Apple Releases App to Build USB Recovery/Install Media

[tonymacx86]

Lion Recovery Disk Assistant
http://support.apple.com/kb/DL1433

Built right into OS X Lion, Lion Recovery lets you repair disks or reinstall OS X Lion without the need for a physical disc.

The Lion Recovery Disk Assistant lets you create Lion Recovery on an external drive that has all of the same capabilities as the built-in Lion Recovery: reinstall Lion, repair the disk using Disk Utility, restore from a Time Machine backup, or browse the web with Safari.

Note: In order to create an external Lion Recovery using the Lion Recovery Assistant, the Mac must have an existing Recovery HD.

To create an external Lion Recovery, download the Lion Recovery Disk Assistant application. Insert an external drive, launch the Lion Recovery Disk Assistant, select the drive where you would like to install, and follow the on screen instructions.

When the Lion Recovery Disk Assistant completes, the new partition will not be visible in the Finder or Disk Utility. To access Lion Recovery, reboot the computer while holding the Option key. Select Recovery HD from the Startup Manager.

Version: 1.0
Post Date: August 08, 2011
Download ID: DL1433
File Size: 1.07 MB

System Requirements
A Mac running OS X Lion with an existing Recovery HD
An external USB hard drive or thumb drive with at least 1GB of free space


Initial info: http://9to5mac.com/2011/08/08/apple-rel ... nal-drive/

 

[tonymacx86]

So Apple has now provided this tool officially, to recreate your mac without use of a physical media. So this creates a clone of your Recovery HD, so you can boot from it in case your drive fails. The entire contents of what is installed is less than 1GB.

If you don't know what the Recovery HD is- it's a hidden partition created by the Lion install process on real macs, but not on hackintosh. When you choose reinstall Lion, the app calls Apple and uses your serial number or ID to re-download the Lion Installation from Apple's servers. Network access is required at that time to reinstall Lion.

This is NOT a full Installation recovery creator from App Store App. Hopefully they will release that in the Apple Store as they alluded to.

Here are some screenshots:

More testing to see what/if we can do with this in progress- add your test results! Lion only.

Exactly what is on the hard drive initially for real Macs- a hidden Apple Boot Recovery HD.

 

[tonymacx86]

Here's what happens when you try running it on a CustoMac.

 

[Jesterace]

Oddly enough my mid 2011 Mac Mini will not give me the ability to run that application as well. It gives me the same error as when it's ran on a hackintosh.

 

[emresumengen]

So, maybe if someone with a new mac (that came in with Lion) copied that partition onto a hackintosh???

I'd love to see what happens.

Oddly, wife's macbook air is a 2010 model

(I should get my hands on one of the newer 11.6" models )

 

[Marius]

I guess that the same functionality can be achieved by:
1. Create a new partition in Disk Utility
2. Use "Carbon Copy Cloner" to back up your Lion install onto the new partition.
3. Reboot and choose the "cloned" OS during the Chameleon/Chimera prompt.

 

[Knipsch]

@Marius : Yes Man, i use the Board-Tools from Lion to create a copy of the "Fresh Install" of Lion to use it more than one time. It also works !!

 

[D-an-W]

I stumbled across a YouTube Video posted by a German chappie on Insanelymac that simply showed you how to enable the Recovery Partition step by step without even a reboot.

[VIDEO]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=op7euNQmxgg[/VIDEO]

It worked first time for me, I can now use "Find My Mac" within iCloud AND Lion Recovery Disc Assistant to create a USB Stick :headband:

(Mods, please feel free to edit / delete this post if it breaks any rules, I used all 100% legit software to carry out the process.)

 

[finntriel]

I'm create Recovery HD using only terminal and DiskUtility.
Now When I boot during Chameleon progress (bar 1sec) press enter and
choose Recovery HD. From It I can fresh Install or recovery=)
in Finder Recovery HD don't visible

 

[D-an-W]

I guess thats all good then!

Not tried from Chameleon yet, just got some work to get done after searching for this all evening :thumb up:

EDIT: I just downloaded Lion Recovery Update from Apple and it ran / completed successfully too...