[GUIDE] USB recovery disk for MacBook Pro Retina, Late 2013 (or any special build)

[alek2407]

You are my hero!!!!

Final question: Can I add a custom-folder for some additional files I need on a fresh system?

I haven't tested this, but it should work. Just put a folder in the root of your USB disk and see if it boots up.

If you don't mind me asking, what files would you include? I'm interested in making a complete emergency kit on USB disk.



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Can I ask you mate when you go in to your "Booting" choices (by pressing option) How much free space does your 650mb partition have? Mine has 98mb free.

The reason I ask is, because I think I have extra files in here that shouldn't be there. I previously had a tonne of bloatware on the machine. Thanks

Mine has 104.6 MB free. That 8 MB is negligible.

 

[szergelyiphone]

Recovery Partition

Okay, managed to figure it out. Thank you everyone for helping! here is a complete guide:

The MacBook Pro Retina 2013 uses a specific version of OS X 10.9.1. This means the installer downloaded from the Mac App Store or from a friend's computer will not work. The built in Recovery HD partion has a bootable recovery disk already on it, but we need to get the computer to download the "payload" (so it doesn't require a future internet connect).

Start by mounting the built in Recovery HD using terminal and the invisible BaseSystem.dmg using terminal.

diskutil mount readOnly /dev/disk0s3
hdiutil attach "/Volumes/Recovery HD/com.apple.recovery.boot/BaseSystem.dmg"

Run the Install OS X Mavericks app. Use a GUID HFS+j formatted external disk (unfortunately, it requires a disk larger than 8GB, so you might have to use a different one than the one that will eventually become your recovery USB Disk). It will verify your computer, and start the download. The download is big, so it might take a while.

Here is the tricky part, you have to make sure that it does not restart the computer. If it restarts you have to sit through the install process, and start over as it deletes the files. To make sure it doesn't auto restart you can open up a document with the old Save/Save As options and start writing in it (MS Office or Photoshop work).

Once the download finishes, force quit (must be force quit) the Installer. Look at the external disk and find InstallESD.dmg (it may be buried in a folder). Copy InstallESD.dmg to the desktop. If you open it, you will just see a folder named Packages. This is the "payload" of the install, but it is not a bootable disk.

Make sure that you still have BaseSystem.dmg mounted. Open Disk Utility.app and restore the image to your USB Disk (the one you plan on using as the recovery disk, must be GUID HFS+j and at least 8GB). Eject the BaseSystem.dmg to prevent confusion in the next step.

This creates the bootable disk, but it has no "payload" to deliver. Open the OS X Base System on the USB Disk and look into /System/Installation. Here you see a shortcut for Packages, but not an actual folder. Mount InstalESD.dmg and copy the Packages into OS X Base System and replace the shortcut.

You are done! Feel free to rename the USB Disk as you wish.

Hello alek2407

I quess, thats okay, but at this time the installer no make recovery partition so thats not really the proper way, if you want to make a new system to a new ssd or something like that. Well if you allready have a recovery partition is okay.

 

[conspiracy21]

The MacBook Pro Retina 2013 uses a special build of OS X 10.9.1. This means the installer downloaded from the Mac App Store or from a friend's computer will not work. The built in Recovery HD partion has a bootable recovery disk already on it, but we need to get the computer to download the "payload" (so it doesn't require a future internet connect).

Start by mounting the built in Recovery HD using terminal and the invisible BaseSystem.dmg using terminal.

diskutil mount readOnly /dev/disk0s3
hdiutil attach "/Volumes/Recovery HD/com.apple.recovery.boot/BaseSystem.dmg"

Run the Install OS X Mavericks app. Use a GUID HFS+j formatted external disk (unfortunately, it requires a disk larger than 8GB, so you might have to use a different one than the one that will eventually become your recovery USB Disk). It will verify your computer, and start the download. The download is big, so it might take a while.

Here is the tricky part, you have to make sure that it does not restart the computer. If it restarts you have to sit through the install process, and start over as it deletes the files. To make sure it doesn't auto restart you can open up a document with the old Save/Save As options and start writing in it (MS Office or Photoshop work).

Once the download finishes, force quit (must be force quit) the Installer. Look at the external disk and find InstallESD.dmg (it may be buried in a folder). Copy InstallESD.dmg to the desktop. If you open it, you will just see a folder named Packages. This is the "payload" of the install, but it is not a bootable disk.

Make sure that you still have BaseSystem.dmg mounted. Open Disk Utility.app and restore the image to your USB Disk (the one you plan on using as the recovery disk, must be GUID HFS+j and at least 8GB). Eject the BaseSystem.dmg to prevent confusion in the next step.

This creates the bootable disk, but it has no "payload" to deliver. Open the OS X Base System on the USB Disk and look into /System/Installation. Here you see a shortcut for Packages, but not an actual folder. Mount InstalESD.dmg and copy the Packages into OS X Base System and replace the shortcut.

You are done! Feel free to rename the USB Disk as you wish.

hey there.... ur guide is amazing...i was trying to clean install mavercks on my late 2013 MBPr but i was getting that "not permitted " sign when i was booting with mavericks (whihc i downloaded from torrent sites as my mavericks wasnt allowing me to download it thru appstre) any way...when i followed ur guide, i am facing one problem n that is my internt...i dont have Uninterrupted Internet, like my net breaks for few seconds after every 2 hour or something n i have only 2mbps net....so i am not at able to clean install the mavericks as i am nt able to download it.. everytime net break, my download breaks as well...so i am gonna ask u for a favour......can u plz share ur final "Payload" folder in the form of torrent? it would be great if u or anybody else can do that for me...


btw i also came across one more method of creating this bootable maverciks for our Latest MBPr, when u reboot ur mac, boot in recovery mode by "Option" key or cmd+r....n then plug in ur USB n hit "reinstall mavericks" go ahead n select usb (8gb or more i dont know) n hit continue....it ll take a while n ur macbook ll reboot on completion...so just take put the usb during that reboot(even if it reboots then also no issues, as it ll be stuck on reinstall mavericks screen".... this ll give InstalESD.dmg on usb, then with that usb u go ahead n make ur own bootable usb by this method already posted

""This creates the bootable disk, but it has no "payload" to deliver. Open the OS X Base System on the USB Disk and look into /System/Installation. Here you see a shortcut for Packages, but not an actual folder. Mount InstalESD.dmg and copy the Packages into OS X Base System and replace the shortcut.""


anyway i cant do both on my internet so plz someone do the honors...thanks a lot in advance....plz ping me if sum1 z willing to help..

 

[Dylan11]

In the interim until you sort this out, why not just make a bootable cloned copy of your system to a USB thumb drive, this will give you instant access should you need to do disk maintaintence etc, plus you could do a full recovery should the need ever arise, such as having to replace the SSD.

After reading through this thread...your post seems the most simple, yet I can't figure out how this is done?

I wish Apple would just sell 2 x DVD's for people that need a boot-able OS if their system crashes or if the hard drive needs replacement. Otherwise it's just a matter of time until Apple drops support for older versions of OS X that can not upgrade to Mavericks.

 

[alek2407]

Hello alek2407

I quess, thats okay, but at this time the installer no make recovery partition so thats not really the proper way, if you want to make a new system to a new ssd or something like that. Well if you allready have a recovery partition is okay.

This is an easily guide on how to make the installer make you a recovery partition on USB. It requires a little bit of tricking the computer, but I spelled it out for you.

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hey there.... ur guide is amazing...i was trying to clean install mavercks on my late 2013 MBPr but i was getting that "not permitted " sign when i was booting with mavericks (whihc i downloaded from torrent sites as my mavericks wasnt allowing me to download it thru appstre) any way...when i followed ur guide, i am facing one problem n that is my internt...i dont have Uninterrupted Internet, like my net breaks for few seconds after every 2 hour or something n i have only 2mbps net....so i am not at able to clean install the mavericks as i am nt able to download it.. everytime net break, my download breaks as well...so i am gonna ask u for a favour......can u plz share ur final "Payload" folder in the form of torrent? it would be great if u or anybody else can do that for me...


btw i also came across one more method of creating this bootable maverciks for our Latest MBPr, when u reboot ur mac, boot in recovery mode by "Option" key or cmd+r....n then plug in ur USB n hit "reinstall mavericks" go ahead n select usb (8gb or more i dont know) n hit continue....it ll take a while n ur macbook ll reboot on completion...so just take put the usb during that reboot(even if it reboots then also no issues, as it ll be stuck on reinstall mavericks screen".... this ll give InstalESD.dmg on usb, then with that usb u go ahead n make ur own bootable usb by this method already posted

""This creates the bootable disk, but it has no "payload" to deliver. Open the OS X Base System on the USB Disk and look into /System/Installation. Here you see a shortcut for Packages, but not an actual folder. Mount InstalESD.dmg and copy the Packages into OS X Base System and replace the shortcut.""


anyway i cant do both on my internet so plz someone do the honors...thanks a lot in advance....plz ping me if sum1 z willing to help..

Thanks, but that sharing that file would be illegal and MacRumors is strict about warez. I'm sure you can find it on a different forum, just make sure it's from the same model as your computer for it to work.

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After reading through this thread...your post seems the most simple, yet I can't figure out how this is done?

I wish Apple would just sell 2 x DVD's for people that need a boot-able OS if their system crashes or if the hard drive needs replacement. Otherwise it's just a matter of time until Apple drops support for older versions of OS X that can not upgrade to Mavericks.

The new macbooks don't have DVD players, that's the problem. Anyways, making a full clone of your system on a USB disk would probably use more space than just a recovery disk, and it would be less "clean" (that is susceptible to errors or a virus)

 

[conspiracy21]

No bro...I couldn't find that on any warez websit, it's bin 3 days I have been googling for the same..! Well, mavericks is free so it should appear as piracy if at all sum1 is willing to share their "packages" folder with me..!
Anyway, today what I am doing is, I am downloading 10.9.0 from torrent n then make bootable USB out of it n then try to give my MacBook a boot with that...as 10.9.1 is custom update for latest MBPr ..so I hope I ll b able install it n then install 10.9.1 update from apple AppStore...

Oh god plz it should work...(fingers crossed)

Well, still if some1 with late 2013 MBPr, wants to ease things for me then plz share the "package" folder with me...if not in this forum then off forum....cz sharing is caring(I don't mean piracy)..
Thanks guys..
Thanks buddy such a gr8 guide...god bless u with more knowledge each day..

 

[tywebb13]

What build are you getting for 10.9.0? Is it 13A603? If so I doubt it will work. The mac shipped with a special build, not 13A603.

Even if you can somehow force build 13A603 to install onto it, I don't think it is a good idea because you may be missing some important drivers.

Why don't we all just wait till 10.9.2 is released - then you can make a bootable usb for it without worring about special builds.

 

[aol]

Recovery partition

This is a great tip for creating a bootable Mavericks install USB stick for a late 2013 rMBP. The problem, as others have noted, is that this process (when you boot from the USB stick and use disk utility to wipe the internal HD or repartition it to 1 partition) removes the recovery partition. This is fine if you want to keep the USB stick as your recovery partition, but FileVault2 and Find My Mac allegedly stop working without a recovery partition and really, not having the recovery partition creates more problems than it solves.

So instead of creating a bootable USB stick, if you boot while holding COMMAND+R while on a wifi or ethernet network, you can use Internet Recovery to reinstall Mavericks to a 2013 rMBP and this process will create the recovery partition. Here's a link to the Apple Support page: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4718

 

[tywebb13]

Apple provided updates for the special builds for 10.9.1 for the late 2013 mbp and mp on their website but did not include the full installers of the special builds on the mac app store.

They should have provided the full installers of the special builds on the mac app store for those who needed them.

It means people who have older computers have had an easier time making a bootable usb than those with newer macs (at least for 1 or 2 point releases after the new machines were released).

I think this is a bit backward on apple's part.

People with newer macs shouldn't have to hack the system to make a bootable usb in the way that was described before.

People expect a good recovery system for any type of computer thesedays and it seems that people with the late 2013 mbp and mp have had to either use the hack in this thread or else wait till 10.9.2 was released before they could make a bootable usb that would work properly for their machine.

That's not very good.

I hope apple can find a better way in future - like putting full installers for special builds for new computers on the mac app store!