Here's a basic question....

[wimmer]

I inherited a Macmini A1176, after having alt/comm+R and erased the disk, then tried to reinstall over the net, I have made an App store account, now I can only get as far as entering id and password, (after getting a code which I input after password)? Now I can't get past 'This Apple ID has not been used with the App store'. I login into the app store - then what? thx.

 

[Boyd01]

That model number suggests a Mac from the 2006 - 2009 period. Which of these do you have?

All Mac mini with A1176 Model Number: EveryMac.com

Complete tech specs, configuration details and identification info for all Mac mini models with the A1176 Model Number. Benchmarks and global prices, too.

everymac.com

What version of MacOS are you running?

 

[wimmer]

Lion

 

[Boyd01]

I'm not sure if the App Store still supports Lion, maybe someone else here knows?

 

[wimmer]

I'm not sure if the App Store still supports Lion, maybe someone else here knows?

Oh OK, I guess if they do not support it, then the OS is now freeware! Ha ha.

 

[niteflyr]

Try some different boot options to recovery then install.

How to reinstall macOS - Apple Support

Use macOS Recovery, your computer’s built-in recovery system, to reinstall the Mac operating system.

support.apple.com

 

[niteflyr]

You also can buy a Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard install DVD on eBay if all else fails.

 

[wimmer]

Thanks all - I guess getting a disk is the best option.

 

[getrealbro]

Snow Leopard OS X 10.6 is available for free download (6.1 GB) if you search for it.

I was recently given an early model MacBook running Lion. I found my original Snow Leopard OS X 10.6 box but not the DVD. So I downloaded the installer, wiped the HDD, installed Snow Leopard, and applied the OS X 10.6.8 combo update. Running the legendary Snow Leopard again is way cool 🙂

GetRealBro

Edit: for those interested in how Snow Leopard became a legend...

The Mac, The Myth, The Legend: How Snow Leopard became synonymous with reliability - 9to5Mac

Following the news that Apple had refocused their plans for iOS 12 around stability and performance over new features, many...

9to5mac.com

 

[niteflyr]

Some of the newer MacOS features are nice, but nothing ran better than Snow Leopard.

 

[Boyd01]

I actually always liked Lion, and IIRC it was the last version to feature Rosetta for running old Power PC apps.

 

[r6mile]

I actually always liked Lion, and IIRC it was the last version to feature Rosetta for running old Power PC apps.

Snow Leopard was the last version with Rosetta - Lion was the first one without Rosetta.