You can make a difference in the Apple Support Community!

When you sign up with your Apple ID, you can provide valuable feedback to other community members by upvoting helpful replies and User Tips.

Looks like no one’s replied in a while. To start the conversation again, simply ask a new question.

Unable to Reinstall Mac OS X Mavericks

Hello Apple Community!


I recived my brothers old Apple computer (Macbook Pro from 2010 with model number A1278). He hadn't deleted all his old stuff so I went online to find a way to clean it completly - make it as new. I tried the method described in this link: How to reinstall macOS from macOS Recovery - Apple Support. So I deleted the harddisk and went on to reinstall but it won't allow me to! It says I have contact Apple Care. Therefore, I called Apple but they are unable to help because the computer is so old. Can anyone help?


- Anne Sophie 🙂

MacBook Pro

Posted on Oct 17, 2018 3:06 AM

Reply
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Oct 17, 2018 3:19 PM

If you have not already tried it, see if Command-Option-R will work on boot, and see if your Mac will reload its software directly from Apple.


If not, then—using another Mac—create a bootable installer on a scratch USB device, and then connect that to your Mac and boot that.

How to create a bootable installer for macOS - Apple Support


If you haven’t prefiously downloaded Mavericks from Apple using your Apple ID, you may have to contact Apple, explain your issue and which Mac you have here, and request a Mavericks redemption code...


But....


Given you’re working with a MacBook Pro 13” Mid 2010, that Mac can boot and run High Sierra and Mojave, and that’s directly available from Apple. That Mac is also upgradable, and can be expanded to 8GB of memory.


Which means that Mavericks is probably not what you want to start with.


Here are direct downloads for the last three macOS releases, from which you can use the appropriate creayeinstalmedia command to build a botable installer on a USB decice on another Mad. That if the Command-Option-R doesn’t get you there...


How to upgrade to macOS Mojave - Apple Support

How to upgrade to macOS High Sierra - Apple Support

How to upgrade to macOS Sierra - Apple Support

Similar questions

5 replies
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Oct 17, 2018 3:19 PM in response to AnneHansen

If you have not already tried it, see if Command-Option-R will work on boot, and see if your Mac will reload its software directly from Apple.


If not, then—using another Mac—create a bootable installer on a scratch USB device, and then connect that to your Mac and boot that.

How to create a bootable installer for macOS - Apple Support


If you haven’t prefiously downloaded Mavericks from Apple using your Apple ID, you may have to contact Apple, explain your issue and which Mac you have here, and request a Mavericks redemption code...


But....


Given you’re working with a MacBook Pro 13” Mid 2010, that Mac can boot and run High Sierra and Mojave, and that’s directly available from Apple. That Mac is also upgradable, and can be expanded to 8GB of memory.


Which means that Mavericks is probably not what you want to start with.


Here are direct downloads for the last three macOS releases, from which you can use the appropriate creayeinstalmedia command to build a botable installer on a USB decice on another Mad. That if the Command-Option-R doesn’t get you there...


How to upgrade to macOS Mojave - Apple Support

How to upgrade to macOS High Sierra - Apple Support

How to upgrade to macOS Sierra - Apple Support

Unable to Reinstall Mac OS X Mavericks

Welcome to Apple Support Community
A forum where Apple customers help each other with their products. Get started with your Apple ID.