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Is this method still fully compatible with todays current App store downloadable installers? or has a better method been developed to allow installing the Mavericks installer app to USB?


This is better than osxdaily's method (which should only be used for DP1 anyway, not DP4 or the GM):

To make a bootable USB of the GM, use this method:

Your 8 GB USB drive should be called Untitled and formatted as Mac OS Extended (Journaled). The installer should be called Install OS X Mavericks.app and should be in your Applications folder.

Run this in terminal and wait about 20 minutes:

sudo /Applications/Install\ OS\ X\ Mavericks.app/Contents/Resources/createinstallmedia --volume /Volumes/Untitled --applicationpath /Applications/Install\ OS\ X\ Mavericks.app --nointeraction

You should see something like this:

Erasing Disk: 0%... 10%... 20%... 100%...
Copying installer files to disk...
Copy complete.
Making disk bootable...
Copying boot files...
Copy complete.
Done.

You can then boot up from the USB by holding down the option key, then install the GM from the USB.

This is probably going to be the same for the public release.

Note that this will also install a recovery partition (which osxdaily's method doesn't do).
 
Is this method still fully compatible with todays current App store downloadable installers? or has a better method been developed to allow installing the Mavericks installer app to USB?
I use the method described here, using Discmaker X. Works well for me, and doesn't require any Terminal commands.
 
Is this method still fully compatible with todays current App store downloadable installers? or has a better method been developed to allow installing the Mavericks installer app to USB?

Yeah. It still works the same for the latest version 10.9.4. I made a bootable usb of that with the same command.
 
Is this method still fully compatible with todays current App store downloadable installers? or has a better method been developed to allow installing the Mavericks installer app to USB?

This is still the Apple sanctioned method.
 
Saw a post on this thread similar to below. This one will work if you don't have a copy of the downloaded installer but do have the recovery partition. No special scripts/tools required.

  1. Start Disk Utility
  2. Format external drive as Mac OS Journaled GUID
  3. Make sure "Disk Utility > Debug > Show every partition" is checked
  4. Mount HD’s "Recovery HD"
  5. From Terminal: sudo chflags nohidden /Volumes/Recovery\ HD/com.apple.recovery.boot/BaseSystem.dmg
  6. Back to Disk Utility, click on Restore
  7. Finder to #4 location. Select BaseSystem.dmg and drag over to “Source” on Disk Utility Restore
  8. In Disk Utility, select and drag over destination drive to “Dest” field
  9. Click Restore “do it” button
  10. Remove BaseSystem.dmg from Disk Utility side bar
  11. Unmount "Recovery HD"
 
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That would just copy the recovery partition to a usb.

I've never been a great fan of the recovery partition or internet recovery.

Both methods would require a redownload of the system every time you use it for installation.

If you have several computers to install onto, or just want to reinstall as quickly as possible, clearly the bootable usb made with my method is going to be much faster - because it has the full installer on it. The recovery partition doesn't which is why it requires a download every time.

Note also that it is actually possible to put the full installer onto the recovery partition too in which case you won't have to redownload it, but I don't like that because it takes up a lot more space than the standard recovery partition.
 
That would just copy the recovery partition to a usb.

I've never been a great fan of the recovery partition or internet recovery.

Both methods would require a redownload of the system every time you use it for installation.

If you have several computers to install onto, or just want to reinstall as quickly as possible, clearly the bootable usb made with my method is going to be much faster - because it has the full installer on it. The recovery partition doesn't which is why it requires a download every time.

Note also that it is actually possible to put the full installer onto the recovery partition too in which case you won't have to redownload it, but I don't like that because it takes up a lot more space than the standard recovery partition.

Which method doesn't require download?

EDIT: I saw it. Thanks!
 
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I just installed my SSD a few days ago, and I would advise using a USB 3.0 drive to create the bootable installer. When I was trying to click on the options and such to begin the restore, the mouse cursor was extremely laggy.
 
I just did a clean install over the weekend. I just used an 8GB flash drive, downloaded Mavericks from the MAS, used LionDiskMaker, and used Disk Utility to erase and wipe my hard drive, then proceeded to install. I was done in 3 hours (2 of which was downloading Mavericks:rolleyes:).
 
I would like to upgrade my late 2010 iMac to Mavericks. I have used Carbon Copy Cloner to clone my hard drive to an external drive and have checked that it will boot. I want to do a clean install on my iMac.

However, I am unable to make a USB installer due to still having Snow Leopard 10.6.8. Could I use my 2014 Macbook Air running Mavericks to make the USB installer stick and then use it in my iMac or is there more to it?
 
I would like to upgrade my late 2010 iMac to Mavericks. I have used Carbon Copy Cloner to clone my hard drive to an external drive and have checked that it will boot. I want to do a clean install on my iMac.

However, I am unable to make a USB installer due to still having Snow Leopard 10.6.8. Could I use my 2014 Macbook Air running Mavericks to make the USB installer stick and then use it in my iMac or is there more to it?

This would work. I believe the installer has a minimum requirement of Lion or Mountain Lion. It definitely worked for me in ML.

BL.
 
worked for me. Had Yosemite 10.10.1 on MacBook Pro. Entire process took me 50 minutes. From formatting the 16GB usb thumbdrive, boot to thumbdrive, erase 750GB harddrive, install mavericks. Thanks!!!!
 
Installing Mavericks on a USB

I've tried every way to make this work. Every time I type the password it responds with media: command not found. I'm clueless. What am I doing wrong?:(
 
I've tried every way to make this work. Every time I type the password it responds with media: command not found. I'm clueless. What am I doing wrong?:(

"createinstallmedia" is one word. There's no place where you should be typing the word "media" on its own.
Just download DiskMaker X and let it do the work for you: http://liondiskmaker.com
 
I am wondering if there are some USB media that just does not work with? I have tried this with a Kingston DataTraveler111 & SPC Blaze B10. Both times it went through the process, but when I reboot with the USB installed in either of my mac's it just does not see the USB drive as a boot option.

I am wondering if this is something to do with the particular USB as I had trouble making a BootCamp as well. I can't remember what USB stick I ended up using.

Are there a brand that is reliable known to work?
 
This is better than osxdaily's method (which should only be used for DP1 anyway, not DP4 or the GM):

To make a bootable USB of the GM, use this method:

Your 8 GB USB drive should be called Untitled and formatted as Mac OS Extended (Journaled). The installer should be called Install OS X Mavericks.app and should be in your Applications folder.

Run this in terminal and wait about 20 minutes:

sudo /Applications/Install\ OS\ X\ Mavericks.app/Contents/Resources/createinstallmedia --volume /Volumes/Untitled --applicationpath /Applications/Install\ OS\ X\ Mavericks.app --nointeraction

You should see something like this:

Erasing Disk: 0%... 10%... 20%... 100%...
Copying installer files to disk...
Copy complete.
Making disk bootable...
Copying boot files...
Copy complete.
Done.

You can then boot up from the USB by holding down the option key, then install the GM from the USB.

This is probably going to be the same for the public release.

Note that this will also install a recovery partition (which osxdaily's method doesn't do).
[doublepost=1455847426][/doublepost]AppStore does not have Mavericks anymore or Yosemite. But I have Mavericks in my purchased application tag. So i downloaded it from there onto ElCapitan . Will this still work or will i have a mess on my hand?

Terminal comes up with comand not found.... I believe it is becouse Mavericks is still downloading.

Can you help please?
 
[doublepost=1455847426][/doublepost]AppStore does not have Mavericks anymore or Yosemite. But I have Mavericks in my purchased application tag. So i downloaded it from there onto ElCapitan . Will this still work or will i have a mess on my hand?

Terminal comes up with comand not found.... I believe it is becouse Mavericks is still downloading.

Can you help please?

Wait for Mavericks to fully download before trying the terminal command. Make sure that the downloaded installer is in your Applications folder.
 
This is an awesome post. It's not every day you can cut and paste a script that just does exactly what you want. I needed to make a Mavericks bootable USB drive to fix an old computer, and this post was a great find.
 
Here's the same command for creating a macOS install USB:

sudo /Applications/Install\ macOS\ Sierra.app/Contents/Resources/createinstallmedia --volume /Volumes/Untitled --applicationpath /Applications/Install\ macOS\ Sierra.app --nointeraction
 
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