Format OSX Lion
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- ESKEMA
I need to format a OSX Lion Machine. As I read through my research, you just have to restart, hold + R, go into Disk Utility, Erase Drive, and after that it will prompt you to reinstall the OS.
Anyone done it? Is there some other weird shit I should be aware of? I'd like to know!Cheers
- animatedgif0
Nope that should work. Make sure you only format the data partition and not the entire drive. Because the Lion recovery partition sits on the same drive and if you erase that then you'll need a USB or DVD.
- ernexbcn0
Boot with a OS X DVD or OS X image restored on a USB stick or external hard drive, once it boots open Disk Utility and format from there, and then you can clean install.
- ESKEMA0
Hmm. I don't think so.. I just watched a vid where the guy re-partitioned the whole drive.. so the recovery must be on another partition that cannot be targeted or erased.. That option would mean trouble too easily. But thanks for the heads up!
- ribit0
I find these guys quite useful:
http://support.apple.com/kb/PH44…
- monospaced0
This is also useful:
http://support.apple.com/kb/DL14…And of course:
http://www.apple.com/osx/recover…
- ernexbcn0
Why are you worrying about the recovery partition? if you boot with a OS X DVD or restore the OS X image to an external drive partition or a USB stick you can boot with that and then using Disk Utility you can format your partition, close Disk Utility and proceed to install.
- OS X will create that recovery partition again when you install iternexbcn
- OP is using the recovery partition thats whyanimatedgif
- animatedgif0
"Hmm. I don't think so.. I just watched a vid where the guy re-partitioned the whole drive.. so the recovery must be on another partition"
Depends how old your Mac is, older ones the recovery partition is on the same drive because you only have 1 drive in your machine.
That's what I was warning you about
- ESKEMA0
Already done. Actually it didn't let me partition the whole disc (error couldn't unmount device) so I erased the partition and everything went smoothly. I really prefer this new method, no more finding DVDs and hoping the disc drive actually works, or that the disc is not scratched..
Thanks for the help.- New way is better for slightly hosed systems
Much worse for really hosedanimatedgif
- New way is better for slightly hosed systems