MacBook Pro problem with installing from recovery.

[STRINIX]

Hi,

okay so my dad got my uncle a MacBook Pro a few years ago. Uncle got a new one from work and decided to send the old one back to us. It was laying around for a while and I decided to use it since I recently got a front-end developing job and pretty much all of our designers use Apple and Apple software so yea. The MacBook was working perfectly fine but there was still some data left here and there from my uncle so I decided to do a clean install. Read through Apple's guide and it seemed all good so I erased the ssd (I think my uncle replaced the stock hard drive with an ssd) through Disk Utility in Recovery Mode. Then I went over to Install Mac OS X and I got stuck on Apple ID because I didn't have one yet. Quickly made one and tried to use it but got an error that the account was not yet used/linked/registered to App Store or something like that so I installed iTunes on my Windows laptop and finished off my some data of my Apple ID and used it in the recovery again. This time that seemed to work but now I'm getting the error "This item is unavailable. Try again later.". Does anyone know why that is happening and how I can install Mac OS on the MacBook?

I called Apple Support before and she made me try to go into Internet Recovery Mode but for some reason that doesn't work. It always just runs regular recovery for some reason.

Also the installed Recovery Mode tried to install is Mac OS X El Capitan (10.11), the MacBook was running this OS before I erased it as well but I'm not 100% if it was 10.11.

I hope I gave you all enough information and thanks in advance.
This situation make me genuinely feel sad because I was so excited to use the MacBook Pro

 

[CoastalOR]

The MacBook was working perfectly fine but there was still some data left here and there from my uncle so I decided to do a clean install. Read through Apple's guide and it seemed all good so I erased the ssd (I think my uncle replaced the stock hard drive with an ssd) through Disk Utility in Recovery Mode. Then I went over to Install Mac OS X and I got stuck on Apple ID because I didn't have one yet. Quickly made one and tried to use it but got an error that the account was not yet used/linked/registered to App Store or something like that so I installed iTunes on my Windows laptop and finished off my some data of my Apple ID and used it in the recovery again. This time that seemed to work but now I'm getting the error "This item is unavailable. Try again later.". Does anyone know why that is happening and how I can install Mac OS on the MacBook?

I called Apple Support before and she made me try to go into Internet Recovery Mode but for some reason that doesn't work. It always just runs regular recovery for some reason.

Also the installed Recovery Mode tried to install is Mac OS X El Capitan (10.11), the MacBook was running this OS before I erased it as well but I'm not 100% if it was 10.11.

I hope I gave you all enough information and thanks in advance.
This situation make me genuinely feel sad because I was so excited to use the MacBook Pro

What year is your MBP, that will help us determine which mac OS you can install? Do you have a particular OS that you want to install?

Probably the reason you are getting "This item is unavailable" is because you have never downloaded a OS with your Apple ID before. Apple used to (OS 10.7 - 10.11) associate OS downloads to the Apple ID used to download it. Apple changed that practice with 10.12 - 10.13.

Do you have access to another functioning Mac to download a OS from the Apple Mac App Store?

 

[STRINIX]

What year is your MBP, that will help us determine which mac OS you can install? Do you have a particular OS that you want to install?

Probably the reason you are getting "This item is unavailable" is because you have never downloaded a OS with your Apple ID before. Apple used to (OS 10.7 - 10.11) associate OS downloads to the Apple ID used to download it. Apple changed that practice with 10.12 - 10.13.

Do you have access to another functioning Mac to download a OS from the Apple Mac App Store?

Thanks for replying!

It's MBP52.008E.B05
I would like to install the newest OS that is compatible with my computer I guess. No I do not have access to another functioning Mac...

 

[CoastalOR]

Thanks for replying!
It's MBP52.008E.B05
I would like to install the newest OS that is compatible with my computer I guess. No I do not have access to another functioning Mac...

I think you have a Early or Mid 2009 17" MacBook Pro. The maximum OS it supports is El Capitan (10.11.6).

Your options are limited since you have never downloaded El Capitan with your Apple ID. Can your Father download it for you?

Here is a link to download El Capitan from the App Store:
https://itunes.apple.com/app/os-x-el-capitan/id1147835434?mt=12
BUT, you can only download El Capitan to a Mac capable of running El Capitan since the "Install OS X El Capitan" app (in the Applications folder) automatically launches after download (and automatically deletes itself after installation).

If your Father can download El Capitan from the App Store, then have him Quit the installer app at the first screen then create a USB installer (found in the Applications folder):
https://www.macworld.com/article/29...le-os-x-10-11-el-capitan-installer-drive.html

If he can not download El Capitan from the App Store for you, then you may have to buy a bootable El Capitan USB installer from some place like eBay.

 

[STRINIX]

I think you have a Early or Mid 2009 17" MacBook Pro. The maximum OS it supports is El Capitan (10.11.6).

Your options are limited since you have never downloaded El Capitan with your Apple ID. Can your Father download it for you?

Here is a link to download El Capitan from the App Store:
https://itunes.apple.com/app/os-x-el-capitan/id1147835434?mt=12
BUT, you can only download El Capitan to a Mac capable of running El Capitan since the "Install OS X El Capitan" app (in the Applications folder) automatically launches after download (and automatically deletes itself after installation).

If your Father can download El Capitan from the App Store, then have him Quit the installer app at the first screen then create a USB installer (found in the Applications folder):
https://www.macworld.com/article/29...le-os-x-10-11-el-capitan-installer-drive.html

If he can not download El Capitan from the App Store for you, then you may have to buy a bootable El Capitan USB installer from some place like eBay.

Thank you a lot but I solved it by creating a bootable USB with a Snow Leopard image file I got from internet and after that I installed El Capitan from the App Store. Everything is good now.

 

[Karver1109]

Thank you a lot but I solved it by creating a bootable USB with a Snow Leopard image file I got from internet and after that I installed El Capitan from the App Store. Everything is good now.

Where did you find snow leopard? I'm getting the same apple ID temp. unavail pop up. Thx