Macbook pro not restarting, so tried to reinstall Lion?

[maisiembp]

So, this all started a couple of days ago when I tried to download an application from the internet. It installed and asked me to restart my computer, so I did. However, it never turned on again. It would make the noise, go to the apple logo, and then start a loading bar which soon disappeared for the spinning wheel. Looking back now, what a rookie move it was to download something that was probably a dodgy app...

I tried safe booting the computer - did nothing. I installed Lion on it a few months ago, so I did the option + restart. I tried to use disk utility but it 'couldn't unmount disk' so I tried to install Lion again with the other button.

It is currently on 'Loading installation information' with a pinwheel.

I do not currently have the OS X CD. I don't mind wiping my hard drive as I have a time machine back up on an external hard drive (not on me currently though)

Please help, I need my computer for the new year of school to begin!

 

[justperry]

I am pretty sure you mean the recovery, if you want to internet recovery make sure the internet is connected otherwise it won't work.
There should be a recovery partition on the HD and you should be able to reinstall.

 

[maisiembp]

I am pretty sure you mean the recovery, if you want to internet recovery make sure the internet is connected otherwise it won't work.
There should be a recovery partition on the HD and you should be able to reinstall.

So you're saying I should just wait with the 'Loading installation information' pinwheel? And my Macbook may not be broken?!?! Yay!!!! p.s. It is connected to Wifi. I am not that much of a techie so I don't really know what a recovery partition is. Btw when I first did option + restart I clicked the recovery one rather than the MacBook one. Don't know if that means anything, or if I should have clicked the MacBook one and tried to wipe that hard drive. You understand me? Or am I speaking nonsense

 

[justperry]

So you're saying I should just wait with the 'Loading installation information' pinwheel? And my Macbook may not be broken?!?! Yay!!!! p.s. It is connected to Wifi. I am not that much of a techie so I don't really know what a recovery partition is. Btw when I first did option + restart I clicked the recovery one rather than the MacBook one. Don't know if that means anything, or if I should have clicked the MacBook one and tried to wipe that hard drive. You understand me? Or am I speaking nonsense

You do make sense, if you hold the Option key at startup you get into the boot Options screen, all bootable disks are listed there, the Macbook is your Internal disk while the other one is the recovery section, if you do an internet recovery it should show you a progress bar.
It also should warn you if you are connected and if not it will ask you the wireless network to connect to, but maybe only when it's a password protected wireless network.
You might post a picture here if you can, because right now I am not sure what to expect.

 

[maisiembp]

You might post a picture here if you can, because right now I am not sure what to expect.

This is what it has been doing all night.... I started at 10PM and it is now 8AM

UPDATE: I erased the hard drive. So I will wait until I return home from holiday (tomorrow) to install the OS X CD I have from when I first got my computer and then restore from Time Machine Backup... Or will I only need to restore from Time Machine Backup?

 

[justperry]

This is what it has been doing all night.... I started at 10PM and it is now 8AM
Image

UPDATE: I erased the hard drive. So I will wait until I return home from holiday (tomorrow) to install the OS X CD I have from when I first got my computer and then restore from Time Machine Backup... Or will I only need to restore from Time Machine Backup?

I can't see that image, just get a question mark!

If you have a CD/DVD that would be the easiest way, and after this you can use TimeMachine to get all your stuff back.

 

[maisiembp]

If you have a CD/DVD that would be the easiest way, and after this you can use TimeMachine to get all your stuff back.

That's perfect, thank you! I'll let you know how it goes

 

[maisiembp]

if you have a cd/dvd that would be the easiest way, and after this you can use timemachine to get all your stuff back.

update: My mac is now working! Thank you so much ! :d

 

[justperry]

update: My mac is now working! Thank you so much ! :d

No worries.