How to reinstall the ML on a iMac

Hold down the "OPTION" key to get to DU.


Hold down the "R" key for internet recovery.

Try with internet recovery, hold Command-Option-R at startup, this is different from recovery and is built into the iMac's firmware, should always work.

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Macman45 said:

Hold down the "OPTION" key to get to DU.


Hold down the "R" key for internet recovery.

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Option does not bring you into DU, it will get you into the boot manager, and R is also wrong, it is Command-R or Command-Option-R, first is Recovery, second is Internet Recovery.

The difference is that one is built into firmware and the other resides on an invisible partition on the HD/SSD.


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Edit:
OP, the alt key is called the Option key in OS X, if you can't get into normal Recovery try the internet Recovery, this should always work, but as with recovery you need an active internet connection.
If you don't see the Recovery Option after you held the Option key at startup this means or your Recovery partition is damaged or it is not there due to an earlier wipe of the HD.

Serban said:

So what is the option for my case...keep in mind i only have thee wireless keyboard and i think after i power on my imac it takes a while for my keyboard to connect

Click to expand...

It does work if you press the power button on the keyboard just shortly before you press the power button on the Mac.

oops! Forgot CMD....Not awake yet.

Macman45 said:

oops! Forgot CMD....Not awake yet.

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No worries.

Serban said:

I don't have power button on my keyboard

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Thought you had the Apple keyboard, connect a USB keyboard.

Serban said:

I only have the apple wireless keyboard that came with the imac

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Then there should be a power button, it is on the right hand side, the left rounded side contains the batteries, the right rounded part has the power button.

Serban said:

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl...9xUeuVBMWWtQa784DQBw&ved=0CEIQ9QEwAg&dur=2071

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i understand now yes. But i never power off my keyboard, i think when my imac si power off, the keyboard is become idle. So you suggest that i press one time the power button when i start the imac?

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And I included an image as well in my last post!
And, in your link to google images there is one as well which shows you.

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Serban said:

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl...9xUeuVBMWWtQa784DQBw&ved=0CEIQ9QEwAg&dur=2071

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i understand now yes. But i never power off my keyboard, i think when my imac si power off, the keyboard is become idle. So you suggest that i press one time the power button when i start the imac?

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Yes, it is not really a power button, you can't switch off the keyboard AFAIL.

justperry said:

And I included an image as well in my last post!
And, in your link to google images there is one as well which shows you.

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Yes, it is not really a power button, you can't switch off the keyboard AFAIL.

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Thanks for posting this!

Serban said:

I have an iMac late 2012 with wireless keyboard. After restart i hold the "alt" button and i get the MacHDD only option. Shouldn't been there an Recovery partition as well?

How can i do the reinstall without the any external hdd or flash drives or buy an external dvd drive?

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Hold command + R once at boot and its gonna give you the internet recovery!