Unable to see Macintosh HD with Alt Option

With a Option key boot you get the Boot Selection screen that looks like this.

What shows up are drives/partitions that the Firmware Thinks it can boot from. That Base System entry isn't really OS X or any thing you can Boot from.

Holding down the Command + r keys at startup will do one of 2 thing. Boot the system from the built in Recovery HD partition or if you are lucky and there is no partition containing the Recovery HD files it might then boot the system from the online internet system. That is IF your model year Mac can access that online system, some can and some can't.

Also if your system can access that Online system holding down the Command + Option/alt + r keys at startup, and keep them held down until you see a globe on the screen, will take you directly to the Online system.

Not sure why you are booting from a USB drive? Does that drive have a version of OS X installed on it? Did you make a copy of the Recovery HD files on it using the Lion Recovery disk assistant program.

Re-reading your intial post I see you made the USB drive with Disk Utility. It has been my experience that using disk utility to clone one drive to another works sometimes and mostly NOT, for me at least. So I use one of those Cloning software programs.

If you boot to the online system use Disk Utility to Repartition the internal drive As One Partition to Remove all traces of any OS version, and Recovery HD files, that are on it. Then use the Option to Reinstall Mac OS X and if you get a error to the tune of something like, this system isn't in the data base then your Mac did not come with Lion Pre-Installed when it was new. It came with an older version of OS X and you will need the origiinal system reinstall dvd discs.

Input the serial number of that Mac into this page

https://selfsolve.apple.com/agreementWarrantyDynamic.do

Then post the Model year that shows up. The seieal # can be found on the bottom of the system near the screen hinge.

You can't install OS X from the USB drive you have pictured. That is the standard install files used when the system is already running a version of OS X. Install Mac OS X.APP is an application that must be run from inside a running version of OS X.

But WE NEED TO KNOW THE MODEL YEAR OF THAT MAC. I thought I made that clear in previous posts, but I guees I haven't.

Also have you tried Command + Option/alt + r key combo at startup and if you have does the system boot from the online internet recovery system?

If it doesn't then the used Mac you have is older than a Mid 2010 model and as stated a couple of times already you will need The Original system reinstall DVD discs for that model & model year Mac.

Where and how did you make that USB drive that is pictured? If it was made from a system that actually had Lion Preinstalled from the factory it won't work on your Mac if your Mac is older.

brunoviegas wrote:

R: right away, after hit the ENTER on this screen!

First what model year Macbook Pro do you have? Second did you buy it new or used? What version of OS X originally came on it if you bought it new?

Need to know the answers to those question to help you resolve this issue.

Sorry but that model number means absolutely nothing to me. Model year is what I asked for.

In any event Since you bought it used I suspect your Mac is a early 2011 model, or older, that originally came with either Snow Leopard, 10.6.x, or Leopard, 10.5.x, and that is why the Online Internet Recovery system will not allow you do download and install Lion. And If you do still have a Recovery HD partition on the internal drive it is asking for an Apple ID and Password to download Lion which is not yours and that you don't know.

If that is the case then you will need to Contact Apple and have the Serial # of your MBP, that can be found on the bottom of the case near the screen hinge, and order a Replacement Set of Original System Reinstall DVD discs.

You NEED Those Original System Discs to continue.

You should just have to click the arrow - not hit the return key - to boot from the drive. You should also (if you're not hard-wired into a router) choose a WiFi network to join (you may need your WiFi password to do so).

If that doesn't help... well, I'm stumped!

Clinton

Then connect your Mac to the router with a Ethernet cable!!!!!!!!!!

brunoviegas wrote:

I have the password for the WiFi access but dosent work !!!

Even start the system with the option Cmd+R, download the necessary files it dosen t work also.
With this option the internal Drive appear to install, but after a few hours of download i get an error:

"Unable to find recovery disk!!"

OK, Thanks for your help any way ...:)

I've not read every post here, but since you've a 2011 machine, have you used Internet Recovery (holding down the command, option and R keys whilst booting)?

Sorry if it's already been suggested - I'm just tired right now!

Clinton

It is the same machine as I have (late 2011 17"). My internal DVD is crashed, so I was unable to install OSX from a DVD, and, as in your case, after replaicing the orignal HD with a new SSD, no recovery partition was found, so I was stuck.

But the solution was VERY easy.

I backed up the OSX which was running on my son's MBP on an external USB hard disk, employing the excellent and free program CC Cloner v. 3.4.7.

This external USB "cloned" disk becomes a bootable disk, and pressing Alt at startup, you can select it and come up with a complete and running OSX (from the external USB disk).

At ths point, I used again CC Cloner for copying the whole external USB HD on my new, empty internal SSD.

At next reboot, the system came up quickly and perfectly from the new internal SSD.

I still do not have the internal Recovery partition, but who cares?

In case of problems, I can always boot from this external USB disk, and clone again from it to the internal SSD.

So for solving your problem you need to ask to some of your friends or family members to be allowed to clone their OSX form their Mac to an external USB disk. I suggest that you clone a Mountain Lion OSX (10.8), this is the best version for our late-2011 MBP...