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

hard reinstall, how?

Z

zephonic

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Feb 7, 2011
1,339
739
greater L.A. area
I just completed a so-called reinstall (on my 2013 MBA) and turns out it is anything but. It may have reinstalled the OS, but everything else remains as is.

I want to do a 'hard' reinstall, like you could with with 10.6 and older. Pop in the OS installation DVD, reformat the system disk and do a clean install.

Is that no longer possible or is there another way to do it nowadays?

Thanks.
 
Download Mavericks installer from App Store then use DiskMaker X to create bootable usb of Mav. It will work the same way like DVD in the old days.

You can always boot from recovery partition of the current setup too. Format hdd and do the clean install.
 
dzejms said:
Download Mavericks installer from App Store then use DiskMaker X to create bootable usb of Mav. It will work the same way like DVD in the old days.

You can always boot from recovery partition of the current setup too. Format hdd and do the clean install.
Click to expand...

Thanks. I just did the latter, or so I thought. But nothing was reformatted, it just reinstalled the OS and left everything else as is. I don't remember seeing an option to 'hard' format the disk.

Or are you saying I should just do a hard format from disk utilities? Will that leave the restore partition intact?
 
Download Mavericks from app store > Do not open it, just leave it alone > Have DiskMaker X handy > Open, and use DiskMaker with a thumb drive by following the instructions.

Now restart the system pressing down the option key > Once it appears click on the just made thumb drive boot icon > In the next box, click on Disk Utility > Now click on MacHD, and erase it. Close out the disk utility, and now do a clean fresh install of Mavericks

http://liondiskmaker.com DiskMaker X 3.0.4
 
zephonic said:
I have a bootable backup, but I want a clean reinstall.
Click to expand...
The best way to go is making a bootable USB installer with DiskMaker X.

However, for information, since you have a bootable backup (a clone, I guess ?) you might do this :

- copy over the Mavericks Installer (Applications folder) from your Mac to the bootable clone

- restart and boot up from the clone

- launch Disk Utility, select Macintosh HD (internal HD) and erase it (erase tab/erase)

- launch the Mavericks installer

- select the (internal) Macintosh HD as destination
 
zephonic said:
I just completed a so-called reinstall (on my 2013 MBA) and turns out it is anything but. It may have reinstalled the OS, but everything else remains as is.

I want to do a 'hard' reinstall, like you could with with 10.6 and older. Pop in the OS installation DVD, reformat the system disk and do a clean install.

Is that no longer possible or is there another way to do it nowadays?

Thanks.
Click to expand...

There is no need to make a USB key installer to do a clean install since your Mac came with Mavericks.

Hold command-option-r (all three at once) when you boot. You will see a spinning globe while the recovery util downloads. Once that is done go to the erase tab and select the drive itself at the very top above Macintosh HD then select Mac OS Extended (Journaled) in the drop down and apply the change.

Then quit Disk Util and click reinstall OS X and wait of the OS to DL and install. Done.
 
Thanks all for the suggestions. Turns out there is no need for a USB drive. It works exactly as described in the link I provided above.

Btw, my MBA came with MountainLion, but is on Mav now.

Fwiw, the install wasn't painless. I'd recommend not doing that over wifi.
 
zephonic said:
Thanks all for the suggestions. Turns out there is no need for a USB drive. It works exactly as described in the link I provided above.

Btw, my MBA came with MountainLion, but is on Mav now.

Fwiw, the install wasn't painless. I'd recommend not doing that over wifi.
Click to expand...

You are right. Try to use a cable modem for the download
 
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
Back