Clean Mountain Lion install without USB & drive

[deeddawg]

agreed, it's alot easyer to use a USB if you got one...
i dont..

I didn't either. Stopped by Microcenter on the way home a couple days ago and picked one up for $7. Should be $10 or less at Walmart/Target/etc

But I can't choose a USB-drive as a startup disk no matter what boot loader is on there...

Sounds very frustrating. You're positive you chose GUID partition table when you formatted it to Mac OS Extended (Journaled) filesystem? I think I've seen some posts about certain brands having trouble with some systems.

Just as a datapoint; Microcenter store-brand 8GB flash drive. Booted 2010 MBP13 and installed. Also boots 2011 MBA13.

Cheers.

 

[iThinkergoiMac]

The early 2011 MBP can't boot from USB, the option to create a bootable USB in BootCamp Assistant is even greyed out

I stand corrected. That's crazy weird, though...

 

[larzy]

Yes. Just like the OP noted:

From OSX Lion, purchase ML.
Install it.
Shutdown and start with cmd+R.
Enter disk utility, Erase your drive.
Click the Install button.

Done. Very happy to have done this. Dock, Launchpad and other settings nicely defaulted.

I tried this approach also, but after the installation rebooted it was back to Lion - not Mountain Lion which I just upgraded to. Gonna try again later after work to first upgrade again and then cmd+R

Do I have to delete the recovery partition as well?

Update: just read this piece of information from Macworld:
Unlike OS X Recovery, Internet Recovery relies on your Mac’s firmware, which isn’t updated when you install a newer version of the OS. This means that if your Mac model was released prior to Mountain Lion, you have the Lion version of Internet Recovery,*even if you upgrade your Mac’s operating system to Mountain Lion. If you purchase a Mac model released after Mountain Lion’s debut, Internet Recovery will install Mountain Lion. (It’s possible that Apple could release firmware updates for older Macs to give them the Mountain Lion version of Internet Recovery, but it hasn’t happened yet).

 

[Scuba629]

Confirmed. This worked perfect.

 

[kmj2318]

Confirmed. This worked perfect.

What year mac?

 

[SDAVE]

hi all

Just wanted to tell that on Macs with the internet recovery function, it's posible to to a complete clean Mountain lion install already.

On my air i bought and install mountain lion from store.
After install was complete, booted into the recovery, formated with diskutility, and it could install Mountain Lion over internet

So Apple checks your Macs serial number and then your account to see if you bought Mountain Lion and gives you that instead of Lion?

That sounds like a super sweet solution Apple came up with!.

My MBP came with Lion last year, I'm going to give this a try in a few weeks.

 

[kmj2318]

Update: just read this piece of information from Macworld:
Unlike OS X Recovery, Internet Recovery relies on your Mac’s firmware, which isn’t updated when you install a newer version of the OS. This means that if your Mac model was released prior to Mountain Lion, you have the Lion version of Internet Recovery,*even if you upgrade your Mac’s operating system to Mountain Lion. If you purchase a Mac model released after Mountain Lion’s debut, Internet Recovery will install Mountain Lion. (It’s possible that Apple could release firmware updates for older Macs to give them the Mountain Lion version of Internet Recovery, but it hasn’t happened yet).

This is contrary to what others are saying in this thread

 

[stevemiller]

I was able to clean install mountain lion by downloading it from the app store, extracting the dmg, resizing my main partition with disk utility and restoring the dmg to a new partition, and then booting from it and installing. Afterwards I simply deleted the install partition, and resized my main partition back to reclaim the full drive.

If I recall correctly, the only snag I hit was needing to boot from my time machine drive in order to perform the partition resize on my regular boot volume (not sure why I wasn't able to just do that from the option R recovery partition, though)

anyway, hope that helps anyone who's looking for an alternative install technique.

 

[Weaselboy]

This is contrary to what others are saying in this thread

The Macworld article is correct. Some of the posters in the thread are confusing a Recovery HD Mountain Lion install (which uses the Mountain Lion recovery partition on the drive) with Internet Recovery (which would only be used if the drive is blank and there was no recovery partition on the drive).

 

[kmj2318]

The Macworld article is correct. Some of the posters in the thread are confusing a Recovery HD Mountain Lion install (which uses the Mountain Lion recovery partition on the drive) with Internet Recovery (which would only be used if the drive is blank and there was no recovery partition on the drive).

Oh I see.

I decided to do a clean install from the recovery partition on my 09 MBP and it did a clean install of Mountain Lion.

 

[Hyldig]

Update: just read this piece of information from Macworld:
Unlike OS X Recovery, Internet Recovery relies on your Mac’s firmware, which isn’t updated when you install a newer version of the OS. This means that if your Mac model was released prior to Mountain Lion, you have the Lion version of Internet Recovery,*even if you upgrade your Mac’s operating system to Mountain Lion. If you purchase a Mac model released after Mountain Lion’s debut, Internet Recovery will install Mountain Lion. (It’s possible that Apple could release firmware updates for older Macs to give them the Mountain Lion version of Internet Recovery, but it hasn’t happened yet).

The macworld article is wrong....

i DON'T have a recovery partition on my Macbook Air Mid '11 (came with lion).
I only have internet recovery, and it installs Mountain Lion.

And i just double checked. My recovery funtion only works with an internet connection. And it asks for my Apple ID login, when i select "Reinstall OS X".
Then it starts downloading Mountain Lion and installing.

 

[Weaselboy]

The macworld article is wrong....

i DON'T have a recovery partition on my Macbook Air Mid '11 (came with lion).
I only have internet recovery, and it installs Mountain Lion.

And i just double checked. My recovery funtion only works with an internet connection. And it asks for my Apple ID login, when i select "Reinstall OS X".
Then it starts downloading Mountain Lion and installing.

I think you do have a recovery partition and just don't realize it. The fact you are being asked for an AppleID proves this. If you are doing a true Internet Recovery to a blank drive, you will not be asked for an AppleID.

Try this. Open Terminal and enter "diskutil list" (without the quotes) and post up the output. I suspect you will see you do have a Recovery HD on there. It is a hidden partition, so you normally won't see it.

 

[Hyldig]

I think you do have a recovery partition and just don't realize it. The fact you are being asked for an AppleID proves this. If you are doing a true Internet Recovery to a blank drive, you will not be asked for an AppleID.

Try this. Open Terminal and enter "diskutil list" (without the quotes) and post up the output. I suspect you will see you do have a Recovery HD on there. It is a hidden partition, so you normally won't see it.

Ahhh yes i see it now.

What makes me mix things up is that the Recovery HD is only 600mb, and still need internet and a 4GB download to install OS X.
I though that recovery partitions would work without internet.

 

[VTECaddict]

Take a look at this discussion, I read it and followed every tip in there (plus tons of tips from other sites) to get my MBP to boot from USB - never did succeed... I'm not even sure target disk works with USB-drives (but I know it works with FireWire and ThunderBolt). https://discussions.apple.com/thread/3410900?start=0&tstart=0

Maybe USB-drives with an OS X install is different and would boot even early 2011 MBP's... But I can't choose a USB-drive as a startup disk no matter what boot loader is on there...

The problem is you're trying to boot to a Windows volume through USB. That only works with Macs without an optical drive (eg MBA, rMBP) for the purpose of installing Windows via Boot Camp.

You should be able to boot to a Mac volume without issue. I can do it on my Late 2008 MBP. I can boot to any OS X installer that I've restored to a partition on my external hard drive. I can even boot to a backup of my old OS X installs that are on my external drive.

 

[SlCKB0Y]

I tried it, did not work with my 2011 MBA... still wanted to install lion after the upgrade to ML.

No, you didn't try it. You did something wrong.

----------

Update: just read this piece of information from Macworld:
Unlike OS X Recovery, Internet Recovery relies on your Mac’s firmware, which isn’t updated when you install a newer version of the OS. This means that if your Mac model was released prior to Mountain Lion, you have the Lion version of Internet Recovery

This is NOT relevant because if you've installed ML over Lion, it will have created a ML recovery partition forgoing the need for a full internet recovery. When you then boot recovery, it will boot the ML recovery. You'll then be prompted for your Apple ID so you Mac can check with the app store and verify your ML purchase.

 

[sukai]

going to try this now, wish me luck.

 

[Icy1007]

The early 2011 MBP can't boot from USB

My early 2011 MBP can boot from USB.

 

[Tankmaze]

both of my early 2011 mbp and imac when I've tried the internet recovery, it will run the lion installation.
and this is when I've already redeem and install mountain lion.

I run cmd+opt+r -> running internet recovery -> and see the lion installation.
didn't go with it, instead use my bootable SD card with ML.

 

[Michaelgtrusa]

Yes you can clean install without a disk or drive from recovery mode.

 

[Arn0]

I have got a problem. I try to clean install mountain lion, but when I use recovery partition, delete old partition and try to install moutain lion, after I put my Apple ID, nothing happen.

 

[ivoruest]

Recovery Disk Assistant doesn´t recognize my SD Card. Or is it not compatible to make a recovery disk with an SD card?

 

[Weaselboy]

Recovery Disk Assistant doesn´t recognize my SD Card. Or is it not compatible to make a recovery disk with an SD card?

I did notice that the Apple info here talks about a USB key, but I don't know why it would not work on a SD card.

Did you format/partition the SD card as specified here:

 

[biasx31]

I have got a problem. I try to clean install mountain lion, but when I use recovery partition, delete old partition and try to install moutain lion, after I put my Apple ID, nothing happen.

same here, did you also upgrade from snow leopard ?

 

[ivoruest]

I did notice that the Apple info here talks about a USB key, but I don't know why it would not work on a SD card.

Did you format/partition the SD card as specified here:

Image

Yep, I tried is like Recovery Assistant won't recognize or look after SD cards. Because the OS does immediately recognize my SD when inserted. I guess its not supported then.

 

[austinguy23]

Wow, a week long thread and people are still in disagreement over available installation options.

Looks like Apple has an opportunity in their next update to make all options clearer.