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Installing Lion without an Apple ID?

G

girlgenius

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Aug 19, 2011
6
0
I support many many Apple computers in a higher ed institution. I have an official Apple Lion USB Recover Drive and thought I'd use that to install Lion on computers that had a hard drive failure etc. But, I have found it impossible with the new recovery drive to install Lion without providing an Apple ID that is linked to a credit card (or iTunes gift card). Before you say it, I know that the 10.7 dev allowed you to bypass the Apple ID screen and complete the install, but the new recovery drive does not.

I can't find anything about it online anywhere. Anyone else have this problem? Anyone know of a way around it with this particular installer? For handling multiple upgrades, with multiple users, and multiple Apple IDs it's a complete pain. Also, I don't like Apple keeping tabs on me. Call me paranoid but *having* to provide your credit card information just to install an OS is ridiculous and leaning on immoral...
 
Are you allowed to use that usb key to do mass installs of Lion on these multitude of machines you're talking about?
 
What do you mean by allowed? Almost all of these machines were purchased just within the last few weeks meaning they shipped with 10.6 but are eligible for the free 10.7 upgrade. I can make sure that the owners of the computers go through Apple's up to date program to get the license for Lion. That's not the problem. The issue is simply being able to do the install myself without involving Apple IDs.
 
No cmd+q. No quitting your way out of this one. I also tried disconnecting the computer from the internet, but it would not proceed without a connection. I also tried using an Apple ID that I created without a credit card, but it didn't like that either. So frustrating that they are exhibiting so much control over this new OS install.
 
I tried both booting from the recovery usb itself and I also used the InstallESD.dmg file to image a partition on an external HD. I booted to that partition to the run the install and it would still not let me past the Apple ID screen.

Again, this whole process worked when dealing with the developer version, but not with the build included on the USB recovery drive.
 
The Lion install USB I made with the InstallESD.dmg from the installer download does not require an Apple ID to install.

Better to make your own than use the 'official' one.
 
RedRaven571 said:
The Lion install USB I made with the InstallESD.dmg from the installer download does not require an Apple ID to install.
Click to expand...
x2.

And OP, you can create an iTunes Account that's tied to an iTunes Gift Card. You don't have to use a credit/debit card (or PayPal).
 
RedRaven571 said:
The Lion install USB I made with the InstallESD.dmg from the installer download does not require an Apple ID to install.

Better to make your own than use the 'official' one.
Click to expand...

I did make my own. That's what's so annoying. I made my own from the recovery USB that i just got from Apple. Which I take it to mean that current and future OS builds are requiring an Apple ID linked to a credit or gift card to install the OS. I can use the dev build to make my own install USB, and bypass the Apple ID requirement but not with this new build. This is all fine and dandy until Apple releases a new line of computers and the dev build may no longer work.
 
girlgenius said:
I did make my own. That's what's so annoying. I made my own from the recovery USB that i just got from Apple.
Click to expand...

That's the problem.

You need to make an install USB from the "Install Mac OS X Lion" installer that you download from the app store. Instructions are at http://holgr.com/blog/2011/02/creating-a-bootable-os-x-10-7-lion-disc/

The recovery partition, and the recovery USB creator, do not contain the full lion install. They contain just enough to get online and download the rest of the installer image. That's probably why it asks for an apple id.

If you create a USB installer from the InstallESD.dmg, it will contain all the install media on the disk. (Which is why you need a bigger thumb drive.) That can install without needing an apple id. (I just tried it the other night.)
 
Help... please...

Hey Guys,

I have downloaded the MAC OS X Lion from pirate bay and I also have formated my MacBook 13" by erasing the disk throught Disk Utilities. But before that, I have created the boot DVD from the extracted file "InstallESD.dmg".

Now I am trying to boot from the DVD, and the MacBook do not recognize the DVD and gave me only the option to reinstall Mac OS X throught the Apple ID. I`ve tried to purchase the Mac OS X Lion but appears a message saying that I did not purchased the Mac OS X Lion thought this Apple ID.

What can I do?

Thank You!
 
fernandoaguiar said:
Help... please...

Hey Guys,

I have downloaded the MAC OS X Lion from pirate bay and I also have formated my MacBook 13" by erasing the disk throught Disk Utilities. But before that, I have created the boot DVD from the extracted file "InstallESD.dmg".

Now I am trying to boot from the DVD, and the MacBook do not recognize the DVD and gave me only the option to reinstall Mac OS X throught the Apple ID. I`ve tried to purchase the Mac OS X Lion but appears a message saying that I did not purchased the Mac OS X Lion thought this Apple ID.

What can I do?

Thank You!
Click to expand...

You need to reinstall Snow Leopard first and then purchase Lion. Your pirated downloaded copy was probably corrupted. Lesson learned, I hope.

jW
 
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