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

[chrfr]

What could be wrong? For full info, I am doing this on a brand new Sandisk 8GB cruzer blade USB thumb drive.

Make sure that your USB drive is partitioned as GUID.

 

[JSKIM]

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).

I made a bootable disk per the instructions on this thread and it seemed to have installed the OS onto my actual USB drive. I discovered this because obviously the machine is now shockingly slow. I installed a brand new OWC SSD. How did this go so wrong?

What can I do to fix it? I just want a clean install of Mavericks on this new SSD. My SSD never showed up as an option to install the OS to. Why is that?

 

[tywebb13]

to do a clean install, boot up from your usb by holding the option key when booting.

then use disk utility to format the drive.

then use the usb to install mavericks on your newly formatted drive.

 

[DonutHands]

This does not appear to be working for me. The terminal command completes. The drive looks correct. I can even start the installer.

But just after it finishes the first phase, before it restarts the computer and after the progress bar finishes a message appears saying that something went wrong in the install.

Anyone have a solution? I have made the USB installer 3 times now with same result.

 

[Bruno09]

Did you format the SSD, and how ?

Did it show up as an option to install the OS to ?

 

[RichardF]

Is there a way to purge the SSID/ password for a WiFi used during a clean install of Mavericks (10.9)?

OS X Utilities seems to remember it no what matter what I do: delete the partition, clean install etc.

Anyone knows?

 

[Weaselboy]

Is there a way to purge the SSID/ password for a WiFi used during a clean install of Mavericks (10.9)?

OS X Utilities seems to remember it no what matter what I do: delete the partition, clean install etc.

Anyone knows?

It is stored in PRAM/NVRAM. Do a PRAM reset to erase it. Follow this.

 

[RichardF]

It is stored in PRAM/NVRAM. Do a PRAM reset to erase it. Follow this.

Thank you very much!!!

 

[Tech198]

The only thing working here for me is mounting hidden BaseSystem.dmg and restoring this via DU, then copying over "Packages" folder into /System/Install on flash..

I know this method is only for DP, but its the only one which works for me...

after numerous tries with both copying and pasting the sudo command and/or using DiskMaker X (latest version) onto new flash drives i got for testing, I constantly get the same error writing to disk. So, its not the flash at fault here.

The partition is GUID Partition Table (Mac OS Extended, Apple Journaled)

After DM throws an error there is an "Edit" button which opens AppleScript..

This happens after authentication and after you select your partitioned usb drive.

I dunno why it works for everyone else.

FYI : Thanks for the PRAM Wi-fi info .... This has been driving me nuts for a while, even on a blank hard drive..

 

[chrfr]

The only thing working here for me is mounting hidden BaseSystem.dmg and restoring this via DU, then copying over "Packages" folder into /System/Install on flash..

You're not doing it the right way.
Follow Apple's instructions: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT5856?viewlocale=en_US&locale=en_US

 

[rocknrotty]

Hey all, I made an applescript to simplify the command line process. The applescript will completely wipe the device you use for the installer to make sure that it is correctly partitioned so I recommend using an 8GB or larger flash/thumb drive that has nothing of importance on it. Here is a link to my post.

http://musings.silvertooth.us/2013/10/mavericks-bootable-disk-creation-tool/

Cheers and thanks to tywebb13 for the command.

Chris

Thanks Bud This worked first time (MBP Mid 2010, ID 7,1, OSX 10.7 now Mavericks)

 

[Tech198]

You're not doing it the right way.
Follow Apple's instructions: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT5856?viewlocale=en_US&locale=en_US

Read my entire post, not just the bit which works for you.

 

[Tech198]

Hey all, I made an applescript to simplify the command line process. The applescript will completely wipe the device you use for the installer to make sure that it is correctly partitioned so I recommend using an 8GB or larger flash/thumb drive that has nothing of importance on it. Here is a link to my post.

http://musings.silvertooth.us/2013/10/mavericks-bootable-disk-creation-tool/

Cheers and thanks to tywebb13 for the command.

Chris

I got this.

Only after using Disk Utility does my drive appear in the script. It doesn't not appear if its blank (no partition). The screenshot on your site shows flash drive appear, but then you state in step 3:- ".....This is absolutely necessary in order to create the proper partitioning scheme that OS X can boot from"

No its not, since the dive doesn't appear until after its partitioned.

How can you point to something that doesn't exist yet ?

However, after using Disk Utility partitioned as GUID (Journaled), it shoes up as screenshots below, but then i get an error as indicated.

I'm not after any solution here, as i have my solution which works for me...... Just thought i'd share for anyone having the same.

 

[chrfr]

However, after using Disk Utility partitioned as GUID (Journaled), it shoes up as screenshots below, but then i get an error as indicated.

I'm guessing it's failing since both of your drives are named "Untitled". When this happens, both drives will appear to have the same name in the Finder but one will have been assigned a different name as seen in /Volumes and as the Applescript indicates. A Non-zero error in an Applescript just means that the script didn't exit as expected, but the cause could be any number of things.
Edit: The process is indeed failing because both of your drives are named Untitled.

 

[pramaprow]

Terminal won't type admin password...

Making the (USB) bootable install of Mavericks on my MacBook Pro (2012)...already has Mavericks 10.9...everything hunky dory 'till I paste into the terminal and then it won't type my admin password...nada...help?...thank you...

 

[Bruno09]

It's normal that your password does not show up in a Terminal window : just type it and hit enter key.

(and if you have any problem making your bootable drive via the Terminal, use Disk Maker X instead…)

 

[pramaprow]

Thank you kindly Bruno...

Learn something every day...

 

[Tech198]

I'm guessing it's failing since both of your drives are named "Untitled". When this happens, both drives will appear to have the same name in the Finder but one will have been assigned a different name as seen in /Volumes and as the Applescript indicates. A Non-zero error in an Applescript just means that the script didn't exit as expected, but the cause could be any number of things.
Edit: The process is indeed failing because both of your drives are named Untitled.

Not true. It works perfectly fine under Parallels Desktop 9, even with Flash same name.


I just tried it tonight, and it asked for admin password then proceeded to copy files..

It doesn't work Mac Host, unless something is already on the Flash drive for DiskMaker X to erase, but it DM in VM running Mavericks..

I have no idea why this would be, but still wouldn't explain why it works for everyone else. Oh well.... that's a fix for me anyway

I now have "Recovery 10.9" partition.

It also seems DM X also makes OS X bootable Mavericks unregistered, as you now see a "Register" screen, you can skip though. Not sure why this comes up on the same Mac you downloaded registered version from the App Store.

In any case, took time, but looks like my solutions solved.

Thank guys.

 

[chrfr]

Not true. It works perfectly fine under Parallels Desktop 9, even with Flash same name.

It doesn't work with native OS X if the boot disk and installer target disk have the same name. It's likely that Parallels handles USB volumes differently than the native OS does, but I don't use Parallels so I can't test that.

 

[Mr. Monsieur]

...

 

[cman-uk]

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).

This seems to be a great method. Will be trying it out at the weekend. Presumably it is fine for the now public release?

 

[Bruno09]

This seems to be a great method.

You might also use Diskmaker X…

http://liondiskMaker.com

 

[zoom2]

Everything seems fine with the Terminal Method, meaning the path, names etc.

However, I keep getting this error;

dyld: unknown required load command 0x80000022
Trace/BPT trap

I'm on OSX 10.5.8

 

[tywebb13]

Terminal method doesn't work in Snow Leopard and so it is unlikely to work in Leopard either.

 

[sailen]

error...???

This seems to be a great method. Will be trying it out at the weekend. Presumably it is fine for the now public release?

Hi, I get the following message inside the Terminal. Can anyone help?

Last login: Sun Feb 16 20:12:37 on console
Nomas-MacBook-Pro:~ Noma$ sudo /Applications/Install\ OS\ X\ Mavericks.app/Contents/Resources/createinstallmedia --volume /Volumes/Untitled --applicationpath /Applications/Install\ OS\ X\ Mavericks.app --nointeraction
Password:
Failed to start erase of disk due to error (-9999, 0).
A error occurred erasing the disk.
Nomas-MacBook-Pro:~ Noma$