Completely Frustrated Can't Find Lion Download

[rocknblogger]

I re-downloaded Lion this evening because I want to make a bootable thumb drive. I can see it in Launchpad and in my dock but for the life of me I can't find the actual installer anywhere on my Macbook Pro. I know it's supposed to be in Applications folder but I must have searched through 10 times. It's not there.

Any ideas?

 

[MrCheeto]

Have you tried double-clicking this icon?

What do you mean by installer?

 

[LiesForTheLiars]

Did you try typing "Lion" into Spotlight?

 

[MrCheeto]

Read about creating a bootable drive here, it will list the directory as well.

 

[rocknblogger]

Yes I tried searching with spotlight every way imaginable. It finds nothing. I read the article one of you guys posted and I was aware of everything in it.

Basically if you download Lion, the installer downloads to the Applications folder. Once you install Lion it self destructs so to speak.

Like I said before. I can see it in Launchpad and in my Dock, but I can't find the actual 4GB Lion file anywhere.

 

[MacManiac76]

If you right-click on the icon in the Dock and select Options->Show in Finder what happens? Does Finder open showing the downloaded Lion installer?

 

[LiesForTheLiars]

You might need to download it again, unfortunately.

 

[MrCheeto]

He has explained that this is the second time he has downloaded. He shouldn't have to download again.

As suggested above, please right-click the icon in the Dock and click Show in Finder.

What happens if you try to launch it from the Launchpad or Dock?

 

[rocknblogger]

He has explained that this is the second time he has downloaded. He shouldn't have to download again.

As suggested above, please right-click the icon in the Dock and click Show in Finder.

What happens if you try to launch it from the Launchpad or Dock?

I had already tried right click show in finder and nothing happens. Finder doesn't open at all. I tried rebooting just for giggles and it didn't make a difference. It's as if I didn't download it at all. Yet if I click either Icon the installation screen does open.

 

[Partron22]

Have you tried rebooting? Finder has a bug that sometimes prevents file icons from showing up properly. LogOut/In or reboot fixes it.

In my 'Applications' folder, I have:
"Install OS X Mountain Lion Preview 1.app"
You should find something like:
"Install OS X Lion.app"

 

[KnightWRX]

I had already tried right click show in finder and nothing happens. Finder doesn't open at all. I tried rebooting just for giggles and it didn't make a difference. It's as if I didn't download it at all. Yet if I click either Icon the installation screen does open.

Have you tried dragging from the Dock to the desktop ?

 

[rocknblogger]

Have you tried dragging from the Dock to the desktop ?

Yes, you can't drag to the desktop but you can to the Dock. But it only creates a shortcut icon in the Dock.

I'm going to try to download it again and see what happens. The problem is that if I can't find it that means I'll more than likely have two Lion installers taking up 8GB of space.

I wonder if it's putting it on a separate (Recovery) partition now instead of the Applications folder??

 

[rocknblogger]

I figured out what was going on. I had saved the original 10.7 installation file to an external drive. Evidently MAS new that I moved the file from the Applications folder to the external drive so it was overwriting that original file.

When I ejected the drive the icons no longer brought up the installation screen which confirmed my suspicions. Now I'm downloading it again and I can already see it in the Applications folder.

Thanks everyone who tried to help!!