Need Yosemite download
- Thread starter Derek
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I made a post about this issue yesterday, in the Mac OS X forum. Here is the link for that:
https://www.mac-help.com/threads/downloading-prior-versions-of-the-mac-os-from-the-app-store.223285/
So, a couple of questions:
1. How/when did you "obtain" Mavericks?
2. What is shown under the "Purchased" tab on the App Store? (For myself, it shows (besides other "items") OS X Lion, OS X Mavericks, OS X Yosemite, and OS X El Capitan). That also means I can download any of them again (but no need, as I am using the latest version of Sierra, OS 10.12.3).
Notice that Cory Cooper mentioned that one possibility would be to go to an Apple store, and they "might" install a copy for you. However, there could be issues involved with just doing such an upgrade (I suspect that is what someone at the Apple store would do), versus an Erase and Format of your internal drive, then a clean, fresh, "virgin" installation of Yosemite (a backup is necessary to do that). Specifically, in your case:
1. What exact Mac model do you have?
2. Are you making any backups to an external device?
3. Have you ever done any disk cleanup/maintenance/repairs, from a software perspective?
4. Are you using any third party software? If so, some/all of them might need to be upgraded for compatibility with Yosemite.
If you cannot get it from the App Store, you can get it (for a small price) from places like Amazon. Here is a link that shows that:
https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_2?url=search-alias=aps&field-keywords=Mac+OS+Yosemite
https://www.mac-help.com/threads/downloading-prior-versions-of-the-mac-os-from-the-app-store.223285/
So, a couple of questions:
1. How/when did you "obtain" Mavericks?
2. What is shown under the "Purchased" tab on the App Store? (For myself, it shows (besides other "items") OS X Lion, OS X Mavericks, OS X Yosemite, and OS X El Capitan). That also means I can download any of them again (but no need, as I am using the latest version of Sierra, OS 10.12.3).
Notice that Cory Cooper mentioned that one possibility would be to go to an Apple store, and they "might" install a copy for you. However, there could be issues involved with just doing such an upgrade (I suspect that is what someone at the Apple store would do), versus an Erase and Format of your internal drive, then a clean, fresh, "virgin" installation of Yosemite (a backup is necessary to do that). Specifically, in your case:
1. What exact Mac model do you have?
2. Are you making any backups to an external device?
3. Have you ever done any disk cleanup/maintenance/repairs, from a software perspective?
4. Are you using any third party software? If so, some/all of them might need to be upgraded for compatibility with Yosemite.
If you cannot get it from the App Store, you can get it (for a small price) from places like Amazon. Here is a link that shows that:
https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_2?url=search-alias=aps&field-keywords=Mac+OS+Yosemite
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By the way, in case you do get Yosemite, yesterday Apple released a Security update for it:
http://tidbits.com/article/17139
That update will not be on the thumb drive you might purchase from MacInstaller.
http://tidbits.com/article/17139
That update will not be on the thumb drive you might purchase from MacInstaller.
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This is what is happening to me, I go to download El Capitan from the Apple web site and I get a small panel that says We could not complete your purchase. I click on the Learn more button and it brings up a page telling me what requirements I need for Mavericks which I have. Any suggestions?
Cory Cooper
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There may be some other issue here...
-The El Capitan download from the App Store is free, while getting it from Amazon is not. In addition, acquiring OS X Mavericks or later from anywhere but the Apple App Store is actually not an official Apple distribution copy and is technically outside the EULA.
-Any free upgrade you "purchased" previously from Apple will still be available to you in the Purchased section of the App Store.
-I notice you are shopping the Apple App Store - Canada. Is that correct?
-Can you post a screenshot of the screen that shows when you click the Learn More button?
The error shown in your post above is due to your Mac not meeting one of the system requirements from El Capitan. What are the complete specs of your Mac:
-Exact Mac model - i.e. iMac (20-inch Mid 2007)
-Amount of RAM
-Amount of free hard drive space
-Exact current version of OS X installed
C
-The El Capitan download from the App Store is free, while getting it from Amazon is not. In addition, acquiring OS X Mavericks or later from anywhere but the Apple App Store is actually not an official Apple distribution copy and is technically outside the EULA.
-Any free upgrade you "purchased" previously from Apple will still be available to you in the Purchased section of the App Store.
-I notice you are shopping the Apple App Store - Canada. Is that correct?
-Can you post a screenshot of the screen that shows when you click the Learn More button?
The error shown in your post above is due to your Mac not meeting one of the system requirements from El Capitan. What are the complete specs of your Mac:
-Exact Mac model - i.e. iMac (20-inch Mid 2007)
-Amount of RAM
-Amount of free hard drive space
-Exact current version of OS X installed
C
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Again, the first question is how you "obtained? Mavericks?
Also, according to this:
https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT206886
your 2010 iMac is acceptable to have OS 10.11, El Capitan, on.
Also, according to this:
https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT206886
your 2010 iMac is acceptable to have OS 10.11, El Capitan, on.
Cory Cooper
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Thanks for the additional information...sorry, I must have missed the Learn More screenshot in your previous post. Sometimes I just read too fast! 
My guess at this point is that the issue has something to do with either the App Store receipts are corrupted somehow, or a difference in the Canadian App Store allowing you to still access the download page of older versions of OS X that you haven't "purchased" previously. In the App Store on my Macs, all of the previous versions show in Purchased, because I downloaded them previously, but I can only visit the "Get" page for macOS Sierra. Apple normally removes the older versions of OS X when a new version is released.
-Is there a reason you only want to move up to Yosemite instead of Sierra?
-If you did install macOS Sierra, would you have some software applications that may not be compatible?
-Do you have an Apple Store near you that you could visit with your Mac?
C
My guess at this point is that the issue has something to do with either the App Store receipts are corrupted somehow, or a difference in the Canadian App Store allowing you to still access the download page of older versions of OS X that you haven't "purchased" previously. In the App Store on my Macs, all of the previous versions show in Purchased, because I downloaded them previously, but I can only visit the "Get" page for macOS Sierra. Apple normally removes the older versions of OS X when a new version is released.
-Is there a reason you only want to move up to Yosemite instead of Sierra?
-If you did install macOS Sierra, would you have some software applications that may not be compatible?
-Do you have an Apple Store near you that you could visit with your Mac?
C
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Almost exactly the machine I'm running Yosemite on.
The reason the App Store isn't working is because Mac users respond to it's failures with rationalizations and excuses. They sincerely don't realize it, but such a pattern is a PC mindset, not an authentic Mac mindset.
As example, Steve Jobs wouldn't have rationalized failures in any part of the Mac experience, he'd be screaming in somebody's face, heads would be rolling. That's how the Mac became the Mac. But as time passes, with Steve gone, and Apple converting more PC users, fewer and fewer people in Macland seem to get this.
Sorry, I know this is inconvenient and controversial, but if you want a reliable shopping experience you're going to have to find it somewhere other than the App Store, and you're going to have to pay for it.
Here's what a quality shopping experience looks like.
When I ordered Yosemite from Macinstaller on Amazon, he sent me el Capitan too, no extra charge.
Then I had a bunch of problems (long boring story) which had nothing to do with his installer, but I thought they did. So I started getting impatient and demanding. He worked through the whole event with me very patiently and calmly in a series of emails, which resulted in me understanding where the problem really did lie (the merchant I'd purchased the Mac from). He went the extra mile and then some, we parted happy friends, and I now am a word of mouth machine for his enterprise.
Good luck finding such service at Apple. Free is worth what you pay for it.
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Sorry you are having such hassles, Derek. Given that you purchased Mavericks from the App store, it should be under your Purchased tab. Like Cory, under my Purchased items, it shows (in addition to some other apps) OS X Lion, OS X Mavericks, OS X Yosemite, and OS X El Capitan. Also, OS X Sierra (what I am using) does yet show there, as that won't happen until Apple releases the next version of the Mac OS.
So, starting with ignoring negative things (like the above post), besides following Cory's advice, you might want to first call Apple Canada and explain your situation. Given that you have a "receipt" for the purchase of Mavericks from Apple Canada, you should be able to get any succeeding Mac OS you want for free. If you do bring your Mac to an App store, and you want to upgrade to Yosemite, the folks there will most likely do the upgrade "in place". Given, though, that Mavericks has been on your machine for more than 2 years, that would not be a wise move. It would be better (and safer) to do a complete clean installation of Yosemite. One way that could be done is for you to bring an empty, formatted external drive with you, and have them install Yosemite on that device. But, I don't know if they will do that. The other ting they could do is provide you with a copy of the "Install Mac OS Yosemite" file, and place it somewhere on your machine. In fact, if you cannot get it from the App store, hopefully they would "give" you that file anyway, even if they do an installation on an external drive for you.
Again, you might want to first call them and discuss options. Also, no matter which Mac OS you want to upgrade to, you still have to deal with the possibility that for any third party applications you are using, some (or all) of them might/would require an upgrade also to be compatible with the Mac OS you are "moving" to. Maybe you could take an inventory of what third party apps you have, and let us know. We can then help you with such possible upgrades.
Now, it would be good if you let us know the following:
1. Are you making any backups to an external device? And if you are, what software are you using for that purpose?
2. Have you ever done any disk cleanup/maintenance/repairs, from a software perspective? If (hopefully) you have, with applicable software, you would also know the "health" of the internal drive inside your machine.
So, starting with ignoring negative things (like the above post), besides following Cory's advice, you might want to first call Apple Canada and explain your situation. Given that you have a "receipt" for the purchase of Mavericks from Apple Canada, you should be able to get any succeeding Mac OS you want for free. If you do bring your Mac to an App store, and you want to upgrade to Yosemite, the folks there will most likely do the upgrade "in place". Given, though, that Mavericks has been on your machine for more than 2 years, that would not be a wise move. It would be better (and safer) to do a complete clean installation of Yosemite. One way that could be done is for you to bring an empty, formatted external drive with you, and have them install Yosemite on that device. But, I don't know if they will do that. The other ting they could do is provide you with a copy of the "Install Mac OS Yosemite" file, and place it somewhere on your machine. In fact, if you cannot get it from the App store, hopefully they would "give" you that file anyway, even if they do an installation on an external drive for you.
Again, you might want to first call them and discuss options. Also, no matter which Mac OS you want to upgrade to, you still have to deal with the possibility that for any third party applications you are using, some (or all) of them might/would require an upgrade also to be compatible with the Mac OS you are "moving" to. Maybe you could take an inventory of what third party apps you have, and let us know. We can then help you with such possible upgrades.
Now, it would be good if you let us know the following:
1. Are you making any backups to an external device? And if you are, what software are you using for that purpose?
2. Have you ever done any disk cleanup/maintenance/repairs, from a software perspective? If (hopefully) you have, with applicable software, you would also know the "health" of the internal drive inside your machine.
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Thanks Cory and honestone for replying. As mentioned above I found the purchase of Mavericks in the App store folder in applications. Now this is strange, it told me to download it, although I have been using it for years. So I assume I will have to download it and then maybe El Capitan can be downloaded. Yes I have time machine running and everything is backed up. The reason I want El Capitan is that I am using Nikon Capture NX2 for my image processing and I really like it. People on another forum have said that NX2 will work with El Capitan but not Sierra.
So, do I download Mavericks again?
So, do I download Mavericks again?
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I guess you could try that. Then see if you can download El Capitan (I thought you wanted Yosemite). Again, though, do you have any other third party software that might need updating? Also, regarding Nikon Capture NX2, you might want to read this:
https://discussions.apple.com/thread/7396988?tstart=0
Also, if you can download El Capitan (should be the last version, OS 10.11.6), the result of that download will be a file entitled "Install OS X El Capitan" inside your Applications folder. Make sure to make a copy of it on another location of your hard drive.
And as I mentioned, you really should do a fresh, clean, "virgin" installation of El Capitan onto your internal drive. Given that you are making Time Machine backups, that is dooable.
Finally, again I'll ask, have you ever done any disk cleanup/maintenance/repairs? It would be best to first check out the "health" of your internal drive (especially if it's the original one that came with the machine). While Disk Utility is "OK", a more robust commercial product like TechTool Pro or Disk Warrior would be better.
https://discussions.apple.com/thread/7396988?tstart=0
Also, if you can download El Capitan (should be the last version, OS 10.11.6), the result of that download will be a file entitled "Install OS X El Capitan" inside your Applications folder. Make sure to make a copy of it on another location of your hard drive.
And as I mentioned, you really should do a fresh, clean, "virgin" installation of El Capitan onto your internal drive. Given that you are making Time Machine backups, that is dooable.
Finally, again I'll ask, have you ever done any disk cleanup/maintenance/repairs? It would be best to first check out the "health" of your internal drive (especially if it's the original one that came with the machine). While Disk Utility is "OK", a more robust commercial product like TechTool Pro or Disk Warrior would be better.
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Yes, call Apple and spend an hour on the phone with them, perhaps a couple of times, and then post 17 more posts in this thread, and then download Mavericks that you already have, and then who knows what else, and by this very efficient method you will save yourself $15.
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Again, Derek, the first thing would be to ignore disparaging posts, like above.
Now, as I mentioned, you really should do a clean, fresh, "virgin" installation of whatever Mac OS you decide to upgrade to. However, doing that from a Time Machine backup might be "difficult" and/or time consuming. The steps involved with this process would be:
1. First, make sure you have upgraded any third party software that you have (along with retaining those upgraded files). In some instances, and for some third party software, you cannot/should not upgrade them until after the new Mac OS has been installed. An example of that is the Logitech Control Center software I use with my Logitech mice. In order to install the Sierra-compatible version of it, I had to wait to install Sierra first. Same with Onyx, an excellent freeware disk cleaning program (that software has different versions for each Mac OS). But for 4 others that I have, I was able to install such upgrades while I was still using El Capitan.
2. Next, perform disk cleaning/maintenance/repairs on your current system.
3. After a backup is then made, run Disk Utility from that backup to Erase and Format (and if necessary, Partition) your internal drive.
4. Next, launch the file "Install OS X El Capitan" on the backup to do a clean, fresh, "virgin" installation of El Capitan, OS 10.11.6, onto your internal drive.
5. Finally, when the installation of OS 10.11.6 completes, you'll be offered the opportunity to "migrate"/copy needed "stuff" (including applications) from the backup to the internal drive.
The problem is for #3 and #4, I don't know how that would be done via a Time Machine backup. I use SuperDuper! to make a bootable, copy/clone of my system onto my external drive (two SSDs, in my case. Yeah, 2 copies, and for both of my Macs). I can then boot my Mac from such a backup, and thus can easily perform #3 and #4.
Maybe someone else who is more knowledgeable about Time Machine can help you. (You actually can download, install, and run a demo version (fully functional) of SuperDuper!).
Now, as I mentioned, you really should do a clean, fresh, "virgin" installation of whatever Mac OS you decide to upgrade to. However, doing that from a Time Machine backup might be "difficult" and/or time consuming. The steps involved with this process would be:
1. First, make sure you have upgraded any third party software that you have (along with retaining those upgraded files). In some instances, and for some third party software, you cannot/should not upgrade them until after the new Mac OS has been installed. An example of that is the Logitech Control Center software I use with my Logitech mice. In order to install the Sierra-compatible version of it, I had to wait to install Sierra first. Same with Onyx, an excellent freeware disk cleaning program (that software has different versions for each Mac OS). But for 4 others that I have, I was able to install such upgrades while I was still using El Capitan.
2. Next, perform disk cleaning/maintenance/repairs on your current system.
3. After a backup is then made, run Disk Utility from that backup to Erase and Format (and if necessary, Partition) your internal drive.
4. Next, launch the file "Install OS X El Capitan" on the backup to do a clean, fresh, "virgin" installation of El Capitan, OS 10.11.6, onto your internal drive.
5. Finally, when the installation of OS 10.11.6 completes, you'll be offered the opportunity to "migrate"/copy needed "stuff" (including applications) from the backup to the internal drive.
The problem is for #3 and #4, I don't know how that would be done via a Time Machine backup. I use SuperDuper! to make a bootable, copy/clone of my system onto my external drive (two SSDs, in my case. Yeah, 2 copies, and for both of my Macs). I can then boot my Mac from such a backup, and thus can easily perform #3 and #4.
Maybe someone else who is more knowledgeable about Time Machine can help you. (You actually can download, install, and run a demo version (fully functional) of SuperDuper!).
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