Reinstall lion due to missing recovery partition?

Dear Apple Community,
Here is my situation: I have a 3-partioned drive inside my iMac. One has Lion installed, one has SL, and another is an empty partion. Unfortunatly, there is no recovery partition installed on my computer. While I am fully aware that you can boot from an internet connection and run Installation/Utility services remotely from Apple's servers, I'd like to install a local recovery partition for more convience and peace of mind, should anything go wrong in the future.
How can I reinstall Lion without losing my data? I currently keep up to date Time Machine backups on an external drive. Can I run the "Install Lion" app to easily recreate the Recovery Partition? Would I have to wait 6 hours while I Reinstall Lion, then do a Time Machine Recovery?
Just wondering if I could get some feedback on the best move here. I know there are a couple of options. Thanks for any help!

You can reinstall Lion right over the top of the current install and not lose any data on your computer.
But I'm not sure that will recreate the recovery partition. It should I'm but I'm not sure it it will.
Have you run Software Update? it has been my experience that if the recover HD is not present SU will see that and download the correct files to recreate it. Buit again this was on my MBP when I did a reinstall of 10.7.1.
If you choose to do the reinstall make sure you SAVE the downloaded files and create your own Lion Install USB Thumb drive for future use.
There are instructions all over the net to do this and I have been using a nice little program to create the USB drive. The program is called LionDiskMaker, it works very well for this.

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I am missing my Recovery Partition on my MacBook Pro (Retina), so I cannot activate Find My Mac. How can I restore the missing recovery partition?

Gin Tonyx wrote:
Kessler, thx for your insight. That helped me.
[personal]
Csound: I read the terms. Section 3 of the submissions rules says "Post constructive […] questions. Unless otherwise noted, your Submission should […] be a technical support question […]."
I don't see where I went wrong. Maybe you could get off my back, please. Willya?
[/personal]
You should have kept reading until item 5
5. Test your answer. When possible, make sure your Submission works on your own computer before you post it.

Recreate missing recovery partition

After wiping my computer via partitioning from a USB installer, and reinstalling from the USB, I noticed when I tried to boot that there is no recovery partition. Just OS X and Windows (bootcamp). Is there a proprietary built in Apple way to recreate the recovery partiton?

CCC Carbon Copy Cloner has a utility called "Disk Center" that is included with CCC that will create a Recovery Partition for you. I understand that CCC is not free, but it does have a free 30 day trial.
I did use the musings.silvertooth.us utility to create a missing recovery partition successfully, but found (1) it hard to find the right version on that site and (2) I was somewhat uncomfortable running a low-level AppleScript install program style utility built by an unknown source on the internet. Call my paranoid, but in the future I would prefer to either use CCC to avoid losing my recovery partition like I did with Super Duper (which I've loved for years until this missing recovery partition issue) or use CCC to create missing recovery partitions.
The "Disk Center" in CCC Carbon Copy Cloner is not obvious and easy to find... it's easy to not know it's there. But once you find it in the CCC menu system, it is seemingly obvious that it is a turnkey way to create a Recovery HD Partition.
I just thought I would share, since I burned several hours of pain-staking research and experimentation on this.

2007 2.6GHz 17 Inch Macbook Pro (MacBookPro3,1) Missing Recovery Partition?

My MacBook Pro 2007 2.6GHz 17 Inch is missing a recovery partition. I was told it is supposed to be added automatically when you reinstall/update your mac os x. I recently did a fresh install of Mavericks. It was missing. I did another fresh install, still missing. Then I restored data and did a non-fresh install. Still Missing. I kinda want to be able to track the computer. It has the original hard drive, and all the other components are original as well, except for the battery, which exploded, apple replaced it under warranty a while ago, and the RAM. I upgraded the RAM today, but it didn't work before either. It is genuine OWC RAM. (The same kind apple uses) Do I need to manually create one? Should I downgrade the OS and then upgrade to Mavericks again? Is it a problem that apple is going to fix?
I did make the mistake of erasing the entire hard drive rather than just the main partition. However, according to apple, this should not have made a difference, as if it is missing it is supposed to be created with the installation.
15 Inch, 2.6GHz, 2007 MacBook Pro (MacBookPro3,1) Running OS X 10.9.1 (Mavericks)

There are two versions of recovery: the regular which will download the currently installed system and internet recovery which will allow you to wipe a drive and reinstall the originally installed system (as long as that was Lion or later). Both of them require that the recovery partition be installed - that is what allows you to boot from it (with key commands) and that you have an internet connection.
Note the link towards the bottom to Internet Recovery which will result in this page (about Recovery):
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4718

Missing Recovery Partition and Unrecognized File Systems

So, a long time ago I accidentally deleted my recovery partition and have recently been trying to fix it so that I can upgrade my OS to Mavericks. After browsing around here I found the Recovery Partition Creator 3.7 and used it to create a new recovery partition. Using the diskutil list command everything seemed to be fine and it looked like the partition was successfully created so I tried reinstalling OS X Lion by holding command R at startup. Doing so brought up the internet recovery menu and I selected reinstall Lion which was still unsuccessful because "a recovery partition could not be created". So, I decided to check in disk utility to see what might be wrong and I used the disk utility debug command in order to access disk utility's debug menu and show all the hidden partitions. Now, looking at these partitions I see two hidden partitions: disk0s1 which is an EFI partition, and disk0s3 which is the Apple Boot Partition that was created by Recovery Partition Creator 3.7. After verifying the partitions, disk utility is telling me that both my EFI and apple boot partitions have unrecognized file systems, my Macintosh HD partition is fine. At this point I do not know what to do.
Below are photos of the diskutil list and of what disk utility is showing me for the two hidden partitions.
For reference I am running OSX Lion 10.7.5 (11G63) on a early 2011 13 inch Macbook Pro (Base Model).
Bootrom version: MBP81.0047.B27
SMC Version: 1.68f99
Thank you all in advance for your help, feel free to ask me any questions.

Just an update, I went ahead and installed Lion again over the existing TM restored installation using the Lion Update file and at least File Vault is working. Interestingly, I still do not have a Recover partition so obviously something new for Apple Support to learn.

Reinstalling Lion OS to clear 2nd partition..

I bought a used IMAC.
It has 2 other partitions taking up 800GB of the HD.
Disk Utility says it appears to be a Bootcamp partition and will not let me change it.
Bootcamp is giving me the error message "Boot Camp Assistant cannot be used. This startup disk is not supported"
So,
Can I just reinstall the OS from Recovery and reformat the drive and get rid of the other partition in the process??
Thanks,
MK

If it's running Lion:
Install or Reinstall Lion from Scratch
If possible backup your files to an external drive or second internal drive.
Boot to the Recovery HD:
Restart the computer and after the chime press and hold down the COMMAND and R keys until the menu screen appears. Alternatively, restart the computer and after the chime press and hold down the OPTION key until the boot manager screen appears. Select the Recovery HD and click on the downward pointing arrow button.
Erase the hard drive:
Select Disk Utility from the main menu and click on the Continue button.
After DU loads select your hard drive (this is the entry with the mfgr.'s ID and size) from the left side list. Note the SMART status of the drive in DU's status area. If it does not say "Verified" then the drive is failing or has failed and will need replacing. SMART info will not be reported on external drives. Otherwise, click on the Erase tab in the DU main window.
Set the format type to Mac OS Extended (Journaled.) Click on the Erase button and wait until the process has completed.
Quit DU and return to the main menu.
Reinstall Lion: Select Reinstall Lion and click on the Install button.
Note: You can also re-download the Lion installer by opening the App Store application. Hold down the OPTION key and click on the Purchases icon in the toolbar. You should now see an active Install button to the right of your Lion purchase entry. There are situations in which this will not work. For example, if you are already booted into the Lion you originally purchased with your Apple ID or if an instance of the Lion installer is located anywhere on your computer.

Missing Recovery Partition

I recently wanted to erase my hard drive (Macintosh HD) of my MacBook Pro (which was running Mavericks at the time) and reinstall the original OS X it came with (Lion) via Internet Recovery Mode (Command-Option-R on startup). So, my hard drive is erased (and my files are backed up) and I chose to install a new copy of Lion in the Recovery Mode menu, but every time I get an error "preparation the installation". I now can only use my Mac in Recovery Mode. I've used Disk Utility to verify and repair my disk, but Macintosh HD seems fine. I've even tried using a Lion boot USB to install, but I get more errors. I don't have a "Recovery HD" partition, so that might be the problem. How to I make one? What can I do to install a fresh copy of OS X lion on my MacBook?

You can only reinstall Lion on that computer if it cannot run Mountain Lion or Mavericks. However, if you are able to use Internet Recovery, then you can run Mavericks. Below is the entire process you should follow:
Install Mavericks, Lion/Mountain Lion Using Internet Recovery
Be sure you backup your files to an external drive or second internal drive because the following procedure will remove everything from the hard drive.
Boot to the Internet Recovery HD:
Restart the computer and after the chime press and hold down the COMMAND-OPTION- R keys until a globe appears on the screen. Wait patiently - 15-20 minutes - until the Recovery main menu appears.
Partition and Format the hard drive:
Select Disk Utility from the main menu and click on the Continue button.
After DU loads select your newly installed hard drive (this is the entry with the mfgr.'s ID and size) from the left side list. Click on the Partition tab in the DU main window.
Under the Volume Scheme heading set the number of partitions from the drop down menu to one. Click on the Options button, set the partition scheme to GUID then click on the OK button. Set the format type to Mac OS Extended (Journaled.) Click on the Partition button and wait until the process has completed. Quit DU and return to the main menu.
Reinstall Lion/Mountain Lion. Mavericks: Select Reinstall Lion/Mountain Lion, Mavericks and click on the Install button. Be sure to select the correct drive to use if you have more than one.
Note: You will need an active Internet connection. I suggest using Ethernet if possible because it is three times faster than wireless.

Lion restore w/out recovery partition or discs?

I just purchased my first Macbook. A used mid 2009 15". I am new to Mac computers. It did not come with any discs and there is no recovery partition either.
I am wanting to restore the whole system due to the previous users leftover stuff still there. I do not care about saving any information that is currently on the computer.
I have tried the Recovery Disk Assistant on a thumb drive and have attempted the Internet Recovery however from what I understand, without the recovery partition, both of these options will not work and neither one has worked.
What is the best way to go about restoring? Will upgrading to Mountain Lion via the App Store give me the option to, or automatically create, the recovery partition? (then I can do a restore from one of the previously mentioned ways) Or do I find a friend who has some discs laying around that I can use?
Thanks for the help!

HI eddieleon7pc:
Thank you for you query. I am glad to be able to help!
I understand that you are getting a hard disk not found error when trying to boot. I am sending you documentation on "Resolve Boot Device not Found Error Message" click here. You mentioned not being able to to boot to a usb drive. Here is a link to "Configuring the Boot Order in the System BIOS" click here.
If you require further assistance would you please provide your model number and what operating system you are running. "How Do I Find My Model Number or Product Number?" click here
Sparkles1
I work on behalf of HP
Please click “Accept as Solution ” if you feel my post solved your issue, it will help others find the solution.
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Mountain Lion Didn't Install Recovery Partition

So here's a weird one...
Upgarded my harddrive a while back while I was still on Lion and in the process of cloning from my 500gb drive to my new 750gb drive I didn't end up getting the recovery partition cloned over. Didn't really think much of it, hopefully I wouldn't need it and even if I did I made a bootable Lion USB.
Fast forward to today. Decided to install Mountain Lion. Made a bootable key (just in case) but didn't bother doing my usual clean install method and just upgraded the system. Everything went fine and dandy but it looks like I still have no recovery partition (opening up disk utility simply shows Macintosh HD, and if I recall when the recovery partition existed it showed up there too).
No where in the install process did the install mention that the partition couldn't be made. No warnings were given. It just looks like it straight up didn't bother to do it.
So did I miss out? Am I SOL? I really wanted to avoid a clean install... I mean if I have a bootable thumb drive with Mountain Lion it's probably a moot point anyways but the idea of not having it JUST IN CASE is a little troublesome. Any ideas?

Derp derp derp. Just checked by booting. It's there.
I could have SWORN in Lion I had actually seen it in Disk Util (must have had debug enabled or something) but it's there.
Crisis averted.

Os x lion not installing with recovery partition

I have Macbook Pro latest one 2.3 intel core i5 my os lion got crash n i try to reinstall it with recovery partition but when i connect it with wifi n start installation its getting error again n again ....!!

We can't tell Apple to allow your machine to download Lion, you will have to call them yourself.

Helix missing Recovery Partition

So I wanted to update to Windows 8.1, but I couldnt find the recovery partion. I was talking to Lenovo Support and was informed that none of the Helix's ship with a recovery partion. Anybody care to confirm? Sounds like an insane decision for a high end business machine to have no recovery parttition

I think you were misinformed or misunderstood. There is a recovery partition. You can verify under Computer->Right Click->Manage->Storage\Disk Management
You can start the recovery by pressing Enter (if I remember correctly) on boot.
But... what has the recovery to do with Windows 8.1? It will be an update - like a service pack. Available tomorrow publicly. You don't need to reinstall Windows.

Mountain Lion installer boots into recovery partition

Strange thing: being a registered devloper I downloaded the OS X Mountain Lion (10.8.2) installer and wanted to upgrade one of my Mac minis (which was running 10.7.5).
However, the aluminum mid-2010 Mac mini acts strange: I copied the installer onto a USB stick and burned it onto a DVD, too. Tried to install from both media but the Mac mini boots either into the Mountain Lion recovery partition (so that was somehow created) or the Setup assistant lacks entries in lists and always jumps to step 1 after step 3 or 4 in an endless loop.
Once -- when I wanted to select the 10.8.2 OS X as boot volume -- I got an error message that boot caches can't be created so I can't set this partition as boot partition.
I've got app. 100 GB free on the Mac minis hard disk.

I was afraid the Apple Store wasn't going to be an option.
Based on your previous post, I was under the impression you could download Mountain Lion, but when you installed it, it locked up again. Not true?
I don't know how to remove it. You can try contacting Apple support through the link below to see if they can help you get this unlocked.
Apple Support Contact
Are the kernal panics new since all this happened?
Here is some information about kernal panics.
Kernel Panics - About
Kernel Panics - Avoiding and Eliminating
Kernel Panics FAQ
Kernel Panics FAQ (2)
Kernel Panics - Understanding and Debugging
The articles discuss where kernal panic reports are filed. After you have a kernal panic, copy the report and post it here. Please copy and paste rather than using a screen shot. There are several people who can read them and they can suggest what to do next. Reading kernal panic reports isn't something I've totally figured out yet.

HT4718 if I reinstall Lion will I have to partition the HD again?

My partition drive permissions is not letting me acces the drive and when I try to change the permissions it says custom and won't let me change it to anything else. I have tried to fix the permissions in Disk Utilitiy but still nothing. So I figured I would just reinstall lion and hope that it will fix it.

Installing Lion won't affect any of your applications or data, unless something goes wrong. Nevertheless, you do need to make at least one full backup before you install it. In fact, you need to do that anyway, whether you install Lion or not. Any data you don't back up will inevitably be lost, sooner or later.
Applications that were created for PowerPC Macs only, such as Quicken 2007 and Office 2004, won't work under Lion.
Lion is at least as stable and usable as any other Mac OS version, provided you don't try to run incompatible software. The only safe way to find out whether it will work well for you is to copy your internal disk to an external one and install Lion on that. If you don't like it, all you have to do is reboot.

I can't Install Mount Lion due to no recovery bla bla problem

Hello guys, i'm using Macbook Unibody late 2008 2.4 Ghz
Currently i'm running on LION OSX, and i want to upgrade my OS to Mount Lion.
In the middle of the installation i found a trouble, after the macbook restart. The installation process still goin well, until 2/10 of the installation bar progress a notification shown up. It say installation failed, no - recovery blah blah blah found. I'm confused how to solved this problem, is there anyone can solve the problem yet? i'm already try all kind of the solution posted in the discussion first, but still it fails.
My macbook using a 250Gb harddisk, with arround 200 Gb for Macintosh HD and 45 Gb for Windows XP Bootcamp.
oh yeah, this is the result of diskutil list command in terminal
r********s-macbook:~ riz*******ru$ diskutil list
/dev/disk0
   #:                       TYPE NAME                    SIZE       IDENTIFIER
   0:      GUID_partition_scheme                        *250.1 GB   disk0
   1:                        EFI                         209.7 MB   disk0s1
   2:                  Apple_HFS Mac HD                  203.5 GB   disk0s2
   3:                 Apple_Boot Recovery HD             650.0 MB   disk0s3
   4:       Microsoft Basic Data BOOTCAMP                45.7 GB    disk0s4
ri**********s-macbook:~ ri******ru$
Thank you

First, I would suggest "verifying" your disk and then "repairing permissions" on your disk using the LION recovery HD before attempting to resintall Mountain Lion. Hold down command and R at the same time to boot into the recovery partition.
What is the error message, exactly?

Hp pavilion dv6 missing recovery partition

hi.... i coppied the recovery files and folders into an external hard drive, and removed recovery partition and then formated the computer... now I can't recover my computer to original (factory) since I don't have recovery manager...
Help pleeeeezzzzzeeee

Hi
The only thing you can do is call your local Hp Tech Support or follow the link below :
http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/document?cc=us&lc=en&dlc=en&docname=bph07143
Hope this helps.
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Reinstall lion due to missing recovery partition?

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