Enter redemption code without app store

I have noticed questions for this from about 2 years ago and I'm really hoping apple have fixed this since...


How do I redeem a code without the app store? I have a second hand mac and the harddrive failed.


I don't have the disks.

Internet recovery won't reinstall OS X Lion, because the mac is linked to somebody elses apple id.

I purchased OS X Lion and now I can't seem to link it to my apple id.


It seems a bit ridiculous that although I have "internet recovery" I need another mac in order to recover my mac. Or I need to call into an apple store because I guess they'll have another mac so that I can recover my mac. This should be incredibly easy for them to provide a mechanism to do redeem a code online so that you can link it to your account.


Has anyone ever successfully entered a Mac App Store redemption code without having a mac?

MacBook Pro, Mac OS X (10.7)

Posted on Jul 1, 2016 1:10 PM

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5 replies

Jul 1, 2016 2:02 PM in response to karmagarda

You cannot because the only way to download what you are redeeming is through the App Store. What you have complained about is your misunderstanding of what to do and why. You cannot install or reinstall any downloaded version of OS X purchased by another person on your computer. You must purchase your own copy. If you have purchased your own copy, then re-download it via the Purchases page in the App Store.


You cannot use Network Recovery on a Mac laptop from before 2011 or from 2011 if it shipped originally with Snow Leopard. Then you need the installer discs which you can purchase from Apple if they are still available.


There is no way to run the App Store application without a Mac. You also don't have Internet Recovery without a Mac laptop unless it is from 2011 or later.

Jul 1, 2016 2:41 PM in response to theratter

It's not a misunderstanding of what to do and why, internet recovery does indeed allow you to download once you sign in using your apple Id when prompted to do so. I have internet recovery, because I have a 2011 mac which originally had Mac OS X Lion. Also, as per my original question I have purchased my own copy of OS X Lion when I realised I should do so. But because my Mac is 2nd hand it is still linked to the original owners apple id. So during internet recovery it tells me the item is temporarily unavailable or something.


So I'm in a catch 22 situation. I cannot redeem my OS X Lion purchase without downloading the App Store. I cannot download the App Store without OS X Lion.


In short, I'm not asking how to run the App Store without a Mac, or how to install somebody elses copy of OS X. I'm asking if (since the 2014 posts) it's possible to link an OS X Lion purchase to an Apple Id via any other method than the App Store (e.g. logging into my account via the website).


But by the sounds of your reply, the answer seems to be that it's still not possible.

Jul 1, 2016 2:50 PM in response to karmagarda

As I stated you cannot use a copy of OS X downloaded by the prior owner under his/her Apple ID. You can give this a try since your model may be able to do Network Restore:


Install Lion Through Maverickson a New HDD/SDD


Be sure you backup your files.


  1. Restart the computer and after the chime press and hold down the COMMAND-OPTION- R keys until a globe appears. Wait patiently - 5-15 minutes - until the Utility Menu appears.
  2. Select Disk Utility from the Utility Menu and click on the Continue button.
  3. After Disk Utility loads select the drive (usually, this is the out-dented entry with the mfgr.'s ID and size) from the side list. Click on the Partition tab in Disk Utility’s main window.
  4. Under the Volume Scheme heading set the number of partitions to one volume. Click on the Options button, set the partition scheme to GUID then click on the OK button. Set the Format type to Mac OS Extended (Journaled.) Click on the Partition button and wait for the process to finish. Quit Disk Utility and return to the Utility Menu.
  5. Select Reinstall OS X from the Utility Menu and click on the Install button.


[Permission to use part or all of the above has been granted by Kappy, exclusively, to theratter.]

This should install the original version of OS X that came with the computer when it was new if that was Lion. This won't work if it came with Snow Leopard originally. For that you will need any original discs that came with the computer when new.

Jul 1, 2016 4:02 PM in response to karmagarda

Thanks all for the replies. For the record I am trying to install my own version of OS X Lion in case anyone things I'm trying to do anything dodgy here!


Unfortunately the answer to my question is no. If you run into this problem you need either get to an Apple Store or a find a second Mac so that you can use the App Store application.


What I ended up doing adds a 3rd option to Bob's list, which is quite similar to his second idea:


After a long search I found a friend with a Mac. I logged into the App Store on his machine using my credentials and entered the redemption code. And Internet Recovery is now working.


So in my case to fix the problem I needed a windows machine, a second mac, a trustworthy friend and a 5 minute screen share. You'd imagine in the days of terabytes and fiber optics an internet recovery would be a tad simpler than this!

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Enter redemption code without app store

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