I don't have a recovery hd after installing Lion

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Level 1

39 points

I don't have a recovery hd after installing Lion

I upgraded from Snow Leopard via that App Store and I don't have a Recovery HD partition. When I tried to update Lion yesterday the update failed and gave me the missing folder icon. I took my MBP to the Genius Bar and the guy told me to reinstall because I didn't have the Recovery HD partition. He figured something was very wrong. So, I wiped the drive, installed Snow Leopard, Updated Snow Leopard, Installed Lion again via the App Store and I still do not have Recovery HD. When I boot holding the Option key I get two choices and they both say "Macintosh HD." Clicking on either one boots into my desktop. What gives?

I am using a Seagate Hybrid SSD drive and I'm thinking that might be the issue. Anyone have this experience? I can't even create an external recovery HD because I don't have the Recovery HD on my machine.

MBP 15, Mac OS X (10.7.1)

Posted on Oct 13, 2011 11:08 PM

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Answer 1

baltwo

Level 9

62,362 points

Oct 13, 2011 11:48 PM in response to htmanning

All I can suggest is to revisit the Apple Store and get them to fix this muck up.

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Answer 2

Oct 14, 2011 3:34 AM in response to htmanning

I suggest that you redownload Lion but not install and create

either an installer DVD or USB stick. Boot it and use Disk Utility

to completely wipe the drive (write zeroes if need be using options)

and install from it.

A method to create a stand alone installer is here:

http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-13727_7-20080989-263/how-to-create-an-os-x-lion-ins tallation-disc/?tag=mncol;txt

May save you a trip.

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Answer 3

htmanning Author

Level 1

39 points

Oct 14, 2011 11:08 AM in response to baltwo

The guys at the Genius Bar don't have a clue. Their answer is simply to wipe the drive, which I did, but that did not fix the problem. I still, after repeated efforts, do not have a Recovery HD.

Here's the issue. I have a Seagate Hybrid SSD drive. That means it's a regular 7200 rpm hard drive but it also has a 4BG SSD area that is used to cache most often used data. Lion is getting confused by this extra SSD partition. How can I report this to Apple so they can fix Lion?

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Answer 4

baltwo

Level 9

62,362 points

Oct 14, 2011 11:13 AM in response to htmanning

Thanks for clarifying. I have no experience with hybrids, but you might try talking to Seagate about that issue. If you want to report this issue to Apple's engineering, send a bug report or an enhancement request via its Bug Reporter system. To do this, register as an Apple Developer—it's free and available for all Mac users and gets you a look at some development software. Since you already have an Apple username/ID, use that. Once a member, go to Apple BugReporter and file your bug report or enhancement request. You'll get a response and a follow-up number; thus, starting a dialog with engineering.

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Answer 5

ds store

Level 7

30,725 points

Oct 14, 2011 11:43 AM in response to htmanning

Well I'm assuming here you tried the tradiitonal hold command r boot right?

All i can say is this, borrow another Mac and make a Recovery USB from that one by running the Apple software.

You need a 1GB + USB stick

Formatted GUID OS X Extended (journaled) not the FAT32 with MBR like it comes from the store

run the software here to the USB

https://support.apple.com/kb/dl1433

Clone your present Lion configuration (only clones the OS XLion partition) to a external drive with Carbon Copy Cloner (it's hold the option key bootable)

Now swtich out your present hybrid drive for something esle, either a 7,200 RPM or a SSD.

Use the USB to install Lion both parititions

Option boot fom the clone and replace the new Lion with the clone version.

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/3358920

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Answer 6

ds store

Level 7

30,725 points

Oct 14, 2011 11:52 AM in response to ds store

Now you can most certainly run Lion without a Recovery partition and keep things the way it is, you just need to keep a clone on the external drive to option boot from for troubleshooting.

It's only when you need to install Lion fresh do you have a issue, and need to use the USB or get a new drive.

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Answer 7

htmanning Author

Level 1

39 points

Oct 22, 2011 1:39 PM in response to htmanning

This problem was caused because I was using a Seagate Hybrid SSD hard drive. It's not compatible with Lion. The install gets confused with the 4GB SSD partition and won't show you the Recovery partition when you boot up and hold down the Option key.

You can install Lion and run it with the Hybrid SSD drive, but anytime the OS needs to update it will see the 4GB SSD partition as the main drive and start updating that partition first. That will cause the update to fail and you won't be able to reboot. I tried 2 Hybrid SSD drives with clean installs and they both caused problems. I finally put my old 7200rpm drive back into my MBP and everything works fine.

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Answer 8

baltwo

Level 9

62,362 points

Oct 22, 2011 1:55 PM in response to htmanning

Thanks for the feedback. Return the hybrid and give up using them with Lion.😉

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Answer 9

Oct 22, 2011 3:11 PM in response to htmanning

Hi friend. I have the same HD as you, And I have tried to install lion several times but I can´t.

As I have seen your answer, it worried to my a lot, because then I´ll need to buy another HD or come back to snow leopard.

Today I´ve found the next video in you tube:

Seagate Momentus XT 26 Sec Bootup OS X Lion

youtube.com4 Ago 2011 - 33 s - Subido por itisme1760
This hybrid SSD drive benchmark bootup on a clean install ofMac OS X Lion. 26-27 seconds.

Do you think it´s a different HD or something?

Thank you for your answer and sorry about my english.

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Answer 10

baltwo

Level 9

62,362 points

Oct 22, 2011 3:23 PM in response to H. Oehling

FWIW, my iMac boots in under 30 seconds with either the internal 1 TB or external FWHD volume, so that performance isn't anything to shout about.

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Answer 11

Oct 25, 2011 2:29 PM in response to htmanning

I have had a similar problem: I couldn´t upgrade from snow to Lion, and most over, no leopard to snow. I have same hybrid disk than you, SEAGATE Momentus (is it the same?)

SO I´ve put the HD in a external case, format it with FAT and check it with seatools in WIN 7, (it said is OK)

Then I´ve connected the USB case to MBP and reformat ( GUID, Journaled,...) and I was able to install LION. Afterward, I´ve change again the HD inside the MBP and now all is OK. Now It´s updated too withouth problems and work fine. I don´t know if it is your problem, hope it will be ussefull.

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Answer 12

Oct 25, 2011 2:39 PM in response to baltwo

Hi Balwo, My MBP at this moment is Core 2 Duo 8GB RAM. It boots in 33 sec with Lion, (HD SEAGATE Hybrid). Last HD was 1 min or more. I think I´ve improve, but I dont know about the rest of the disks...

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Answer 13

htmanning Author

Level 1

39 points

Oct 25, 2011 7:45 PM in response to H. Oehling

Yes, I did have the Seagate Hybrid SSD. If you reboot holding the Option key, do you have the Recovery HD? I did not. I had 2 drives, both called Macintosh HD. I was unable to update the OS either for regular updates, or for Filevault encryption. I took out the drive and replaced it with a 7200rpm drive.

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Answer 14

Oct 26, 2011 5:36 AM in response to htmanning

I almost did the same (replace the disk) but at the end I was lucky and install Lion in outside case, and then change to inside MBP.

One of many times that I tried to install Lion also didn´t have Recovery HD, as you.

Anyway, I don´t know how long the Hybrid will go right...I´ll cross the finger..

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