Can I still download Mavericks?

It's possible to download via recovery mode & abort the installer, which allows you to keep a copy, useful when the store is being useless…

I've come across the fact the you cannot abort the installer on some models as it goes seemlessly from the download into the installation process; that was about a year ago with models coming preinstalled with Mavericks (from what I can remember). In any case, since it was the preinstalled OS, you could download it again, but not abort/save it and the linked instructions did not work.

And yes, the store does have its quirks more often than not.

I followed the instructions here: http://www.macworld.com/article/2151706/create-a-bootable-mavericks-install-driv e-for-newer-macs.html

A few hoops to jump through, but at least it seems to have worked to make a functional installer starting with just my current Mac.

For a fully automated way to produce a bootable flash drive from your OS X installer, there's DiskMaker X.

Or there is the Apple way that ships with the installer…

Create a bootable installer for OS X Mavericks or Yosemite - Apple Support

http://osxdaily.com/2013/10/23/create-os-x-mavericks-install-drive/

Yup, there's various ways to create a bootable USB installer.

We all have established the method in which to create a Bootable USB Mavericks Installer Media. However, the main point of this Thread is missing here in the recent posts.

Where do you download Mavericks if:

You bought a new Mac with Yosemite and want to revert back to Mavericks

Upgraded to Yosemite from earlier versions of OS X before Mavericks without ever purchasing Mavericks and is not available in your App Store Purchases.

Mac Users who purchased their Macs with Mavericks preinstalled have the ability to use Internet Recovery and Reinstall Mavericks. Those who Downloaded Mavericks at the App Store have the ability to Re-Download Mavericks or just copy it from there their Apps Folder. I am talking about the Full Installer which is needed to createinstallmedia or use DiskMaker X. Apple has virtually pulled Mavericks off the shelf for ready download and has not made it a purchase option at the Apple Store. According to the License Agreement, can be copied for your use on your registered Mac. Not for re-distribution or re-sale. Without the full installer you are stuck until Apple releases it. This is the futility.

You're not telling me anything I don't already know. I was adding to the specific question of creating a bootable installer. This topic has meandered into a few related questions. That's was just one of them.

The actual answer to this topic was posted early on and has been repeated since then. If you didn't get Mavericks while it was available, you can no longer acquire Mavericks for a Mac which shipped with an older OS. Ask Apple why.

For a Mac that shipped with Yosemite, it's nothing different than hundreds of Mac models that have come before it. Except for a very few models (essentially luck of being close enough to a release of the next OS), you can't install an older OS than what the Mac shipped with.

Thank you, lbarriocanal. I want to upgrade my "new" 2009 Macbook Pro to Mavericks so both my Macs have the same operating system. While I'm not downloading it on the Macbook Pro, I was still able to download it again. But it seems to take forever on New Zealand's apology for Broadband so this time I am at least keeping a copy of the installer!

My question: Will I be able to use the Mavericks installer he downloads, or will it be linked to his account in some way?

It will absolutely be tied to his apple ID. The license for any OS or app obtained from the app store is not transferable and is tied to the Apple ID that was used to obtain it. Unless it is being used on one of his computers, you will not have a legal copy, will not be able to reinstall the OS or update any apps.

If your connection is slow, is there an Apple store near you where you could ask them to download it for you using your Apple ID and computer or external hard drive?

babowa wrote:

If your connection is slow, is there an Apple store near you where you could ask them to download it for you using your Apple ID and computer or external hard drive?

Nailer6245 can't download on that Apple ID unless it is already in the Apple account, which isn't the case here.

I have tested this & OS X is not tied to the Apple ID. It's a common misconception since downloaded Apps from other Apple ID's will cause the App Store login field to be greyed out. If you only have 10.9 installed the App store sign in dialog will allow you to install & update OS X from any other Apple ID. Please test this yourself if you do not think it is correct, otherwise you may be violating the terms of this site.

I tested this via 2 Apple ID's (not linked in anyway) that are in my name, this is legal. Using another persons OS X for your hardware violates the Apple SLA, unless you allow the other person to 'control that machine.'

The SLA uses the terms '…that you own or control' to describe what you can install OS X onto.

https://ssl.apple.com/legal/sla/docs/OSX109.pdf

Thanks babowa/Drew Reece, appreciate your taking time to advise.

I guess this exemplifies the debate over this, it's hard to get a straight answer. Baboa, I live in Brussels, Belgium - unfortunately there's no apple store here. I could take a train to Holland and go to the one in Amsterdam, but I wouldn't be sure they'd give me Mavericks at all. Maybe it's policy not to give it out of it's been removed from the App Store?

For the record, I've no desire to get any 'illegitimate' software or anything, never have done. I'd love to be able to download Mavericks from the App Store, but it's gone, and a good few people now have said that the Mavericks installer is generic and usable on any Mac, regardless of who downloaded the installer, using whatever ID. I feel (and I hope I'm right here) that I have a license to use Mavericks, having bought my MacBook (and could upgrade to Yosemite for free).

Thank you for the lesson in how to interpret legalese. I used to get paid to do that. And yes, I tested various scenarios using my one and only Apple ID.

As the terms you quoted state that you have to own or control the computer to download your license of the OS, then having it downloaded onto someone else's computer would violate the terms. The terms also state that the license is not transferable. That is my interpretation; you may have a different understanding.

If you only have 10.9 installed the App store sign in dialog will allow you to install & update OS X from any other Apple ID

Using another persons OS X for your hardware violates the Apple SLA

There seems to be a contradiction here and, having Apple download it for you using your own ID and computer is hardly violating anything. And, I did not suggest that anyone use someone else's OS.

If you feel that I have violated the ToU, please do report it.

Well, my interpretation is that you need to download it or get it at an Apple store (they may or may not have it available) using your ID and I will stay with that.

Good luck to you as this is my last comment here.

babowa wrote:

Thank you for the lesson in how to interpret legalese. I used to get paid to do that. And yes, I tested various scenarios using my one and only Apple ID.

As the terms you quoted state that you have to own or control the computer to download your license of the OS, then having it downloaded onto someone else's computer would violate the terms. The terms also state that the license is not transferable. That is my interpretation; you may have a different understanding.

If you only have 10.9 installed the App store sign in dialog will allow you to install & update OS X from any other Apple ID

Using another persons OS X for your hardware violates the Apple SLA

There seems to be a contradiction here and, having Apple download it for you using your own ID and computer is hardly violating anything. And, I did not suggest that anyone use someone else's OS.

If you feel that I have violated the ToU, please do report it.

The TOU reference was not aimed at you babowa, just over zealous moderators that assume how the app store works without any actual testing.

I agree it is fuzzy - it should not work & does violate the SLA to use OS X on another persons computer but testing shows different results - since this site expects us to test I have a hard time believing results that differ from my own 🙂

I would like to see an Apple store do the installation for a user without 10.9 in an Apple account - I suspect they use their own Apple ID & never add Mavericks to the users app store account - leaving them in this same situation in the future when a reinstall is required. Have you seen that process?