Where can I buy a full copy of Mac OS?

[Brennan Price]

Hello there,

I am currently restoring a Mid 2009 A1181 MacBook and I can't seem to find a full copy of a Mac OS. I want to use 10.6 Snow Leopard but im not sure if the version on Apples website is the upgrade version or not... Plus $19.99 is a bit steep...

 

Can someone perhaps direct me to a full version/cheaper version through eBay or something? 

 

Thanks.

[SCHISCHKA]

Apple store is only legal way. I dont think a 2009 macbook will run the latest version, you have to research this.

Apple's price for their OS is actually dirt cheap.

[_Dr_Eye_]

get the one on apples website

 

[LienusLateTips]

Apple $20 is the only legal option

 

 

then go to microsoft and get one for $150.

[mrchow19910319]

There is an app thats called: mactracker on both macOS and iOS.

It listed every apple device apple has ever made from apple II. 

 

You just need to find yours and it will show whats the latest OS it supports. 

 

http://mactracker.ca/

 

[Brennan Price]

2 minutes ago, mrchow19910319 said:

There is an app thats called: mactracker on both macOS and iOS.

It listed every apple device apple has ever made from apple II. 

 

You just need to find yours and it will show whats the latest OS it supports. 

 

http://mactracker.ca/

 

Problem is that the MacBook I'm restoring/refurbishing has no OS on it and no HDD. I'm going to put an SSD in it, hence why I need a full version of OSX 

 

Congrats on 2,000 posts btw

[Tsuki]

you cant even purchase snow leopard anymore can you?

 

you can try to contact applecare though, they might sell you one over the phone

[mrchow19910319]

1 minute ago, Brennan_Price said:

 

Oh.. I see. Thanks! 

Do you have an iOS device? Its on app store too! 

[Brennan Price]

Just now, mrchow19910319 said:

Oh.. I see. Thanks! 

Do you have an iOS device? Its on app store too! 

Aha sadly no iOS device either. I have an old 4S but I don't use that anymore. Why would I need it?

[Brennan Price]

2 minutes ago, Tsuki said:

you cant even purchase snow leopard anymore can you?

 

you can try to contact applecare though, they might sell you one over the phone

https://www.apple.com/shop/product/MC573Z/A/mac-os-x-106-snow-leopard

 

Thats my best shot but I'm in the UK...

[mrchow19910319]

Checked it out for you. 

 

[Brennan Price]

1 minute ago, mrchow19910319 said:

Checked it out for you. 

Thank you very much, now I can possibly use El captain instead. However... I can't find anywhere to buy this now... I can't find it on Apples store either...

[mrchow19910319]

Just now, Brennan_Price said:

Thank you very much, now I can possibly use El captain instead. However... I can't find anywhere to buy this now... I can't find it on Apples store either...

https://support.apple.com/en-hk/HT206886

 

All listed here. 

[mrchow19910319]

Wait... could you try holding command + r when booting your mac?? 

Or is it that your mac's harddrive is completely blank aka unbootable? 

[mrchow19910319]

If it is the latter case, then you need to create a bootable installer. 

 

Either case you need a functioning mac with macOS on it to do this. 

If you are living near an apple store, just go t here they will happily do it for you. 

[Brennan Price]

Just now, mrchow19910319 said:

Wait... could you try holding command + r when booting your mac?? 

Or is it that your mac's harddrive is completely blank aka unbootable? 

It hasn't arrived in the post yet but yes it is completely blank. It is being sent without a Hard drive.

[Brennan Price]

Just now, mrchow19910319 said:

If it is the latter case, then you need to create a bootable installer. 

 

Either case you need a functioning mac with macOS on it to do this. 

If you are living near an apple store, just go t here they will happily do it for you. 

I do own an Apple Mac Mini yes, so how would I do this then?...

[mrchow19910319]

1 minute ago, Brennan_Price said:

I do own an Apple Mac Mini yes, so how would I do this then?...

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=how+to+make+an+el+capitan+usb+installer

[Brennan Price]

3 minutes ago, mrchow19910319 said:

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=how+to+make+an+el+capitan+usb+installer

Thank you, really helped me loads there  As you can tell, I'm new to this kind of thing with Macs 

[DrMacintosh]

You can buy Snow Leopard on Apples store with some digging or on eBay and Amazon. 

 

If you need a macOS installer I can go as far back as Mountain Lion for you from the App Store and this is completely legitimate btw. 

[Brennan Price]

3 minutes ago, DrMacintosh said:

You can buy Snow Leopard on Apples store with some digging or on eBay and Amazon. 

 

If you need a macOS installer I can go as far back as Mountain Lion for you from the App Store and this is completely legitimate btw. 

Thanks, that would be useful. I had better keep the versions above 10.6 though since I then won't need a licence key or whatever it was haha

[Brennan Price]

Thanks once again. So is this the whole version and I can pop this into my MacBook straight away and work from having no OS previously installed? 

[DrMacintosh]

1 minute ago, Brennan_Price said:

Thanks once again. So is this the whole version and I can pop this into my MacBook straight away and work from having no OS previously installed?

use another PC (preferably another mac as it is easier) to create the installer onto a USB drive and boot off of it. 

[Brennan Price]

1 minute ago, DrMacintosh said:

use another PC to load the installer onto a USB drive and boot off of it. 

Cool cool, so use this .DMG on another Mac. Then use a USB Mountain Lion installer on said Mac to create a fully fledged Mountain Lion installer for the MacBook with no previous OS installed. Sounds great. Thank you very much once again, I can't thank you enough for supplying me with this. Now I just gotta wait for my internet to download it... Gonna take a very long time 

[DrMacintosh]

Just now, Brennan_Price said:

Cool cool, so use this .DMG on another Mac. Then use a USB Mountain Lion installer on said Mac to create a fully fledged Mountain Lion installer for the MacBook with no previous OS installed. Sounds great. Thank you very much once again, I can't thank you enough for supplying me with this. Now I just gotta wait for my internet to download it... Gonna take a very long time 

Follow this 

 

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201372