OS X 10.7 Lion Frequently Asked Questions FAQ

Article ID = 8
Article Title = OS X 10.7 Lion Frequently Asked Questions FAQ
Article Author(s) = Graham Needham (BH)
Article Created On = 13th June 2011
Article Last Updated = 6th July 2021
Article URL = https://www.macstrategy.com/article.php?8

Article Brief Description:
Frequently Asked Questions about OS X 10.7 Lion primarily

Q. When will Lion be available?

A. Lion was released on the 20th July 2011.

Q. How much does Lion cost?

A. On the 30th June 2021 Apple made Lion available for free - do not download installers from anywhere else! You need a Mac currently running macOS / OS X / Mac OS X to unzip the installer package and then the installer package can be used in the normal way on a Mac running Mac OS X 10.6 or OS X 10.7, or to be virtualised.
~~A. Lion was superseded by OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion but you can now buy a download redemption code for OS X 10.7 Lion on the UK online store (£14.00).~~

Q. How can I buy Lion?

A. On the 30th June 2021 Apple made Lion available for free - do not download installers from anywhere else!
~~A. Although it was not available to buy once OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion was released, as of 24/10/2013, you can now buy a download redemption code for OS X 10.7 Lion on the UK online store (£14.00).~~

Q. How many computers can I install Lion on?

A. On the 30th June 2021 Apple made Lion available for free - do not download installers from anywhere else! So, you can install it on as many computers as you like.
A. Consumers - you can purchase once and install Lion on as many supported Macs as you own that are authorised with your Mac App Store ID.
A. Businesses, commercial, education and/or site licence users - You can install Lion on as many computers as you have purchased the software individually for or have a licensed installation for - there is a minimum purchase of 20 licenses.

Q. In our family/household the different Macs have different iTunes / App Store accounts on them. Do I have to buy Lion multiple times?

A. No. You can have more than one iTunes / App Store authorisation on a single machine. Use one of the iTunes / App Store accounts to authorise each computer in the family/household in turn to download and install Lion (in the App Store application click on the "Purchases" tab). However, please note that you will need to download Lion on each computer (at 4.3GB+ in size each time) to install or you will need to obtain the Mac OS X Lion Disc Image.
NOTE: App Store authorisations (for consumers) are different to iTunes authorisations. App Store authorisations are unlimited whereas the iTunes authorisation limit is 5 (soon to be 10 once iCloud launches).

Q. What Macs can I install Lion on?

A. Lion requires an Intel-based Mac with a Core 2 Duo, i3, i5, i7 or Xeon processor and a minimum of 2GB of RAM. You can check whether you have a compatible Mac by going to Apple menu > About This Mac and checking the information listed for "Processor", "Memory" and Mac OS X "Version".

Q. My Mac has the correct type of processor but I don't have enough RAM. What can I do?

A. All the supported Macs can run at least 2GB of RAM so all you need to do is upgrade your RAM to at least 2GB. In the UK we recommend Kingston Technology lifetime warranty memory for your Mac. Most Macs usually only have two memory slots so it is best to upgrade to as much RAM as you can afford the first time. If your Mac supports 4GB or 8GB then upgrade to the maximum.

Q. I have a "Core Duo" / "Core Solo" Mac which is an Intel processor. Why can't I install Lion?

A. Lion is a 64 bit operating system. The original Intel "Core Duo" and "Core Solo" processors are only 32 bit processors. If you want to run Lion you will have to buy a new computer.

Q. I have a "PowerPC" Mac such as a 64 bit G5. Can I install Lion?

A. No. PowerPC computers stopped being supported with Mac OS X 10.6 (Snow Leopard). If you want to run Lion you will have to buy a new computer.

Q. I have Mac OS X 10.6/10.6.1/10.6.2/10.6.3/10.6.4/10.6.5 so I don't have the Mac App Store. Can I still buy and install Lion?

A. Yes, but you will need to update to at least Mac OS X 10.6.6 first (Mac OS X 10.6.8 recommended). The Mac OS X 10.6 "Combo" updates can be downloaded from Apple for free.

Q. I have Mac OS X 10.6.6/10.6.7 already so am I good to go?

A. Yes but Apple recommends that you update to Mac OS X 10.6.8 first. The Mac OS X 10.6 "Combo" updates can be downloaded from Apple for free.

Q. I only have Mac OS X 10.4.x/10.5.x. Can I still buy and install Lion?

Q. I am not running Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard so can I just buy the Lion USB stick and simply install it?

A. No. Legally, you need to buy/upgrade to/install Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard first.

Q. I have a compatible Mac and I am running Mac OS X 10.6.6 or later so how do I buy Lion on the Mac App Store?

A. See this article.

Q. I have the Mac App Store but I don't have a connection to the internet?

A. The Mac App Store requires an internet connection.

Q. I have the Mac App Store but my internet connection is slow?

A. Be warned. The Lion installer is 4.3GB+ in size.

Q. I have the Mac App Store but I have a data cap in place / I cannot download something that is 4.3GB+ in size. What can I do?

A. Your options are:

Use a different internet connection that does not have this limitation.
Go to an Apple Retail Store where you can install Lion from their local server.

Q. If there is no physical Lion disc and I install Lion but run into trouble what can I do?

A. If you purchased Lion from the Mac App Store:

When Lion is installed it creates a special bootable emergency "recovery" area on your hard disk. You can Use the Mac OS X 10.7 Lion "Recovery HD" to repair your hard disk and/or reinstall Lion.
If you have created an emergency external USB recovery drive using Apple's Lion Recovery Disk Assistant you can use it to boot your computer from and repair your hard disk and/or reinstall Lion (internet connection required).
If you have obtained the Mac OS X Lion Disc Image you can use it to create an Install DVD then boot your computer from it and repair your hard disk and/or reinstall Lion.
If you have created an External Installation Device you can use it to boot your computer and repair your hard disk and/or reinstall Lion.
If you have created an Emergency Boot Drive for Mac OS X you can use it to boot your computer and repair your hard disk.

A. If your Mac came with Mac OS X 10.7 Lion:

Your Mac has a special bootable emergency "recovery" area on your hard disk. You can Use the Mac OS X 10.7 Lion "Recovery HD" to repair your hard disk and/or reinstall Lion.
If you have created an emergency external USB recovery drive using Apple's Lion Recovery Disk Assistant you can use it to boot your computer from and repair your hard disk and/or reinstall Lion (internet connection required).
If your hard disk has died (or you have upgraded it) you can use your computer's "Internet Recovery Mode" to reinstall Lion (internet connection required).
If you have created an External Installation Device you can use it to boot your computer and repair your hard disk and/or reinstall Lion.
If you have created an Emergency Boot Drive for Mac OS X you can use it to boot your computer and repair your hard disk.

Q. What should I do to prepare for Lion?

A. See this article.

Article Keywords: OS X OSX 107 Lion Frequently Asked Questions FAQ

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