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My installation of the Mac App Store on Mavericks is broken. What alternatives are there for installing the new OS?

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  • Did you solve your problem? If not which kind of Mac do you have exactly?
    – klanomath
    Oct 21, 2014 at 22:59
  • I tried using the recovery function, but it said "Could not find installation information for this machine." (I don't understand why.) I got a Yosemite image from a friend and could not install it, I got the same error message and could not create a bootable drive. Another image resulted in other error codes while trying to install (could not open the image). I managed to create a bootable usb stick and installed it then. My MAS application is still broken and there are glitches everywhere. I have never been that frustrated in a decade of Mac usage.
    – lejonet
    Oct 22, 2014 at 20:47
  • i think your backup (apple.stackexchange.com/questions/147942/…) was/is hosed and as a result your recovered system is. i will write a detailed answer in about 12 hours.
    – klanomath
    Oct 22, 2014 at 22:13
  • What' s your Mac model and which kind of backup app/method do you use (time machine, ccc...)?
    – klanomath
    Oct 23, 2014 at 9:22
  • I am using a Mid-2010 MBP and create backups using SuperDuper!
    – lejonet
    Oct 23, 2014 at 17:56

3 Answers 3

Reset to default
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My MAS application is still broken and there are glitches everywhere.

Looks like FUBAR BUNDY!

I recommend a clean install.

  1. Backup any additional files which aren't already in your SuperDuper! image. Probably it's faster to just backup/copy your or all user folder(s) to an external drive.
  2. Please check your hardware with your original system DVD (Apple Support: de_DE en_US) or if the DVD is not available with the appropriate Apple Hardware Test image.
  3. Do a SMC-reset (Apple Support: de-DE en-US)
  4. Do a PRAM-reset (Apple Support: de_DE en_US)
  5. Since your recovery volume is probably corrupted, you have to initiate an internet recovery by restarting your mac and pressing alt cmd R.
    The prerequisites for an internet recovery are listed here: supported Pre Lion Macs and Recovery/Internet Recovery. In a few words you need the latest firmware update installed, either ethernet or WLAN (WPA/WPA2) and a router with DHCP activated for a successful internet recovery.
    On a 50 Mbps-line it takes about 4 min (presenting a small animated globe) to boot into the recovery netboot image which is loaded from an apple server.
    (Additionally you might need an external drive or a thumb drive with at least 32 GB if you want to install to an external disk.)
  6. In the opening window choose Disk Utility and format/partition the drive you want to install the system to. Choose Mac OS Extended (Journaled) and GUID partition table (available with the option button). Quit Disk Utility.
  7. Choose Reinstall OS X and Continue. After some verification steps you will be asked to choose a partition for the new system. Continue until the system is installed. Depending on your internet connection it might take several hours to download and install 5.5 GB. If you get a message like 'Could not find installation information for this machine' just restart your Mac and continue with step 5. (The netboot image seems to be very picky with the WLAN connection and it took me two attempts to get around this step)
  8. Set up your new system.
  9. Start App Store.app and log into your Apple Store account.
  10. Download and install Yosemite if it wasn't already installed in step 7 or just download it and quit the installer to get the Yosemite installation app for any further use.
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  • I did as you proposed (except the Hardware Test resulted in just another error, not a hardware error but an error running the AHT …) and got a running Yosemite installation. I imported my saved user profile again and re-imported also the broken MAS application.
    – lejonet
    Nov 1, 2014 at 9:58
  • "...and re-imported also the broken MAS application." Why that? The Yosemite installation already has an App Store.app. Or it got broken by importing your user folder?
    – klanomath
    Nov 1, 2014 at 10:07
  • I used the migration assistant, what was imported ruined the MAS application again.
    – lejonet
    Nov 1, 2014 at 10:48
  • Did you migrate just your user data or also 'Applications'? And from where? SuperDuper, Time Machine or just your user folder on a 2nd disk?
    – klanomath
    Nov 1, 2014 at 10:53
  • I migrated user data and applications from a SD backup. Just now I did the following: I created another user and used the MAS there to update my applications. So there must be something corrupt in the settings and other files that come along with the MAS application on my account, not the application itself.
    – lejonet
    Nov 1, 2014 at 11:34
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  1. Grab an Install OS X Mavericks.app
  2. Install the OS onto a USB drive as if it's a dual-booting system.
  3. Start up the OS from USB drive, download OS X Yosemite.
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  • What do you mean by "grab an Install OS X Mavericks.app"? If I don't have the installer anymore and can't download it because of the broken MAS I am in the same situation.
    – lejonet
    Oct 17, 2014 at 10:42
  • Use Recovery Mode to install a clean copy to USB drive, then.
    – fartheraway
    Oct 17, 2014 at 11:05
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You could boot to the Recovery HD or Internet Recovery and install OS X to a USB drive. Then download and install Yosemite. Notice that older computers do not support this option.

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