Problem installing OS X on MacBook Air (2010)

[Amber3000]

Hello everyone, I'm new here and I've run into the most annoying problem lol

So a couple of years ago we found my husband's old working MacBook Air (2010) and it didn't start properly (he had Windows installed on it too and something was messed up) so I decided to format it and install the OS freshly. I hadn't worked with Mac OS before so had to Google a bunch. After formatting, Internet Recovery asked for Apple ID to install OS X Lion. My husband tried to remember it and couldn't. I don't remember what I did to it after but we left it. Today I found the MacBook again and decided to try more options. I created a bootable USB with OS X Lion but the problem is it can only go into Internet Recovery. The hidden Recovery partition is missing (checked through Terminal) and I don't have a way to even boot from the USB. If it's not the Internet Recovery mode, then there's a flashing folder icon with a question mark. Disk utility shows the USB so it is recognized. Even the "reinstall OS X" option in Internet Recovery doesn't work anymore where it says something like "restart the application and try again". The internet connection is fine and it connects when prompted but even if this worked we wouldn't have the old Apple ID. Is there any other way to get it to install the OS or is the laptop done? Different keyboard combinations when powering on don't work, everything leads to the Internet Recovery. Thanks for any help.

 

[krs]

Welcome to Mac Forums.
I have a few comments and questions to understand where you're at right now.
For one, I would contact Apple to see if they can tell you what your Apple ID is or create a new one.
You will eventually need that going forward anyway.
Question:
1. How did you create the bootable Lion USB? Using another Mac?
2. Don't understand how you used Terminal on the 2010 MacBook air if you can't boot up or at least boot from an external
3. How did you format the 2010 MBa internal drive? Is it formated tp HFS+

 

[Amber3000]

Welcome to Mac Forums.
I have a few comments and questions to understand where you're at right now.
For one, I would contact Apple to see if they can tell you what your Apple ID is or create a new one.
You will eventually need that going forward anyway.
Question:
1. How did you create the bootable Lion USB? Using another Mac?
2. Don't understand how you used Terminal on the 2010 MacBook air if you can't boot up or at least boot from an external
3. How did you format the 2010 MBa internal drive? Is it formated tp HFS+

Hi, thanks for the reply. Yeah, I have my own Apple ID that I can use.

Here are my answers:
1. I created the bootable USB using TransMac software on a Windows 11 laptop. But I cannot do anything with a USB in the situation that the MacBook is in.
2. I can use Terminal once it goes into Internet Recovery. There's 4 options: Restore from Time Machine Backup, Reinstall OS X (doesn't work), Get Help Online, and Disk Utility. But the taskbar on top has the Utilities tab and Terminal in the drop down menu.
3. I wouldn't be able to answer this one. I had no idea about MacBooks when I did it. I believe I went into Internet Recovery as well and erased everything I could through Disk Utility. I reformatted it again to Mac OS Extended (Journaled).

 

[krs]

1. I created the bootable USB using TransMac software on a Windows 11 laptop. But I cannot do anything with a USB in the situation that the MacBook is in.

That is part of the problem.
Making a bootable USB using TransMac software often does not work.
You need to use a bootable USB installer created on a Mac.
But before we go down this path, maybe someone can comment if a 2010 MBa can actually boot up from a USB installer and install the macOS that way.
This MBa has only USB 2 ports.

PS: Just to make sure....when you plug in the TransMac created USB flash drive into the MacBook air, turn on the Mac and at the same time hold down (and continue holding down) the option key...what happens?
Anything?

PPS: If you now have an Apple ID, you could try Internet recovery again.
If you boot with Option-Command-R it should attempt to install 10.13 High Sierra. If you use Shift-Option-Command-R it will probably install 10.7 Lion.

 

[Amber3000]

PS: Just to make sure....when you plug in the TransMac created USB flash drive into the MacBook air, turn on the Mac and at the same time hold down (and continue holding down) the option key...what happens?
Anything?

PPS: If you now have an Apple ID, you could try Internet recovery again.
If you boot with Option-Command-R it should attempt to install 10.13 High Sierra. If you use Shift-Option-Command-R it will probably install 10.7 Lion.

Turning the Mac on and holding the option key does nothing. As I understand, it's because there's no Recovery partition. Just goes to the folder icon with a question mark. Other combinations (Command-R, Option-Command-R) all take me to Internet Recovery. I tried the Option-Command-R-P reset as well and nothing.

I have an Apple ID, just not that one that was associated with the Mac. If I boot into Internet Recovery, it has the "Reinstall OS X" option (despite the key combination I use upon startup). If I click that, it says it will download and set up OS X Lion, and will ask for Apple ID to verify. Then once I click continue, it gives me that error that says "An Error Occurred While Preparing the Installation". There's no way to move past that.

I thought maybe I should try changing my DNS on my router? Just in case it cannot connect to Apple servers or something. But the Mac connects to wifi if I choose the network and enter the password when prompted in the beginning when it wants to start Internet Recovery.

I wonder if it can be saved at all and maybe I should just take it to a repair shop to see if those guys can do anything.

 

[krs]

An Apple repair shop will probably have a USB installer they would use.

The way I see it, you have two options to do this yourself.
1. Call Apple to see if they can give you (or reset) the Apple ID associated with that 2010 MacBook air - then try internet recovery.
2. If you have another Mac, create a USB installer using a Mac (or buy a USB installer).
When you plug the USB installer (made on the Mac) into the 2012 MBa and hold down the option key when starting the Mac, if the installer is a proper bootable one it will show on the screen and give you several options to first format the drive and then install macOS.

 

[MacInWin]

Then once I click continue, it gives me that error that says "An Error Occurred While Preparing the Installation". There's no way to move past that.

Before going to the installer, try using the Disk Utility that is available to re-partition the HD and then format it for GUID partition scheme and Mac OS Extended (Journaled) format, which is HFS+. Then, once the drive is formatted, see if the installation will work. It should ask for you to log into your local area network to get Internet access.

Also, Try plugging in the installer you made, then powering on while holding down the Option key. If the USB is, if fact, bootable, you should be given the option to boot. If not, then the USB is not actually bootable, which would not surprise anyone as TransMac has a history of failures.