Upgrade to OS X

[glmrgirl]

I am trying to upgrade my old Mac with OS X 10.7.5 to El Capitan. I logged into the app store and clicked on the update button and the following message came up: Update Unavailable with this Apple ID - This update is not available for this Apple ID because it was either bought by a different user or the item was refunded or cancelled.

It's been awhile since I bought this Mac, but as far as I remember, the current Apple ID that I use is the only one I've ever had. How can I fix this issue so that I can proceed with the update?

 

[Rod]

Firstly before we can help you we need all of the specifications from the "About This Computer" window under the Apple Menu top left.
In the mean time I would also have a look at Previous Purchases in the App Store (for your current login) and see if the El Capitan installer has ever been downloaded before. If it is listed then you can restart the download from there unless there is something wrong with your Apple ID for this machine. Is it shared with anyone?

 

[glmrgirl]

I did get into the App Store and saw that I had tried to download it previosly but couldn't due to a poor internet connection. I clicked it to continue the download and now I get a screen that says that the App Store quit unexpectedly. I can't get it to stay open...it keeps quitting. My Apple ID is not shared with anyone. It's frustrating me!

 

[harryb2448]

You tell us about 'your old Mac'. If it is before 2008, it may well not be able to run anything later than Lion OS X.7. That is why Rod asked details from About this Mac. It will say iMac 7.1, or whatever model you have.

 

[glmrgirl]

You tell us about 'your old Mac'. If it is before 2008, it may well not be able to run anything later than Lion OS X.7. That is why Rod asked details from About this Mac. It will say iMac 7.1, or whatever model you have.

It says Mac Book Pro 13-inch, Late 2011

 

[chscag]

Your MacBook Pro should be able to run the latest version of OS X which is El Capitan 10.11.5.

 

[harryb2448]

Try running your Apple ID through this link. if you purchased the MBP second hand, the original owner may not have cancelled his user details, and the best advice for the buyer is to always erase the hard drive and install their own operating system and details. Changing an email address etc sulls the Aple ID. Maybe the machine is still set up with his email perhaps?


https://appleid.apple.com

 

[Rod]

I certainly agree with all of the above but perhaps you still have a poor internet connection?

 

[Rod]

On the other hand it may be that your App Store application is to blame.

 

[Rod]

You might be wise to run Disk Utility (inside utilities in the applications folder). Try repair permissions first then try the download again. You can also try repair disk (HardDrive) in the same app but I always advise people to have a full backup before that just in case.

 

[glmrgirl]

You might be wise to run Disk Utility (inside utilities in the applications folder). Try repair permissions first then try the download again. You can also try repair disk (HardDrive) in the same app but I always advise people to have a full backup before that just in case.

Okay...I feel totally retarded now. Here's the problem! I have two Macs...one is new and is already running El Capitan. When I ran my Apple ID through the link you posted it shows the device I am using as being the newer Mac. So , I guess my question would be how do I have two devices on the Apple account so that I can upgrade the older Mac? I'm pretty sure that's why it keeps kicking me off the update page...it sees only the newer Mac which already has El Capitan.

 

[harryb2448]

El Cap is f.o.c. no payment at all.

 

[Rod]

Ok, login to iTunes on your older machine. Go to "My Account" you will be asked to login again, in the next window in the devices section have a look at how many devices are listed.

 

[Rod]

When you say the site only showed the older mac as the newer one do you mean it only showed one computer in your account? Are both of the machines signed into iCloud. Even if you don't use any iCloud services you should sign in to iCloud on both devices especially on the newer machine.
This quote from the Apple ID page;
"Devices using iOS 8 or OS X Yosemite will appear in the device list only if you're signed in to iCloud with your Apple ID. You can also see your paired Apple Watch".

 

[glmrgirl]

Ok, login to iTunes on your older machine. Go to "My Account" you will be asked to login again, in the next window in the devices section have a look at how many devices are listed.

It shows one device that was associated with iTunes in 2012 which would be the older Mac that I want to update.

 

[MacInWin]

Ok, login to iTunes on your older machine. Go to "My Account" you will be asked to login again, in the next window in the devices section have a look at how many devices are listed.

Rod, why iTunes? She's trying to get to the Mac App Store, not the iTunes store. iTunes has nothing to do with what she wants, AFAIK. I think it's also ditto for iCloud. Neither has anything to do with the Mac App Store, again AFAIK.

 

[glmrgirl]

It only shows one computer when I view my account on iTunes, the older Mac that I'm trying to update. The new Mac is the only one that will show up when I access the App Store through my applications and view my account.

 

[Rod]

Rod, why iTunes? She's trying to get to the Mac App Store, not the iTunes store. iTunes has nothing to do with what she wants, AFAIK. I think it's also ditto for iCloud. Neither has anything to do with the Mac App Store, again AFAIK.

But everything to do with registering a computer on her account.
If the device is registered and authorized there are only two possibilities left, an application issue, although it seems unlikely that the App Store Application could be damaged or a connectivity issue.
I have already suggested Permission Repair and/or Disk Repair and I have also queried her connection as it was a problem before.
Gimrgirl, could you try to download something else from the app store (something free preferably) just to test this.
Also bear in mind that El Capitan has a new update 10.11.5 that has just been released so Apple's servers may simply be bogged down with update requests and it may just be a matter of waiting a few days.

 

[glmrgirl]

I'm gonna wait and try again in a few days. I'm going crazy just trying to get this thing updated! Thanks to all for your help and suggestions. If I have problems in a few days, I'll be back on here again.