Making a bootable USB drive within Windows for a striken Macbook

[Elven]

Hi all.

Trying to get Mountain Lion onto my partners Macbook which has a empty drive and no OS. When I try to use server restore (cmd+r) it wants to put Mavericks on which I do not own! i only own Mountain Lion.

I do not have access to another mac and live in a rural area so getting to the stores is a fair drive.

I have however a gaming windows PC and a 32GB Flashdrive, can I set this up within Windows somehow to make a bootable USB drive with ML on to setup this Macbook?

 

[FreakinEurekan]

Use Command-Option-R - that will boot into Internet Recovery, and will download the version that the machine originally came with (Lion or ML).

 

[Elven]

Use Command-Option-R - that will boot into Internet Recovery, and will download the version that the machine originally came with (Lion or ML).

Trying this now...

 

[Elven]

It came up with Mavericks again, I don't own Mavericks nor can I get a copy since I lack access to another Apple computer at this time, and live very rural.

Guess it's pack it away then.

 

[FreakinEurekan]

It came up with Mavericks again, I don't own Mavericks nor can I get a copy since I lack access to another Apple computer at this time, and live very rural.

Guess it's pack it away then.

Did you see Starting Internet Recovery and the spinning globe? If not, either it didn't take the command properly - or your Mac doesn't support Internet Recovery.

Let's check the hardware - click on http://support.apple.com/specs/ - then click Browse by Product, and in the Search Tech Specs box put in your serial number. It will come up with a specs document, click on that and see the title - something like "MacBook Pro (13-inch, Early 2011) - Technical Specifications". Based on which computer it is I may be able to offer more specific guidance.

 

[DeltaMac]

It came up with Mavericks again, I don't own Mavericks nor can I get a copy since I lack access to another Apple computer at this time, and live very rural.

Guess it's pack it away then.

You do know that Mavericks is free, right?
Why not just accept it, and let it download?

 

[Elven]

You do know that Mavericks is free, right?
Why not just accept it, and let it download?

When I attempt it comes up with a dialouge for my apple ID, I enter this ( the ID owning ML ) and it says i have got ownership for Mavericks.

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Did you see Starting Internet Recovery and the spinning globe? If not, either it didn't take the command properly - or your Mac doesn't support Internet Recovery.

Let's check the hardware - click on http://support.apple.com/specs/ - then click Browse by Product, and in the Search Tech Specs box put in your serial number. It will come up with a specs document, click on that and see the title - something like "MacBook Pro (13-inch, Early 2011) - Technical Specifications". Based on which computer it is I may be able to offer more specific guidance.

http://support.apple.com/kb/SP583


Yes i get the spinning globe, then a 30minute timer with a progressing bar, at the end of this it shows a Mavericks splash screen, to which I then proceed to select the HD, and then it prompts for Apple ID, I enter this and it tells me I have no ownership, I am doing this again as I type this to show you a picture i'll take of what I am seeing.

 

[DeltaMac]

When I attempt it comes up with a dialouge for my apple ID, I enter this ( the ID owning ML ) and it says i have got ownership for Mavericks
….
Yes i get the spinning globe, then a 30minute timer with a progressing bar, at the end of this it shows a Mavericks splash screen, to which I then proceed to select the HD, and then it prompts for Apple ID, I enter this and it tells me I have no ownership, I am doing this again as I type this to show you a picture i'll take of what I am seeing.

Yes, it would be good to know the precise text of that message.

 

[Elven]

Yes, it would be good to know the precise text of that message.

7 minutes on the progress bar showing will snap picks on my phone, and get them on here asap.

 

[Elven]

These are the images and what I see.


http://imgur.com/a/2znLn#4


edit: bed for me be back in about 6 hours

 

[FreakinEurekan]

http://support.apple.com/kb/SP583 (13" Mid 2010)

Ok, that model is a special case. It shipped with Snow Leopard, and did not originally include Internet Recovery per http://support.apple.com/kb/ht4904 - so the version of OS X it's trying to download is probably the one that was on it when the firmware update was applied, I.e. Mavericks.

So you have two options - "Purchase" Mavericks under your Apple ID on a different Mac - or install Snow Leopard from the original system DVDs. If you did not get the discs, contact Apple support through http://express lane.apple.com to receive replacements.

 

[Elven]

Ok, that model is a special case. It shipped with Snow Leopard, and did not originally include Internet Recovery per http://support.apple.com/kb/ht4904 - so the version of OS X it's trying to download is probably the one that was on it when the firmware update was applied, I.e. Mavericks.

So you have two options - "Purchase" Mavericks under your Apple ID on a different Mac - or install Snow Leopard from the original system DVDs. If you did not get the discs, contact Apple support through http://express lane.apple.com to receive replacements.

Fixed the link but it just keeps ending with a cycling cursor, and nothing more once I have navigated through some of the menus, on Firefox + Internet Explorer.

Going down to Apple today it's a drive I could do without but my mood is not 100% pleasant about this.

Words will be had.

 

[velocityg4]

Do you have any friends or family members in your area with a Mac? You could login to your appstore account on their Mac and do the purchase option for Mavericks then log out.

You could also try contacting Apple support (1-800-275-2273). Then play the transfer game until you get to someone that can add Mavericks onto your Apple ID. Focus your efforts on speaking to someone about purchases on the Mac App Store.

Don't even mention a problem with your Mac unless you absolutely have to. If you don't have Applecare that is. They'll probably try stonewalling you and you'll have to hang up and start your call over again.

Besides your problem isn't a Mac problem per se. Just a purchasing problem.

 

[Weaselboy]

Hi all.

Trying to get Mountain Lion onto my partners Macbook which has a empty drive and no OS. When I try to use server restore (cmd+r) it wants to put Mavericks on which I do not own! i only own Mountain Lion.

I do not have access to another mac and live in a rural area so getting to the stores is a fair drive.

I have however a gaming windows PC and a 32GB Flashdrive, can I set this up within Windows somehow to make a bootable USB drive with ML on to setup this Macbook?

Do you have the Mountain Lion installer DMG? You can use that with Transmac under Windows to make a bootable installer.

 

[Elven]

Do you have the Mountain Lion installer DMG? You can use that with Transmac under Windows to make a bootable installer.

I didn't have that but I do own PowerISO.

Will give it a look as an option though.

Was correct about Apple went in today the minute he heard it was a laptop that would not boot due to no OS he was NOT interested in talking at all, and only interested in me bringing it in and them doing diagnostics, to which I asked twice to use a computer in store to sort Mavericks out and was stonewalled and told that I had to bring it in first.

 

[KattDaDon]

Making a bootable USB drive within Windows for a striken Macbook

I didn't have that but I do own PowerISO.



Will give it a look as an option though.



Was correct about Apple went in today the minute he heard it was a laptop that would not boot due to no OS he was NOT interested in talking at all, and only interested in me bringing it in and them doing diagnostics, to which I asked twice to use a computer in store to sort Mavericks out and was stonewalled and told that I had to bring it in first.

You know you really don't have to bring it in as you can walk into any Apple Store and use their available Macs, sign into the Mac App Store and make the purchase of OS X Mavericks which is free and sign out and problem solved. You might wanna also delete the app after it's downloaded or before the download completes on their Macs so your Apple ID email don't show up for the app your downloading if an update becomes available if the app is kept on their Macs

 

[Consultant]

Your signature lists MacBook Pro and iMac. Use any of them to make a bootable USB drive.

 

[Elven]

Your signature lists MacBook Pro and iMac. Use any of them to make a bootable USB drive.

iMac is awaiting logic board repair, I posted a few month back....

Just not been my year so far with Apple devices.

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You know you really don't have to bring it in as you can walk into any Apple Store and use their available Macs, sign into the Mac App Store and make the purchase of OS X Mavericks which is free and sign out and problem solved. You might wanna also delete the app after it's downloaded or before the download completes on their Macs so your Apple ID email don't show up for the app your downloading if an update becomes available if the app is kept on their Macs

I like this idea, i'm near my Apple store next week for work, I may just pop in and do this.

 

[rgfincher]

Making a bootable USB drive within Windows for a striken Macbook

Hi. I buy second hand macs for my business, and regardless of what comes on the internal hard disk, I always blank them and install an entirely fresh OS. Many modern macs have no CD/DVD drive. The method I use is only applicable if you have a second mac, so apologies if it's not relevant to your situation. I connect the two macs together with FireWire. If one has FireWire 400 only and the other has 800 only, you can get a lead which deals with that. Then on the target mac, start it up holding down the "T" button, to put it into "target disk" mode. The target Mac's hard disk then pops up as if it were a simple external hard disk on the other mac. You can then run any OS installer (in my case, a Mountain Lion installer) on the second mac, and when prompted, select the target disk instead of the second Mac's internal hard disk. It may object if there's a newer OS on there, in which case, erase the target disk using Disk Utility. This assumes of course that you have no data on the target Mac's HDD which you wish to keep.

 

[Elven]

Hi. I buy second hand macs for my business, and regardless of what comes on the internal hard disk, I always blank them and install an entirely fresh OS. Many modern macs have no CD/DVD drive. The method I use is only applicable if you have a second mac, so apologies if it's not relevant to your situation. I connect the two macs together with FireWire. If one has FireWire 400 only and the other has 800 only, you can get a lead which deals with that. Then on the target mac, start it up holding down the "T" button, to put it into "target disk" mode. The target Mac's hard disk then pops up as if it were a simple external hard disk on the other mac. You can then run any OS installer (in my case, a Mountain Lion installer) on the second mac, and when prompted, select the target disk instead of the second Mac's internal hard disk. It may object if there's a newer OS on there, in which case, erase the target disk using Disk Utility. This assumes of course that you have no data on the target Mac's HDD which you wish to keep.

Got a new thread going in the ML section, but having issues getting the install to proceed....LINK