Issues with fresh ML install on new drives

bruinsrme · Nov 16, 2012

Yesterday I tackled upgrading a 2012 mac mini with an SSD and Seagate 750XT drive.

Previous to that I downloaded ML and prepared a bootable usb drive.

Upon completion of the disassembly and reassembly I was excited to load the software and set the mini up.

I booted the computer and the ML usb stick with 10.8.2 was recognized. However when I clicked on it I got the circle with the slash through it.
Having never booted the mini before I opened it up, removed the SSD and reinstalled the original drive, upgraded to 10.8.2 and formatted the Seagate.
Then reinstalled the SSD, still the usb didnt work.

In the end I reassembled the mini with the SSD and Seagate.
Using a drive adapter, I connected the original hdd and booted off that. Once it was booted it recognized the two other drives but said they were both damaged. Ran the repair function and all seemed well.

I then set up time machine and performed a back up to the Seagate.

This morning, with the original hdd still connected I booted and held the option key and selected restore from back up. I restore to the SSD and everything worked great.

Questions:
1. Is there an easier to do a fresh install versus backing up the restoring to the new drive?
2. Internet recovery didnt work because the mini couldnt connect to the wireless WPA network. Apple support stated it should be able to connect. Is WPA compatible with internet recovery?
3. Does a bootable usb work with the 2012 mac minis? If so what process did you use?

My 2010 mac mini was so much easier.

Thank you in advance

ramram55 · Nov 16, 2012

bruinsrme said:
Yesterday I tackled upgrading a 2012 mac mini with an SSD and Seagate 750XT drive.

Previous to that I downloaded ML and prepared a bootable usb drive.

Upon completion of the disassembly and reassembly I was excited to load the software and set the mini up.

I booted the computer and the ML usb stick with 10.8.2 was recognized. However when I clicked on it I got the circle with the slash through it.
Having never booted the mini before I opened it up, removed the SSD and reinstalled the original drive, upgraded to 10.8.2 and formatted the Seagate.
Then reinstalled the SSD, still the usb didnt work.

In the end I reassembled the mini with the SSD and Seagate.
Using a drive adapter, I connected the original hdd and booted off that. Once it was booted it recognized the two other drives but said they were both damaged. Ran the repair function and all seemed well.

I then set up time machine and performed a back up to the Seagate.

This morning, with the original hdd still connected I booted and held the option key and selected restore from back up. I restore to the SSD and everything worked great.

Questions:
1. Is there an easier to do a fresh install versus backing up the restoring to the new drive?
2. Internet recovery didnt work because the mini couldnt connect to the wireless WPA network. Apple support stated it should be able to connect. Is WPA compatible with internet recovery?
3. Does a bootable usb work with the 2012 mac minis? If so what process did you use?

My 2010 mac mini was so much easier.

Thank you in advance

Sounds like time machine is the cure for restoring the backup, if it works why bother with USB install stick.

albert1028 · Nov 16, 2012

ramram55 said:
Sounds like time machine is the cure for restoring the backup, if it works why bother with USB install stick.

When in doubt, use the search function. The current 10.8.2 is a special version for 2012 Mini and Macbook Air's. So you can only do a restore.

Here's a link that talks all about it.

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1481310/

paulrbeers · Nov 16, 2012

bruinsrme said:
Previous to that I downloaded ML and prepared a bootable usb drive.

As stated, the 10.8.2 on the Mac Mini is a special build for the Mac Mini. What is available in the App Store is an older version.

With that said, I question why everyone keeps wanting to build USB sticks for computers that can use Internet Recovery. First off, you have to download ML initially. You then have to install it on a USB stick and set it to bootable. In a month from now, when you need the USB stick, 10.8.3 or maybe even 10.8.4 will be out. So now you use your USB stick to install 10.8.2 (or whatever version is on it), then once you get everything up and running you have to go download a 1GB+ update patch, run that install that, and then restart.....

Or you could have just used internet recovery, downloaded the most recent version of ML (be it 10.8.3, 10.8.4, etc.), install once and you are done. You don't have to install ML 10.8.2, download the update, install that update, then you finally get a working machine. I can almost guarantee you that there is no time saved.

KrisLord · Nov 16, 2012

paulrbeers said:
As stated, the 10.8.2 on the Mac Mini is a special build for the Mac Mini. What is available in the App Store is an older version.

With that said, I question why everyone keeps wanting to build USB sticks for computers that can use Internet Recovery. First off, you have to download ML initially. You then have to install it on a USB stick and set it to bootable. In a month from now, when you need the USB stick, 10.8.3 or maybe even 10.8.4 will be out. So now you use your USB stick to install 10.8.2 (or whatever version is on it), then once you get everything up and running you have to go download a 1GB+ update patch, run that install that, and then restart.....

Or you could have just used internet recovery, downloaded the most recent version of ML (be it 10.8.3, 10.8.4, etc.), install once and you are done. You don't have to install ML 10.8.2, download the update, install that update, then you finally get a working machine. I can almost guarantee you that there is no time saved.

If you've a slow internet connection, it will take a few hours to download ML. You can either do this before the build (eg when waiting on the SSD being delivered) or wait until you've built the thing and are anxiously waiting to know if the upgrade has worked or not.

I think most people would rather minimise the build time, and want to be as prepared as possible when waiting on parts to be delivered.

paulrbeers · Nov 16, 2012

KrisLord said:
If you've a slow internet connection, it will take a few hours to download ML. You can either do this before the build (eg when waiting on the SSD being delivered) or wait until you've built the thing and are anxiously waiting to know if the upgrade has worked or not.

I think most people would rather minimise the build time, and want to be as prepared as possible when waiting on parts to be delivered.

But then you run into incompatible versions with new machines like what you are running into. Using Internet Recovery isn't an issue..... Further, it doesn't really change where your download time comes from. Either you download it ahead of time and have to build a boot-able flash drive (yes mostly trivial but still additional time spent) or you just do it when finish your upgrade.

albert1028 · Nov 16, 2012

I think eventually when 10.8.3 updates, the air's and mac mini should be encapsulated into the versions not needing a special version. (I hope)

MrXiro · Nov 16, 2012

paulrbeers said:
As stated, the 10.8.2 on the Mac Mini is a special build for the Mac Mini. What is available in the App Store is an older version.

With that said, I question why everyone keeps wanting to build USB sticks for computers that can use Internet Recovery. First off, you have to download ML initially. You then have to install it on a USB stick and set it to bootable. In a month from now, when you need the USB stick, 10.8.3 or maybe even 10.8.4 will be out. So now you use your USB stick to install 10.8.2 (or whatever version is on it), then once you get everything up and running you have to go download a 1GB+ update patch, run that install that, and then restart.....

Or you could have just used internet recovery, downloaded the most recent version of ML (be it 10.8.3, 10.8.4, etc.), install once and you are done. You don't have to install ML 10.8.2, download the update, install that update, then you finally get a working machine. I can almost guarantee you that there is no time saved.

Downloading takes an extra hour or two. If you've pre-downloaded it onto a bootable stick previously (like while you're sleeping) you save yourself 2 hours of waiting for it to restore when you need to restore.

paulrbeers · Nov 16, 2012

MrXiro said:
Downloading takes an extra hour or two. If you've pre-downloaded it onto a bootable stick previously (like while you're sleeping) you save yourself 2 hours of waiting for it to restore when you need to restore.

And then you do a restore, and it's an old version and you again spend an hour downloading the update. Or are you constantly updating your USB stick "just in case"? Just the other day I sold off my 2011 and used Internet Recovery, I started up the process and it told me it would take an hour and a half, so I went and did other productive items and checked on it periodically. It isn't like you have to respond to some message every 5 minutes saying "should i keep downloading"....

Or why not do your restore at night when you are asleep? It just seems silly to worry about all of this. I mean how often are you restoring your Mac?!?!

Edit: And it isn't not that I don't understand the value of a restore "disk", but how many people actually use these flash drives once they make them? I'm going to guess less than 10%. It's just that we all think we NEED to have these because we had back up "disks" for the previous 4 decades. Old habits die hard.

MrXiro · Nov 16, 2012

paulrbeers said:
And then you do a restore, and it's an old version and you again spend an hour downloading the update. Or are you constantly updating your USB stick "just in case"? Just the other day I sold off my 2011 and used Internet Recovery, I started up the process and it told me it would take an hour and a half, so I went and did other productive items and checked on it periodically. It isn't like you have to respond to some message every 5 minutes saying "should i keep downloading"....

Or why not do your restore at night when you are asleep? It just seems silly to worry about all of this. I mean how often are you restoring your Mac?!?!

Edit: And it isn't not that I don't understand the value of a restore "disk", but how many people actually use these flash drives once they make them? I'm going to guess less than 10%. It's just that we all think we NEED to have these because we had back up "disks" for the previous 4 decades. Old habits die hard.

Delta updates (500mb-1gb)are never as big as full OS downloads (4.5gb).

Eh... it's more for if you F-your computer and it's noon... you want to fix it ASAP so you can be productive again. You also should remember, your usage differs from other peoples'. Maybe a person can't wait a full 20 hours (restoring at night) to get things up and running again. Maybe a person has 3 crashed Macs. You can't determine why/how/what anyone else's usage is just based on your own.

I actually did do a full restore from recovery last week. Luckily I had nothing else going on that day so I sat around and watched TV. If I were to have needed to edit something due in two days I would have put myself 4 hours behind.

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Issues with fresh ML install on new drives

bruinsrme

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