Mac OS X Lion installation stuck on "Loading Installation Information"

The issue:

  • Original Mac Book Air, model A1237
  • Has probably not been used or charged in a long time
  • Has probably ran 10.7 Lion

Doing the following:

  1. Use Command+R to enter recovery mode
  2. Use Disk Utility to erase hard drive
  3. Connect to wifi network
  4. Select Reinstall Mac OS X
  5. Hit Continue twice

It now shows "Loading Installation Information", for a long time, possibly forever.


Solution 1:

The clock may have been reset. Setting the clock may resolve this problem.

  1. Enter recovery mode.
  2. Select Utilites in the menu bar.
  3. Open the Terminal.
  4. Type: date {month}{day}{hour}{minute}{year}, e.g. date 0804221520 for August 4 2020, 22:15.
  5. Try running the installation again. It should now proceed in less than a minute.

If this does not help, showing the "Istaller logs" may provide hints why it takes too long.