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

So I want to do a clean install, I never do upgrades on an OS, call me old school I guess.

But I am running Snow Leopard. Are we SOL trying to create a bootable usb stick? It seems from a few posts the procedure in the op doesn't work on SL.
 
I followed the instructions and created a bootable USB. When it was finishing installing, I got an error that it couldn't be verified (I downloaded it from the store) so I thought I might have to re-download. I booted into my CC partition but now I can't see my primary partition (where Mavericks was installing to) in disk utility.

Any advice please?

EDIT: Sorted.
 
Last edited:
tywebb13 said:
This is better than osxdaily's method (which should only be used for DP1 anyway, not DP4 or the GM):

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...

Hi when I pasted this command in terminal I entered my password and it accepted but I get a "command not found" message. I moved Mavericks Installer to Applications folder and I formatted my USB as Untitled and Mac OS X Journaled Extended. Any suggestions?
 
another SL datapoint

% sudo /Applications/Install\ OS\ X\ Mavericks.app/Contents/Resources/createinstallmedia --volume /Volumes/Mavericks --applicationpath /Applications/Install\ OS\ X\ Mavericks.app --nointeraction
Failed to start erase of disk due to error (-9999, 0).
A error occurred erasing the disk.

off to borrow a laptop running lion, i guess.
 
Please please someone reply me how i can create a DVD? i already have created the USB and updated the MBP, and i want a DVD to update my iMac, when i open a USB there is only a APP (Mavericks Installer App) should i copy it to the dvd directly? or is there any other option by which i can create a bootable dvd.
Please solve my query
Thanks
 
confirmed that these steps worked! clean install and with a new 10.9 recovery partition. thanks to the creator of those steps
 
What if my system's language is not english? Should I change the "Applications" folder's name and "Install OS X Mavericks.app" 's name to my language in the code? Because after I copied the code in Terminal, and hit my password I got the following: You must specify both the volume and install application path.
 
yodayodayoda said:
% sudo /Applications/Install\ OS\ X\ Mavericks.app/Contents/Resources/createinstallmedia --volume /Volumes/Mavericks --applicationpath /Applications/Install\ OS\ X\ Mavericks.app --nointeraction
Failed to start erase of disk due to error (-9999, 0).
A error occurred erasing the disk.
Click to expand...

I got the same error. I am on 10.6.8.
 
I'm on 10.7.5 and I want a clean install of Mavericks. I tried to follow your instructions to make my 8GB flash drive bootable, but this happens every time:

Last login: Thu Oct 24 17:16:48 on ttys000
Tras-MacBook-Pro:~ nhatcuongmobile$ sudo /Applications/Install\ OS\ X\ Mavericks.app/Contents/Resources/createinstallmedia --volume /Volumes/Untitled --applicationpath /Applications/Install\ OS\ X\ Mavericks.app --nointeraction
Password:
Erasing Disk: 0%... 10%... 20%...100%...
Copying installer files to disk...
Copy complete.
Making disk bootable...
Couldn't mount dmg /Volumes/Install OS X Mavericks/Install OS X Mavericks.app/Contents/SharedSupport/InstallESD.dmg (error code 111)Mount of outer dmg failed.
Done.
Click to expand...

I tried using different flash drives but I still can't make any of them bootable. Please help?
 
Can anyone confirm if you can do Internet Recovery with the 10.9 Recovery Partition with Mavericks being downloaded and installed instead of what came with your Mac?
 
Hi,

if you have a valid 10.9 Recovery partition, Mavericks will be downloaded.

To know if the partition is valid, do an Option boot, see if the partition is here, and boot from it : if you get the Utilities page, all is ok.

If you don't have a valid 10.9 partition, a Cmd +r boot will download the OS (Lion or Mountain Lion, depending on the serial number which is "seen" by Apple servers) that came with your Mac.

To those who wish to make a bootable install drive, use Disk Maker X (formerly Lion Disk Maker).

http://liondiskmaker.com/?lang=en
 
Last edited:
Okay I've followed the instructions - I now have a USB drive that shows up in Finder as "Install OS X Mavericks" and which has "Install OS X Mavericks.app" on it.

Seem correct? All I did was run the terminal commands after downloading Mavericks and formatting my USB stick. Don't remember my Lion installation drive showing an App as the disc contents, but I can't lay my hands on it right now.
 
Bruno09 said:
Yes absolutely it will create the Recovery partition.

(I used Lion Disk Maker 3b3 yesterday, as Disk Maker X was not released at that time. I worked flawlessly. I used a SanDisk 8GB USB stick, and made a clean install to an external hard drive with it.)

http://liondiskmaker.com/?p=189
Click to expand...

Thanks!

Between Disk Maker X, the excellent terminal instructions in this thread, and the applet that was posted, I've learned a lot about making bootable installs.

Now all I have to do is convince myself I will like the Mavericks upgrade a lot more than iOS 7 :D

Jon...
 
I do not know if it was already mentioned, I've Mavericks GM and for some reasons I do not have the Recovery Partition, if I reinstall again Mavericks "final" from USB, it recreates the Recovery Partition?

Or should I reinstall first Mountain Lion, and after Maverick to have the Recovery Partition?
 
tywebb13 said:
But in both cases, it got to "Less than a minute to go" at the end and then it seemed to hang there for ages. It wasn't actually hanging. I waited it out and it did eventually finish. But this is just something to be aware of before you install the GM in case you think it isn't working at the end. Others have commented that they had the same issue. It's not a big problem though. Just don't get impatient.
Click to expand...

I ran into that too. Unfortunately I was getting ready for work so it was a choice between being late or having it potentially in an infinite loop all day grinding away. Luckilly both the pre-boot and post-boot parts completed with seconds to go before I had run to catch my train.
 
Hi all, newbie question, I ran into trouble (3rd party app incompatability) while using the update option for Mavericks from Mountain Lion, so i decided to format my primary drive to do a clean install.

Upon following the steps above (terminal commands) and successfully creating a bootable usb disk on a Data Traveller 100G3 usb3 8gig.

1. I formatted my macintosh HD (Mac OS Extended Journaled)

2. Upon booting and holding the alt key. My thumb drive which contains the installation is not showing up. (Also tried to switch to another usb slot)

3. I even used start up disk method (The drive is showing up there) to boot with the installation disk of mavericks, then goes back to the recovery screen.

any help? and thanks.
 
Bruno09 said:
To those who wish to make a bootable install drive, use Disk Maker X (formerly Lion Disk Maker).

http://liondiskmaker.com/?lang=en
Click to expand...

Hopefully that works better than the beta. After it created the Mavericks installer, I booted, started the process, then it stopped after a few minutes saying the data was corrupted.

I had to reformat, use Internet Recovery to download Lion, install Mavericks on top of that, then create the USB installer using the terminal command outlined here and elsewhere. For some reason, I the terminal approach wouldn't work in Lion. I tried a fresh install of Mavericks this morning with that freshly created thumb drive, and it went off without a hitch. Methinks I will just keep 10.9 on the USB drive and install the incremental 10.9.x updates on top through the App Store--that's what I normally do but with Lion and ML, I would also create a bootable USB drive with the most up-to-date version.
 
shoot man i made boot drive 5 times and every time it sticks at same position u mentioned and i restarted, this time after reading ill be leaving it till it gets finish, do you have any idea how long it takes?????

tywebb13 said:
Yeah. It's pretty easy to make this.

But yesterday, I found the actual installation a rather tortuous process on my 2010 mbp (with hard drive). It went a lot smoother on my 2011 mba (with a ssd).

But in both cases, it got to "Less than a minute to go" at the end and then it seemed to hang there for ages. It wasn't actually hanging. I waited it out and it did eventually finish. But this is just something to be aware of before you install the GM in case you think it isn't working at the end. Others have commented that they had the same issue. It's not a big problem though. Just don't get impatient.

----------



Why not? Did you wait long enough for the process to finish? It took me 20 min. Is your USB called Untitled? Is it at least 8 GB? Is it formatted as Mac OS Extended (Journaled)? Is your installer file called Install OS X Mavericks.app and is it in the Applications folder? Did you type the command correctly (might be safer to copy and paste instead - I'm not being rude, but I don't trust my own typing either - I also copy and pasted it when I did it yesterday)?
Click to expand...


----------
Alveezy said:
Can anyone confirm if you can do Internet Recovery with the 10.9 Recovery Partition with Mavericks being downloaded and installed instead of what came with your Mac?
Click to expand...

maverick isn't working for internet recovery at this point, i thought same but was very disappointed to see mountain lion.:mad:@:apple:
 
Well, the first I tried this, the process ran through under a minute, and there were no files on the USB disk in the end.

The second time I tried it took longer.. about 15-20 minutes.
Afterwards I was left with a USB disk that had 'Install OSX Mavericks' on it.

Can't boot it off it though :(
 
philipandrews said:
I am getting this same error. I had the GM on my machine but it crashed after I downloaded something sketchy and had to delete the webkits. Mistakenly deleted the webkits from the system folder and the entire machine crashed. Apple restore all the way back to 10.6.8 so Im stuck just like you.

Any help guys?
Click to expand...

Hello,

I have also 10.6.8 and I was facing same issue. I have tried method which is presented in this article: http://www.gottabemobile.com/2013/10/22/perform-clean-install-os-x-mavericks/

There are two methods. The easier one, which is also described here and the second one, which is a little bit more complicated. I have tried it and I was able to create the bootable usd drive, but I don't know if it works because I am going to do an installation tomorrow.

Hope it helps :)
 
Install OS X Mavericks.app needs to be in the Applications folder in order for terminal to find it if you use my instructions. So if it is anywhere else, it won't find it. That's pretty obvious.

But there is a more subtle issue which may be preventing terminal from finding createinstallmedia.

As the installer downloads, the name is

OS X Mavericks.app

Only when the download completes, it changes it's name to

Install OS X Mavericks.app

It needs to have the Install in its name if my command is to find createinstallmedia.

Run it prematurely and it will not work.

Your usb should also be called Untitled.
 
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