Install OS X Lion

[Drew017]

Can I use that USB installer apple sells online to upgrade my MacBook to Lion? Even though the sig says it has Lion, it actually has Leopard. Also, if I somehow got a DMG of the installer (Theoretically, because I'm dont know where I could get one anyway), could I restore it to a USB and do an install? Will I have to do a clean install?

Also, when you upgrade your OS X, does the installer delete the system, keep your files, and install a new system... Or does it just overwrite the old stuff and put in the new? Because I don't want to waste space on my mac...

 

[yjchua95]

Forget about upgrading if you're going to Lion from Leopard. It won't work. So back up all your data first.

You can restore the Lion dmg into a USB and then boot from the USB. Make a fresh install and you're good to go!

If you have any Snow Leopard systems, you can perform a system upgrade, where only the OS is replaced, but keeps files, settings, etc.

Anyway, there's no harm waiting until September (because 10.8 Mountain Lion will come out around that time)

 

[benthewraith]

Can I use that USB installer apple sells online to upgrade my MacBook to Lion? Even though the sig says it has Lion, it actually has Leopard. Also, if I somehow got a DMG of the installer (Theoretically, because I'm dont know where I could get one anyway), could I restore it to a USB and do an install? Will I have to do a clean install?

Also, when you upgrade your OS X, does the installer delete the system, keep your files, and install a new system... Or does it just overwrite the old stuff and put in the new? Because I don't want to waste space on my mac...

I don't recommend using Lion with 2GB of RAM. You can't update from Leopard -> Lion. Only clean install. Which never hurts anything, just make sure you've backed up your important data.

 

[Drew017]

That's what I thought... No Leopard upgrades. I haven't transferred any data from my USB time machine backup for this very reason, because I'm getting Lion. Any reason why apple made the installer like this? Even from, say, a USB installer bought from the Apple online store? Also, I was thinking of creating a tiny installer partition, restoring the installer DMG from the installer app to it, and use it for clean install, instead of a USB. Then I would delete it. I've done this before, when I had to reinstall Leopard from a DMG backup I had.

Another question -> I heard that Lion won't boot right or let you set up your account if you enter in an apple ID that hasn't bought Lion. Not that I have any reason that this would happen to me, but I was just wondering. I was gonna get a MacBook that already had Lion on it before I got this one, and I wanted to know how I would set it up, knowing that I hadn't bought Lion yet.

 

[yjchua95]

That's what I thought... No Leopard upgrades. I haven't transferred any data from my USB time machine backup for this very reason, because I'm getting Lion. Any reason why apple made the installer like this? Even from, say, a USB installer bought from the Apple online store? Also, I was thinking of creating a tiny installer partition, restoring the installer DMG from the installer app to it, and use it for clean install, instead of a USB. Then I would delete it. I've done this before, when I had to reinstall Leopard from a DMG backup I had.

Another question -> I heard that Lion won't boot right or let you set up your account if you enter in an apple ID that hasn't bought Lion. Not that I have any reason that this would happen to me, but I was just wondering. I was gonna get a MacBook that already had Lion on it before I got this one, and I wanted to know how I would set it up, knowing that I hadn't bought Lion yet.

You can always skip the Apple ID process. I installed Lion on my school's iMac and never entered my Apple ID, it worked flawlessly.

 

[Drew017]

OK, thanks