USB bootable drive on late 2011 MBP Lion Installed?

[KipCoon]

Hey gang,

I've looked on the forums and seem to only find steps to do this, assuming I have downloaded the Lion file from the app store. However, I just got a MBP 15" with Lion already on it and I need to create a USB Bootable drive so I can install my SSD as I apparently didnt get a backup disc with this laptop.

Can someone advise on what I need to do to create this? I have a 32gb USB drive so it should be plenty to handle it.

I don't have the installesd.dmg file that you'd get if you download Lion from a Snow Leopard machine.

 

[simsaladimbamba]

You can download that DMG via the Mac App Store and then use CarbonCopyCloner to clone the mounted DMG to your properly formatted* USB flash memory thumb drive.
You you could try CCC and see, if it recognises the Lion Recovery Partition.

*

How to format a new HDD/SSD to install Mac OS X or make a bootable copy onto​

 

[KipCoon]

I went to the app store it said its already installed so I couldn't download.

 

[simsaladimbamba]

I went to the app store it said its already installed so I couldn't download.

Ah, okay.

Then this, Lion Recovery Disk Assistant, found via searching for "backup lion recovery partition" might be of help.

 

[KipCoon]

I believe that is to recover with a HDD already having lion installed, I made the thumb drive but it only has 14mb of data on it so I don't think that will work

I tried using a snow leopard disc but it doesn't recognize Corei7's and shuts down.

 

[simsaladimbamba]

I believe that is to recover with a HDD already having lion installed, I made the thumb drive but it only has 14mb of data on it so I don't think that will work

I am a bit confused, as your Mac comes with Lion preinstalled, thus it should have the recovery partition.

I just got a MBP 15" with Lion already on it ...

How long did the copy process take?

 

[KipCoon]

Well the Apple software was the right thing, apparently, with it and the new drive, you just put it on the thumb drive and run it and it downloads all of Lion via wifi and fully installed Lion onto the M4 flawless. Thanks for the help and hope that can help anyone else in the future

 

[vincent.m]

Hey guys,

If you already have Lion with a recovery partition you can just go to http://support.apple.com/kb/DL1433 and download a tool that will allow you to make a recovery usb in about two clicks.