How Can I get full installation of OS X (10.9 or 10.8)?.

You can get 10.10 from the Mac App Store

It's not available, and 10.10 has identical requirements to 10.9 and 10.8.

Why must you have an earlier version?

You can buy 10.8 (Mountain Lion) from the Apple Online Store.

You will get a download code you can use in the Mac App Store on a Mac running 10.6.8 Snow Leopard, or 10.7 Lion, to download it.

http://store.apple.com/us/product/D6377Z/A/os-x-mountain-lion

You can no longer download 10.9 Mavericks as it was removed from the store once Yosemite was released so unless you kept the installer package for it when it was available you cannot get it now.

Mavericks (10.9) is only available if you had downloaded it previously from the OS X App Store. Otherwise, it is no longer available to anyone. Same drill for Lion(10.7.5), and Mountain Lion(10.8.5). Lion and Mountain Lion can be purchased from the Online Apple Store. Search for Mac OS X Mountain Lion.

Before embarking on a major OS upgrade, it would be wise, advisable and very prudent if you backup your current system to an external connected and Mac formatted Flash drive OR externally connected USB, Thunderbolt or FireWire 800, Mac formatted hard drive. Then, use either OS X Time Machine app to backup your entire system to the external drive OR purchase, install and use a data cloning app, like CarbonCopyCloner or SuperDuper, to make an exact and bootable copy (clone) of your entire Mac's internal hard drive. This step is really needed in case something goes wrong with the install of the new OS or you simply do not like the new OS, you have a very easy way/procedure to return your Mac to its former working state.

Then, determine if your Mac meets ALL minimum system install requirements.

OS X 10.7 Lion system requirements

Purchased emailed download code here.

http://store.apple.com/us/product/D6106Z/A/os-x-lion

To use OS X 10.7 Lion, make sure your computer has the following:

An Intel Core 2 Duo, Core i3, Core i5, Core i7, or Xeon processor

Mac OS X v10.6.6 or later to install via the Mac App Store (v10.6.8 recommended)

7 GB of available disk space

2 GB of RAM

To install OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion, 10.9 Mavericks (free upgrade, but currently unavailable) or OS X 10.10 Yosemite (currently available free upgrade) you need one of these Macs:

OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion purchased emailed download code here.

http://store.apple.com/us/product/D6377Z/A/os-x-mountain-lion

iMac (Mid-2007 or later)

MacBook (13-inch Aluminum, Late 2008), (13-inch, Early 2009 or later)

MacBook Pro (13-inch, Mid-2009 or later),

MacBook Pro (15-inch or 17-inch, Mid/Late 2007 or later)

MacBook Air (Late 2008 or later)

Mac mini (Early 2009 or later)

Mac Pro (Early 2008 or later)

Xserve (Early 2009)

Your Mac also needs:

OS X Mountain Lion, Lion, or Snow Leopard v10.6.8 already installed

2 GB or more of memory (I strongly advise, at least, 4 GBs of RAM or more)

8 GB or more of available space

Next,

If you run any older Mac software from the earlier PowerPC Macs, then none of this software will work with the newer OS X versions (10.7 and onward). OS X Snow Leopard had a magical and invisible PowerPC emulation application, called Rosetta, that worked seamlessly in the background that still allowed older PowerPC coded software to still operate in a Intel CPU Mac.

The use of Rosetta ended with OS X Snow Leopard as the Rosetta application was licensed to Apple, from a software company called Transitive, which got bought out, I believe, by IBM and Appe could no longer secure their rights to continue to use Rosetta in later versions of OS X.

So, you would need to check to see if you have software on your Mac that maybe older than, say, 2006 or older.

Also, check for app compatibilty here.

http://roaringapps.com/

If you have any commercial antivirus installed and/or hard drive cleaning apps installed on your Mac, like MacKeeper, CleanMyMac, TuneUpMyMac, MacCleanse, etc. now would be a good time to completely uninstall these apps by doing a Google search to learn how to properly uninstall these types of apps.

These types of apps will only cause your Mac issues later after the install of the new OS X version and you will have to completely uninstall these types of apps later.

Once you have determined all of this, you should be able to find the latest versions of OS X by clicking on the Mac App Store icon in the OS X Dock and then login to the Mac App Store using your Apple ID and password and if you purchased a download code, input that code.

You can then begin the download and installation process of installing the newer versions of OS X from the Mac App Store.

Good Luck!

@ AmitVak

You might try the Server Edition which is still available and then call to get a redeem code for Mavericks full installation in order to install the server edition. This will cost $20 for the Server Edition which you don't have to upgrade to if you choose not to. I have not confirmed this but someone else mentioned it works. If you choose this option please let us know.

Keep in Mind that Some links point to the Apple Store while others to the App Store.

Older systems than Mavericks is Still available for download after $ purchase.

If you need older versions of OS X, they can still be purchased in the Apple Online Store:

http://store.apple.com/us/help/downloadable_software#MacOSX ( <<-- The Mavericks Link now links to YOSEMITE. They need to update their links.)

Leopard (appears unavailable now or link changed, need new link.)

http://store.apple.com/us/product/MC094Z/A/Mac-OSX-Leopard

Snow Leopard

http://store.apple.com/us/product/MC573/mac-os-x-106-snow-leopard

http://store.apple.com/us/product/MC573Z/A/mac-os-x-106-snow-leopard

Lion
http://store.apple.com/us/product/D6106/os-x-lion
http://store.apple.com/us/product/D6106Z/A/os-x-lion

Mountain Lion

http://store.apple.com/us/product/D6377/os-x-mountain-lion

http://store.apple.com/us/product/D6377Z/A/os-x-mountain-lion

You can apparently still get the Server Editions, But these may still require the Full Basic install. You might be able to force Apple to provide a Redeem Code to download the full install once you pay for a Server Edition, Call Support:

Purchasing one of the OS X Servers...

http://www.apple.com/osx/server/

http://www.apple.com/osx/server/how-to-upgrade/

The Following OS X Servers are still available from the App Store here are the direct links...

OS X Server 4.0 Yosemite 10.10

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/os-x-server/id883878097?mt=12

OS X Server 3.2.2 Mavericks 10.9.5

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/os-x-server/id714547929?mt=12

OS X Server 2.2.5 Mountain Lion OS X 10.8.5

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/os-x-server/id537441259?mt=12

Lion's OS X Server is NOT Available: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/os-x-lion-server/id444376097?mt=12

All older Versions were on DVD/CD and have to call Support for original Installation Disk.

If your MAC came with Mavericks preinstalled you can create your bootable USB install drive from the recovery partition:

http://www.macworld.com/article/2151706/create-a-bootablemavericks-install-driv e-for-newer-macs.html

If you have previously downloaded Mavericks from the App Store backed up my Mavericks to another drive and made it USB bootable following the Macworld instructions:

http://www.macworld.com/article/2056561/how-to-make-a-bootable-mavericks-install -drive.html

If you are unable to re-download a previously downloaded Mavericks OS X please try it in Safe Mode. This worked for me and the Apple Engineers are working on resolving the issue.

OS X: What is Safe Boot, Safe Mode? - Apple Support

Follow these steps to start up into Safe Mode.

1. Be sure your Mac is shut down.
2. Press the power button.
3. Immediately after you hear the startup sound, press and hold the Shift key. The Shift key should be pressed as soon as possible after startup, but not before the startup sound.
4. Release the Shift key when you see the Apple logo appear on the screen.

After the Apple logo appears, it may take longer than usual to reach the login screen. This is because your computer is performing a directory check as part of Safe Mode.

To leave Safe Mode, restart your computer without pressing any keys during startup.

You Might want to Reset PRAM & SMC before attempting any Recovery and always Back up your system.

How to Reset NVRAM on your Mac - Apple Support

SMC: Intel-based Macs: Resetting the System Management Controller (SMC) - Apple Support

How, When, Why to reset the PRAM & SMC on your MAC

http://thenextweb.com/lifehacks/2010/12/04/how-when-why-to-reset-the-pram-smc-on -your-mac/

How to Back Up your MAC Hard Drive:

https://www.apple.com/support/backup/

Recovery for pre-Installed OS X. Keep in Mind that Command + R is Recovery Partition reinstallation only.

Internet Recovery for preinstalled OS X is Command + Option + R for those MACs that support this option.

OS X: About OS X Recovery - Apple Support

Note: Some Macs that came with OS X Snow Leopard can use Internet Recovery after installing OS X Lion or later and a software update.

Quoted from: jndupuis1

Back up all of your Data!! Know the procedure for NPRAM and SMC reset for your Mac Model!!

1. Make sure you only have your original Mac equipment installed. A Wi-Fi connection ready is recommended. Wi-Fi is stable during this process, imagine that!

2. From Shutdown, Power up holding Command+R

3. Enter Disk Utility and make two single passes of Zeros across your entire internal HD. 1 single partition. Title it "Macintosh HD" this will take some time. The positive. Zeros will recover lost HD space and remove all traces of data remnants.

4. Quit Disk Utility and shutdown.

5. Power up holding Command+Option+P+R. Keep holding until computer restarts then release keys. The Mac will boot to a flashing "?" folder. This is the NPRAM reset.

5. Shutdown. Now do an SMC reset of your Mac. (Mine for Mac Mini is to Shutdown. Unplug power. Hold power button for 15 secs. Wait 5 secs and plug power back up.)

6. Hold down Command+R and power up. Your Mac will request an Internet Connection. Connect. It will download the Internet Recovery.

6. Select "Reinstall OS X" from the menu. It will download the components needed to install the OS X. Follow installation prompts.

Please be aware that this procedure will install the OS X that shipped with your Mac. If you bought your Mac with Mavericks installed. Internet Recovery will install Mavericks. If your Mac shipped with Mountain Lion or Lion, Internet Recovery will install what shipped with your unit.

Quoted from: babowa

Nice, precise instructions - just a heads up on one thing:

Depending on the age/model of the Mac, Command + R is NOT Internet recovery, but the recovery partition which will simply install the current OS on top of what you have. For those models, Internet Recovery is Command + Option + R; after an erase, it will install the original OS version if Lion or later; without an erase, it will re-install the currently installed OS. If the machine came with Snow Leopard or earlier, Internet Recovery does not work because that OS was and is not available via download. It may install Lion or simply not install anything or reinstall the current OS - in other words: it is not at all reliable.

I have tested that several times with both a mid 2010 machine and a mid 2012.

I hope this Helps those that need these Options.

If you wish to post a link to a thread which contains one of my posts, that would be great. I'd prefer you do not copy/paste my post in your boilerplate (or any) answer (whether that'd be 1 or 5 pages long).

Thanks.

babowa wrote:

If you wish to post a link to a thread which contains one of my posts, that would be great. I'd prefer you do not copy/paste my post in your boilerplate (or any) answer (whether that'd be 1 or 5 pages long).

Thanks.

This Form does not appear to have the capability to link Post from the forms... It only links the Thread not the Post. If you do not like being quoted do not post.

Regards.

@ Everyone

Please, everyone provide additional feedback regarding Apples products and services, you can do so at:

http://www.apple.com/feedback

or more specifically for this thread about Mavericks OS X:

http://www.apple.com/feedback/macosx.html

This Form does not appear to have the capability to link Post from the forms... It only links the Thread not the Post. If you do not like being quoted do not post.

I am aware of that. Please do not attempt to tell me what I should or should not do.

Please read the ToU (link at the bottom of every page) regarding ownership of content (specifically para. 2.9 and 2.10).