How to reinstall Lion - fresh copy

Raymond Lin · 26 Jul 2011 at 07:24

After upgrading to Lion, when to mac wakes up from sleep the last fee days, twice now I've had the mac's own version of BSOD. So ideally I should install a fresh copy.

Is there a way doing this and keeping all the other data?

I have a TC running too.

Rizo-UK · 26 Jul 2011 at 07:51

Install SL, do updates, download lion via app store. enjoy

I assume you use the TC for TM backups?

Raymond Lin · 26 Jul 2011 at 09:08

But what about my data when I reinstall SL? and yup, using TC for TM.

DanF · 26 Jul 2011 at 12:52

I think you can use time machine to back up most of your current data and then you could do a full wipe and reinstall. You'd need to also re-install all your apps as well though.

Raymond Lin · 26 Jul 2011 at 13:02

What's the point of time machine if I need to reinstall all my apps? My data are all stored on a separate external HD anyway.

"andy" · 26 Jul 2011 at 13:13

but OSX just works !

sorry but im also having troubles with lion. should have learnt my lesson the last time i upgraded straight away , its just a good job my mac is for pleasure rather than work. god knows what all these designers and media moguls who 'NEED' osx for work do when upgrades come out

Ev0 · 26 Jul 2011 at 13:50

"andy" said:
but OSX just works !

sorry but im also having troubles with lion. should have learnt my lesson the last time i upgraded straight away , its just a good job my mac is for pleasure rather than work. god knows what all these designers and media moguls who 'NEED' osx for work do when upgrades come out

Probably the same as Windows and most other users do, you don't upgrade right away

uniQ · 26 Jul 2011 at 13:58

You can use migration wizard at any time to reinstall users, settings and applications from time machine.

Rizo-UK · 26 Jul 2011 at 15:54

Apps get re installed via TM

I done just this 2 nights ago

Raymond Lin · 26 Jul 2011 at 17:00

Rizo-UK said:
Apps get re installed via TM

I done just this 2 nights ago

So what are the steps?

I've created a Lion Boot disc already from the DMG.

uniQ · 26 Jul 2011 at 17:47

Just install Lion during the installation you will be given an option to use the migration wizard to reinstall from various backups including time machine.

Otherwise install Lion as a fresh install then at any time open Applications > Utilities > Migration Wizard. Follow self explanatory walkthrough steps. Job done.

Raymond Lin · 26 Jul 2011 at 18:42

And this can be done even if TM is over wifi in the TC?

Skyboat · 26 Jul 2011 at 19:01

Yes, but it will take a lot longer. If you can, it's highly recommend to migrate everything from the TC via Ethernet.

Raymond Lin · 26 Jul 2011 at 19:12

Skyboat said:
Yes, but it will take a lot longer. If you can, it's highly recommend to migrate everything from the TC via Ethernet.

Well, it's running N network.

If i migrate it via ethernet I will have to move my iMac close to it, so as long as i know it works via wifi then i can do it over the weekend.

uniQ · 26 Jul 2011 at 21:09

Raymond Lin said:
And this can be done even if TM is over wifi in the TC?

Yep, I used it to get the iLife 11 suite from my MBP over to the iMac after a fresh Lion install via WiFi. It took a long bloody time but it definitely supports WiFi migration.

FreeStream · 27 Jul 2011 at 00:01

Use the image in the downloaded app store file (google for where it is) and use disk utility to copy it onto a USB stick.

Voila!

What I did.

Lion hasn't crashed or anything for me since the few bugs that I sorted on day 1.

Da[]San · 27 Jul 2011 at 00:54

Perhaps try reseting SMC?
I also had my MacBook show black screen and fans burring away after putting it to sleep. After first thinking my machine was borked I figured on hard rebooting it and trying the reset and so far its not reappeared.

slinxy · 27 Jul 2011 at 06:36

I did a clean install of lion over the weekend, I just basically backed up my home directory. I didn't need to keep any of my apps or settings and I wanted to repartition my hdd into two anyway.

If all you data is kept on another partition, I would erase the os partition during setup; this will likely remove all your apps depending on your setup but OS X version re-installs over the top on default. Create a temp admin account first, then recreate your account with the same short name as before. Then change your home directory of your account to the other partition, as no data files are created before the user logs in.

Once you login to your real account, all your data files and settings should be there; and your shouldn't have any issues with file permissions. If you do just run the file permission repair and that will take ownership. Then remove the temp admin account.

This is what I did when I moved from leopard to snow leopard on another machine that I no longer own... but it worked fine.

With your time machine, you can restore your apps my drag dragging them from the time slice apps folder to your apps folder as it is now, and as you have the programs plist file already in your library folder, the program should come back with the same settings.

LordSplodge · 27 Jul 2011 at 09:52

You don't need to download anything if you have Lion installed. Hold down Alt at boot, select Lion Recovery. Once this boots use Disk Utility to format the main drive (please make sure you have a backup!), quit disk utility, select install Lion. Job done.

Once it is installed restore from the Time Machine backup (even if it is a Time Capsule)

Just make sure you have a current backup! Actually make that two...

I did this to convert the upgrade Lion install on my iMac to a fresh install install and I will be doing the same with the wife's MacBook (once I can prize it out of her hands for a couple of hours)