Q: How to update a 2008 iMac to 10.9

Neither Mavericks nor Yosemite are available as a new purchase. If you purchased either one in the past, it would be available for you to download in your Mac App Store's Purchased list. If you never purchased either one, you are out of luck as far as those OS X versions go.

You may be able to upgrade to El Capitan. Use this link: Get El Capitan from the App Store

Unless you already owned them and have a copy of them or you have an Apple ID that has either of those OS X versions already purchased then Apple no longer provides means for you to obtain OS X10.9 or 10.10 any longer.

2008 iMac is capable of running OS 10.11 El Capitan but it is recommend you have at the very least 4GB RAM and even then dont expect the system to be very responsive. El Capitan is still available from the Apple store but that could change as OS 10.12 is the current public release of an Apple OS and Apple may stop providing a download link for 10.11 shortly. At the very least if you can find it you can add it to your account and download at some time in the future.

In the mean time before updating your OS it is highly suggested you make a time machine backup.

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201250

Hi, I don't think those older OSes are available anymore, 10.11 will be available for a short time still...

OOPs, looks like 10.12 is the only one available.

Might call Apple sales.

if you look for it in the store you wont find it, at least in the U.S.

but if you follow johns link you can

I see it in App store and I'm not signed in so it's not seeing a copy in my account.

OS X 10.9 Mavericks and OS X 10.10 Yosemite are no longer available for initial download.

Your only alternatives now are either the free macOS Sierra or, possibly, OS X 10.11 El Capitan.

If you really need Mavericks or Yosemite, you need to call your local Apple store and inquire if they can do this for you. You would have to bring your iMac into the store for them to upgrade it.

You would need to create a backup first, using either OS X Time Machine app OR use a data cloning app, like Bombich's software Carbon Copy Cloner or Shirt Pocket's Super Duper to clone your entire computer to a large capacity, external hard drive.

Good Luck!

Its unlikely your Mac can run Sierra as the hardware spec of an iMac 2008 is insufficient. Refer to the Sierra hardware spec here:     Mac Hardware Requirements

Leilu_Lola wrote:

 

I will try to make sure I am login with my Apple Id. Because I have made those updates on my laptop they should be available in my purchase list. Is that what you are saying.

Yes.

You never mentioned that you had another Mac that you had previously upgraded to Mavericks and Yosemite, in the past under your Apple ID.

If you installed both of these previously, then both of these should be available under your purchase history in the Mac App Store when you login with you Apple ID and you should be able to install either one of these onto the iMac you have.

Good Luck!