Installing 10.7 puzzle

[carl201167]

I've got an old MacBook Pro (2011 I think) that originally ran Lion but had been updated up until 18 months ago when I stopped using it.

It's the only computer I have left with a disk drive and I want to keep using it as a CD-ripping machine for iTunes (and maybe to keep it on the network to plug backup drives into it.

But, it was old, terribly slow and full of junk. So I tried to wipe it. I messed up somewhere along the line, but managed to erase the disk. Now it's in a state where I get the flashing '?' if I try to boot it normally.

So I need to re-install Lion(?). I don't have the original disks (not sure there were any) and internet recovery has not worked despite various CMD-R restarts. It just hangs somewhere along the way every time.

To get an installable copy of Lion, I've gone to the app store on another mac and purchased a copy.

My question is - how do I install a fresh copy of Lion from a copy bought from the app store on a different mac?

I'm hoping it's possible to burn something to a USB drive from the other mac and plug into the dormant MacBook pro? Obviously I don't want to install Lion on the new mac.

Guidance much appreciated

 

[Erdbeertorte]

https://macdaddy.io/install-disk-creator/

http://diskmakerx.com

You might need the Apple ID email address and password from that App Store account before installation starts if your Mac is not a Late 2011 or what already came with Lion or if it's an older one that had been purchased with Snow Leopard and upgraded later or if you never purchased it yourself with your own Apple ID in Snow Leopard's App Store.

Edit:

Did you already try NVRAM and SMC reset? Might help if Internet Recovery does not work. Did you see the spinning globe? If not it was the standard Recovery from your HDD.

I would recommend to replace the HDD with an SSD and your Mac will run like new even with Sierra, what is free. Sounds like the HDD is dying soon.


Edit2: Sorry I over-read that it came with Lion. Have you purchased it used or new? If new then it's a Late 2011 and Internet Recovery CMD+SHIFT+OPTION(ALT)+R should give you Lion 10.7.5 for free. Without SHIFT you should get Sierra 10.12.6 (or not because you missed the latest Firmware Updates), but Sierra is a free upgrade.


Sorry again for my confusing posts and many edits. I only had two hours of sleep.

 

[carl201167]

Thanks. I am currently trying another internet restore. It does get as far as spinning globe and even downloading, but is has hung 2 or 3 times during the install

It is already an SSD, so I'm a bit confused as to what has gone on.

Thanks for your help

Will keep the thread open in case anyone has other ideas and will close it if the install is successful

https://macdaddy.io/install-disk-creator/

http://diskmakerx.com

You might need the Apple ID email address and password from that App Store account before installation starts if your Mac is not a Late 2011 or what already came with Lion or if it's an older one that had been purchased with Snow Leopard and upgraded later or if you never purchased it yourself with your own Apple ID in Snow Leopard's App Store.

Edit:

Did you already try NVRAM and SMC reset? Might help if Internet Recovery does not work. Did you see the spinning globe? If not it was the standard Recovery from your HDD.

I would recommend to replace the HDD with an SSD and your Mac will run like new even with Sierra, what is free. Sounds like the HDD is dying soon.


Edit2: Sorry I over-read that it came with Lion. Have you purchased it used or new? If new then it's a Late 2011 and Internet Recovery CMD+SHIFT+OPTION(ALT)+R should give you Lion 10.7.5 for free. Without SHIFT you should get Sierra 10.12.6 (or not because you missed the latest Firmware Updates), but Sierra is a free upgrade.


Sorry again for my confusing posts and many edits. I only had two hours of sleep.

 

[Erdbeertorte]

It is already an SSD, so I'm a bit confused as to what has gone on.

Could also be a damaged SATA cable what happens very often. You should also check if it is connected properly. Or the SSD might be damaged.

Maybe a Hardware test shows you anything what could be wrong:

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201257

And with a bootable USB installer you can check your SSD in Disk Utility. It's very easy to create with any of those tools I posted a link for, if you have access to the Mac where you downloaded Lion again. If this also does not boot there might even be a bigger problem with your Mac.

 

[carl201167]

Thanks again @Erdbeertorte

Each time I try Internet Recovery, it fails at various points. Sometimes straight away, and other times it gets all the way to the end of installing Lion then says it can't (I'll post the actual error if I get there again)

Thank you for the tools. They look very useful. Where can I find an actual installer of Lion to use with Install Disk Creator? I tried the legitimate way of buying it on the app store, but I think I wasted £19.99. I get an email from Apple with a redemption code for the app store, but a) I can't get to anything on my dead mac and b) Lion doesn't appear to be available in the App Store anyway(!)
[doublepost=1504937497][/doublepost]So my iMac (late 2015) can't download Lion, so struggling to know where/how to get an installer I can make a bootable USB from?

 

[carl201167]

OK, so something new has happened. I restarted without any control keys and it offered me the chance to install OS X Lion. Result (or so I thought)

Problem is that the recovery partition is not empty and so there is not enough room on it. I tried installing the OS on the regular disk but then it can't create a recovery partition.

I could get into disk utility, but it wouldn't let me erase the existing recovery partition

Any ideas??

 

[CoastalOR]

Apple will not let you download a OS installer that has a OS your Mac can not run because the installer automatically launches to install the OS after the download. The oldest OS you can download and run on you 2015 iMac is El Capitan (10.11).

You might try buying a "Lion USB installer" from eBay.

You can not format the Recovery partition because you are booted from it. Additionally the Recovery Partition is only 650 MB. The Lion OS installer app is over 4 GB.

 

[carl201167]

Thanks @CoastalOR

 

[carl201167]

I've now bought a 10.7 installer on USB.

Forgive my ignorance, but how do I now install it? I've tried booting and holding down C, but then I get the choice of installing over the USB stick on the Mac HDD - if I do the latter it fails

Elementary steps would be much appreciated

 

[CoastalOR]

I've now bought a 10.7 installer on USB.

Forgive my ignorance, but how do I now install it? I've tried booting and holding down C, but then I get the choice of installing over the USB stick on the Mac HDD - if I do the latter it fails

Elementary steps would be much appreciated

Reinstalling while erasing (format) everything on your computer

Restart your computer, and immediately hold down "option" key until the the Boot Manager appears. Select the USB installer drive and press enter to boot from the USB installer.

If prompted, select your main language and then click the arrow.
Click Disk Utility, and then Continue.

In Disk Utility, from the left column, click your primary hard disk (your SSD). Select the Erase tab.
Next to "Format:", make sure Mac OS Extended (Journaled) is selected. Next to "Name:", give your disk a name.
Click Erase. When the process completes, quit Disk Utility.

Click Reinstall Mac OS X, and then click Continue. Follow the instructions and then choose your SSD disk. Click Install and enter your Apple ID information if prompted. Once the installation is complete, you will be asked to enter basic information and have the option to transfer data from another computer or a backup.

 

[carl201167]

Thanks very much. It looked like it was working until I got this.

I don't think it is a hardware problem as the mac was working (albeit slowly) until I started messing with it

Is there anything I should try next?

 

[CoastalOR]

Thanks very much. It looked like it was working until I got this.

I don't think it is a hardware problem as the mac was working (albeit slowly) until I started messing with it

Is there anything I should try next?

Did you format the top drive hardware SSD model (not the volume carl mbp)?
Example:



Do you have any other devices connected to your MBP while running the installer (other than the USB installer)?

 

[carl201167]

Aah... let me try that. Doh.

I really appreciate your help and patience

 

[carl201167]

Ugh. So I went and erased at the SSD level and not the volume.

But now, I can't get to that menu you described above - the one that mentions "Install OS X"

Instead, it boots directly from the USB stick and I get the error message:
There was a problem installing mac os x. try reinstalling

I have definitely erased the SSD correctly using OS X extended (journaled) but that doesn't come up as a bootable option (I guess that makes sense as I have just wiped it)

Any idea how to get that install OS X option back?

 

[CoastalOR]

What do you see when you start from the USB installer?
Do you see something like this?



Have you tried shutting down the Mac and then startup holding the option key? Do you see the USB installer on the boot manager screen?

 

[carl201167]

I'm afraid not. When I hold down option at start, I get this boot manager (?) screen

When I press return, I see this:

And then I get the error message: There was a problem installing mac os x. try reinstalling

 

[CoastalOR]

Your bootable USB installer does not appear to be working correctly. You should get a screen like I posted in post #15 when you boot from it.

Another possible issue might be internal SATA cable may be causing problems communicating to your internal SSD (mentioned by Erdbeertorte in post #4). The SATA cable is fragile and it is a common problem that they need to be replaced. Sometimes they completely fail and sometimes they have degraded and can't handle the higher data rates used by a SSD.

I'm sorry but I've gone as far as I can. I would recommend making a appointment with your local Apple store. They can assist with installing Lion for you or diagnose problems with the internal drive.

 

[carl201167]

Understood and many thanks again @CoastalOR