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Install Disc

Just purchased a new Macbook Pro 13 Inch.

Here's my question:

Where is the install disc? Just in case my macbook crashes.

Is there a way to create one or do I have to purchase the retail version of Lion just to be in the safe side?

Thanks..

MacBook Pro, Mac OS X (10.7.4), i5 - 2.4GHz - 8GB - 500GB - L-2011

Posted on May 24, 2012 5:20 PM

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Question marked as Best reply

Posted on May 24, 2012 5:27 PM

There's none. Use a product such as Carbon Copy Cloner to duplicate the existing system and/or Lion's recovery partition to another drive. In case a new drive is installed into the computer, it will download a recovery partition from Apple's servers.


(66669)

16 replies

May 24, 2012 5:27 PM in response to Bimmer 7 Series

There is no install disc. Everything is done via the Internet: OS X Lion- About Lion Recovery. You should also look at OS X Lion: About Lion Recovery Disk Assistant


The recovery disk assistant lets you install a copy of the Recovery HD partition that is on the computer to a USB flash drive that is at least 2 GBs or a 2 GB partition on any USB flash or hard drive. This can be used in an emergency should your hard drive fail.


If you wish to create your own bootable installer then start with how to download the installer: Downloading Hardware Specific Lion Installers. Once you have the installer see the following:


Make Your Own Lion Installer


1. After downloading Lion you must first save the Install Mac OS X Lion application. After Lion downloads DO NOT click on the Install button. Go to your Applications folder and make a copy of the Lion installer. Move the copy into your Downloads folder. Now you can click on the Install button. You must do this because the installer deletes itself automatically when it finishes installing Lion.


2. Get a USB flash drive that is at least 8 GBs. Prep this flash drive as follows:


  1. Open Disk Utility in your Utilities folder.
  2. After DU loads select your hard drive (this is the entry with the mfgr.'s ID and size) from the left side list. Note the SMART status of the drive in DU's status area. If it does not say "Verified" then the drive is failing or has failed and will need replacing. SMART info will not be reported on external drives. Otherwise, click on the Partition tab in the DU main window.
  3. Under the Volume Scheme heading set the number of partitions from the drop down menu to one. Set the format type to Mac OS Extended (Journaled.) Click on the Options button, set the partition scheme to GUID then click on the OK button. Click on the Partition button and wait until the process has completed.
  4. Select the volume you just created (this is the sub-entry under the drive entry) from the left side list. Click on the Erase tab in the DU main window.
  5. Set the format type to Mac OS Extended (Journaled.) Click on the Options button, check the button for Zero Data and click on OK to return to the Erase window.
  6. Click on the Erase button. The format process can take up to several hours depending upon the drive size.


3. Locate the saved Lion installer in your Downloads folder. CTRL- or RIGHT-click on the installer and select Show Package Contents from the contextual menu. Double-click on the Contents folder to open it. Double-click on the SharedSupport folder. In this folder you will see a disc image named InstallESD.dmg.


4. Plug in your freshly prepared USB flash drive. You are going to clone the InstallESD.dmg disc image to the flash drive as follows:


  1. Open Disk Utility.
  2. Select the USB flash drive from the left side list.
  3. Click on the Restore tab in the DU main window.
  4. Check the box labeled Erase destination.
  5. Select the USB flash drive volume from the left side list and drag it to the Destination entry field.
  6. Drag the InstallESD.dmg disc image file into the Source entry field.
  7. Double-check you got it right, then click on the Restore button.

When the clone is completed you have a fully bootable Lion installer that you can use without having to re-download Lion.

May 24, 2012 5:41 PM in response to Kappy

Kappy wrote:


Why LionDiskMaker? Why would one prefer that to Apple's utility?

I have made several with Disk Utility and have had hit and miss results. Some of the drives work other didn't.


After using Lion Disk Make to make about 3 USB thumbs of the Lion install I have not had any failures.


With DU I had different errors when trying to make the thumb from the DMG. Don't recall what they were at the monent (old and memory not what it use to be).

May 24, 2012 5:45 PM in response to Shootist007

But Apple's tool is not Disk Utility. It's Lion Recovery Disk Assistant. I've made numerous clones using it without a problem.


Most users could not use Disk Utility because the partition is invisible and not mounted. Hence Apple's tool that came out when Lion was released.


As an alternative to both tools one can also use the current version of Carbon Copy Cloner now that it will clone Recovery HD partitions to other drives.

May 24, 2012 5:54 PM in response to Kappy

Lion Recovery Disk Assistant only makes a USB thumb of the Recovery HD partition. It does not make a Real Lion Install USB thumb drive.


Just like in your first post here "Make Your Own Lion Installer" you say to us DU to make the thumb drive of the Saved InstallESD.DMG file. I like using the LionDiskMaker App to do it. It does it all, even finds the InstallESD.DMG file and or gives you the option to select your own. I have the DMG files of 10.7.2, 10.7.3 and now 10.7.4.


So I can make a thumb of any of those versions.

May 24, 2012 6:04 PM in response to Shootist007

OK. You did not make that distinction at first. Still, one must obtain the Lion installer before that tool can make a bootable installer disk.


Lion Recovery Disk Assistant provides just the Recovery HD image so one has an emergency access to the Internet recovery. Still a useful thing to have since any disk can go sour. I carry several flash drives with me: A Lion Recovery flash drive (2 GB), an 8 GB on which I have the Lion installer clone, and a 16 GB on which I have Lion installed with all my required stuff for doing repairs or maintenance. You can't be too prepared. 😀

May 24, 2012 6:42 PM in response to Bimmer 7 Series

Useful info from both Kappy and Shootist007....

So, after reading replies from the both of you, this is what I did.

Made a USB boot disc both Lion Recovery Disk Assitant and Disk Utility. That should keep me covered. And to be in a safer side, downloaded carbon copy and will be cloning my drive.

Again, thanks to the both of you for some useful tips.


B7S

May 24, 2012 8:42 PM in response to Bimmer 7 Series

Thanks for that info.

Unfortunately, after reading the article on the link you've provided, Macworld states that creating a bootable lion disc will not boot any Macs from Mid-2011 to current.

Thanks for the thought.


Just an update, decided to install my new RAM. Now I'm running 16GB DDR3 on my Late 2011 Macbook Pro. Using Crucial Memory.

May 25, 2012 3:30 AM in response to Kappy

Kappy wrote:


OK. You did not make that distinction at first. Still, one must obtain the Lion installer before that tool can make a bootable installer disk.


Lion Recovery Disk Assistant provides just the Recovery HD image so one has an emergency access to the Internet recovery. Still a useful thing to have since any disk can go sour. I carry several flash drives with me: A Lion Recovery flash drive (2 GB), an 8 GB on which I have the Lion installer clone, and a 16 GB on which I have Lion installed with all my required stuff for doing repairs or maintenance. You can't be too prepared. 😀

Yeah but on new Mac's you have Internet Recovery also that allows you to boot the computer from the Apple online Recovery system. Which loads the Recovery HD files and allows you to download and install Lion.

Jul 3, 2012 2:36 PM in response to Bimmer 7 Series

Here's an out-the-box idea...


Apple could install the recovery software on a partition.

But I'm sure there is some very technical reason why this would not be viable.


Probably much better to download 4.5gb via the internet with a 5mb download speed and a bandwith limit.

And you know what, it only takes about 4 hours from start to finish to get my computer back to the way it was, which is only 3 hours more than a windoze machine.


And to be fair I only paid $1500 for my iMac, so why should I be annoyed that Apple can't be bothered to include a recovery partition.


Shame on me for thinking such things!

Install Disc

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