I have an early 2011 MacBook Pro (13 inch) and recently my hard disk failed. I had lost the original installation disks and so phoned Apple for advice.
I was told that my machine was originally installed with Snow Leopard 10.6 and that I would need to purchase the disk in order to re-install it.
Being an avid PC user I looked for a torrent of it to download. Not because I thought the £20 was too much money but because I wanted to get on with it there and then. Besides that I felt I was entitled to it for free as it came pre-installed on my machine anyway and was in effect paid for in the cost of the MacBook. That said I am not allowed to post any details where I got the torrents from as it is against this websites rules. I don't even know if they will let me post this as it is.
I tried several torrent files of 10.6 in DMG and ISO format and tried again and again to create the USB installer on my 16GB SanDisk flash drive with no success. I got error ranging from ‘Restart your computer – kernel panic’, the Apple logo followed by the ‘Stop’ sign and various ‘input / output’ and other error messages when erasing / restoring my disk using the disk utility.
I decided to try and install Mountain Lion 10.8 instead. On my first try I held the option key and turned on the MacBook and was given the option to use internet recovery after entering my Wi-Fi key.
When this loaded I erased my internal disk, partitioned it with 1 partition and made sure the GUI option was selected. I then verified my disk and it was reported as being fine. I closed the disk utility and proceeded to install Mountain Lion from the main menu.
After selecting the disk to install to I was informed that my computer was not licenced to install Mountain Lion and that I would need to buy it for £15! So I downloaded Mountain Lion from another torrent, mostly as I didn’t even know if it was going to work.
After the 4.04GB Mountain Lion 10.8 had downloaded I put the ‘InstallESD.dmg’ on a USB hard disk (mostly for transfer speed), popped in the 16GB flash drive, held the option key and turned on the MacBook then selected the ‘Internet Recovery’ option and put in my Wi-Fi key.
I ran the disk utility, erased my internal hard disk, partitioned it using the 1 partition selection from the drop down menu, renamed it ‘Mackintosh HD’ and checked the ‘GUI’ option. I then verified the disk and it was reported well.
I then erased my 16GB flash disk, partitioned it using the 1 partition selection from the drop down menu, renamed it ‘Install OS X’ and checked the ‘GUI’ option. I then verified the disk and it was reported well.
I then hit the restore tab, dragged my ‘Install OS X’ into the Destination box. I then pushed the ‘Image’ button and selected the hard disk containing the ‘InstallESD.dmg’ and double clicked it. After clicking the ‘Restore’ button I waited some 25 – 30 minutes for it to complete.
Once I had created the USB install disk I removed my USB hard disk containing the ‘InstallESD.dmg’ but left in the flash drive and shut down the MacBook. I then started the MacBook holding the option key and this time chose the USB flash disk, not the internet option.
The first time I got confused here and went back into the disk utility and tried to flash the USB to the hard disk again! What I should have done was just to select the ‘Install OS X’ from the first menu which I worked out soon after! After doing that and 25 – 30 minutes later I have a working MacBook Pro running Mountain Lion and have just updated the software with no issues.
I hope this is helpful for some people. I knew nothing of installing Mac’s and spent a day and a half pulling my hair out with Snow Leopard 10.6 getting all the errors everyone else has.
Just for the record, I’m now going to buy Mountain Lion 10.8 as I know it works
I was told that my machine was originally installed with Snow Leopard 10.6 and that I would need to purchase the disk in order to re-install it.
Being an avid PC user I looked for a torrent of it to download. Not because I thought the £20 was too much money but because I wanted to get on with it there and then. Besides that I felt I was entitled to it for free as it came pre-installed on my machine anyway and was in effect paid for in the cost of the MacBook. That said I am not allowed to post any details where I got the torrents from as it is against this websites rules. I don't even know if they will let me post this as it is.
I tried several torrent files of 10.6 in DMG and ISO format and tried again and again to create the USB installer on my 16GB SanDisk flash drive with no success. I got error ranging from ‘Restart your computer – kernel panic’, the Apple logo followed by the ‘Stop’ sign and various ‘input / output’ and other error messages when erasing / restoring my disk using the disk utility.
I decided to try and install Mountain Lion 10.8 instead. On my first try I held the option key and turned on the MacBook and was given the option to use internet recovery after entering my Wi-Fi key.
When this loaded I erased my internal disk, partitioned it with 1 partition and made sure the GUI option was selected. I then verified my disk and it was reported as being fine. I closed the disk utility and proceeded to install Mountain Lion from the main menu.
After selecting the disk to install to I was informed that my computer was not licenced to install Mountain Lion and that I would need to buy it for £15! So I downloaded Mountain Lion from another torrent, mostly as I didn’t even know if it was going to work.
After the 4.04GB Mountain Lion 10.8 had downloaded I put the ‘InstallESD.dmg’ on a USB hard disk (mostly for transfer speed), popped in the 16GB flash drive, held the option key and turned on the MacBook then selected the ‘Internet Recovery’ option and put in my Wi-Fi key.
I ran the disk utility, erased my internal hard disk, partitioned it using the 1 partition selection from the drop down menu, renamed it ‘Mackintosh HD’ and checked the ‘GUI’ option. I then verified the disk and it was reported well.
I then erased my 16GB flash disk, partitioned it using the 1 partition selection from the drop down menu, renamed it ‘Install OS X’ and checked the ‘GUI’ option. I then verified the disk and it was reported well.
I then hit the restore tab, dragged my ‘Install OS X’ into the Destination box. I then pushed the ‘Image’ button and selected the hard disk containing the ‘InstallESD.dmg’ and double clicked it. After clicking the ‘Restore’ button I waited some 25 – 30 minutes for it to complete.
Once I had created the USB install disk I removed my USB hard disk containing the ‘InstallESD.dmg’ but left in the flash drive and shut down the MacBook. I then started the MacBook holding the option key and this time chose the USB flash disk, not the internet option.
The first time I got confused here and went back into the disk utility and tried to flash the USB to the hard disk again! What I should have done was just to select the ‘Install OS X’ from the first menu which I worked out soon after! After doing that and 25 – 30 minutes later I have a working MacBook Pro running Mountain Lion and have just updated the software with no issues.
I hope this is helpful for some people. I knew nothing of installing Mac’s and spent a day and a half pulling my hair out with Snow Leopard 10.6 getting all the errors everyone else has.
Just for the record, I’m now going to buy Mountain Lion 10.8 as I know it works
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