Reinstalling
I tried installing Windows XP on my macbook pro but when I installed it, I accidentally erased the mac hd. How do I reinstall the mac hd when I do not see it in the startup option?
MacBook Pro, Mac OS X (10.7.3)
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I tried installing Windows XP on my macbook pro but when I installed it, I accidentally erased the mac hd. How do I reinstall the mac hd when I do not see it in the startup option?
MacBook Pro, Mac OS X (10.7.3)
Install or Reinstall Lion from Scratch
If possible backup your files to an external drive or second internal drive.
Boot to the Recovery HD:
Restart the computer and after the chime press and hold down the COMMAND and R keys until the menu screen appears. Alternatively, restart the computer and after the chime press and hold down the OPTION key until the boot manager screen appears. Select the Recovery HD and click on the downward pointing arrow button.
Erase the hard drive:
Reinstall Lion: Select Reinstall Lion and click on the Install button.
Note: You can also re-download the Lion installer by opening the App Store application. Hold down the OPTION key and click on the Purchases icon in the toolbar. You should now see an active Install button to the right of your Lion purchase entry. There are situations in which this will not work. For example, if you are already booted into the Lion you originally purchased with your Apple ID or if an instance of the Lion installer is located anywhere on your computer.
"Lion Internet Recovery
If you happen to encounter a situation in which you cannot start from the Recovery HD, such as your hard drive stopped responding or you installed a new hard drive without Mac OS X installed, new Mac models introduced after public availability of OS X Lion automatically use the Lion Internet Recovery feature if the Recovery HD (Command-R method above) doesn't work. Lion Internet Recovery lets you start your Mac directly from Apple's Servers. The system runs a quick test of your memory and hard drive to ensure there are no hardware issues.
Lion Internet Recovery presents a limited interface at first, with only the ability to select your preferred Wi-Fi network and, if needed, enter the WPA passphrase. Next, Lion Internet Recovery will download and start from a Recovery HD image. From there, you are offered all the same utilities and functions described above.
As with the Recovery HD, reinstallation of OS X Lion from Lion Internet Recovery requires an Internet connection. See "Supported network configurations and protocols" below.
Some computers that did not ship with OS X Lion installed may have a software update available that allows them to use Lion Internet Recovery."
When I do the Command-R trick, it asks me to choose a network. I enter in my Wifi stuff and it won't accept it. I cannot access Lion Recovery.
Do you not know the password for your wireless network? If you have wired capability, then connect the computer to an Ethernet port on your router. I don't know what to suggest for you than what's available here: Using Lion Recovery when no DHCP service is available. You can purchase the $69.00 Apple USB Lion flash drive installer at your local Apple retailer.
My screen shows a rotating earth and underneath this, a wifi symbol next to a pull down menu titled "choose network". I am assuming this is asking me to enter in my wifi info, is it not?
It just needs you to select your wireless network from the list then you will have to enter your wireless network's password.
Ok, but my network is not shown... I had it entered in my network preferences before I began this annoying scenario...
Was your wireless network turned on? When you first booted to the Recovery HD and the main menu appeared, there would have been a wireless menubar item on the right side of the menubar of the screen. Did you turn on your wireless network?
Yes, it is on 24/7. I only reboot it occasionally. My screen shows "Starting Internet Recovery". There is no "Recovery HD" option. Then the "Choose network" option.
Are you saying you did not boot to the Recovery HD in order to reinstall Lion?
I held Command-R after the screen turned on. I got the earth and then the pull down menu to select the network. My network is not listed. My wifi is turned on. My wifi info would not work when entered.
You need to reboot the computer and after the chime press and hold down COMMAND-R to boot from the Recovery HD. After it boots you should have a screen with a menu window from which to perform the instructions set forth earlier.
I am doing what are you telling me to do but I don't think it is working. I don't think I am getting the screen you are speaking of.
Well, then why don't you just try proceeding from where you are to see what happens. I hope that whatever occurred with your XP installation didn't corrupt the Recovery HD partition making it impossible to restore your computer without taking it to an Apple shop.
Did your computer come with Lion pre-installed or did you upgrade from Snow Leopard?
This seems odd. I partitioned the disk throught the utility. When I tried installing Windows XP, the partition I created did not show and the screen asked me if I wanted to delete the partition and create a new one to install XP on. What is weird is that I did this thinking this was the part I created and I was not able to boot to the mac partition. That part is silly because in the partition window on the mac side, the screen said the mac partition could not be erased. So how did I end up here haha?
Reinstalling