Question: Q: This item is temporarily unavailable Mac error
After my macbook pro had become really slow the past days, I decided to reset the system, following the usual steps:
1. Press alt+power button
2. Choose Utilities —> erase Macintosh HD (or in my case, it was called macbook pro)
3. Reinstall the Mountain Lion OS X through internet.
However, after trying to install the OS X, and entering an apple id (my brother’s, since his id worked — probably because he used his id when installing the OS X on this computer the first time), an error message pops up, saying:
«This item is temporarily unavailable. Please try again later»
I don’t know what to do, since I have tried redoing these steps on multiple occasions this day, and with two different networks. Unfortunately, I don’t have the original installation dvd:s, so I have to install the OS through internet (or if it is possible, by downloading the OS to an external hard drive, and then installing through that).
Anyways, my macbook pro is bought in the mid 2010’s, maybe that information can help? I don’t know what the last OS X update I used was.
Posted on Jul 18, 2014 3:20 PM
Helpful answers
Can’t restore Lion using Internet restore, after replacing bad hard drive. Lion came on system.
Keep getting this message:
«This item is temporarily unavailable. Please try again later»
How can I restore this Macbook?
without any help from useless support at apple. btw
The reason you get this message is YOUR apple id is not associated to an apple o/s.
DO Not use someone elses apple id. Youll get all their apps.
In the 4 choices you get click «GET HELP ONLINE»
Click icloud and sign in with your apple id.
Now you can go back to installing screen and the downloading will finally work because you have now shown applie id youve logged in from your computer.
What a **** show and i can’t believe how easy it was to fix
Aug 30, 2015 7:06 PM
Hi, I’m in the same situation, I bought this machine from someone who has wiped it. and get the exact same message. I cannot get past this stage and am desperate to get it working again. Is there any work-around to get the damned thing working again.
Oct 26, 2014 4:53 PM
Finally, I got the answer.
first, you download OS X Recovery Disk Assistant v1.0 from apple, then create a recovery usb drive, then plug in the usb into your mac. when it power on, press option to select use the recovery disk you just made. you will found you can reinstall a OS x 10.10.
Oct 26, 2014 7:06 PM
same issue here. this *****.
Oct 18, 2014 7:33 AM
Hi, I am trying to follow your instructions step by step but no luck 😟. When you say click on icloud, you mean go to icloud.com correct?
1. When starting your mac book hold down the 3 keys «Command/Option/R»
2. That will bring you the the internet recovery mode
3. Choose net work from the list to get connected to the internet.
Note: If trouble connection to the internet through wifi.. plug in a ethernet cable.
4. Let mac to the «reset» and after about an hour once its all done loading. It’ll give you a few option and one of them is to install the operating system and it will
Jan 15, 2016 1:54 PM
It’s because you have the Find my Mac enabled. If you want to get rid of this message, you must disable Find my Mac first. Then follow the steps to reinstall. Find my Mac thinks someone is stealing your computer/phone/iPad and trying to wipe it clean. this is a security feature.
Aug 31, 2015 10:27 AM
Just found a fix for this for my situation: I was re-installing the OS X on my daughter’s 2006 MacBook to speed it up. After I erased the old HD and was trying to install the new OS (Lion, in this case), I was also met with the repeating «This item is temporarily unavailable. Please try again later» message. I called Apple Support and one of their fix options to was try another Apple ID — I had been using my daughter’s ID. Since I purchased this MacBook, I tried using my Apple ID, an wa-la, it allowed me to download the OS X Lion!
Jan 11, 2015 2:07 PM
Well, I’m saying that you have to find a way to register the OS with your Apple ID. It might be something as simple as calling tech support, explaining your issue, and having them apply the credit to your account.
Have you purchased a new license for OS X Mountain Lion? You can get it here: http://store.apple.com/us/product/D6377Z/A/os-x-mountain-lion
They send an email within a few days and you can get your redeem code. At that point, you need to figure out a way to apply it to your desired Apple ID (no, just buying it through your apple ID doesn’t work, you actually have to redeem it at the Mac App Store on you computer (which you don’t have access to because you wiped your hard drive (same issue as me))).
Your issue is that you have no OS «credited» to your Apple ID. If you email someone with a Mac you trust with the info, they can access app store from their computer, login as your Apple ID, apply the credit (instructions are in the email they send you), and log back out. The whole process takes 2 minutes. You would be free to install from your own computer as long as you use the Apple ID your friend applied the code to.
Aug 7, 2014 10:02 AM
You cannot reinstall Mountain Lion. You will have to download and install Mavericks (it’s free.) You will need a proper Apple ID — the one that has been used with the computer this computer to install App Store software.
Jul 18, 2014 3:26 PM
I’m having the same problem . «This item is temporarily unavailable. Please try again later».
Jul 22, 2014 3:39 PM
And you are back to needing to buy a secondary mac to fix the first one.
I find it very frustrating.
1) I can’t use internet recovery for Lion (and that is the only option I get when using Internet Recovery).
2) If I try to contact Apple they tell me to enter my serialnumber and they tell me to pay money to answer my question. Since they removed the possibility to recovery my Mac they shouldnt charge me.
3) All solutions that comes up tell me to use some program solution to create a recoverydisk and that is only possible if I buy a secondary mac
I begin to understand the people telling me that PC is a better way to go since you can’t get any good support on Mac.
Nov 12, 2014 1:33 AM
Well, the problem is that I’m running on a recovery version on my mac, which I think means that I don’t have mac app store installed on the computer. My only way to connect to internet is through an option in the starting menu, «Get help online» (or something like that), which lets me use safari. Since I don’t have mac app store, I can’t download the OS the regular way. Because of this, I need an alternative way to download Maverick’s, but I don’t know how I would do that.
Jul 18, 2014 4:35 PM
I had this problem and installed El Capitan from the website page link.
I could then download 3 updates — but have got the ‘temporarily unavailable’ message again 🙂
Oct 16, 2015 12:28 AM
I was running into this same problem because I was trying to use a different Apple ID than the one I used when I first got the computer. Signed in with my old Apple ID and it started installing. Guess OS X does need to be registered with an ID.
This same thing happened to me, «This item is temporarily unavailable. Try again later.»
I must have tried 20 times, before I figured out that it was not the Apple servers. (had to google it)
However here are the differences:
1. I bought the MacBook Pro from a pawn shop, so I have NO clue as to the original owner or their Apple ID/password.
Image my surprise when I found this little tidbit of Apple ID horror!
2. I ONLY have ONE MacBook, not two, which is what EVERY response expects/assumes you to have.
A little explanation, I purchased this MacBook Pro and wanted to update to the new El Capitain OS 10.11 version,
but I did not have enough room on my HD for it, because the previous owner had a lot of trash, junk files, downloads, pictures, email, etc cluttering up space, which of course I didn’t want, nor did I ever need. Likewise, I certainly didn’t want his name referencing MY new laptop or pathways, directories, and so on etc, etc, etc.
SO I’m like, wipe that sucker clean.
WRONG MOVE. big mistake.
Which I’m sure most of you are well aware by now . of that swift jump into Apple’s h e l l h o l e!
After hours, days of research, trying this, trying that, figuring out dead-ends, frustrated, crying, yelling. like it really did any good! hmmmm
I came up with a way to re-install my previous OS without, let me say that again WITHOUT using an Apple login credentials,
so here it goes, are you ready?
This happens to be my FIRST Apple product ever, which I’ve never experienced their OS layout, so the learning curve was aggressive.
I’ve been a dedicated Windows user since 3.1, so IF I type (explain) something (terminology) «incorrectly» be understanding, ok?
So for those of you which like myself, have ONLY one Mac product and NO friends to help OR want to share my burden.
And NO you cannot download from your Windows computer onto a USB drive and then transfer it to your Mac.
WHY, because Windows uses FAT formatting while Mac uses Mac OS, they don’t understand each other,
designed that way on purpose dont’cha know?
That is the web-address you will use to download the «Mavericks Installer.dmg», You will need this later for downloading.
You need TWO USB DRIVES, at least 8GB each (this is the secret) shhhh, don’t tell. haha
Hopefully, you have two working USB ports.
IF not, just stop now, the rest is assumed and expected that you have two working USB ports on your Mac.
It was bad enough reading through all the previous posts, just to find out that I didn’t have the correct Apple ID/password,
nor did I have an extra MacBook just conveniently laying around!
ON your Mac, you need to get into «Mac OS X Utilities», here’s how:
HOLD down Command + Option + R while you push POWER (you can release Power only)
Keep holding others, until rotating EARTH shows up. (now you can release those other 3), This starts Internet Recovery.
This is when your Mac will attempt to connect to the internet, make sure you have either Wi-Fi or Ethernet connected,
Ethernet (hard-wired) is much faster than Wi-Fi for downloading needed files.
When «Mac OS X Utilities» finally shows up: (takes it’s sweet time about it)
1. SELECT «Disk Utility»
2. Plug in one USB drive at a time, let Disk Utility recognize it, then plug in second USB drive, wait for recognition.
3.When BOTH are recognized by Disk Utility, (you’ll see them appear in left-side pane)
SELECT 1st USB Drive (left-side pane), click on (will be highlighted):
SELECT «Partition» (within right-side pane)
SELECT «Partition Layout», then SELECT «1 Partition»
SELECT «Options», then SELECT «GUID Partition Table» (a must for USB drive to act as startup disk)
UNDER «Partition Information»
NAME: (I used MAC DMG, so I wouldn’t get it confused with other USB drive)
FORMAT: Use «Mac OS Extended (Journaled)
SELECT «Apply», then SELECT «Partition» (this WILL format or wipe out all data on this USB drive)
***DO this same above procedures for Second USB, but name it MAC OS X ***
DO NOT REMOVE EITHER USB DRIVE
Got that so far, next:
CLOSE out (X) Disk Utility
Now, Select «Get Help Online» from «Mac OS X Utilities» menu (should be 3rd from top)
It will open up Safari browser, follow along this is very important .
On top Menu, Click on «Safari», then SELECT «Preferences»
Under «General» tab, scroll down to «Save downloaded files to:»
Click «Other», then SELECT «MAC DMG» under devices menu. Close that window.
You should have an open Safari window about «Recovery Information»
Within «Address Bar» type in web address: (same one you were suppose to write down above)
Type in and press enter.
SCROLL down to the «DOWNLOAD» button and click it.
It will open up a new browser window and then start downloading the «Mavericks Installer.dmg» package.
It is 5.95GB, so it will take some time to download. (Go goof around while it’s downloading.)
WHEN it is finished downloading, close out Safari. (Safari>Quit Safari)
You should be back to the «Mac OS X Utilities» menu.
SELECT «Disk Utilities» once again.
CLICK on «MAC DMG» dropdown under USB drive heading (it will be highlighted)
SELECT «Restore» in right-side pane
Under Source: MAC DWG is entered
then SELECT MAC DMG in left-side pane, it should show -Getintopc.com-Mavericks Installer.dmg (in right-side pane)
* NOW your SOURCE should be: -Getintopc.com-Mavericks Installer.dmg
Next, CLICK & HOLD on 2nd USB drive drop-down MAC OS X, DRAG to «Destination» in right-side pane
RECAP: (right-side pane)
Source: -Getintopc.com-Mavericks Installer.dmg
Destination: MAC OS X
Now SELECT «Restore» (bottom right)
It will ask if you are sure you want to replace «MAC OS X» with «-Getintopc.com-Mavericks Installer.dmg?
It will verify and start copying the data over, takes about 35 minutes.
If all went well you should have 40,147 files @ 6.01GB
When it is finished, the 2nd USB drive will now be called: «OS X Base System»
Now, REMOVE (ONLY) the USB labeled MAC DWG
Close out (X) of «Disk Utility» (Command + Q)
Close out (X) of «Mac OS X Utilities» (Command + Q)
SELECT «Choose Startup Disk»
SELECT «OS X Base System Mac OS X,10.9)
It will ASK again, CLICK on «Restart»
Spinning wheel will activate and «turn for a couple of minutes»,
then your Mac will power off and «restart» showing Apple Logo (also for a couple of minutes),
It will then show OS X Installer Window.
Follow Prompts to install your new OS X
I went through Apple’s **** Hole and back to bring you this step-by-step guide. (LOL)
The great part is that you now have a backup USB restore drive. yippee! (for future mistakes or other Macbooks. )