iMac - doing a clean install without boot disc or USB? Possible over Internet?

[paul the 6th]

Been having some mega headaches with my mac lately - constant sbbod and locking up for 5-10 minutes at a time, taking 15 minutes to boot up etc. trouble finding the start up disc and so on.

Tonight I managed to boot from the recovery partition and nursed it for close to 2 hours. Now it's just fired back up after 10 minutes sitting around and it's exactly the same with all the old files etc.

I recently upgraded to mountain lion via the App Store - now I want to do a clean install but don't have a disc or USB drive with the boot files on, and with the current state the mac is in, I can't open App Store to make a boot disc without it freezing permanently.

My mac is basically screwed. If I format the partition I will I have the option of installing mountain lion from apple servers via the net?

Getting severely frustrated with it now. thanks in advance everyone

[smoge]

If you are already running OSX Mountain lion, then surely you are looking for a format not clean install?

[charlieegan3]

Make a disk and boot from it?

http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=1410396

[paul the 6th]

Originally Posted by smoge

If you are already running OSX Mountain lion, then surely you are looking for a format not clean install?

It's the first time I've ever had to do this with a mac, I always thought a clean install and formatting were basically the same thing? Basically I want to wipe it (format it) and then do a nice clean install of OS X to make it run smooth again.

[ThirteenXIII]

What year/model is the iMac

Sounds like a failing hard drive as well.

[paul the 6th]

Originally Posted by ThirteenXIII

What year/model is the iMac

Sounds like a failing hard drive as well.

2008/2009 intel

----------

Originally Posted by charlieegan3

Make a disk and boot from it?

http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=1410396

This is the issue, the state my mac is in just opening the App Store causes it to crash so am unable to make a boot disc

[smoge]

Recovery disk download:
http://support.apple.com/kb/DL1433

small file (not mac app store)
Says lion but is good for mountain lion... I'm told.

This might help
http://www.apple.com/osx/recovery/

[paul the 6th]

Originally Posted by smoge

Recovery disk download:
http://support.apple.com/kb/DL1433

small file (not mac app sore)
Says lion but is good for mountain lion... I'm told.

Cheers dude, but then do I still need disk utility to make it into a boot disc?

[paul the 6th]

Originally Posted by smoge

Recovery disk download:
http://support.apple.com/kb/DL1433

small file (not mac app store)
Says lion but is good for mountain lion... I'm told.

Already got recovery partition on my iMac as standard, the apple website says that particular download will give the same functionality to macs which don't have it already.

Thinking I might be able to create a boot disc from my dads mac on Tuesday - more days of having an apple paperweight on my desk. Is there a way to tell if my HDD is dying? And what are the implications in terms of repair etc.?

[ThirteenXIII]

Recovery Disk Assistant
http://support.apple.com/kb/DL1433

If you use the recovery partition, you should be able to open Disk Utility, erase the hard drive and then select reinstall mountain lion?