I can't re-install Lion on my MacBook.

[ChilledGreen]

Well, I should be able to clear this on Friday after my 1:30 appointment with Apple.

 

[pigoo3]

Well, I should be able to clear this on Friday after my 1:30 appointment with Apple.

Geez...get to the Apple Store already! The suspense is killing me!

- Nick

 

[ChilledGreen]

Re:

Well, I am posting this from my MacBook... all fixed.

Apparently, he said that he thought it was a connectivity issue and not a password issue. He plugged it right in and clicked the reinstall button and it worked like magic. I know though, after trying this from every room in my house where I have a full WiFi signal, that it was not the internet connection. All of my machines (including my MacBook always work in every room of the house). Plus, you have all of the other people online who have the same problem. They don't all have bad internet connections... so that was his explanation based on the fact that he didn't have one.

I have to say, the people at the Apple store are very nice and very helpful. I will definitely do business there in the future.

 

[pigoo3]

Well, I am posting this from my MacBook... all fixed.

Thank god…now I can sleep tonight!!!

Congrats on it being something relatively easy…and not something much more serious!

- Nick

 

[Jamiehap]

How I fixed my item is temporary unavailable problem

Hello, all.

Okay here is the deal

I own a secondhand (from eBay) early 2008 13" white MacBook. It was running Mac OS X Lion. I went into the options at one point and completely screwed something up. Now whenever I power my machine on, it goes to the gray screen with the "Utilities" box listing four options.

1. Restore from Time Machine backup
2. Reinstall Mac OS X
3. Get help online
4. Disk Utility

Being as that I bought this machine used off of eBay, I don't have a recovery disk, so I have tried option 2 countless times and it keeps flashing the message: "This item is temporarily unavailable, try again later." Guess what? That's right, it's always unavailable (I read somewhere online that this could be due to something regarding a firmware password, I don't know anything about this).

I try to explain this to people and they always come back telling me to try re-installing again (option 2), and Apple has made it obvious to me that it would be too easy to do things that way so they keep denying me access to the download. Option 2 isn't an option.

Below I have posted a screenshot of the screen that I get after I try to re-install Lion online from the Utilities program:

(Notice it says that the Recovery HD disk is locked)

Here I posted a short video of me powering on my MacBook and all of the steps that I go through to come to this error message.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4A818okR_Lg

Does anyone know of a way around this? Is it at all possible for me to fix this problem and re-install the operating system with a recovery disk while the Recovery HD is locked (without having to drive really far from where I live to visit people who call themselves "genius")?

This machine is really stressing me out, nothing with it is easy. Any help would be greatly appreciated, thank you for your time.

"I erased and reinstalled OS X on my own MacBook Pro and after trying to solve or get around this temporary unavailable error message I tried something. I received this same message and after a few hours of finding little help I solved the problem. I was using a newer Apple ID that was never used to purchase or update my apple OS. Once I entered my older Apple ID and password it was able to update without further problems. I don't know if this solution will help you, this message seems to appear for several different reasons. But I hope someone is helped by it sooner or later, because of all the help I have found from other Mac uses helping others online. Thanks to you all."

 

[pm-r]

Phew… it seems that Nick can continue with some good night's sleeps even if the post is a bit late…

 

[harryb2448]

As it was all two years ago I think he is sleeping allright!

 

[MuggeridgeMoose]

Wake up Nick!

Thank god…now I can sleep tonight!!!

Congrats on it being something relatively easy…and not something much more serious!

- Nick

Hey Nick! Any thoughts for me - I have the same issue as the Thread Owner but my situation is that the iMac is mine as the result of a marriage breakup. It's old and I want to sell it but I can't re-install Lion under my apple ID because it was purchased under my ex-husband's ID. And don't even think about getting me to ask him to re-install it for me because it will never happen.

I have erased as much as I can off the machine, but I want to on-sell it now as it's a bit of a dinosaur. I can't really sell it without an operating system, so will I have to buy Lion under my own apple ID in order to re-install it?

 

[harryb2448]

Lash out $20 for Apple OS X.6 Snow Leopard from Apple Online, boot from the DVD holding down 'C', erase and format the drive and install. Leave personal information etc for the new owner and advertise the machine complete with the Snow Leopard DVD.

 

[ferrarr]

Did the machine come with Lion installed or was it purchased as an upgrade? If the iMac came with Lion (mid-2011), then it should have Internet Recovery as an option. If not, http://www.apple.com/shop/product/D...ef4c1f34e01e0630f7253bdd1e886cd379322fff9c6b7

 

[pm-r]

Hey Nick! Any thoughts for me - I have the same issue as the Thread Owner but my situation is that the iMac is mine as the result of a marriage breakup. It's old and I want to sell it but I can't re-install Lion under my apple ID because it was purchased under my ex-husband's ID. And don't even think about getting me to ask him to re-install it for me because it will never happen.

I have erased as much as I can off the machine, but I want to on-sell it now as it's a bit of a dinosaur. I can't really sell it without an operating system, so will I have to buy Lion under my own apple ID in order to re-install it?

If you have any pre-OS X Lion install disks, you don't even need any apple ID and you could just nuke&pave the Mac and install the OS ready for any new user to just start using it as if it was brand new and let then set it up and register for their use.

If you don't have any pre-Lion disks, do as Harry suggests and get the SL installer and do the same thing if the Mac is compatible. Or just use the Recovery HD volume and nuke and re-install.

If you want to waste some time using any old apple ID, you can check out some sites like this, but I wouldn't bother:
http://www.wikihow.com/Find-Your-Apple-ID

Bottom line, you don't need any apple ID to wipe and clean install the OS.




- Patrick
======

 

[MuggeridgeMoose]

Thank you Harryb, Ferrarr and Patrick for your responses. I guess Ive been reluctant to buy anything as the machine itself is a 2006 iMac (24") and I worry that I might make enough money onselling it to recover whatever I spend on it. But I can't sell it at all without an OS, so I guess it's worth the risk?

 

[pm-r]

Thank you Harryb, Ferrarr and Patrick for your responses. I guess Ive been reluctant to buy anything as the machine itself is a 2006 iMac (24") and I worry that I might make enough money onselling it to recover whatever I spend on it. But I can't sell it at all without an OS, so I guess it's worth the risk?

Do you not have any Mac User Group Club or a Mac fixit person in your area that could possibly help you out at very little or no cost?




- Patrick
======

 

[MuggeridgeMoose]

Yes - I think one of the techie guys at work might be able to point me in the right direction.

Am I right in thinking that Lion is a web download only and that Snow Leopard is available on disc?

G.

 

[pm-r]

Yes - I think one of the techie guys at work might be able to point me in the right direction.

Am I right in thinking that Lion is a web download only and that Snow Leopard is available on disc?

G.

Yes, Snow Leopard 10.6.x was the last Mac OS X version to be supplied by install disks. Lion 10.7.x and later were all mainly or only available by download.

Well, until Apple finally decided to sell and make a 10.7.x install disk version available:
http://www.apple.com/shop/product/D6106Z/A/os-x-lion

I think that was the last OS X version available on install disks.





- Patrick
======

 

[chscag]

Nice find Patrick. I didn't realize Apple decided to sell Lion on disk. Previously, it was only available via a flash drive in addition to the download version.

 

[Slydude]

I knew it was available on flash drive. Didn't realize they had made it available on disc.

 

[pm-r]

Nice find Patrick. I didn't realize Apple decided to sell Lion on disk. Previously, it was only available via a flash drive in addition to the download version.

Now I wondering if I'm not mistaken about any actual Lion install disks, especially when I read what they say at Apple's site:
"What do you receive: An email with a content code for the Mac App Store."
http://www.apple.com/shop/product/D6106Z/A/os-x-lion

And I couldn't find any sign of the old OS X 10.7.x flash drive installer, at least not at Apple's site.

PS: It also looks from the requirements that SL 10.6.8 also needs to be installed so I gather it wouldn't be a "stand alone" installer.

Sorry for any false alarm or info.



- Patrick
======

 

[chscag]

I think you're right Patrick. It looks like Apple will send a code via email so that Lion can be downloaded from the App Store. That sorta makes more sense than Apple putting Lion on disk.

 

[MuggeridgeMoose]

Secure Disc erase failed

Hi Folks - I'm back after several months and I now have in my possession a Snow Leopard disc. However, upon following relatively simple instructions on how to install I have come across a couple of glitches:
a) it will not erase the disk because it 'couldn't unmount disk'
b) when I try to partition the disc it says it 'couldn't unmount disk'

What am I doing wrong?

Cheers in advance.

G.