If I reinstall a Mac (mini), will it be the current OS or what it was shipped with?

Forums › Mac OS › If I reinstall a Mac (mini), will it be the current OS or what it was shipped with?

1 | 2 | 3 | 4

1993 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 20

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#739642 3-Jan-2013 11:14

Behodar: There is no 5 computer limitation but it's only for systems that you own. If you sell the system then the licence would no longer be valid.

(i) to download, install, use and run for personal, non-commercial use, one (1) copy of the Apple Software directly on each Apple-branded computer running OS X Lion or OS X Snow Leopard ("Mac Computer") that you own or control;

That's what I thought. So technically I should only sell it with Lion, as that is what it had when purchased? (which is quite academic because I don't have Lion media and therefore can't install it).

khull

1245 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 133

#739643 3-Jan-2013 11:20

It is simple really

1. you wont find your recovery partition in disk utility - you need to know terminal commands to see and format it. But this is not necessary, just download your copy of Lion (it should be in your purchases in the App Store) extract it to a USB using the steps in

http://osxdaily.com/2011/07/08/make-a-bootable-mac-os-x-10-7-lion-installer-from-a-usb-flash-drive/

2. boot to the USB and use the disk utility to format your Mac HD and reinstall Lion. You will not be required to enter an ID and so forth. The installer itself is not signed against your apple ID.

In reality the licensing agreement is more based on user honesty rather than having to mess around with activation keys, product registration and so forth.

I suppose the question you have to answer is whether you'd be planning on using the copy of Mountain Lion that you have bought and if you do, you can only install it on Apple hardware that you own/control.

lyonrouge

1993 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 20

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#739644 3-Jan-2013 11:21

khull: It is simple really

1. you wont find your recovery partition in disk utility - you need to know terminal commands to see and format it. But this is not necessary, just download your copy of Lion (it should be in your purchases in the App Store) extract it to a USB using the steps in

http://osxdaily.com/2011/07/08/make-a-bootable-mac-os-x-10-7-lion-installer-from-a-usb-flash-drive/

2. boot to the USB and use the disk utility to format your Mac HD and reinstall Lion. You will not be required to enter an ID and so forth. The installer itself is not signed against your apple ID.

In reality the licensing agreement is more based on user honesty rather than having to mess around with activation keys, product registration and so forth

I don't own Lion in the App Store because it was on the Mac mini when I got it, I only own Mountain Lion, which the Mac mini is not licensed for.

lyonrouge

1993 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 20

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#739645 3-Jan-2013 11:23

ps. it is my attempt to be "honest" that is causing all this grief.

fellaintga

195 posts

Master Geek
+1 received by user: 5

#739646 3-Jan-2013 11:23

Forget licence BS if Apple were concerned they would still let you easily downgrade. Just put Mountain Lion on it or here is the other stupid way you have to do to get Lion back on it. Pirate a copy of Lion again why bother Apple don't care hence the OS is $40 for 5 computers.

ICT Specialist in the Bay of Plenty and Waikato.

www.melinjo.co.nz

fellaintga

195 posts

Master Geek
+1 received by user: 5

#739648 3-Jan-2013 11:25

lyonrouge: ps. it is my attempt to be "honest" that is causing all this grief.

Double check under "purchases" in the App Store as it ties the OS of a new computer to your Apple ID.

ICT Specialist in the Bay of Plenty and Waikato.

www.melinjo.co.nz

Samsung

Shop now on Samsung phones, tablets, TVs and more (affiliate link).

Behodar

11117 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 6116

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#739649 3-Jan-2013 11:28

fellaintga: Double check under "purchases" in the App Store as it ties the OS of a new computer to your Apple ID.

I have never seen or heard of it doing that.

khull

1245 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 133

#739652 3-Jan-2013 11:31

If you do not have the Lion installer then you have to remove the recovery partition (as it now has your 10.8 installer in it)

http://osxdaily.com/2011/06/30/deleting-the-mac-os-x-10-7-lion-recovery-hd-partition/

Then reboot into the internet recovery (cmd-opt-r) and it should download the 10.7 installer instead as it came out of the box with that. Note you will have a warning saying that your serial number will be sent to Apple

fellaintga

195 posts

Master Geek
+1 received by user: 5

#739653 3-Jan-2013 11:32

Behodar:
fellaintga: Double check under "purchases" in the App Store as it ties the OS of a new computer to your Apple ID.

I have never seen or heard of it doing that.

Thats how I have it and iPhoto, Garage Band etc I never bought an OS or iLife through Appstore.

ICT Specialist in the Bay of Plenty and Waikato.

www.melinjo.co.nz

Behodar

11117 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 6116

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#739654 3-Jan-2013 11:35

I've finally found what I was looking for: Try booting with Cmd-Opt-R (not just Cmd-R) and that should force it into Internet Recovery (10.7) instead of the Recovery System (10.8).

Behodar

11117 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 6116

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#739655 3-Jan-2013 11:37

fellaintga: Thats how I have it and iPhoto, Garage Band etc I never bought an OS or iLife through Appstore.

I know that it happens with iLife but this is the first time that I've heard of OS X showing up. Despite that, it's clearly not working for lyonrouge.

Apple TV

Stream your favourite shows now on Apple TV (affiliate link).

lyonrouge

1993 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 20

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#739657 3-Jan-2013 11:38

fellaintga:
lyonrouge: ps. it is my attempt to be "honest" that is causing all this grief.

Double check under "purchases" in the App Store as it ties the OS of a new computer to your Apple ID.

Not that I can see, just Mountain Lion and the flagship applications I purchased to try and justify the Mac.