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JohnyAppleSeed76

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Feb 19, 2016
8
0
Spring, TX
I bought Lion from Apple and I am trying to install, I'm on the screen that shows you Recovery HD and Mac. The Recovery HD says this disc is locked, I've been fighting with this thing for 3 or 4 days and I'm REALLY running out of patience!!!! Please, PLEASE help, thamks. Mac desktop Lion
 

DeltaMac

macrumors G5
Jul 30, 2003
13,510
4,422
Delaware
The Recovery HD is installed as part of the Lion install.
If you have completed the Lion install (which would take 30 minutes or so), then you should simply ignore (for now) the Recovery HD.

However, I don't quite understand what you mean.
Are you saying that you have booted to the Lion installer, and you can't actually start the install?

I would suggest that you simply start over from the beginning of the install.
If you just want to erase the hard drive completely, and install OS X to an erased hard drive, then why not just do that?
Reboot to the Lion Installer. On the first screen, where you can choose from a list with one being Disk Utility, Open Disk Utility, then choose your hard drive. It will probably be the only one with a manufacuturer's part number - like WD35J0600- 600GB. Then underneath would show the partition name, like Macintosh HD, or Mac HD, or something with someone's name (because someone else, such as yourself, actually named it!). Click on the manufacturer's line so it is selected, then click on the Erase tab. Name the hard drive if you like, make sure the format is set for MacOS Extended(journaled), then click the Erase button. Takes a few seconds to complete, and your hard drive is erased.
Quit Disk Utility, then choose Reinstall OS X. Follow the short steps to select your hard drive (which you just erased), and continue with the install. Again, the install will take 30 minutes or so - maybe more than an hour, but usually not that long.
When it is done, your Mac will automatically restart, and take you to the setup for a new user account.
And, you are doing fine!

Let me know what about this does not work for you, such as where it stops, and what you see on the screen.
If you have a difficult time describing what you see, a screen shot, or even a picture, would help greatly.
 

\-V-/

Suspended
May 3, 2012
3,153
2,688
If you want to do a clean install, then yes ... while you're booted into Recovery mode, erase the partition with Disk Utility and then use the option to install OS X.
 

JohnyAppleSeed76

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Feb 19, 2016
8
0
Spring, TX
Ok it says disc erase failed couldn't unmount disc
[doublepost=1456292069][/doublepost]

[doublepost=1456293224][/doublepost]
Ok it says disc erase failed couldn't unmount disc
[doublepost=1456292069][/doublepost]
[/QUO
If you want to do a clean install, then yes ... while you're booted into Recovery mode, erase the partition with Disk Utility and then use the option to install OS X.
The Recovery HD is installed as part of the Lion install.
If you have completed the Lion install (which would take 30 minutes or so), then you should simply ignore (for now) the Recovery HD.

However, I don't quite understand what you mean.
Are you saying that you have booted to the Lion installer, and you can't actually start the install?

I would suggest that you simply start over from the beginning of the install.
If you just want to erase the hard drive completely, and install OS X to an erased hard drive, then why not just do that?
Reboot to the Lion Installer. On the first screen, where you can choose from a list with one being Disk Utility, Open Disk Utility, then choose your hard drive. It will probably be the only one with a manufacuturer's part number - like WD35J0600- 600GB. Then underneath would show the partition name, like Macintosh HD, or Mac HD, or something with someone's name (because someone else, such as yourself, actually named it!). Click on the manufacturer's line so it is selected, then click on the Erase tab. Name the hard drive if you like, make sure the format is set for MacOS Extended(journaled), then click the Erase button. Takes a few seconds to complete, and your hard drive is erased.
Quit Disk Utility, then choose Reinstall OS X. Follow the short steps to select your hard drive (which you just erased), and continue with the install. Again, the install will take 30 minutes or so - maybe more than an hour, but usually not that long.
When it is done, your Mac will automatically restart, and take you to the setup for a new user account.
And, you are doing fine!

Let me know what about this does not work for you, such as where it stops, and what you see on the screen.
If you have a difficult time describing what you see, a screen shot, or even a picture, would help greatly.
it didn't work, now its starting in utilities mode, not holding anything down
[doublepost=1456293292][/doublepost]
If you want to do a clean install, then yes ... while you're booted into Recovery mode, erase the partition with Disk Utility and then use the option to install OS X.
Now its starting in Utilities mode, not holding anything down
 

Weaselboy

Moderator
Staff member
Jan 23, 2005
34,206
15,763
California
Boot back to that recovery screen then in the Utilities menu up top launch Terminal. Then run the two commands below one after the other from the Terminal command line and tell use the output of each command.

Code:
diskutil list

diskutil cs list
 

DeltaMac

macrumors G5
Jul 30, 2003
13,510
4,422
Delaware
Yes, try what Weaselboy suggested. That can tell us a lot about what is happeing.

Also, another choice would be to open Disk Utility again, select your hard drive, and try the Repair Disk.
If that passes without error, quit Disk Utility, then start the OS X install. That will first ask you to select the disk that you want to install to, which would be the one that you named iMac, if that still exists.
Then continue on with the OS X install.
 
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Reactions: Weaselboy

Weaselboy

Moderator
Staff member
Jan 23, 2005
34,206
15,763
California
Yes, try what Weaselboy suggested. That can tell us a lot about what is happeing.

Also, another choice would be to open Disk Utility again, select your hard drive, and try the Repair Disk.
If that passes without error, quit Disk Utility, then start the OS X install. That will first ask you to select the disk that you want to install to, which would be the one that you named iMac, if that still exists.
Then continue on with the OS X install.
That first comment about the disk being locked is making me think maybe FileVault was on and the partition has a logical volume on it OP his having trouble killing off. Those commands will verify and we can nuke it.
 
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