Disk Utility
Please remember: This method is not an upgrade method but a fresh install method. Installing Mac OS X Lion on your Mac through this process shall result in a fresh install of the operating system. It’ll wipe everything from the hard drive. You need to have taken a backup of your entire machine and need to have verified your backup before you go ahead with the install process described below.
1) Download OS X Lion from the Mac App store
Since this is a 4 GB download, it is expected to take some time before the download completes. You may want to plan your download time based on download speed available to you.
2) Copy the install file in a different location.
Once the download is complete, it’ll take you through the installation procedure and ask you to press continue to install. Stop right here. Do not hit continue. Go to the Applications folder instead. Application folder can be found by clicking on finder. It generally appears in the list of folders under places in the left hand bar.
- Locate the file that says “Install Mac OS X Lion”
- Right click (ctrl+click) on the file
- Select “Show Package Contents”
- Expand the folder “Shared Support” by clicking on the small arrow on its left to view its content
- You’ll find a file called “InstallESD.dmg”
- Copy the file to your Downloads or Documents folder
3) Create install disk
- Start the “Disk Utility” application
- You should see all Hard drives, optical disks and thumb drives connected to your machine in the left hand bar
- Insert a blank DVD in the DVD slot
- The blank DVD should show up under SuperDrive
- Click “Burn” icon on top of the screen
- It should ask you for file location
- Select the “InstallESD.dmg” file that you copied in Downloads or Documents folder before
Allow burn to complete. That’s it! You now have an installation disk for OS X Lion
To install on USB Drive:
Repeat step 1) and Step 2) as described above
3) Create installable USB drive
- Start the “Disk Utility” application
- You should see all Hard drives, optical disks and thumb drives connected to your machine in the left hand bar
- Connect USB drive with more than 4 GB capacity to your machine
- Select the USB drive from the left hand menu
- Under Restore tab enter the source and destination
- Source = “installESD.dmg” copied in Downloads or Documents before
- Destination = Drag the USB drive from left hand menu to the space for destination
- Remember to select “Erase destination”
Please note that this action shall erase everything on the USB drive and re-write it with the Mac OS X Install program. If you are sure you want to use this drive then go ahead and click Restore at the bottom of the screen
Allow restore to complete. That’s it! You now have an installation disk for OS X Lion
To install Mac OS X Lion from the newly created USB drive/DVD, you need to restart your machine by holding down the option key. You will be given options to boot from DVD or USB drive. Go through the installation process. Once installation is complete, you can then restore your applications, folders, documents from the backup you had taken earlier.
