Problem with Mountain Lion GM install :(

[docgerrard]

So I tried to install ML on my computer. Now, whenever it boots up and I login, my computer freezes after a few seconds and goes to a "your Mac was restarted because of a problem" screen. Every time!!

I can start it up in safe mode just fine.

Is there anyway I could just get lion back or something without losing all me files?

My computer came preinstalled with lion btw so it is now available at the app store

Thanks!

 

[allan.nyholm]

That's a terrible experience you have there.

I think that you can still download Lion from the Mac App Store if you hold down the Alt(Option) key while in the Mac App Store - the button for Lion should say Download instead of Installed for instance. EDIT: But I'm uncertain if you can downgrade to Lion that way - you need something external for putting the Lion InstallESD.dmg file to.

But about your files; you really should put those you have on an external drive. A USB drive or whatever you have that can hold all of your files.

 

[benwiggy]

Firstly, the GM build has only been released to paying developers. If you didn't get it from Apple, you have no way of knowing whether it has been modified with malware.
You say you can start it up in Safe Mode: that might suggest you have some third-party software installed that isn't ML compatible.

Secondly, Always have a backup of your files. OS X makes this very easy with Time Machine. Files that are not backed up are just waiting to be lost.

Finally: All computers with Lion have a "Restore Partition", which you can boot to and reinstall the OS. Read this Apple article:
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4718

 

[chevalier433]

Dont need to hurry wait for the official release

 

[docgerrard]

Most of my files are now backed up, to either dropbox or external

Now, if I just want lion, can I just delete my hard drive partition with mountain lion on it and do internet recovery?

Internet recovery won't work now to restore lion because it tries to install mountain lion

 

[benwiggy]

It may be that ML has amended the Restore Partition. That would seem likely.

But you are in uncharted waters, so unless someone else has done exactly the same thing, few people will be able to definitely confirm what will happen.

If your files are backed up, then I would do a Clean install of Mountain Lion. That would rule out any third-party software conflicts.

Otherwise, you'll have to get an installer for Lion (there are instructions on the internet for how to make a USB disk installer from the downloaded app) and reinstall Lion that way. You'll need to find a friend who has bought Lion from the App Store, or buy it yourself. (You could download it illegally from somewhere, but who knows what malware might have been added to it.)

 

[docgerrard]

Thanks for all of the help!

This is what I think I want to do. Its pretty obvious I am not a "developer" and so I shouldn't have Mountain Lion on my computer in the first place, and I have learned my lesson.

I want Lion back and I am going to just legally buy mountain lion when it releases... in exactly a week from today!

I don't have a USB drive, I don't want to buy lion a few days before it releases.

I want to wipe my hard drive clean and allow my MBA to install lion from the Apple servers. Internet recovery.

First, do you guys think this will work? Second, how do I wipe my hard drive clean?

Again, I got mountain lion from one of THOSE sites we don't like to talk about, won't be doing it again, and want to just have a fresh start. I backed up all of my important files.

 

[JohnDoe98]

I want to wipe my hard drive clean and allow my MBA to install lion from the Apple servers. Internet recovery.

First, do you guys think this will work? Second, how do I wipe my hard drive clean?

Yes it works just fine, I've done it. Without a USB or DVD you must load up in internet recovery holding command and option and r at the boot. It'll take a few mintes to load depending on your internet connection speed. Now you are presented with a bunch of options. The first thng to do is to select disk utility and wipe out the ML partition. Then you can exist Disk Utility. You now have two options, either restore from a time machine backup with Lion (prefered option) or reinsall Lion clean and run Migration Assistant or manually restore backuped files. This second option is not perfect and might require some finikng around to get everythng back to normal. Let us know if you need more help or encounter difficulties.

 

[SlCKB0Y]

I want to wipe my hard drive clean and allow my MBA to install lion from the Apple servers. Internet recovery.

First, do you guys think this will work? Second, how do I wipe my hard drive clean?

Since you've upgraded to ML, your recovery partition will also be for ML. If this partition is still present when you command+r on boot, you will only have the option to install mountain lion. It will then ask for your Apple ID and check MAS. It will then tell you that you your machine is not eligible to install ML.

You need to bypass this ML recovery which I think you can do by holding Command+option+r on boot. Your Mac should get the Lion recovery files from the net:
http://www.cultofmac.com/106669/for...recovery-on-your-2011-or-later-mac-os-x-tips/

If you can't get this to work, you need to get rid of the ML recovery partition, then when you hold command + r on boot your mac will download the lion recovery files and you'll be good to go.

 

[heisenberg123]

Since you've upgraded to ML, your recovery partition will also be for ML. If this partition is still present when you command+r on boot, you will only have the option to install mountain lion. It will then ask for your Apple ID and check MAS. It will then tell you that you your machine is not eligible to install ML.

You need to bypass this ML recovery which I think you can do by holding Command+option+r on boot. Your Mac should get the Lion recovery files from the net:
http://www.cultofmac.com/106669/for...recovery-on-your-2011-or-later-mac-os-x-tips/

If you can't get this to work, you need to get rid of the ML recovery partition, then when you hold command + r on boot your mac will download the lion recovery files and you'll be good to go.

correct Cmd-R will just use the recovery partition(ML in this case) you need the Cmd-option-R for internet recovery