How to create a lion boot disk

vomer · Jun 8, 2011, 12:29 AM

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Here we go:

[ Lion Boot Disk ]
Purchase and download Lion from the Mac App Store on any Lion compatible Mac running Snow Leopard.

Right click on “Mac OS X Lion” installer and choose the option to “Show Package Contents.”

Inside the Contents folder that appears you will find a SharedSupport folder and inside the SharedSupport folder you will find the “InstallESD.dmg.” This is the Lion boot disc image we have all been waiting for.

Copy “InstallESD.dmg” to another folder like the Desktop.

Launch Disk Utility and click the burn button.

Select the copied “InstallESD.dmg” as the image to burn, insert a standard sized 4.7 GB DVD, and wait for your new Lion Boot Disc.

Lukeit · Jun 8, 2011, 01:18 AM

And is it possible (and how) to make a clean install from that boot disk or from a "restored" dmg image?
Thanks a lot!

(marc) · Jun 8, 2011, 02:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lukeit

And is it possible (and how) to make a clean install from that boot disk or from a "restored" dmg image?
Thanks a lot!

Exactly, is it possible to install Lion without having any OS installed?

pwatson80 · Jun 8, 2011, 05:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by (marc)

Exactly, is it possible to install Lion without having any OS installed?

I 2nd that, or is it 3rd.

Pure speculation on my part, but maybe you can purchase a DVD at or cost, or even some kind of boot disk to download the installation on the fly. Much like Linux has done for years...

Would be nice to have some official word regarding this from God himself. WWDC raised a few questions in my mind regarding Office/Enterprise distribution.

solace · Jun 8, 2011, 09:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pwatson80

I 2nd that, or is it 3rd.

Pure speculation on my part, but maybe you can purchase a DVD at or cost, or even some kind of boot disk to download the installation on the fly. Much like Linux has done for years...

Would be nice to have some official word regarding this from God himself. WWDC raised a few questions in my mind regarding Office/Enterprise distribution.

it is possible to clean install with a burned disc of DP4... i did it on 2 machines. so i'd hope they'll leave that in for the final version as well.

jessica. · Jun 8, 2011, 09:29 AM

If you can make a bootable DVD then it's good. I've made a backup bootable DVD of snow leopard, even made a bootable flash drive for a hackintosh. If Lion somehow prevents this then buying a new HDD or in my case a new SSD would seem impossible if I wanted my OS on it.

(marc) · Jun 8, 2011, 11:41 AM

I can confirm from my fresh Lion install that this is possible. I used this guide but it might as well work out of the box...

xWinDows · Jun 8, 2011, 02:07 PM

I tried following this but the DVD's that I created were not bootable. What am I doing wrong?

Quote:

Originally Posted by vomer

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 4_3_3 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/533.17.9 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.0.2 Mobile/8J2 Safari/6533.18.5)

Here we go:

[ Lion Boot Disk ]
Purchase and download Lion from the Mac App Store on any Lion compatible Mac running Snow Leopard.

Right click on “Mac OS X Lion” installer and choose the option to “Show Package Contents.”

Inside the Contents folder that appears you will find a SharedSupport folder and inside the SharedSupport folder you will find the “InstallESD.dmg.” This is the Lion boot disc image we have all been waiting for.

Copy “InstallESD.dmg” to another folder like the Desktop.

Launch Disk Utility and click the burn button.

Select the copied “InstallESD.dmg” as the image to burn, insert a standard sized 4.7 GB DVD, and wait for your new Lion Boot Disc.

xgman · Jun 8, 2011, 02:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by xWinDows

I tried following this but the DVD's that I created were not bootable. What am I doing wrong?

Are you sure you burned this a an "Image" and not just burned the dmg to the dvd?

rmbrown09 · Jun 8, 2011, 03:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vomer

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 4_3_3 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/533.17.9 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.0.2 Mobile/8J2 Safari/6533.18.5)

Here we go:

[ Lion Boot Disk ]
Purchase and download Lion from the Mac App Store on any Lion compatible Mac running Snow Leopard.

Right click on “Mac OS X Lion” installer and choose the option to “Show Package Contents.”

Inside the Contents folder that appears you will find a SharedSupport folder and inside the SharedSupport folder you will find the “InstallESD.dmg.” This is the Lion boot disc image we have all been waiting for.

Copy “InstallESD.dmg” to another folder like the Desktop.

Launch Disk Utility and click the burn button.

Select the copied “InstallESD.dmg” as the image to burn, insert a standard sized 4.7 GB DVD, and wait for your new Lion Boot Disc.

I open package contents on the installer but I cannot find the folder you specify... Where exactly is it? Am I clicking the wrong thing?

jack2 · Jun 8, 2011, 08:05 PM

my steps was

1) make new partition for a Lion
2) inside SL, install the lion from InstallESD.dmg
3) back to SL copy InstallESD.dmg to my external hard
4) backup my files from SL
5) inside Lion, Erase SL partition "Optional"
6) resize the Old partition to Lion

now everything works fine with me

xWinDows · Jun 8, 2011, 08:23 PM

Yes, because the DVD does not contain the DMG but the folders inside the DMG

Quote:

Originally Posted by xgman

Are you sure you burned this a an "Image" and not just burned the dmg to the dvd?

JoshBoy · Jun 8, 2011, 10:25 PM

can this be done on a usb stick at all?

jowie · Jun 21, 2011, 02:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JoshBoy

can this be done on a usb stick at all?

That's a very good question.

rmbrown09 · Jun 21, 2011, 02:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jowie

That's a very good question.

Yep, I have an Air so had to do it this way.

Once you have the .dmg (However you obtained it)

Open disk utility and click your USB.

This is mine, I have 2 partitions on my 320GB External HDD, works the same on a USB though.

Click your partition, not the overhead name of the drive.
In this case I would select "Other" or the "Install ESD" (Although that is my current 10.7 installer)

Go to restore and select the 10.7 dmg as your source, the partition as the destination. Done.

STC1709 · Jul 20, 2011, 08:03 AM

bump it to the top

JamesM · Jul 20, 2011, 08:49 AM

where does lion download to?

jowie · Jul 20, 2011, 09:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by STC1709

bump it to the top

Looks like this is not so much of an issue any more, since Apple just announced today that from August you will be able to buy Lion on a USB stick for something like $69?

Doug0915 · Jul 20, 2011, 09:39 AM

How do I create a boot disk if I realized I wanted one AFTER I upgraded to Lion? I tried re-downloading the installer from app store and it will not let me.

robby818 · Jul 20, 2011, 09:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Doug0915

How do I create a boot disk if I realized I wanted one AFTER I upgraded to Lion? I tried re-downloading the installer from app store and it will not let me.

I'm in the same boat. I didn't realize the installer would be deleted after upgrading.

Guini · Jul 20, 2011, 10:08 AM

Same here, any ideas people?

trfjason · Jul 20, 2011, 10:15 AM

Yes, the installer gets deleted after the installation. I used Time Machine to backup my whole system right before I installed Lion and also copy the installation package to a USB.

Once you finished downloading Lion, it should appear in your Applications folder.

Make sure you backup the installation package before you install or else you won't have a chance to back up it later.

definitive · Jul 20, 2011, 10:19 AM

Where is the installation app downloaded to?

JamesM · Jul 20, 2011, 10:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by trfjason

Yes, the installer gets deleted after the installation. I used Time Machine to backup my whole system right before I installed Lion and also copy the installation package to a USB.

Once you finished downloading Lion, it should appear in your Applications folder.

Make sure you backup the installation package before you install or else you won't have a chance to back up it later.

So basically if you didn't back it up before installing it you've got no chance of doing a clean install at a later date?

Not impressed about this.

superAl1394 · Jul 20, 2011, 10:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JamesM

So basically if you didn't back it up before installing it you've got no chance of doing a clean install at a later date?

Not impressed about this.

If I had to guess, it disappears the installer data into another partition

Jun 8, 2011, 09:29 AM	#6
jessica. macrumors Nehalem Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Wrong girl from the right side of the tracks	If you can make a bootable DVD then it's good. I've made a backup bootable DVD of snow leopard, even made a bootable flash drive for a hackintosh. If Lion somehow prevents this then buying a new HDD or in my case a new SSD would seem impossible if I wanted my OS on it. __________________ Because I'm an ahole.
	0

Jun 8, 2011, 10:25 PM	#13
JoshBoy macrumors 6502 Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Sydney, Australia	can this be done on a usb stick at all? __________________ 24" iMac 2.4Ghz, 15" Macbook Pro 2.53Ghz, 13" Macbook Air, iPad 3 64 gig 3G Black, iPhone 4s 64 Gig, Apple Tv 160 Gig, ATV2. www.joshuabeniston.com
	1

Jul 20, 2011, 08:49 AM	#17
JamesM macrumors regular Join Date: Jan 2007	where does lion download to? __________________ 27" iMac 3.4Ghz - MacBook Pro 2.33 GHz - iPad 3 - iPhone 5 - iPhone 2G
	0

Jul 20, 2011, 09:39 AM	#19
Doug0915 macrumors newbie Join Date: Jul 2011	How about AFTER you install Lion? How do I create a boot disk if I realized I wanted one AFTER I upgraded to Lion? I tried re-downloading the installer from app store and it will not let me.
	0

Jul 20, 2011, 10:15 AM	#22
trfjason macrumors member Join Date: May 2010	Yes, the installer gets deleted after the installation. I used Time Machine to backup my whole system right before I installed Lion and also copy the installation package to a USB. Once you finished downloading Lion, it should appear in your Applications folder. Make sure you backup the installation package before you install or else you won't have a chance to back up it later. __________________ MacBook Pro 13, 2.4GHz, 8GB RAM, Intel 320 Series 160GB
	0

Jun 8, 2011, 12:29 AM	#1
vomer macrumors member Join Date: Sep 2007	Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 4_3_3 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/533.17.9 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.0.2 Mobile/8J2 Safari/6533.18.5) Here we go: [ Lion Boot Disk ] Purchase and download Lion from the Mac App Store on any Lion compatible Mac running Snow Leopard. Right click on “Mac OS X Lion” installer and choose the option to “Show Package Contents.” Inside the Contents folder that appears you will find a SharedSupport folder and inside the SharedSupport folder you will find the “InstallESD.dmg.” This is the Lion boot disc image we have all been waiting for. Copy “InstallESD.dmg” to another folder like the Desktop. Launch Disk Utility and click the burn button. Select the copied “InstallESD.dmg” as the image to burn, insert a standard sized 4.7 GB DVD, and wait for your new Lion Boot Disc.
	2

Jun 8, 2011, 01:18 AM	#2
Lukeit macrumors member Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Shanghai, China	And is it possible (and how) to make a clean install from that boot disk or from a "restored" dmg image? Thanks a lot!
	1

Jun 8, 2011, 11:41 AM	#7
(marc) macrumors 6502a Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: the woods	I can confirm from my fresh Lion install that this is possible. I used this guide but it might as well work out of the box...
	0

Jun 8, 2011, 08:05 PM	#11
jack2 macrumors newbie Join Date: Feb 2008	my steps was 1) make new partition for a Lion 2) inside SL, install the lion from InstallESD.dmg 3) back to SL copy InstallESD.dmg to my external hard 4) backup my files from SL 5) inside Lion, Erase SL partition "Optional" 6) resize the Old partition to Lion now everything works fine with me
	0

Jul 20, 2011, 08:03 AM	#16
STC1709 macrumors regular Join Date: May 2009	bump it to the top
	0

Jul 20, 2011, 10:08 AM	#21
Guini macrumors newbie Join Date: May 2011	Same here, any ideas people?
	0

Jul 20, 2011, 10:19 AM	#23
definitive macrumors 65816 Join Date: Aug 2008	Where is the installation app downloaded to?
	0

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