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User profile for user: -iMichael-
-iMichael- Author
User level: Level 1
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How am I supposed to reinstall OS X Lion?

I recently wiped my late 2006 iMac's Hard Drive the other day. It was a spring cleaning kind of thing. And well Long story short I dont know how Im going to be able to reinstall the OS. When I go into Mac OS X Utilities and try to reinstall the OS, it prompts me to put in my Apple ID. When I do so it then tells me to please put in an Apple ID that was used to purchase OS X Lion. Well the only thing for me to do was go to Apple.com and purchase the OS. Even doing this im still stuck. Apple will send me an E-mail containing a key to put in the Mac's App store to start downloading the OS. Theres no way for me to do this since I dont have my iMac functioning at the moment. What am I supposed to do? Is there a way to download it from a PC and put the iso on a CD/DVD or a flash drive?

iMac, Other OS

Posted on May 5, 2014 1:20 PM

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User profile for user: MichelPM
MichelPM
User level: Level 10
81,004 points

Posted on May 5, 2014 1:50 PM

If this is a 2006 iMac, you do not have the orignal gray colored installation disks?

You didn't make a backup of your entire current OS X system and data before deciding, arbitrarily to completely wipe your hard drive and do a clean install?


If you do not have your orignal, gray system install discs, the only way to get back to OS X 10.7 Lion, is to purchase an retail install disc of OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard.

Found here.


http://store.apple.com/us/product/MC573Z/A/mac-os-x-106-snow-leopard


Unless you already have a retail OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard install disc to use.

After you do the initial OS install, you need to use OS X Software Update feature to update to OS X 10.6.8 Snow Leopard so you have, once again, access to the Mac App Store. The Mac App Store only became available when OS X 10.6.7 became available.

Good Luck!

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User profile for user: MichelPM
MichelPM
User level: Level 10
81,004 points

May 5, 2014 1:50 PM in response to -iMichael-

If this is a 2006 iMac, you do not have the orignal gray colored installation disks?

You didn't make a backup of your entire current OS X system and data before deciding, arbitrarily to completely wipe your hard drive and do a clean install?


If you do not have your orignal, gray system install discs, the only way to get back to OS X 10.7 Lion, is to purchase an retail install disc of OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard.

Found here.


http://store.apple.com/us/product/MC573Z/A/mac-os-x-106-snow-leopard


Unless you already have a retail OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard install disc to use.

After you do the initial OS install, you need to use OS X Software Update feature to update to OS X 10.6.8 Snow Leopard so you have, once again, access to the Mac App Store. The Mac App Store only became available when OS X 10.6.7 became available.

Good Luck!

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User profile for user: -iMichael-
-iMichael- Author
User level: Level 1
0 points

May 5, 2014 1:54 PM in response to MichelPM

I do not have the original disk because I got the iMac from a friend of mine. And he didnt have the disk either because he got the iMac from someone else. I didn't back up the entire system.. the only items I do have backed up are things like Music, Photos, Documents, ect. I thought about buying Snow Leopard but I didn't want to have to spend the extra money since I just purchased OS X Lion.

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User profile for user: MichelPM
MichelPM
User level: Level 10
81,004 points

May 5, 2014 2:04 PM in response to -iMichael-

You need to install Snow Leopard first before being able to install Lion.

Yes, it is going to cost you $40 to do so.

Here is Lion's system requirements in case you doubt me.


OS X Lion system requirements

To use Lion, make sure your computer has the following:

  • An Intel Core 2 Duo, Core i3, Core i5, Core i7, or Xeon processor
  • Mac OS X v10.6.6 or later to install via the Mac App Store (v10.6.8 recommended)
  • 7 GB of available disk space
  • 2 GB of RAM
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User profile for user: -iMichael-
-iMichael- Author
User level: Level 1
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May 5, 2014 2:41 PM in response to MichelPM

I just thought of something... Do you think I could use the Mac Mini's in my Computer Repair/Networking class to get to the OS X Lion installer? I could get on their App store and put in the key I got from Apple then put the installer onto a flash drive. After its on the flash drive I could bring it back home and pop it in my iMac. You think that could work?

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User profile for user: MichelPM
MichelPM
User level: Level 10
81,004 points

May 5, 2014 3:05 PM in response to -iMichael-

I am not sure. I am not sure if the actual installer part of Lion is not tied to your Apple ID on a Mac or not.

There is a procedure for installing the OS installer onto USB Flash drive. It wouldn't hurt to try this approach.


http://www.macworld.com/article/2056561/how-to-make-a-bootable-mavericks-install -drive.html


http://macs.about.com/od/macoperatingsystems/ss/Create-A-Bootable-Flash-Drive-Wi th-Os-X-Lion-Installer.htm


http://lifehacker.com/how-to-create-an-os-x-mavericks-usb-installation-drive-145 0280026

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How am I supposed to reinstall OS X Lion?

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