Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

How to make a bootable install of Mavericks on Flash USB Drive?

Apple_Robert

Apple_Robert

Contributor
Sep 21, 2012
34,316
49,613
In the middle of several books.
M

mac.rumors

macrumors regular
May 9, 2008
160
46
London, UK
The createinstallmedia command has been running on my Early 2013 rMBP i7 2.7GHz for more than 40 mins now...

Is this normal? I'm on Mavericks GM.
 
MacUser2525

MacUser2525

Suspended
Mar 17, 2007
2,097
377
Canada
mac.rumors said:
The createinstallmedia command has been running on my Early 2013 rMBP i7 2.7GHz for more than 40 mins now...

Is this normal? I'm on Mavericks GM.
Click to expand...

I think that would depend on the speed of the media you install it on. First time I did on a USB stick it was good 20-25 minutes before it completed, second time on external USB hard drive it took under 5.
 
M

mac.rumors

macrumors regular
May 9, 2008
160
46
London, UK
MacUser2525 said:
I think that would depend on the speed of the media you install it on. First time I did on a USB stick it was good 20-25 minutes before it completed, second time on external USB hard drive it took under 5.
Click to expand...

I'm using a Kingston 16GB USB stick. Its been an hour now... still 'copying installer files to disk'! There is no other app running on my Mac.
 
MacUser2525

MacUser2525

Suspended
Mar 17, 2007
2,097
377
Canada
mac.rumors said:
I'm using a Kingston 16GB USB stick. Its been an hour now... still 'copying installer files to disk'! There is no other app running on my Mac.
Click to expand...

Yeah size don't matter as I have said it is the speed it can copy the files to it at that does now if that is a slow drive then it will slowly copy to it. If you have something like iStat menus installed then you can see the speed it copies at in its Disk Activity option.
 
T

Tech198

Cancelled
Mar 21, 2011
15,915
2,151
tywebb13 said:
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).
Click to expand...

This does not work in the full release of Mavericks.

I get the following: -

Error erasing disk error number (-69888, 0)
A error occurred erasing the disk.

This is on an 8 Gig Flash, formatted as Mac OS Extended (Journaled), and i just copied the above command so to not make mistakes while typing in Terminal..
 
kinless

kinless

macrumors regular
Apr 2, 2003
189
285
Tustin, California
Tech198 said:
This does not work in the full release of Mavericks.

I get the following: -

Error erasing disk error number (-69888, 0)
A error occurred erasing the disk.

This is on an 8 Gig Flash, formatted as Mac OS Extended (Journaled), and i just copied the above command so to not make mistakes while typing in Terminal..
Click to expand...

That's because you're on 10.6.8. It's a known issue right now and no fix at this time. (See my earlier post in this thread)
 
M

MaskedCarrot

macrumors 6502
Mar 25, 2009
463
269
Northern VA
Being on Snow leopard, this is how I did it made the USB bootable stick and did a clean install.

Downloaded Mavericks from the app store. At the end of the download it comes up and ask you to click continue to install. So at that point I hit CMD Q to exit the installer. I copied the install OSX mavericks.app to another folder. Then I installed mavericks from the original in the applications folder.

After it was all done, I was able to make the bootable USB stick as mentioned here without any issues. I was then able to format the hard drive and do a clean install.

Fortunately for me I don't really have much installed in OSX being as I use windows 7 more in boot camp to lose much. But it just took a little extra time because I had to do the update first and then do a clean install.
 
crjackson2134

crjackson2134

macrumors 601
Mar 6, 2013
4,822
1,948
Charlotte, NC
I used DiskMaker X which seemed to work perfectly until I tried to boot. It doesn't show up as a bootable drive. I tried 3 times and no Joy.

I tried the terminal commands and it was faster and flawless and booted as expected.

Now I wish someone would figure out how to do this on an 8GB DVD-DL
 
Last edited:
T

Tech198

Cancelled
Mar 21, 2011
15,915
2,151
umm.. ok, anyway got it working...


http://osxdaily.com/2013/06/12/make-boot-os-x-mavericks-usb-install-drive/

I assume the sudo command points to the createinstallmedia app within the Mavericks.app Package, which in turn, does exactly the same as the manual method of the link above.

Still, have no idea why the sudo command didn't work,,,, this was on the same flash drive as i created from OS X daily... I copied and pasted exactly, and all i did was download Mavericks from the app store, and din't change a thing.

I'm assuming this is the correct way, BaseSystem.dmg (Recovery image only), "Packages" directory copied over to usb bootable media, but when booting, i see a missing screen. The standard 4 or 5 icons, (Disk Utility, Re-install Mac OS X... etc...)

The rest is the same, but this one missing screen. I assume this is normal ??

In any case, they can be found under "Utilities" menu anyway.
 
T

tywebb13

macrumors 68030
Apr 21, 2012
2,943
1,626
No it doesn't do the same as my sudo command method.

osxdaily's method was only for developer preview 1 and does not install a recovery partition. You had to use another manual method for installing a recovery partition for developer preview 1. It shoudn't be used for any other version of mavericks.

You will find that you do not have a recovery partition and will now have to manually create one.

My method does install a recovery partition at the same time as installing mavericks.
 
T

Tech198

Cancelled
Mar 21, 2011
15,915
2,151
kinless said:
That's because you're on 10.6.8. It's a known issue right now and no fix at this time. (See my earlier post in this thread)
Click to expand...

No I'm not, I'm doing this on 10.9

So what your basically saying this error has to do with me doing it under Mavericks ?.

I need to create a usb key with sudo commend under a previous version 10.8 ??

Thats stupid...... But i'm re-downlaoding Mountain Lion to try this.

So my only choice other than this, then seems to be create usb key WITHOUT recovery partition, as this is the only thing that works for me. As stated, copying the sudo command and pasting in terminal gives me that error.

OS X daily may have been for a developer preview, but it works still in the full version....

Unless someone can tell me how to manually create a recovery partition.
 
Last edited:
Sun Baked

Sun Baked

macrumors G5
May 19, 2002
14,937
157
Tech198 said:
No I'm not, I'm doing this on 10.9

So what your basically saying this error has to do with me doing it under Mavericks ?.

I need to create a usb key with sudo commend under a previous version 10.8 ??
Click to expand...

Just finished making a USB key on Mavericks after I had done the Mavericks install.

Did the Show Package Contents, Open InstallESD.dmg, then had to search for BaseSystem.dmg (turning on Show Invisible in search) and then mounted it.

Then had to play around to get BaseSystem and my Untitled USB key in the Recovery pane correctly.

Edit: For some reason the show invisibles terminal command didn't work for me, and I got a busy/mount error of some kind during recovery til I went back and simply erased the USB key again.
 
Last edited:
T

Tech198

Cancelled
Mar 21, 2011
15,915
2,151
Sun Baked said:
Then had to play around to get BaseSystem and my Untitled USB key in the Recovery pane correctly..
Click to expand...

I believe the BaseSystem.dmg is used as the boot, while the "Packages" folder is the installation files..

Copying the Packages over to /System/Installation directory.
 
Last edited:
Sun Baked

Sun Baked

macrumors G5
May 19, 2002
14,937
157
Tech198 said:
I believe the BaseSystem.dmg is used as the boot, while the "Packages" folder is the installation files..

Copying the Packages over to /System/Installation directory.
Click to expand...

Seems to be so, the basesystem.dmg, will give you a boot drive with time machine and disk utility for repair.

Giving you the screen you saw.

If you continue, and copy packages over, it'll start up just like a Mac OS X install DVD.
 
M

Macintosh1984

macrumors 6502
Dec 15, 2012
323
46
csilvertooth said:
For those who are missing their recovery partition after upgrading to mavericks I have a new version of my Recovery Partition Creator out that works with 10.9. You need the Mavericks Installer from the App Store so make sure you have that downloaded.

Cheers,

Chris

http://musings.silvertooth.us/2013/10/recovery-partition-creator-3-7-updated-for-mavericks/
Click to expand...
Hi!

I've Mavericks GM and for some reason I do not have the Recovery Partition, if I reinstall again Mavericks "final" from USB do you think, it recreates the Recovery Partition?

Or should I reinstall first Mountain Lion, and after Maverick to have the Recovery Partition?

Otherwise I think I will use your script!
 
T

tywebb13

macrumors 68030
Apr 21, 2012
2,943
1,626
W

(worldcitizen)

macrumors newbie
Oct 26, 2013
6
0
Can't boot from the flash drive...

tywebb13 said:
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 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).
Click to expand...

Thank you tywebb13 for sharing your procedure.

I've followed your procedure to the letter (twice just to be sure). I now have a Kingston DataTraveler 100 G3 8GB flash drive, which was automatically renamed "Install OS X Mavericks" in the process. On the flash drive I can see one file named "Install OS X Mavericks.app". When I try to boot from this flash drive, it won't. If I use the alt-key at startup, only Macintosh HD, the recovery partition, and the Boot camp partitions show. If I use "Starup Disk" in system preferences to choose the flash drive as my to startup disk, my 15" MacBook Pro with Retina display starts up in its usual Mountain Lion, after a longish wait. In other words my machine will not boot from the newly created flash drive. Perhaps I should add that I've done this with the public release...

Any tips on what to do?
 
Last edited:
M

misnomer

macrumors newbie
Oct 22, 2013
7
0
I’m getting a message that states: “The command exited with a non-zero status.” What am I doing wrong? #notanexpert

csilvertooth said:
For those who are missing their recovery partition after upgrading to mavericks I have a new version of my Recovery Partition Creator out that works with 10.9. You need the Mavericks Installer from the App Store so make sure you have that downloaded.

Cheers,

Chris

http://musings.silvertooth.us/2013/10/recovery-partition-creator-3-7-updated-for-mavericks/
Click to expand...
 
M

misnomer

macrumors newbie
Oct 22, 2013
7
0
Disregard last comment – I figured out the problem. I had to disconnect my external HD. After that, it worked like a charm. Thank you.
 
T

Tech198

Cancelled
Mar 21, 2011
15,915
2,151
The lacking of the Recivery Partion, was always true with the usb restore we did n the past, and it workd.

Now, the way Apple's doing this, where its not instantly makes sense, kind of means Apple is preventing users repairing thir disk, etc, going foward....

Apple wants users to restore all apps, all data, keepba backup, or uograde (where you get to keep Recovery partition).

The fact Aple did this move, kinda forces users to manuall create a recovery patition using "other" methods, if needed, but its NOT included in the normal usb creation. We must now do some other steps if we need that partition.

It was included in the past with Mountain Lion, and should be today with Mavericks.... Period..

Apple included the Recovery Partition for a reason, but now the lack of it being copied as something "as always been standard", just means apple is forcing users to take matters into their own hands, (using the suduo command). Or scripts, that was never needed.

I may try the script, and see how i go, but it sounds kinda silly, knkwing apple shoukd have included this in the install by default.... Being optionlly, shoukd NOY be an option....

The Recovery partition shoukd be required just like it always was.....
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom