07-29-2011, 08:36 AM

So you download Lion from AppStore, which takes a while with a slow link.

You remember to make a copy before the system deletes this large download.

You make a bootable disk/USB for future use, in case you have to reinstall.

The installation process creates a Recovery partition in case you have to reinstall.


However, when you do try to reinstall, despite having a copy of Lion on Disk/USB/Recovery partition, the system downloads the whole thing from Apple again.

Leaving out the profanity, this seems less than ideal

07-29-2011, 08:54 AM

Actually I think it's brilliant, it ensures you always get the latest version of the OS with all the required patches, etc.

Not to mention, technically the approach of putting it on a USB/DVD is not an approved Apple solution so you can hardly blame them for how that works since it's hack.

07-29-2011, 09:02 AM

If you are re-installing from the Recovery partition, then yes, it will have to re-download it. It doesn't store the whole thing there. Can't speak for the bootable image option though, but as schweb points out, it's not a supported option.

What I did was make a fully bootable installation of Snow Leopard on a 32 GB thumb drive; added my Lion installer to a read-only DMG file; then dropped that DMG on the thumb drive. If I ever decide to do a clean install, I just boot off that and re-run the installer just like before. No re-downloading needed. I also have this thumb drive loaded up with some utilities to use in the event of an emergency with my internal drive.

07-29-2011, 09:03 AM

I take your point.

However, do you suppose the official (and very expensive) Apple USB will work differently?

For people with a slow connection, having to wait for 4GB to download yet again when you are trying to restore a failed system is not helpful - especially when you already have all that data downloaded.

If it needs patching afterwards, that is less of a problem IMHO

07-29-2011, 09:05 AM

Originally Posted by lifeisabeach

If you are re-installing from the Recovery partition, then yes, it will have to re-download it. It doesn't store the whole thing there. Can't speak for the bootable image option though, but as schweb points out, it's not a supported option.

What I did was make a fully bootable installation of Snow Leopard on a 32 GB thumb drive; added my Lion installer to a read-only DMG file; then dropped that DMG on the thumb drive. If I ever decide to do a clean install, I just boot off that and re-run the installer just like before. No re-downloading needed. I also have this thumb drive loaded up with some utilities to use in the event of an emergency with my internal drive.

Funnily enough, I have made one of these as well, although mine is Lion rather than SL. Not had to use it yet

07-29-2011, 09:05 AM

I'm not sure it always downloads the entire package. When upgraded my wife's MacBook from the USB drive I had made the download time was only 4 minutes so it may have only been doing a version check.

07-29-2011, 09:16 AM

Originally Posted by Nighthawk4

I take your point.

However, do you suppose the official (and very expensive) Apple USB will work differently?

Couldn't tell you until it's released.

For people with a slow connection, having to wait for 4GB to download yet again when you are trying to restore a failed system is not helpful - especially when you already have all that data downloaded.

Won't deny it's PITA, but let's be honest, most of Apple's target demographic and where the majority of their sales are are in areas where slow internet is generally not a problem. They build and market towards that segment.

07-29-2011, 01:05 PM

However, when you do try to reinstall, despite having a copy of Lion on Disk/USB/Recovery partition, the system downloads the whole thing from Apple again.

If you're going to create and use a bootable DVD to do repairs (good idea in case of HDD failure) you should also burn a copy of the installer to another DVD. That way re-downloading is not required.

07-29-2011, 04:04 PM

Originally Posted by chscag

If you're going to create and use a bootable DVD to do repairs (good idea in case of HDD failure) you should also burn a copy of the installer to another DVD. That way re-downloading is not required.

I have them both on the same USB memory stick. The idea being I boot off the device into Lion and then run the Installer on the same device onto the target partition.