myimagination

Q: MAC OS LION FAQ's

I've been answering the same question over and over again. Please spend a little bit of time to look around before posting. Chances are, someone else has already posted and had the same question answered. myimagination.

 

Topics covered in the FAQ.

0. Cautions / Before Upgrading.

1. Apple UpToDate Program.

2. How many Macs?

3. Re-downloading from App Store?

4. Reinstalling Lion. (Clean Install)

5. Making a Lion DVD.

6. Java

(further updates will be posted when i'm online)

 

 

 

// CAUTION! //

- Please note: SNOW LEOPARD 10.6.6 is a REQUIREMENT for LION and

  please check that you mac meets the minimum system requirements for Lion before upgrading.

 

  • Mac computer with an Intel Core 2 Duo, Core i3, Core i5, Core i7, or Xeon processor
  • 2GB of memory
  • OS X v10.6.6 or later (v10.6.8 recommended)
  • 7GB of available space

 

- Some applications may not work or have compatability problems, it is advised that you check before upgrading.

 

- ALWAYS BACK UP YOUR DATA! Time capsule or External HDD.

 

 

 

1. Apple's UpToDate Program.

"The Mac OS X Lion Up-To-Date upgrade is available at no additional charge via the Mac App Store to all customers who purchased a qualifying new Mac system from Apple or an Apple Authorized Reseller on or after June 6, 2011. Users must request their Up-To-Date upgrade within 30 days of purchase of their Mac computer. Customers who purchase a qualifying Mac between June 6, 2011 and the date when Lion is available in the Mac App Store will have 30 days from Lion’s official release date to make a request."

http://www.apple.com/macosx/uptodate/.

2. How many macs for one download of Lion?

As long as you are logged in with the same APPLE ID, you can download it to any Mac you own. No need for family-packs.

 

3. Re-downloading?

In the Mac App Store, option (alt) click the "Install" or "Download" button and a dropdown menu will let you re-download it again for free*.

*internet download charges still apply.

 

4. Reinstalling Lion using Recovery HD. (clean install)

Use the new Recovery HD. Reboot whilst holding down Option (alt) and "R".

Select Recovery HD and follow the installation.

 

5. Lion Install DVD.


To do a CLEAN install of Mac OS Lion you can also make your own Lion Install Disk.

// YOU MUST HAVE A LEGAL COPY OF MAC OS LION 10.7 FROM THE MAC APP STORE! //


BURNING A INSTALL DISK.

 

WARNING: BURN BEFORE INSTALLING


1. Locate the "Install Mac OS Lion 10.7" app (from your Applications or Download folder) and copy/drag to desktop.

2. Right-click and show package contents.

3. Open "Contents" folder > Shared Support.

4. Copy the "InstallESD.dmg" file to your Desktop and burn in to a DVD. Check (Tick) the "Verify Burn Data" option.

 

INSTALLING LION USING DISK.

Restart you Mac while holding the option (alt) key down and follow the installation process.

 

6. Java for Lion

Download link: http://support.apple.com/kb/DL1421



 

Infomation here will be updated. Feel free to link to this discussion page but please do not just copy and paste without reference to me.

Leave a comment to add your FAQ's so that others in the Apple Community can benefit. I will reference to you.

 

Have I made a mistake? Please comment below and I will fix my errors.

 

Just to be safe, follow these instructions at you own risk. Don't kill me. Thankyou.

myimagination

MacBook Pro, Mac OS X (10.6.8), Mid 2010

Posted on Jul 25, 2011 4:56 AM

Close

Q: MAC OS LION FAQ's

  • All replies
  • Helpful answers

Previous Page 2
  • by lawrence_from_london,

    lawrence_from_london lawrence_from_london Aug 1, 2011 5:15 AM in response to Graham Perrin
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Aug 1, 2011 5:15 AM in response to Graham Perrin

    I've read your posts and others here with great interest. Your sound advice clarifies to me that so much of which has been written about hacking the Mac OS X Lion Installer and creating a "bootable install disc" is far to simplistic. My gut instincts alone tell me that these hacking methods are critically flawed and, as has been discussed here at great lengths, a rather inept way of circumventing Apple's own prescribed methods of safely installing, re-installing Lion, etc.

    You only need to Google the hack and you get the same run down, a mere 2 hours after Lion was available for download! Yet none seem to have actually tried to use their "bootable install disc", let alone extensively test their systems, post install hack.

    Result: my faith in Mac sites and their glaring nepotism is seriously dented, but my faith in those who have not jumped the gun, read Apple's own advice, particularly these excellent posts in the Apple Support Communities, shows to me an understanding of where Apple is going with this method of software distribution and installation.

    Me, well I'm going to sit tight for a couple of months, read and learn, perhaps do a RAM upgrade, and then download Lion, the right way.

    And as the man said "Think Different"

  • by myimagination,

    myimagination myimagination Aug 1, 2011 5:37 AM in response to lawrence_from_london
    Level 1 (30 points)
    Aug 1, 2011 5:37 AM in response to lawrence_from_london

    I understand the Lion DVD 'hack' may not be such a good idea, but i can't edit this discussion anymore.

    I also agree with you that it'd a good idea to wait for updates for Lion. 10.7.1. (or later).

     

    As I posted before, I won't be checking in on this discussion as fequently, but I'll be around.

  • by lisaroser,

    lisaroser lisaroser Aug 1, 2011 11:03 AM in response to lawrence_from_london
    Level 1 (16 points)
    Mac OS X
    Aug 1, 2011 11:03 AM in response to lawrence_from_london

    lawrence_from_london wrote:

     

    I've read your posts and others here with great interest. Your sound advice clarifies to me that so much of which has been written about hacking the Mac OS X Lion Installer and creating a "bootable install disc" is far to simplistic. My gut instincts alone tell me that these hacking methods are critically flawed and, as has been discussed here at great lengths, a rather inept way of circumventing Apple's own prescribed methods of safely installing, re-installing Lion, etc.

    You only need to Google the hack and you get the same run down, a mere 2 hours after Lion was available for download! Yet none seem to have actually tried to use their "bootable install disc", let alone extensively test their systems, post install hack.

    Result: my faith in Mac sites and their glaring nepotism is seriously dented, but my faith in those who have not jumped the gun, read Apple's own advice, particularly these excellent posts in the Apple Support Communities, shows to me an understanding of where Apple is going with this method of software distribution and installation.

    Me, well I'm going to sit tight for a couple of months, read and learn, perhaps do a RAM upgrade, and then download Lion, the right way.

    And as the man said "Think Different"

     

    I did try the CMD+R at boot up & it worked perfectly. I appreciate what you have written & hope that everyone reads this. You are absolutely right, 'Think Different'.

     

    AppleLisa Rose

     

  • by RaiMan,

    RaiMan RaiMan Aug 8, 2011 5:37 AM in response to Graham Perrin
    Level 1 (35 points)
    Aug 8, 2011 5:37 AM in response to Graham Perrin

    Graham Perrin wrote:

     

    Immediatly after my use of the hacked USB flash drive, the FileVault 2 system to which I reinstalled was unusable.

     

    --1. Sorry: using Disk Utility to produce a booteable media from a bootable image is not a hack. It is how one should do it on a Mac.

     

    --2. You are talking about "reinstalling" and a system using "FileVault2". This is a totally different situation against a fist install of Lion on a normal (no FileVault) existing SnowLeopard 10.6.8.

    Again: this worked for me without problems and must have worked for many others too.

     

    So your situation might have been special.

  • by Epiphron,

    Epiphron Epiphron Aug 8, 2011 6:10 PM in response to myimagination
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Aug 8, 2011 6:10 PM in response to myimagination

    Hi guys, I'm confused. Is it really that bad to create a bootable disc off of the lion installer? I'm having trouble clean installing from the lion recovery partition. The disc seems to be the only efficient way. Lots of credible sites recommend burning a disc. Is it really that prone to problems as mentioned in this thread?

  • by Peggy Lynn,

    Peggy Lynn Peggy Lynn Aug 8, 2011 7:07 PM in response to Graham Perrin
    Level 4 (2,478 points)
    Video
    Aug 8, 2011 7:07 PM in response to Graham Perrin

    When I called Apple about the Time Machine backups the Lion download put on my startup drive without running the installer I told the first and second level support as well as the engineer I spoke with that I had burned the InstallESD.dmg to DVD and planned to use it to install a Mac OS X Base System along with DiskWarrior to a flash drive so I had choices if my Lion installation went south. None of the people I spoke with cautioned me that using the DVD would cause any problems. It happily installed a perfectly functioning Lion installation including the recovery partition on the the flash drive.

     

    Perhaps if you post the specifics of what you did to ruin a good Lion installation people might be able to see if they can duplicate your results.

  • by lawrence_from_london,

    lawrence_from_london lawrence_from_london Aug 8, 2011 7:39 PM in response to Epiphron
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Aug 8, 2011 7:39 PM in response to Epiphron

    Apple have just released "Lion Recovery Disk Assistant". It's a small download, and once you've downloaded Lion it lets you create Lion Recovery on an external drive/USB flash drive that quote " has all of the same capabilities as the built-in Lion Recovery: reinstall Lion, repair the disk using Disk Utility, restore from a Time Machine backup, or browse the web with Safari"

    Just head over to:

     

    http://support.apple.com/kb/DL1433

     

    Hopefully this may well calm some fears or misgivings regarding the various methods/hacks that have been shunted around the Mac world.

  • by beckford,

    beckford beckford Aug 8, 2011 7:55 PM in response to lawrence_from_london
    Level 1 (9 points)
    Aug 8, 2011 7:55 PM in response to lawrence_from_london

    Wait just a second, I made a bootable USB key, it worked fine.  It's not a 'hack' to modify your property to function best in your surroundings.  It made perfect sense to do it, I have re-installed 4x now, and would have hated to download Lion 4x to do so.

     

    Waiting for "deus ex machina" to solve problems is hardly the way to go.  I love apple's hardware, but this time they got it wrong with the OS.  Nobody needs to  commit suicide or anything, but I've seen more kernel panics over the last 7 days then I have in 8 years. Apple is just a company, in particular, a company that already got paid.  They make the best hardware, and OS, certainly, but maybe they could take a tip or two from Dell... or maybe not.  They got paid. 

     

    Too much running, with not enough documentation, and too many apologists, with too many excuses.  I'll never install new Apple software again, I'll watch here first.  I have learned this lesson. 

  • by lawrence_from_london,

    lawrence_from_london lawrence_from_london Aug 8, 2011 9:24 PM in response to beckford
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Aug 8, 2011 9:24 PM in response to beckford

    I hope I'm not being offensive in pointing out that Apple has released this software download, its just that I have read roughly 6 different ways to do what Apple's own software can do in one or two easy and clear steps, especially when not everyone is that confident or adept in making their own install recovery USB discs/drives, let alone not actually wanting to have too.

    I accept that 'hack' maybe too strong a word to explain those 6 different extract and burn processes, but that is what has, and still is being used, and that is what scares people who just want their iMacs to MacBook Pros make a smooth transition from Snow Leopard to Lion, and as such I felt it appropriate to point Epiphron to Apple's specific Support page as a starting point to gather enough knowledge and to be assured that there is an official and recommended way to create your own Lion Recovery drive should you wish to.

  • by myimagination,

    myimagination myimagination Aug 9, 2011 12:28 AM in response to lawrence_from_london
    Level 1 (30 points)
    Aug 9, 2011 12:28 AM in response to lawrence_from_london

    Hi, guys.

    Yea, I've also noticed Apple's Assistant, and as always it's much more simple than the 'old' method.

    Do you think that I should ask Apple to take down or re-open this discussion so i can edit it? These are all helpful answers.

     

    myimagination (on leave)

    and also, sorry for the confusion i may have caused.

  • by lawrence_from_london,

    lawrence_from_london lawrence_from_london Aug 10, 2011 1:26 AM in response to myimagination
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Aug 10, 2011 1:26 AM in response to myimagination

    Hi, again

    Sorry for the delay in not replying sooner, I'm right in the middle of the riots in South London you may have seen on the news and I've been looking after my neighbours, some who are scared to go out. Tough times.

     

    But back to your point. As this Lion Recovery Disc Assistant is a new development, and a welcome one at that, I am unsure which would be better as the next step as I am new to the Support Communities. Yet, on reflection and ideally, re-opening this discussion and editing it (when you are free) may prove helpful for everyone in the long term, after all, this is still early days since the release of Lion and many still have not plucked up the courage to update because of the confusion and uncertainty seen here and by many others outside of the Apple Support Communities.

    And by the way, I don't believe for one second that you may or may not have caused any of that confusion here, we are all learning a new and rather exciting way of worldwide major software distribution and our shared experiences go a long way in supporting many and the future development of Apple and its products.

  • by myimagination,

    myimagination myimagination Aug 10, 2011 1:31 AM in response to lawrence_from_london
    Level 1 (30 points)
    Aug 10, 2011 1:31 AM in response to lawrence_from_london

    Don't worry about it.

     

    I'll send a request to Apple to reopen this.

    Take Care!

     

    myimagination

    "We learn something new everyday"

  • by Michelasso,

    Michelasso Michelasso Aug 19, 2011 2:25 AM in response to lawrence_from_london
    Level 1 (84 points)
    Mac OS X
    Aug 19, 2011 2:25 AM in response to lawrence_from_london

    You may want to add that there is a great little tool available for burning a DVD or making a bootable USB disc from the Lion installation package:

     

    http://blog.gete.net/lion-diskmaker-us/

     

    One doesn't need to know about "showing package content", disc utility and similar. I have used it myself (yes, I did overwrite my Lion installation with a fresh install using it) and it is excellent. It makes use of 4GB USB sticks as well, while Disc Utility didn't like it. 

  • by Graham Perrin,

    Graham Perrin Graham Perrin Jan 18, 2014 11:21 PM in response to Graham Perrin
    Level 2 (259 points)
    Mac OS X
    Jan 18, 2014 11:21 PM in response to Graham Perrin

    > … Apple's [Apple] Mac OS X Lion Upgrade Information (2011-06-17), in particular Deploying Lion. …

     

    That page is no longer found.

     

    Instead: [GL] OS X Lion for Business and Education (2011-06-20) refers to OS X Lion for Business and Education (PDF).

Previous Page 2