How to Fix This Item is Temporarily Unavailable After Reinstalling Your MacOS or OS X

By Kevin ArrowsUpdated on July 22, 2021

Kevin is a certified Network Engineer

If your Mac is running slow, the most obvious thing you can do is to reinstall the OS. This may solve some of the problems, but also may cause new ones. A couple of Mac users reported having an error when reinstalling a fresh OS on their computers. Usually, this is an issue that affects OS X Lion. However, we don’t have information that it isn’t happening on the other OS X or macOS versions. So, don’t be surprised if you are experiencing the issue in a different OS release. More particularly, after entering the Apple ID, an error message pops up, saying:

“This item is temporarily unavailable. Please try again later”

Redoing the steps on from the beginning doesn’t make any changes. Even connecting to different networks results with the same outcome as before. But, what can you do to fix this issue?

Check the rest of the article and you will find the solution.

Solution #1

The reason why you are getting this “This item is temporarily unavailable. Please try again later” error on your computer is because of the Apple ID you are using to log in. If your Apple ID is not associated with an Apple OS you will continuously get this annoying pop-up. Here is the solution.

One of the choices you get on the screen is GET HELP ONLINE.
Click on it, and it will open up Safari.
Go to iCloud and sign in with your Apple ID.
Now you can go back to the installation process. Use the same Apple ID that you’ve used for the iCloud, and the download will finally work. And, if you are wondering, it works because you have used the same Apple ID.

Note: You may think that using someone’s else Apple ID will get the job done for you. However, DO NOT do that, because you’ll end up getting all the apps associated with their account.

If this didn’t solve your problem, try using the original Apple ID that you used when activating your Mac for the first time. And, if you don’t remember the initially-used Apple credentials, or you are not the first owner of that computer, try the following method.

Solution #2

This method solves the problem when the OS version associated with your Apple account is no longer available at the App Store.

Connect your Mac to an internet. (I recommend using an Ethernet cable)
Start up your computer while holding CMD + R.
Use Disk Utility to erase the Macintosh HD partition of your hard disk.
Restart your computer while holding the following keys Option + CMD + R. Keep pressing the keys until you see a spinning globe on the screen.
Now, it will download the OS.

This method will take you to a reinstall over the internet. It will install the original OS shipped with your Mac. Later it will allow you to upgrade to the latest version.

Final Words

Which method worked for you? Let us know in the comment section below. Also, share this article with anyone whom you think it may be helpful for.

By Kevin ArrowsUpdated on July 22, 2021

Kevin is a certified Network Engineer

Comments

Florence Feb 2, 2018

Hi, mine says Toshiba Mq1… And untitled…What do I do?

Hi, my mac is a very old model and shows Toshiba…what do I do?

Anne Merwin Jun 9, 2018

Kevin,
Thanks for your help. I used my original Apple ID from 2009, and El Capitan is downloading fine.

Derek Jul 23, 2018

Solution #2 worked for OS X Mavericks on a MacBook Pro.

Junior Jul 30, 2018

Solution #2 worked for OS X El Capitan on MacBook Pro 2011 late 15″

Soluction #2 worked for Mac OS X El Capitan on MacBook Pro 2011 late 15″. First install original o.s Mac OS X Lion, then I download El Capitan to App Store and install, it´s work perfect. Thank for soluctions.

Idia Moore Jul 31, 2018

I bought mine from someone so I dont have a password for option 1. Option 2 didnt work. No spinning globe showed up. It just went to language option then license agreement. When I go to install it still says unavailable.

Brittany Shain Oct 1, 2018

I am having the same issue!

Alex Vogl Oct 6, 2018

Same!

Christopher Rodwill Aug 11, 2018

No luck with either option. The globe didn’t appear with #2

Michael A Oct 9, 2018

7 hours of trying to login to AppleID while installing OS from scratch (and I am highly experienced C-lang developer though – not just dumb duck-lips blondy). Eventually smashed the laptop at the wall and the story is over. Now it’s Ok. Now I am calm.
NEVER AGAIN BACK TO APPLE! WORST PRODUCTS EVER!

Steph Wynne Dec 6, 2018

Your link was posted by someone on youtube and I followed it here. #2 worked for me after 3 days of searching!

Thank you!

Steph

Vivian Simms Jun 15, 2019

Neither method worked. I have the same iCloud user name I have always had. I have done theses methods so many times it’s not funny. I never get a spinning globe no matter what buttons are pressed. I only get the Apple logo and when I finally go through the process it says This item is temporarily unavailable. My Mac will only boot up to the utility screen.

Kiki Nov 22, 2020

If you have a 2010 or early model the globe won’t show up

Amanda Wilson-kiger Jul 9, 2019

Neither worked for me

Arnold Nov 23, 2020

I found the solutionYou cant make a bootable drive with capitan or anything else you have to make it with mountain lionBefore you boot hit shift+option+comand+R+p to forget networkThen hold option key and boot the usb drive with mountain lionIf you try to boot with el capitan or something else it wont show the drive only with mountain lion

Q Aug 2, 2019

Option #1 worked for me, thank you! I was just about to use another apple id, good thing I didnt try that.

Shane Warren Author Sep 10, 2019

Create a USB Recovery Disk after downloading the official software from apple from the following site:http://support.apple.com/kb/DL1433
After that, plug that drive into the computer and power it on. Select the option and choose the recovery drive that we connected.

Shane Warren Author Sep 26, 2019

Try this:
“Create a USB Recovery Disk after downloading the official software from apple from the following site:https://support.apple.com/kb/DL1433?locale=en_US
After that, plug that drive into the computer and power it on. Select the option and choose the recovery drive that we connected.”

Geoff Jan 25, 2020

Neither option worked on 13″, Late 2009 model.

Shane Warren Author Jan 30, 2020

Try this:
“Create a USB Recovery Disk after downloading the official software from apple from the following site:https://support.apple.com/downloads/macos
After that, plug that drive into the computer and power it on. Select the option and choose the recovery drive that we connected.”

Dunno Feb 20, 2020

I want to install macOS Lion on a completely wiped hard-drive, but can’t sign in to icloud in old Safari, because the website is not showing properly.

Shane Warren Author Feb 24, 2020

Can u update Safari?

Tim Moreno Nov 9, 2020

Same

Kassy J Mar 23, 2020

i tried to do the first method but i couldnt access icloud.com to sign in. what do i do>

Shane Warren Author Mar 24, 2020

why can’t you access this? Try to reset your internet connection.

FBL Jul 20, 2020

I have been able to get onto iCloud to sign in but don’t know how to get back on to the Utilities bit to reinstall? It doesn’t appear anywhere on the screen to click on. Could you advise ☺️

Shane Warren Author Jul 20, 2020

Are you doing this in the first step? i think you need to go back and complete the setup

Vanessa Santos May 13, 2020

#2 Worked for me after two stressful days of researching, a friend looking at the problem and being on the phone with AppleStore for 50mins.
Only you could help.
Much appreciated

HumanNature Nature May 26, 2020

Works in my case with the original Apple id, luckyly i’ve got it from the other user. I had cursed Steve Jobs a couple of time. It took between 3-4 hours. But it works.

FB19 Jul 18, 2020

Once I’ve logged in to iCloud, how do I go back to the installation process?

You cannot cancel out of the browser to go back?

Luci Aug 24, 2020

I need serious help, so neither option is working, and when I try to sign in from iCloud it says it encountered an error? But I can sign into iCloud on my phone (note this mac is my only apple device)Yet it keeps asking me for my Keychain Login which I don’t know because this computer belonged to someone else and I bought it off them, they just never reset the damned thing like they said they would. And so I’m stuck because I don’t know what to do… We solved one problem which was active my ID and now that it’s activated I’m struggling again, can anyone please help me.
Also I’m not sure how I can update //anything when I’m in a factory reset.

Shane Warren Author Aug 27, 2020

I think you will need to know their password, is there any way to contact them and get this sorted out?

Aa Nov 22, 2020

Just press enter without putting a word or password, sometimes works

Ursan Sep 5, 2020

Option 2 for me. Someone gave me this laptop and I could not get the OS to install so it was option-cmd-R for me. Hopefully it’ll work this time. If it doesn’t, I guess I’ll have to purchase the latest version.Edit: It downloaded Lion, but still wouldn’t install. If this doesn’t work, I don’t know what else to do.

МШ

Мөнхбаяр Шд Dec 19, 2022

Hi Kevin,Solution #2 works perfect.Thanks for your post!

Solution #1

Solution #2

Final Words

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