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hman720

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Mar 15, 2012
4
0
I just bought a refurb iMac. It has great stats and all but it has no operating system. I would like to get Mac OS Lion on it. I am waiting for delivery but I want to be able to use it the day I get it so how do I acquire and install the OS. I know it doesn't come on CD's. Any ideas? I bought it with apple care if it makes a difference.
 
I just bought a refurb iMac. It has great stats and all but it has no operating system. I would like to get Mac OS Lion on it. I am waiting for delivery but I want to be able to use it the day I get it so how do I acquire and install the OS. I know it doesn't come on CD's. Any ideas? I bought it with apple care if it makes a difference.

What do you mean it has no OS? It should have one included. If Apple forgot to install one, call them and ask them to send you an installation medium.
 
Just checked the USB thumb drive, it says this: "To upgrade your Mac to OS X Lion, you must be running OS X Snow Leopard. If you have OS X v10.5 Leopard, purchase OS X v10.6 Snow Leopard now and install it on your Mac. Then buy OS X Lion as a digital download from the Mac App Store."

Any ways to go directly to lion?

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From eBay.
 
Only with a torrent as it seems. Apple is really ****ing up now, selling a USB flash memory thumb drive with Mac OS X 10.7 Lion on it and not allowing it to be used without Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard.
Maybe just get Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard then for 29 USD and then if you want Lion, pay another 29 USD for the download and make sure to backup the installer.
 
Seems like the only option. Thanks. I will bring it to my local apple store since it has apple care and see if they will do it (possibly for free).
 
From where exactly? Do you have a link to the article/item?

This seems very strange. I've only seen cowboom.com do this on a Mac. Silly really since there's no activation issues I don't understand how BestBuy can't get the proper restore disks since they are an authorized Apple reseller. Other than Cowboom I've never seen an Apple reseller not provide the original OS installed on the system when it's sold.

Cheers,
 
Seems like the only option. Thanks. I will bring it to my local apple store since it has apple care and see if they will do it (possibly for free).

My father wanted to update to Lion from Leopard, so he went to the Apple store, but they wanted him to purchase Snow Leopard as well as Lion. I ended up lending him my Snow Leopard disk since there was no need to buy it again, but the point is they won't do it for free in my experience.
 
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