How to: restoring and reinstalling OSX Mountain Lion?

[abeck510]

I was hoping y'all could help me out in wiping my iMac clean. I have all my data backed up on a internet data site and I want to totally wipe-out my HD and start over fresh. I have done this before years ago when OS had installation CD disks, but I have no idea how to do it now that Mountain Lion was downloaded from the App Store. Any advise/past experience with this process is much appreciated!

 

[Weaselboy]

Just hold command-r to boot and that will get you to a recovery partition. Start Disk Utility and erase Macintosh HD. Then click install OS and you will be asked for your AppleID that you used to purchase ML. Then just sit and wait for the 4.7GB install to download and install on the drive. Done.

 

[kaelell]

I wasnt aware you could do it the above method and followed the steps listed here to do it

http://gigaom.com/apple/quick-tip-create-a-usb-installer-for-mountain-lion/

But the previous comment works then great, alternative is you can do as I did and create a USB installer.

 

[Michaelgtrusa]

Works like a charm. 