Install legit App Store Lion over GM without losing data?

[J.C]

I'm currently running the GM version of Lion on my Mac but want to pay for it fair 'n' square through the App Store. I used the Option + Click trick to download Lion from the store.

When that finishes, am I able to run the installer to overwrite the GM build with the current App Store build without losing any data? e.g. Apps + app data, iLife libraries etc.

Essentially I want to legitimise the install, pay for the product, but avoid having to restore from a Time Machine backup.

If I am required to restore a TM backup (after the App Store installer), will I be putting the Apps, libraries etc into the legit build or end up putting the original GM build back on the machine?

Thanks!

 

[stridemat]

If you have brought Lion then you have effectively legitmised the purchase as you have brought the license. I would't go through the reinstallation procedure.

 

[stefan1975]

if you are running GM you must be a developer and thus can run lion for "free", you do not have to buy it again (besides lion 10.7.0 = GM). you definitely do not have to reinstall it, restore anything or whatever, since both products are technically the same.

 

[Menge]

1) If you downloaded it from the App Store, then your license is paid;
2) Lion GM is the very same bit by bit as the App Store release of 10.7.

Don't reinstall.

 

[J.C]

Thanks very much for the replies. Although I won't run the installer I'm still very interested in the answer to my question, if anyone has it?

In the future if I ever needed to reinstall through this method it'd be good to know what would happen to my data.

Thanks again.

 

[err404]

Your asking to reinstall the same OS on top of itself. Lion GM is indistinguishable from the the App Store download. It's the same disk image minus the App store wrapper.
Sure you can do it, but there is no point. The OS installer will just treat it as a 'repair' install. You data 'should' be fine, but why risk it? If you insist on reinstalling, make sure you have a TM backup just in case.

Since the OS is the same build, a TM restore from a GM install will look just as 'legit' as any other TM restore.

 

[J.C]

Your asking to reinstall the same OS on top of itself. Lion GM is indistinguishable from the the App Store download. It's the same disk image minus the App store wrapper.
Sure you can do it, but there is no point. The OS installer will just treat it as a 'repair' install. You data 'should' be fine, but why risk it? If you insist on reinstalling, make sure you have a TM backup just in case.

Since the OS is the same build, a TM restore from a GM install will look just as 'legit' as any other TM restore.

I'm no longer planning to proceed with the install, because as you said, there's no point. Thanks for clarifying what would happen however (i.e. 'repair' install).