« previous next »
Pages: [1]   Go Down

Author Topic: Can't reinstall 10.7 on two different Macbook Pros  (Read 1214 times)

Offline gunug

  • TS Addict
  • *****
  • Posts: 6710
  • TS Palindrome
    • View Profile
Can't reinstall 10.7 on two different Macbook Pros
« on: March 19, 2012, 02:59:28 PM »
Earlier today I had a "newly" reimaged Macbook Pro that wouldn't let the new user log into it!  It takes the account name and password and then a spinning character in the password field takes over and never stops to allow login.  I made an assumption that possibly the reimaging didn't finish correctly and set it up to install again from the restoration partition (these came with 10.7 installed) and what you get when you begin that process is a screen that says:

-2,147,483,648 hours and nn minutes remaining!

with the "nn" being a string of changing numbers and the number of hours never changing.  I went over to our networking department and talked to the person who originally had this computer and she had another Macbook Pro sitting on her desk with essentially the same display on it down to to the "-2,147,483,648 hours and nn minutes remaining!"  dntknw.gif

I'm hoping this is sunspots bothering Apple's servers!
« Last Edit: March 19, 2012, 03:00:23 PM by gunug »
Logged
"If there really is no beer in heaven then maybe at least the
computers will work all of the time!"

Offline Xairbusdriver

  • Administrator
  • TS Addict
  • *****
  • Posts: 26388
  • 27" iMac (mid-17), Big Sur, Mac mini, Catalina
    • View Profile
    • Mid-South Weather
Can't reinstall 10.7 on two different Macbook Pros
« Reply #1 on: March 19, 2012, 04:52:25 PM »
There are no servers involved if you are using the Restore option. But you do have to hold down the "r" key on startup. OTOH, if you are attempting to re-download Lion, you can easily also be re-charged for it, especially if it came pre-installed on the machines.
Logged
THERE ARE TWO TYPES OF COUNTRIES
Those that use metric = #1 Measurement system
And the United States = The Banana system
CAUTION! Childhood vaccinations cause adults! :yes:

Offline gunug

  • TS Addict
  • *****
  • Posts: 6710
  • TS Palindrome
    • View Profile
Can't reinstall 10.7 on two different Macbook Pros
« Reply #2 on: March 19, 2012, 06:37:44 PM »
These Macbook Pro's came with 10.7 installed and only a small "base system" on the restore partition; they gave us no full-install media and if they were to charge us for a reinstall I think they should be open for a lawsuit; not that they're not involved in a number of those!  The same process is taking almost 7 hours estimated at home; so I'm assuming that our work firewall (enhanced to improve response time for federally mandated school testing) is involved in doing too much again!
Logged
"If there really is no beer in heaven then maybe at least the
computers will work all of the time!"

Offline Xairbusdriver

  • Administrator
  • TS Addict
  • *****
  • Posts: 26388
  • 27" iMac (mid-17), Big Sur, Mac mini, Catalina
    • View Profile
    • Mid-South Weather
Can't reinstall 10.7 on two different Macbook Pros
« Reply #3 on: March 19, 2012, 06:54:58 PM »
QUOTE
came with 10.7 installed and only a small "base system" on the restore partition
That's the way it comes on all new machines. That's why there is no "install media" (except for a ~$70 USB drive option that wasn't even available when the OS was released). Even if those machines were running Snow Leopard when Lion was installed (via a purchase from the App Store), they still would not have any "install media." The "install media" is the (hidden) partition that the installer puts on the "media" already in the machine.

The normal way to Restore the OS is to, uhmn...use the Restore option, hold down the "r" key on a Startup. I would definitely not attempt to download the OS from the App Store. Since the OS was not purchased or downloaded there, it will never give you an option to "RE"-download. That is only allowed when you had bought it there in the first place.

I'm not sure why any Firewall is in the equation, every install has its own (hidden) Restore partition. There's no need for any network connection, that I'm aware of.

What most people did, after discovering that there is no "install media" available (short of spending another 70 bucks!) is to "Restore" the OS to a thumb drive of their own. I forget the exact steps now, but they are readily available with a web search. Basically, what you want is the original "Installer app" that the OS automatically deletes when it is finished with the instal needs. I believe this "Installer app" is the first thing the Restore function actually does. That "Installer App" then reads the files in the Restore partition (as needed) to complete the Restore/Install and then deletes itself. However, if the installation is on a different drive (the internal or external hard drive, for example) the "Installer App" is not on that drive and cannot, therefore be deleted from it...'cause it ain't there! clap.gif Note, most of the above description is my simplified opinion, not from my reading (much less writing) of any Apple Documentation. Those documents, of course, would be my suggested source for the real facts... Thinking.gif smile.gif
« Last Edit: March 19, 2012, 06:57:30 PM by Xairbusdriver »
Logged
THERE ARE TWO TYPES OF COUNTRIES
Those that use metric = #1 Measurement system
And the United States = The Banana system
CAUTION! Childhood vaccinations cause adults! :yes:

Offline Paddy

  • Administrator
  • TS Addict
  • *****
  • Posts: 13797
    • View Profile
    • https://www.paddyduncan.com
Can't reinstall 10.7 on two different Macbook Pros
« Reply #4 on: March 19, 2012, 11:22:19 PM »
Not that it really helps solve the problem, found this interesting tidbit about the ridiculous amount of time you're seeing, John. See the last post in this thread:

http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=1312981
Logged
"If computers get too powerful, we can organize them into committees. That'll do them in." ~Author unknown •iMac 5K, 27" 3.6Ghz i9 (2019) • 16" M1 MBP(2021) • 9.7" iPad Pro • iPhone 13

Offline Xairbusdriver

  • Administrator
  • TS Addict
  • *****
  • Posts: 26388
  • 27" iMac (mid-17), Big Sur, Mac mini, Catalina
    • View Profile
    • Mid-South Weather
Can't reinstall 10.7 on two different Macbook Pros
« Reply #5 on: March 20, 2012, 08:39:54 AM »
The older I get the more that's becoming my motto! laughhard.gif Unfortunately, people with a problem seem to have a different outlook...especially if they are younger! scram.gif

Have to remember the MS/Mac minutes term. Reminds me of our church sec. Who said she didn't have time to download the QT plugin for the PC because the dialog said it would take multiple hours. I can only assume that she also thought she had to simply sit and watch for the completion of the event before she could do anything else with the machine... rolleyes.gif wacko.gif

Hope to hear something from John (the younger!) today... wink.gif
« Last Edit: March 20, 2012, 08:46:25 AM by Xairbusdriver »
Logged
THERE ARE TWO TYPES OF COUNTRIES
Those that use metric = #1 Measurement system
And the United States = The Banana system
CAUTION! Childhood vaccinations cause adults! :yes:

Offline gunug

  • TS Addict
  • *****
  • Posts: 6710
  • TS Palindrome
    • View Profile
Can't reinstall 10.7 on two different Macbook Pros
« Reply #6 on: March 20, 2012, 10:02:55 AM »
One machine, at home, took 6 hours to copy down the bits and pieces that weren't on the restore partition.  The other one said it would be 62 hours and so I stopped it and brought it back to work this morning and it took 11 minutes this morning to download what was required.  

I know I'm not paying for top speed DSL at home and my younger son was lost in the World of Warcraft for some of that time.  Can't figure out the 62 hours on the other "identical" Macbook Pro.  This is puzzling!

My mention of the firewall situation earlier is because we're locking out "streaming" and such at the firewall to deal with testing and I assume that must've had something to do with it.  This is spring break week so we're not having classes; maybe our network guy (aka "Preventer of Internet Services" )turned the streaming block off today!
« Last Edit: March 20, 2012, 10:16:09 AM by gunug »
Logged
"If there really is no beer in heaven then maybe at least the
computers will work all of the time!"

Offline Xairbusdriver

  • Administrator
  • TS Addict
  • *****
  • Posts: 26388
  • 27" iMac (mid-17), Big Sur, Mac mini, Catalina
    • View Profile
    • Mid-South Weather
Can't reinstall 10.7 on two different Macbook Pros
« Reply #7 on: March 20, 2012, 11:22:57 AM »
While the Restore from the (hidden) partition still requires an Internet connection, there are actually two different methods. The normal way requires a Restart with the command and r key held down until you get the normal Apple icon. If, instead, you get a screen asking for you to select an Internet connection method, one of two things has happened.
1. You did not use the command-r Startup method.
2. The Restore partition is not available for some reason (damaged, new hard drive, etc.)
Naturally, if the Internet connection method is requested, the WiFi choice will usually be the slowest, Ethernet almost always faster, especially if the LAN is used by other machines. Obviously, the speed of the basic Internet connection will, ultimately, determine the time required.

Since the times you saw at home and at school are drastically different, I'd suspect the one at school is much faster, maybe even being a T-1. dntknw.gif At any rate, using the Internet only (non command-r method), Apple-server connection method could easily be slower at various times of the day based on the load on the servers. It would be nice if your school had a secure, limited access, trouble-shooting connection to the web, especially for such problems. Maybe just in the room/closet with the modem? With direct access to the Ethernet output?
Logged
THERE ARE TWO TYPES OF COUNTRIES
Those that use metric = #1 Measurement system
And the United States = The Banana system
CAUTION! Childhood vaccinations cause adults! :yes:

Offline gunug

  • TS Addict
  • *****
  • Posts: 6710
  • TS Palindrome
    • View Profile
Can't reinstall 10.7 on two different Macbook Pros
« Reply #8 on: March 20, 2012, 02:28:35 PM »
QUOTE
Maybe just in the room/closet with the modem? With direct access to the Ethernet output?

We used to have this in a room now occupied by teachers of teachers.  I'm not sure where they moved it
but probably in our server farm which is way to loud a place for me to wish to spend much time!
Logged
"If there really is no beer in heaven then maybe at least the
computers will work all of the time!"
Pages: [1]   Go Up
« previous next »