MacBook Pro reinstall - internet recovery or DVD

[killerbyte]

Hi guys

So one of our clients brought in her sister's MBP A1278.

The hard drive lost its FAT table and I have since recovered the data off it.

Now I want to know whether it is better to download the iso and then do a clean install off that or is it better to use the Internet Recovery mode and download the OS through that?

I've never had to do a OS install on a MBP but I doubt it will be too much of a mission so my concern is not really how to do it but rather which method is preferable.

 

[$m@Rt@$$]

Hi guys

So one of our clients brought in her sister's MBP A1278.

The hard drive lost its FAT table and I have since recovered the data off it.

Now I want to know whether it is better to download the iso and then do a clean install off that or is it better to use the Internet Recovery mode and download the OS through that?

I've never had to do a OS install on a MBP but I doubt it will be too much of a mission so my concern is not really how to do it but rather which method is preferable.

My guess would that since it is an Apple product, both will be equally successful. I suppose it's up to you to choose what method will be more convenient.

 

[Vohligh]

Hi guys

So one of our clients brought in her sister's MBP A1278.

The hard drive lost its FAT table and I have since recovered the data off it.

Now I want to know whether it is better to download the iso and then do a clean install off that or is it better to use the Internet Recovery mode and download the OS through that?

I've never had to do a OS install on a MBP but I doubt it will be too much of a mission so my concern is not really how to do it but rather which method is preferable.

I would re-partition, format, and do a clean install.

What software did you use for recovering data?

 

[GreGorGy]

Hi guys

So one of our clients brought in her sister's MBP A1278.

The hard drive lost its FAT table and I have since recovered the data off it.

Now I want to know whether it is better to download the iso and then do a clean install off that or is it better to use the Internet Recovery mode and download the OS through that?

I've never had to do a OS install on a MBP but I doubt it will be too much of a mission so my concern is not really how to do it but rather which method is preferable.

Download the ISO? From where? No such legit thing.

 

[creeper]

Download the ISO? From where? No such legit thing.

Well. If you have another Apple, you can download the install file and create a bootable USB.

 

[weelzSA]

Hi guys

So one of our clients brought in her sister's MBP A1278.

The hard drive lost its FAT table and I have since recovered the data off it.

Now I want to know whether it is better to download the iso and then do a clean install off that or is it better to use the Internet Recovery mode and download the OS through that?

I've never had to do a OS install on a MBP but I doubt it will be too much of a mission so my concern is not really how to do it but rather which method is preferable.

You can download the ISO from the Mac App store as it is free, then you need to find the file and extract the install file (think it is the ESD.dmg) and then create a bootable flash. I have tried the Internet Recovery solution and even on a 10mb line it took forever and then would cancel. So that should be your last resort. Did they not have a time machine backup?

 

[GreGorGy]

Well. If you have another Apple, you can download the install file and create a bootable USB.

This I know - but there is no legitimate Apple ISO - only a DMG. So if the OP was looking at anything that is ISO, I would be wary of it.

You can download the ISO from the Mac App store as it is free, then you need to find the file and extract the install file (think it is the ESD.dmg) and then create a bootable flash. I have tried the Internet Recovery solution and even on a 10mb line it took forever and then would cancel. So that should be your last resort. Did they not have a time machine backup?

That would be easiest. Lion Disk Maker will find the DMG for him as well.

 

[Rishalin]

Guide for your reference :

http://arstechnica.com/apple/2013/10/how-to-make-your-own-bootable-os-x-10-9-mavericks-usb-install-drive/

 

[killerbyte]

Guide for your reference :

http://arstechnica.com/apple/2013/10/how-to-make-your-own-bootable-os-x-10-9-mavericks-usb-install-drive/

Thanks but I do not actually have a working Mac system. We use Windows exclusively here in our office.

Will be doing Internet Recovery this evening.

 

[bwana]

Hi guys

So one of our clients brought in her sister's MBP A1278.

The hard drive lost its FAT table and I have since recovered the data off it.

Now I want to know whether it is better to download the iso and then do a clean install off that or is it better to use the Internet Recovery mode and download the OS through that?

I've never had to do a OS install on a MBP but I doubt it will be too much of a mission so my concern is not really how to do it but rather which method is preferable.

Which A1278? There are plenty to choose from. Depending on the age you might want to install an earlier version of OsX. What version did it have on it?

Regardless - download the installer and DiskMaker X. While you're at it back up the installer file for future use.

FWIW I would have probably just repaired rather than replaced the OS.

 

[Grant]

Thanks but I do not actually have a working Mac system. We use Windows exclusively here in our office.

Will be doing Internet Recovery this evening.

i suggest you rather fly past an istore or any apple outlet with a flash drive and have them copy the install (dmg) file to the flash drive.

they will do it at no charge

 

[GreGorGy]

i suggest you rather fly past an istore or any apple outlet with a flash drive and have them copy the install (dmg) file to the flash drive.

they will do it at no charge

Best idea. If OP is anywhere near a place, this would be the right way to go.

 

[SauRoNZA]

Firstly there is no FAT table...what makes you think this is lost?

Have you tried a disk repair from the recovery console?

It's very very rare that OS X needs to be reinstalled, short of physical hardware failure in which case you need to replace that drive anyway.

What happens when you start it up that makes you think you need to reinstall it?

 

[Grant]

Firstly there is no FAT table...what makes you think this is lost?

i suspect what might have been meant was: partition table, as opposed to fat table.

if so, something similar happened to me some time back:
the mac was unable to boot, but all files remained in place & intact.
http://mybroadband.co.za/vb/showthread.php/589507-Crisis-formatted-efi-partition

it was really a case of the following:
http://mybroadband.co.za/vb/showthr...-partition?p=11960243&viewfull=1#post11960243

 

[SauRoNZA]

i suspect what might have been meant was: partition table, as opposed to fat table.

if so, something similar happened to me some time back:
the mac was unable to boot, but all files remained in place & intact.
http://mybroadband.co.za/vb/showthread.php/589507-Crisis-formatted-efi-partition

it was really a case of the following:
http://mybroadband.co.za/vb/showthr...-partition?p=11960243&viewfull=1#post11960243

Yeah I suspect the same. Still should be no reason to reinstall the entire OS thus the reason I asked the question what makes him think this is the problem considering he doesn't know OSX.

He might think he had "recovered" data while in fact there was nothing wrong with it in the first place.

In your case you did actually mess with the partitions so there was some user intervention. In this case he says it was "lost" which is very unusual for OS X especially if it's on EFI where no MBR is required to boot it.