levqchi

Q: I have a few questions regarding partition and internet recovery

I have completely deleted OS X Yosemite and only have Windows left. Now that I'm quite fed up with Windows and want to use my Macbook Air for real, I'm thinking of using internet recovery (Command and R) to reinstall OS X.

 

I have backed up all my data and don't need anything stored in my Macbook. My questions are: (I know they're long but they're quick to answer)

 

1. I want to erase everthing on my Mac. I now have 3 partitions. After booting and pressing Command + R, I would use disk utility to erase everything, like this [​IMG].

After clicking erase, would my 3 partitions be merged into 1 and I could repartition my Mac?

2. I want to create a partition for OS X Yosemite (and possibly updating to El Capitan). What is the minimum/recommended size for OS X Yosemite partition? (Because my SSD is only 128GB)

 

3. Let's say I create 3 partitions, let's name them A for OS X, B for my data, and C for reinstalling Windows. If I boot into Windows, would I be able to use (read and modify) the data on B, or only OS X could do that?

4. How much data would I have to download during Internet Recovery? I suppose a lot since I'm downloading the whole OS X, but my internet is quite slow, so I want to know how many GBs would I have to download.

 

5. If I'm asked to enter Apple ID to download OS X, would any Apple ID works?

Thanks for reading. I would be extremely grateful if you answer my questions. Cheers

MacBook Air, Windows 8

Posted on Dec 19, 2015 6:19 PM

Close

Q: I have a few questions regarding partition and internet recovery

  • All replies
  • Helpful answers

  • by MrHoffman,Solvedanswer

    MrHoffman MrHoffman Dec 19, 2015 6:49 PM in response to levqchi
    Level 6 (15,627 points)
    Mac OS X
    Dec 19, 2015 6:49 PM in response to levqchi
    • 0: Have backups of everything you care about, and disconnect all external disks save those you are specifically using.  While it's not supposed to, repartitioning should always be assumed to cause total data loss.  Corruptions can and do occasionally happen, unfortunately.  Errant user commands can sometimes target the wrong disks for erasure or repartitioning, as mistakes can happen.  Don't connect anything unnecessarily.
    • 1: Yes.  You will want to create a GPT-partitioned volume.
    • 2: Let Yosemite size and add its own partitions.
    • 3: Use Boot Camp to add the Windows partition.  With a disk as small as this, I might well park Windows out on an external storage device, and/or use a virtual machine and Windows as a guest.   In general, adding additional user-defined partitions are not something I generally recommend.  Resizing and adding and deleting partitions can end up with corruptions, have backups.
    • 4: That depends on various factors, not the least of which are how busy Apple's servers are, and how fast your network link is.  I usually create a local installer and use that.   That also makes recovery and other operations faster, at the cost of a few $ for a USB disk of sufficient size.  Recent OS X releases are ~six gigabytes in size, based on the local installers.
    • 5: Any Apple ID will work, but having more than one Apple ID active for OS and app purchases generally leads to hassles figuring out which bought what, and which can update what.
  • by levqchi,

    levqchi levqchi Dec 19, 2015 7:00 PM in response to MrHoffman
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Dec 19, 2015 7:00 PM in response to MrHoffman

    MrHoffman wrote:

     

    • 0: Have backups of everything you care about, and disconnect all external disks save those you are specifically using.  While it's not supposed to, repartitioning should always be assumed to cause total data loss.  Corruptions can and do occasionally happen, unfortunately.

    As I said, I don't have any data that I need on my Macbook. And if I have wiped my drive COMPLETLY clean, what kind of corruptions could possibly happen when I repartition using disk utility after booting and pressing Cmd+R like this?Capture.JPG

     

    I mean could I repartion before installing Yosemite?

     

    Anyway, your previous answers have helped me greatly. I thank you for that

  • by MrHoffman,Helpful

    MrHoffman MrHoffman Dec 19, 2015 7:27 PM in response to levqchi
    Level 6 (15,627 points)
    Mac OS X
    Dec 19, 2015 7:27 PM in response to levqchi

    levqchi wrote:

    As I said, I don't have any data that I need on my Macbook. And if I have wiped my drive COMPLETLY clean, what kind of corruptions could possibly happen when I repartition using disk utility after booting and pressing Cmd+R like this?

     

     

    Folks have accidentally nuked some external disk with a similar name.  More than a few folks completely clobber their universe with partitioning, and they had no backups.   I don't trust me here, with partitioning — and I've written GPT-related and partitioning-level tools for an OS vendor.  So I warn.

     

    I let Yosemite do the partitioning — it'll want to add three — and then Boot Camp do the resizing for Windows.

  • by levqchi,

    levqchi levqchi Dec 19, 2015 7:27 PM in response to MrHoffman
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Dec 19, 2015 7:27 PM in response to MrHoffman

    I don't think I need to install Windows if I OS X works fine. I don't have any External disk either (the only device I have is my Macbook)

    MrHoffman wrote:

     

    I let Yosemite do the partitioning — it'll want to add three — and then Boot Camp do the resizing for Windows.

    How does it work? What do you mean by "it'll want to add three"?

  • by MrHoffman,

    MrHoffman MrHoffman Dec 19, 2015 8:10 PM in response to levqchi
    Level 6 (15,627 points)
    Mac OS X
    Dec 19, 2015 8:10 PM in response to levqchi

    Acquire an 8 GB external USB disk or larger, and download the OS X installer, and build a bootable installer there.   Let that download run until completion — you can watch that progress.   Then build and boot the local USB installation.  That USB device will boot and operate much faster than waiting for Internet Recovery to fetch its files.  Keeping that bootable USB device around has other advantages, such as a way to verify and repair the boot disk, or to reinstall, if either becomes necessary.   If you're familiar with Windows, think of this as the Windows System Repair Disk.  Not necessary for OS X, but handy.

     

    An OS X installation involves multiple partitions.  Usually three.  OS X, the recovery partition, and the EFI partition.

     

    If you've not previously acquired OS X 10.10 Yosemite via the Mac App Store, you'll probably want to use OS X 10.11 El Capitan — the current release.

     

    If you're not familiar with OS X or might like a review, there is an online introduction available.

  • by levqchi,

    levqchi levqchi Dec 19, 2015 8:38 PM in response to MrHoffman
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Dec 19, 2015 8:38 PM in response to MrHoffman

    OK thanks for everything. I'm very grateful

  • by levqchi,

    levqchi levqchi Dec 21, 2015 6:01 PM in response to MrHoffman
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Dec 21, 2015 6:01 PM in response to MrHoffman

    Sorry to bother you but I forgot to ask: where can I download the OS X installer if I don't have OS X now? I don't have the Mac App Store now.

  • by MrHoffman,

    MrHoffman MrHoffman Dec 21, 2015 6:28 PM in response to levqchi
    Level 6 (15,627 points)
    Mac OS X
    Dec 21, 2015 6:28 PM in response to levqchi

    levqchi wrote:

     

    Sorry to bother you but I forgot to ask: where can I download the OS X installer if I don't have OS X now? I don't have the Mac App Store now.

     

    If your Mac does not have support for Internet Recovery or if that's not working here, you'll need to use another Mac for that, or the local Apple Store or Apple reseller.

     

    In addition to the USB flash device for the bootable kit, you'll want to consider acquiring a disk of maybe one to three terabytes in capacity, to use as a Time Machine target; as a disk where you can create backups.   If you have the budget, Time Capsule provides the same, but via Wi-Fi whenever you're in range.