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Complete Steps to Perform a Clean OS X Reinstall on Your MacBook Air
- Thread starter clayj
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holding C just takes me to my desktop like normal.... and i know my disc sharing is installed correctly because i used the other mac to see the contents of the install disc.... advice?
in the manual it says to reinstall you have to go to app:utilities:remote install mac- and that method also gives me nothing... has anyone done this via remote disc?
in the manual it says to reinstall you have to go to app:utilities:remote install mac- and that method also gives me nothing... has anyone done this via remote disc?
Help
Hi I am doing an erase and install of osx on my Macbook Air via a superdrive. The computer is still on 2 minutes remaining ( 1st disk) for an hour and a half now. Any suggestions on if I should continue to wait . Or a safe way to start the reinstall again. Thanks in advance
Hi I am doing an erase and install of osx on my Macbook Air via a superdrive. The computer is still on 2 minutes remaining ( 1st disk) for an hour and a half now. Any suggestions on if I should continue to wait . Or a safe way to start the reinstall again. Thanks in advance
that does make more sense, but now it wont detect my network... but it does detect my neighbors... both are password protected... grr i'm just going to buy the superdrive already
clayj rocks
yep, the c key work with the drive.... when using remote disc it didn't though....
so i did it... now i have 46.8 free.... but in step 8 or something instead of doing an upgrade i did a fresh install, in the options menu.... or else it wouldn't let me uncheck the additional languages in the pkg list...
and taking everything off, i didn't have the opportunity to use the 2nd disc the air came with.... it didn't eject until i already was on my streamlined desktop... i'm thinking only the x11 linux stuff was on that disc....
thanks clayj!
yep, the c key work with the drive.... when using remote disc it didn't though....
so i did it... now i have 46.8 free.... but in step 8 or something instead of doing an upgrade i did a fresh install, in the options menu.... or else it wouldn't let me uncheck the additional languages in the pkg list...
and taking everything off, i didn't have the opportunity to use the 2nd disc the air came with.... it didn't eject until i already was on my streamlined desktop... i'm thinking only the x11 linux stuff was on that disc....
thanks clayj!
Another question from a mac newbie...
I am planning to reinstall the OS after opting out of iMovie, garageband and printer drivers. I understand I can reinstall printer drivers when I happen to buy a printer. But if I need iMovie later, how can I re-install it?
I am planning to reinstall the OS after opting out of iMovie, garageband and printer drivers. I understand I can reinstall printer drivers when I happen to buy a printer. But if I need iMovie later, how can I re-install it?
You can insert the OS X DVD #1 into your DVD drive (SuperDrive or shared Remote Disc) and then double-click Optional Installs > Install Bundled Software Only > Continue > Continue > Customize. This will let you (re)install the CPU Help Files, iWeb, GarageBand, iDVD, iPhoto, and iMovie.
Thank you, Clay!
After mulling over my options for a couple of days while waiting for a sustained period of time in which to really work with my MBA I finally made the decision to follow your step-by-step instructions for the OS X reinstall.... Everything went flawlessly and I was able to reclaim some otherwise wasted/lost drive space! MANY thanks!!! I don't think I would have had the courage to do this if the instructions had not been so very clearly outlined. I am most grateful. I thank you and my MBA thanks you!
After mulling over my options for a couple of days while waiting for a sustained period of time in which to really work with my MBA I finally made the decision to follow your step-by-step instructions for the OS X reinstall.... Everything went flawlessly and I was able to reclaim some otherwise wasted/lost drive space! MANY thanks!!! I don't think I would have had the courage to do this if the instructions had not been so very clearly outlined. I am most grateful. I thank you and my MBA thanks you!
I can't get this to work!!!!
My MBA can't recognized my Airport Express after i restarted it and hold down the option key..... it only shows other networks ...
sad.... but it finds and connects to my airport flawlessly under normal OS condition ...
Help plz
My MBA can't recognized my Airport Express after i restarted it and hold down the option key..... it only shows other networks ...
sad.... but it finds and connects to my airport flawlessly under normal OS condition ...
Help plz
Here are the steps for doing a remote install of OS X. It is anything but clear from the instructions.
1. Insert the OS X Install #1 disk into your host computer (the host computer is the one with the drive, NOT the MBA). If your host computer is a Mac, double click the "DVD or CD Sharing Set Up" package on the install disc. (If your host computer is a PC, choose "DVD or CD Sharing" from the install assistant that starts up automatically.)
2. Make sure your MBA and your host computer are connected to the same network. I would recommending turning off all network security. I would also turn both computers are set to "Never Sleep," and have both plugged into AC adaptors. This is a long process and you don't want to run out of juice.
3. Open "Remote Install OS X" (Path on a Mac: Applications->Utilities->Remote Install OS X. On a PC, who knows?)
4. Follow the directions in the Remote Install app on the host computer. Once you do the restart of your MBA (as instructed by the Remote Install app), select "Options" to do an erase and install, then "Customize" to opt not to install things. The first post in this thread has all the info you need to make these choices.
The biggest problem for me was not realizing that you control the whole process from the host computer, not the MBA.
The other oddity I ran into was that, in the "customize" menu, GarageBand and iPhoto were greyed out. I had to delete GarageBand the old fashioned way.
One other tip: if you can connect to your network over ethernet, you will save some time. I had to do mine using Airport and it took a couple hours.
Man, the MBA is one slick machine. It instantly made my PB G4 look like a dinosaur. Very speedy, too.
1. Insert the OS X Install #1 disk into your host computer (the host computer is the one with the drive, NOT the MBA). If your host computer is a Mac, double click the "DVD or CD Sharing Set Up" package on the install disc. (If your host computer is a PC, choose "DVD or CD Sharing" from the install assistant that starts up automatically.)
2. Make sure your MBA and your host computer are connected to the same network. I would recommending turning off all network security. I would also turn both computers are set to "Never Sleep," and have both plugged into AC adaptors. This is a long process and you don't want to run out of juice.
3. Open "Remote Install OS X" (Path on a Mac: Applications->Utilities->Remote Install OS X. On a PC, who knows?)
4. Follow the directions in the Remote Install app on the host computer. Once you do the restart of your MBA (as instructed by the Remote Install app), select "Options" to do an erase and install, then "Customize" to opt not to install things. The first post in this thread has all the info you need to make these choices.
The biggest problem for me was not realizing that you control the whole process from the host computer, not the MBA.
The other oddity I ran into was that, in the "customize" menu, GarageBand and iPhoto were greyed out. I had to delete GarageBand the old fashioned way.
One other tip: if you can connect to your network over ethernet, you will save some time. I had to do mine using Airport and it took a couple hours.
Man, the MBA is one slick machine. It instantly made my PB G4 look like a dinosaur. Very speedy, too.
I have suffered a complete power failure in mode 0 with safari, Mail, iTunes and more running. I have also hard reset my computer while using it many times. I have not experienced any data loss or program misbehavior as a result. I consider myself lucky. I have lost data and whole systems due to unexpected power failure using other operating systems. It rarely happens, but it can. Since losing power in mode 0, I went back to mode 3 just for the convenience and peace of mind.
Hmm. I guess I am more worried about programs that open a database file and keep it open for the duration of their operation: Entourage and Filemaker are two that come to mind. In those apps, a sudden app crash (including because of a power failure) can result in all kinds of fun errors when you restart the app, including possible data loss and/or corruption, since the database wasn't closed properly. The programs you listed (Safari, Mail, iTunes) don't tend to keep files open in the same way that database-oriented apps do.
So I can't in good conscience recommend that anyone switch from mode 3 to mode 0, even to save 2 GB of disk space.
Thank you so much for this post! I just completed it on my new 1.6 80GB HDD Air, and thought I'd report the final numbers:
Capacity: 74.21 GB
Available: 63.8 GB
Used: 10.41
Not bad
One more thing too...the reinstall was pretty fast. Only took about 30 min. for disc 1, and then 15 min. for disc 2.
Capacity: 74.21 GB
Available: 63.8 GB
Used: 10.41
Not bad
One more thing too...the reinstall was pretty fast. Only took about 30 min. for disc 1, and then 15 min. for disc 2.
I'm a little confused...i reinstalled mac os x...but i did NOT need the second dvd.
air is running fine and i have 64,5 GB of free space...what did i do wrong?!
air is running fine and i have 64,5 GB of free space...what did i do wrong?!
You may not have done anything wrong. Depending on what you install (or more the point, what you do not install), DVD #2 may not have been needed.I'm a little confused...i reinstalled mac os x...but i did NOT need the second dvd.
air is running fine and i have 64,5 GB of free space...what did i do wrong?!
But here's the kicker, and a bug on Apple's part: The Installer will never actually ask you for the second DVD. If it ejects the first DVD while the installation process is still running, you're just supposed to insert the second DVD. It doesn't say, "Please insert the second DVD." It simply assumes that you know to do that. This, to me, is a serious issue. When it ejected the first DVD during my reinstall, I just assumed after a few minutes of it not doing anything that it wanted the second DVD, so I inserted it and the installation then continued.
(Why this is a bug is that a less adventurous computer user, my Mom for example, would not insert the second DVD unless specifically asked. They'd end up calling in to Apple for support and wasting a huge amount of time before being told, "Oh, just insert the disc and see what happens." Not cool.)
If you got to the end of the installation process and it never ejected the first DVD, then you're probably OK.
But if you have doubts, it might not be a bad idea to go through the process a second time and see if the opportunity arises for you to insert the second DVD.
Before i reinstalled i already had my os updated to 10.5.2 ...maybe some programs were not deleted after all because they were "newer" than the ones on the dvd...maybe
Well, then it sounds like you didn't do a clean install. A clean install involves either using the Disk Utility (before the Installer starts copying files) to repartition/reformat your hard drive, or using the Erase and Install option inside the Installer. In either case, there'd be nothing newer on your hard drive... no 10.5.2, no updates.Before i reinstalled i already had my os updated to 10.5.2 ...maybe some programs were not deleted after all because they were "newer" than the ones on the dvd...maybe
Once the clean install is complete, then you'd be able to install 10.5.2, the iLife update, etc.
Unfortunately this is a bug that Apple needs to address. However, I take it that you didn't read through the instructions in this post before reinstalling. The author notes this error specifically
I assume you're addressing illian? Because yeah, I did note specifically that you will not be asked to insert the second disc.Unfortunately this is a bug that Apple needs to address. However, I take it that you didn't read through the instructions in this post before reinstalling. The author notes this error specifically
(Actually, I've noticed that most of the problems people have mentioned in this thread are a result of them not following the steps completely. The #1 source of issues is not using Disk Utility to repartition/reformat your drive.)
You guys could try to use xslimmer, it removes the PPC part of some universal binaries. It saved me 2.79GB on my MBA with 80GB HDD. There is a trial up to 50MB but I caved and spent the $11, it is well worth it....
http://www.xslimmer.com/
http://www.xslimmer.com/
One problem with Xslimmer is, I believe, that it won't touch any of the Apple apps, which is part of the reason for running these steps in the first place. Also, I'd be concerned that by modifying an app's executable, I could cause problems later on if I installed a patch that actually patched a file rather than replacing it.
