This item is temporarily unavailable Mac error

I hope this helps someone: I used the Apple ID I registered my first Macbook with. Yes, this does not help the OP but it may help someone else.

My Situation:

Bought a gently used early 2011 MB pro to replace my 2011 MB air. I wanted to upgrade to SSD so I cloned the current drive, swapped the new one in, and booted up. I PROBABLY SHOULD NOT HAVE but I erased the drive using drive utility and resumed to "Install OS X Lion". Like the OP, Lion was the ONLY choice available. Signing with my Apple ID kept returning a "This item is temporarily unavailable" (AKA "You're screwed"). I saw this post, signed in with my other Apple ID and wham, Lion is downloading now and I assume once it is done and installed I can upgrade to Mavericks. I did need a second computer.

Alternative: HOWEVER, I will acknowledge my Macbook Air came with a slim USB stick in the box that is a Recovery USB drive. I probably could have used that.

Another another alternative: buy a copy like someone else said.

I do believe what another user is correct, OS X Lion is obsolete and cannot be downloaded unless already tied to an account and wiping out the hard drive ended up ridding the firmware needed to install anything else. Tis the way of Apple, they break up with yesterday's software as quickly and as badly as Taylor Swift.

1166dave post is what got me through this issue. Can't believe that was the fix. Unfortunately, it doesn't help those of you who bought the Mac from someone else and don't have the original install media.

The CMD OPT R worked for me when I booted the machine.... it allowed the reinstall of Lion which than you can upgrade to the latest version once you get to your desktop.

If you see the text "This item is temporarily unavailable. Please try again later", perhaps your iOS version is too old and you cannot to download it from AppStore.

You should to update your iOS to the last version.

So to my understanding. If this situation happen then that only means one of two things 1) that the computer you are using, wasn't originally yours to begin with or 2) the log in (username and password) you used when you first bought this laptop isn't the one that you are using now. The solution is that you need to ask your brother what was his original log in. I had bought my laptop from my friend and got the same thing. Until I had asked them for their original ID and password was I able to download OS X Maverick. Please let me know if this helps.

DIsable find my Mac before you reinstall. It's a security thing.

This is what I did:

1. Backed up all my data with Time Machine (if your HDD has crashed you may not be able to do this or you may need to rely on previous time machine backups (if you have them).

2. Replaced the HDD in my 2011 Mac Book Pro with a new SSD - I used a new Samsung 850 EVO 500GB SSD HDD, cost AUD$259.

3. Used a friend's Mac to download Yosemite (the internet restore would not work with same "this item temporarily unavailable" problem persisting).

and made a bootable Yosemite thumb drive (http://osxdaily.com/2014/10/16/make-os-x-yosemite-boot-install-drive/),

4. Booted up my Mac Book Pro with new SSD on this bootable thumb drive and followed the instructions to reinstall the OSX

5. Reinstalled data I wanted from my time machine backup.

My Mac Book Pro now performs like a Mac Book Air, boots up from cold in 15-20 seconds and all apps open almost instantly.

Battery life also has improved and the internal heat is lower. The total weight of the Mac Book is now also 50 grams lighter (every bit helps!)

SOLVED!!!!!!!!

without any help from useless support at apple....btw

The reason you get this message is YOUR apple id is not associated to an apple o/s.

DO Not use someone elses apple id. Youll get all their apps.

In the 4 choices you get click "GET HELP ONLINE"

This opens Safari.

Click icloud and sign in with your apple id.

Now you can go back to installing screen and the downloading will finally work because you have now shown applie id youve logged in from your computer.

What a **** show and i can't believe how easy it was to fix

It's because you have the Find my Mac enabled. If you want to get rid of this message, you must disable Find my Mac first. Then follow the steps to reinstall. Find my Mac thinks someone is stealing your computer/phone/iPad and trying to wipe it clean...this is a security feature.

It's not right in my case with Lions. Does not change anything still stuck with the same problem...

I had the same problem first. Then I solved it by using the same Apple ID that I used when I registered the computer, many years ago. Then it worked! Maybe Apple gives this error message in order to try to stop possible thieves?

I had this problem and installed El Capitan from the website page link.

I could then download 3 updates - but have got the 'temporarily unavailable' message again 🙂

ps - paused and resumed, and that seems to have solved the problem

You need to use the same apple id that the macbook originally had signed in.

I have just had the same issue, used old id and it worked.

Hope this helps.

If you try to Reinstall OS X and the version of OS X on your machine at purchase is different from the current version, the recovery likely will not wrk. Restart holding option-command-R to enter internet recovery. Apple servers will restore your device to the originally installed OS. In my case I was trying to reinstall El Capitan, but the computer was purchased with Mavericks. The internet recovery worked great.