan2k Author

Level 1

0 points

Dec 18, 2013 1:11 AM in response to PlotinusVeritas

How do I continue recovery with mountain lion?

When I do reinstall OSX it tries to download mavericks.

I don't have Time Machine backup when it was still in Mountain Lion.

Thanks!

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Answer 3

mende1

Level 10

93,538 points

Dec 18, 2013 1:13 AM in response to Josephtan2k

The problem you have is that both Mountain Lion and Mavericks are registered to the old owner's Apple ID, and you cannot do anything now. Even worse, now you have erased the hard drive, so you cannot use Mac OS X.

If you can contact with the old owner, tell him/her to contact with Apple to deauthorize your Mac from his/her Apple ID > http://support.apple.com/kb/HE57 Then, you should be able to reinstall OS X.

If you cannot contact with him/her or you cannot reinstall OS X, take the Mac to an Apple Store or reseller.

Sorry for hearing your bad experience, but users never do what they should before selling their Macs. This is what they should do > http://support.apple.com/kb/ht5189

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