Question About a Clean Install

[Irishman]

I'm planning on reinstalling Mavericks from scratch to solve a performance issue.

I tested the USB drive I made today by plugging into my Mac, rebooting while holding down "shift". It recognizes the USB drive as being a bootable volume, but it also showed a restore partition on my Mac.

When I reinstall OSX, will it create a new restore partition by default, or do I have to tell it to?

Is there an advantage to not doing it, if I have the choice?

 

[Gjwilly]

If you delete all existing partitions before you proceed with the install and if you used the following method to create the USB install drive:
https://forums.macrumors.com/posts/18081307/
then a new restore partition will be created by default.
There are other methods for creating the USB install drive that will not create the restore partition so if you do want one just make sure you used the linked instructions.
Here's an article that has the other methods for if you don't want a recovery partition.
http://www.macworld.com/article/2056561/how-to-make-a-bootable-mavericks-install-drive.html

 

[Irishman]

If you delete all existing partitions before you proceed with the install and if you used the following method to create the USB install drive:
https://forums.macrumors.com/posts/18081307/
then a new restore partition will be created by default.
There are other methods for creating the USB install drive that will not create the restore partition so if you do want one just make sure you used the linked instructions.
Here's an article that has the other methods for if you don't want a recovery partition.
http://www.macworld.com/article/2056561/how-to-make-a-bootable-mavericks-install-drive.html

Here's the method I'm planning to use:

http://twit.tv/show/know-how/77

The sudo command in terminal is the same one I used, so that's encouraging.

Thoughts?

 

[Weaselboy]

Thoughts?

I would just use the utility DiskMaker X along with an 8GB USB key to make your Mavs installer so there is no mistake. Then just option key boot to the installer and erase the drive to Mac OS Extended (Journaled) then install the OS. This will give you the clean install you want along with a recovery partition on the drive.

 

[Irishman]

I would just use the utility DiskMaker X along with an 8GB USB key to make your Mavs installer so there is no mistake. Then just option key boot to the installer and erase the drive to Mac OS Extended (Journaled) then install the OS. This will give you the clean install you want along with a recovery partition on the drive.

Why that particular utility?

Do you mean to say that the method I'm planning on using is less likely to work?

 

[Weaselboy]

Why that particular utility?

Do you mean to say that the method I'm planning on using is less likely to work?

It is just easier and you don't have to worry about a typo causing it not to work. If you prefer to do it from the command line here is the official Apple method to do that.

 

[Irishman]

It is just easier and you don't have to worry about a typo causing it not to work. If you prefer to do it from the command line here is the official Apple method to do that.

I actually copied and pasted from the show notes page of twit.tv.

It's also been suggested to me by someone that simply dragging and dropping my MS Word 2011 .iso onto my external drive won't be sufficient for making that .iso re-installable after my clean install of 10.9.2 is done on my iMac.

Superduper was suggested as a tool to do that properly.

Any insight into this procedure? I have no experience with cloning apps.

 

[Irishman]

For DianeofOregon

In answer to our previous PM exchange (since you asked me to take any further questions to the thread). This is my Mavericks reinstall thread, since others in the Office thread made it clear that my presence there wasn't wanted.

You seem frustrated that I'm not following your advice uncritically. All I want is a better understanding of WHY I should follow it. I hope that isn't too much to ask.

I don't want to clone my drive. I want to reinstall my Mac Office 2011 from the iso file (if possible) without using any cloning utilities.

Unless, and this seems key for me, you or someone else reading this can show me where and how I'm better off going the cloning utility route.

You wrote "The ISO file will allow you to reinstall Office that I stated way back in my original reply. "

Your original reply suggested I use SuperDuper. I restated that I have no experience with cloning utilities (hoping that you could offer some reassurance as to why I should go that route, instead of just dragging and dropping the ISO file from my Mac's Safari downloads folder to my external HD).

You wrote: "SuperDuper will make a bootable backup of your drive. If something goes wrong you can boot back into your clone." I restated that I don't want to backup my hard drive. I'm trying to solve a performance problem on my Mac, and do not want to bring potentially causative factors with me in the new install.

So, respectfully, I'm really reaching out for help. I'm not ignoring it. I just need to understand why it's the best way to go.

 

[dianeoforegon]

I already offered my best advice to backup your data as a clone prior to re-install of Mavericks. You clearly stated you are not interested in this so I'm not sure what else you want.

Don't expect further replies from me.

 

[Irishman]

Hi, everyone. The method for doing the clean install worked for me. The one featured on TWIT.tv's show Know How, for making a Maverick's boot USB stick.

The only issue I'm having now is configuring my TWC Roadrunner mail acct in Apple Mail.

 

[Weaselboy]

The only issue I'm having now is configuring my TWC Roadrunner mail acct in Apple Mail.

You should be able to use these POP mail settings in Mail app.

Is that not working for you?

If you tell me the domain name in your email address (like nyc.rr.com), maybe I can help you through it.

 

[Irishman]

You should be able to use these POP mail settings in Mail app.

Image

Is that not working for you?

If you tell me the domain name in your email address (like nyc.rr.com), maybe I can help you through it.

It starts earlier than that. I open Mail (it's already set up my icloud mail from the install process). I go to add account, and it asks me what kind of mail account. I'm unsure as to whether or not to choose "Exchange" or "add another mail account". Does it matter?

 

[Weaselboy]

It starts earlier than that. I open Mail (it's already set up my icloud mail from the install process). I go to add account, and it asks me what kind of mail account. I'm unsure as to whether or not to choose "Exchange" or "add another mail account". Does it matter?

You want to use "add another mail account". Then put in your user name (email address) and password. It will try to auto configure and fail. Then you can manually enter the POP mail server address from my screenshot.

 

[Irishman]

You want to use "add another mail account". Then put in your user name (email address) and password. It will try to auto configure and fail. Then you can manually enter the POP mail server address from my screenshot.

Ok. When i selected "add another mail account" it gave a dialogue box to enter my mail acct name and password. Then, it thought for several seconds and popped up that it couldn't set it up with a secure ID? Is this the failing you referred to? I clicked "continue", and let it sit for a minute.

I heard a chime while composing this to you, and it's downloading my emails. I tested to make sure it receives from my yahoo mail and it did. I also sent a new test mail and it just received it. This clean install seems to have fixed a mail problem where everytime I composed and sent a new mail, it would fail to find my outgoing mail server and would make me confirm it every time. No longer!

 

[Irishman]

Just an update for anyone still reading. I wanted to make sure that I communicated my experience through to the end, so readers would know if it worked.

I successfully reinstalled MS Office this morning from my .iso file.

Here's what I did to get to this point. I had kept my iso in my Safari downloads folder. I dragged it to my external HD. I reinstalled OSX Mavericks from a USB key, then I dragged the Office iso to my Safari downloads folder. I double clicked it and the installer ran flawlessly. I just had to re-enter my original product key from when I first had set it up.

Works as expected. Mission accomplished!

Oh, and the reinstall fixed my performance problem, which is what prompted the whole thing.