1

I have a 2006 imac which was installed with lion and now I've got it to a point where the OS became corrupt. I've put a maverick install on a bootable USB but when I boot from the USB doesn't give me the option to "Install OSX" it only gives me the option to "Reinstall OSX Lion" which doesn't work because that is no longer availaibile from the app store. I've tried to format the harddrive and that doesn't change anything.

My question is, how do I get the option to install a new OS fresh instead of only being given the option to reinstall Lion which does not work.

Improve this question
1
  • Some 2006 iMac's the latest Mac OS X that can be installed is Mac OS X 10.6.8 and the rest of the 2006 iMac models the latest Mac OS X that can be installed is is Mac OS X 10.7.5. No 2006 iMac model officially supports OS X Mavericks.
    – user3439894
    Commented Jul 13, 2015 at 12:07

3 Answers 3

Reset to default
1

If you don't have your original OS X 10.4 "Tiger" install media, you'll have to obtain a retail version of any system up to 10.7.5.; 10.8 "Mountain Lion" 10.9 "Mavericks" and 10.10 "Yosemite" require a 2007 or newer iMac to be installed.

I've found a couple of supposedly original retail installation media for 10.7 searching on eBay for $35-$40 (1), (2); just be sure to buy the retail version and not the recovery DVD unless it is exactly the same that came your iMac model.

You can try your luck downloading the OS from a non official source, but I wouldn't recommend that.

Improve this answer
2
  • I did make a bootable lion USB from a tutorial online but the only option I am given is to reinstall lion and that tries to do it via the Internet not via the USB
    – Jimmy
    Commented Jul 13, 2015 at 12:15
  • Check this answer: apple.stackexchange.com/a/60660/38539
    – Jaime Santa Cruz
    Commented Jul 13, 2015 at 16:58
1

You can purchase the retail packaged Snow Leopard DVD and then the downloadable Lion from the Apple store for US$19.99 each. You will need to install Snow Leopard first from disc, update to 10.6.8, then download and install Lion. There is no Lion install DVD available from Apple.

Improve this answer
0

You said that you have run Lion on this machine. If you login with the same Apple ID in Appstore there should be a downloadable Lion in the Purchases tab.

Improve this answer
2
  • I bought it second hand and don't know the login :(
    – Jimmy
    Commented Jul 13, 2015 at 15:37
  • You should have immediately wiped it & fresh installed when you first got it. The software on it when you got it, including the OS, is licensed to its previous owner & did not transfer to you with the machine. You bought only the machine.
    – Tetsujin
    Commented Jul 14, 2015 at 8:13

You must log in to answer this question.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged .