Error while creating a Mountain Lion USB Key

[Roc P.]

OK so I downloaded Mountain Lion this morning and upgraded.

However, before I did the upgrade, I made a USB Key following the same instructions given when Lion came out. (These are the instructions I followed: http://lifehacker.com/5823096/how-to-burn-your-own-lion-install-dvd-or-flash-drive)

Right at the end though I got this error message:
"Could Not Restore - Invalid Argument"

BUT when I unplugged the USB stick and plugged it back in, the installer and everything was on it.

Is it safe to do a clean install with it?

 

[macmongral]

yes I have already posted about this

search is your salvation

its been the same with all the dp's

 

[Roc P.]

yes I have already posted about this

search is your salvation

its been the same with all the dp's

Oh ok thank you! I'm sorry for making another post about it then. So I assume I am good to go then.

 

[NotYoMac]

OK so I downloaded Mountain Lion this morning and upgraded.

However, before I did the upgrade, I made a USB Key following the same instructions given when Lion came out. (These are the instructions I followed: http://lifehacker.com/5823096/how-to-burn-your-own-lion-install-dvd-or-flash-drive)

Right at the end though I got this error message:
"Could Not Restore - Invalid Argument"

BUT when I unplugged the USB stick and plugged it back in, the installer and everything was on it.

Is it safe to do a clean install with it?

had the same problem and did some research.. Easy fix as you left out this step I am sure..

While inside disk utility, be sure to double click on the .dmg file so it can be mounted.. This will open installESD.dmg use this file to restore to usb drive not the dmg file itself..

Hope this helps...

 

[arashb]

Like NotYoMac said, make sure you're restore the InstallESD.dmg

However, you'll still receive that same error but everything will be fine.

 

[Roc P.]

Hmm yeah I didn't mount it to my desktop first. The directions didn't say to do it so that's why I didn't. Everything still shows up on the USB Key though when I plug it in.

I simply just restored the InstallESD.dmg the way the tutorial said to do it. Why does it have to be mounted to the desktop first?

 

[Weaselboy]

Hmm yeah I didn't mount it to my desktop first. The directions didn't say to do it so that's why I didn't. Everything still shows up on the USB Key though when I plug it in.

I simply just restored the InstallESD.dmg the way the tutorial said to do it. Why does it have to be mounted to the desktop first?

Just a suggestion... you might try using this free app to make the USB key for you. It takes care of all this for you and works quite well.

 

[Roc P.]

Just a suggestion... you might try using this free app to make the USB key for you. It takes care of all this for you and works quite well.

Thanks. I'd rather not download and install an app that I will likely only use once though. I will just redownload ML and try again I guess.

 

[NotYoMac]

Like NotYoMac said, make sure you're restore the InstallESD.dmg

However, you'll still receive that same error but everything will be fine.

I never received the error after doing it this way. Should not receive the error if done correctly.. At least on this end I didn't..

 

[PlaceofDis]

i had the error and knew that i likely would after reading Ars' guide on it again to make sure i remembered how to do it from Lion. my install worked just fine so as far as i can tell you shouldn't worry about it.

 

[Roc P.]

So I re-downloaded Mountain Lion and tried this method:

http://osxdaily.com/2012/02/17/make-bootable-os-x-10-8-mountain-lion-usb-install-drive/

...and I got no error. I haven't tried using the USB Key yet however.

 

[denness544]

So I re-downloaded Mountain Lion and tried this method:

http://osxdaily.com/2012/02/17/make-bootable-os-x-10-8-mountain-lion-usb-install-drive/

...and I got no error. I haven't tried using the USB Key yet however.

Thanks, that's the best step-by-step tutorial. I checked out Cult of Mac and others and there was no mention of mounting it at all. I've been getting the same errors as OP. It sounds like this error is pretty common, wonder why these sites with tutorials don't mention anything about the error.

 

[3460169]

InstallESD.dmg should be mounted, ideally. This will expose the 4.8GB "Mac OS X Install ESD" partition which is the only bit that needs to be restored to a suitably-sized partition on a storage device with a GUID partition map (i.e. one that is bootable by an Intel-based Mac).

I used an 8GB USB pen drive that has two partitions: one just large enough to hold the Mac OS X Install ESD data (I made it 5.0GB), and the second partition is for arbitrary data (so the pen drive still has a use other than being just an ML installer). I really did this partitioning bit just to clarify the point that all you need is a partition on the destination device just large enough to hold the contents of the Mac OS X Install ESD partition that is exposed when you mount the InstallESD.dmg image.

I took a short screen grab video to explain this process visually. There's no commentary but hopefully this will be useful to someone. Note that you do not need to make two partitions on your destination device; but you must have at least one partition large enough to hold Mac OS X Install ESD and the device should be partitioned w/ a GUID map.

https://dl.dropbox.com/s/9il2xov8com2d67/creating-a-ML-USB-installer.mov (24.1MB)

The overall gist of what is done here:

• Open Disk Utility
• From the Contents of the Mountain Lion installer app, drag InstallESD.dmg to the left pane of the Disk Utility
• Right-click the .dmg file and choose Open to "attach" (mount) it. You'll see Mac OS X Install ESD appear in the list
• Plug in your USB pen drive (or whatever device you're making a ML installer on), select it in Disk Utility and choose the Partition tab
• Make a new Mac OS X Extended (journaled) partition on the device that is just large enough to hold the Mac OS X Install ESD; I made mine 5.0GB (the installer data is about 4.75GB) (note here that you can choose to multi-partition, but you don't have to, you minimally need one large enough to hold the installer)
• Hit the Options button and make sure GUID is selected
• Hit Apply and let it partition
• Click Mac OS X Install ESD in the left column, so that it's highlighted
• On the right side, click the Restore tab
• In the left column, click and drag (important: do not select it, just click and drag) the new partition on your device that you just created. Drop it into the Destination field on the right side
• Click Restore, click Erase, enter your credentials and you should be on your way

I think that's everything.

PS: please disregard my gratuitous highlighting of text in the video. I'm a bit ADHD like that..

 

[Macman45]

FWIW Apple will shortly release a new version of the USB creator for ML...A one shot solution. Still needs a 4 GB stick though..I have 10 or so 16GB sticks but I'm mean and don't want to use on of them, so will have to buy a couple of 4GB varieties.

 

[3460169]

FWIW Apple will shortly release a new version of the USB creator for ML...A one shot solution. Still needs a 4 GB stick though..I have 10 or so 16GB sticks but I'm mean and don't want to use on of them, so will have to buy a couple of 4GB varieties.

See my post above. You don't need to dedicate the entire 16GB stick to one 4GB installer.

And a 4GB stick won't be large enough as the current image is about 4.8GB

 

[Macman45]

See my post above. You don't need to dedicate the entire 16GB stick to one 4GB installer.

And a 4GB stick won't be large enough as the current image is about 4.8GB

Okay, an 8GB then...they just lie around in a drawer anyway as I'm not a compulsive re-installer...might get used once a year..

 

[0r30]

I had issues as well when making a bootable usb and kept getting a error when restoring.

I resulted in using a application called lion disk maker. It does everything for you just open it and it will automatically find the files and create the bootable usb. It installed flawless on my mbp and now using mountain lion.

This is the link to the app hope this helps.

http://blog.gete.net/lion-diskmaker-us/

 

[Takashi]

Thanks. I guess I can make my USB ML install key now.

 

[appleweek]

The overall gist of what is done here:

• Open Disk Utility
• From the Contents of the Mountain Lion installer app, drag InstallESD.dmg to the left pane of the Disk Utility
• Right-click the .dmg file and choose Open to "attach" (mount) it. You'll see Mac OS X Install ESD appear in the list
• Plug in your USB pen drive (or whatever device you're making a ML installer on), select it in Disk Utility and choose the Partition tab
• Make a new Mac OS X Extended (journaled) partition on the device that is just large enough to hold the Mac OS X Install ESD; I made mine 5.0GB (the installer data is about 4.75GB) (note here that you can choose to multi-partition, but you don't have to, you minimally need one large enough to hold the installer)
• Hit the Options button and make sure GUID is selected
• Hit Apply and let it partition
• Click Mac OS X Install ESD in the left column, so that it's highlighted
• On the right side, click the Restore tab
• In the left column, click and drag (important: do not select it, just click and drag) the new partition on your device that you just created. Drop it into the Destination field on the right side
• Click Restore, click Erase, enter your credentials and you should be on your way

THANK YOU f00f!! Your above steps worked magic After many, many frustrating attempts to restore the "InstallESD.dmg" itself and receiving the "Invalid Argument" error, this worked. In fact, I even bought a brand new Flash drive just for ML backup and was about to return to the store for an exchange convinced that it was the flash drive that was defective. Thanks again, job well done

 

[KrakenChaos]

It works!

InstallESD.dmg should be mounted, ideally. This will expose the 4.8GB "Mac OS X Install ESD" partition which is the only bit that needs to be restored to a suitably-sized partition on a storage device with a GUID partition map (i.e. one that is bootable by an Intel-based Mac).

I used an 8GB USB pen drive that has two partitions: one just large enough to hold the Mac OS X Install ESD data (I made it 5.0GB), and the second partition is for arbitrary data (so the pen drive still has a use other than being just an ML installer). I really did this partitioning bit just to clarify the point that all you need is a partition on the destination device just large enough to hold the contents of the Mac OS X Install ESD partition that is exposed when you mount the InstallESD.dmg image.

I took a short screen grab video to explain this process visually. There's no commentary but hopefully this will be useful to someone. Note that you do not need to make two partitions on your destination device; but you must have at least one partition large enough to hold Mac OS X Install ESD and the device should be partitioned w/ a GUID map.

https://dl.dropbox.com/s/9il2xov8com2d67/creating-a-ML-USB-installer.mov (24.1MB)

The overall gist of what is done here:

• Open Disk Utility
• From the Contents of the Mountain Lion installer app, drag InstallESD.dmg to the left pane of the Disk Utility
• Right-click the .dmg file and choose Open to "attach" (mount) it. You'll see Mac OS X Install ESD appear in the list
• Plug in your USB pen drive (or whatever device you're making a ML installer on), select it in Disk Utility and choose the Partition tab
• Make a new Mac OS X Extended (journaled) partition on the device that is just large enough to hold the Mac OS X Install ESD; I made mine 5.0GB (the installer data is about 4.75GB) (note here that you can choose to multi-partition, but you don't have to, you minimally need one large enough to hold the installer)
• Hit the Options button and make sure GUID is selected
• Hit Apply and let it partition
• Click Mac OS X Install ESD in the left column, so that it's highlighted
• On the right side, click the Restore tab
• In the left column, click and drag (important: do not select it, just click and drag) the new partition on your device that you just created. Drop it into the Destination field on the right side
• Click Restore, click Erase, enter your credentials and you should be on your way

I think that's everything.

PS: please disregard my gratuitous highlighting of text in the video. I'm a bit ADHD like that..

 

[Stingd21]

InstallESD.dmg should be mounted, ideally. This will expose the 4.8GB "Mac OS X Install ESD" partition which is the only bit that needs to be restored to a suitably-sized partition on a storage device with a GUID partition map (i.e. one that is bootable by an Intel-based Mac).

I used an 8GB USB pen drive that has two partitions: one just large enough to hold the Mac OS X Install ESD data (I made it 5.0GB), and the second partition is for arbitrary data (so the pen drive still has a use other than being just an ML installer). I really did this partitioning bit just to clarify the point that all you need is a partition on the destination device just large enough to hold the contents of the Mac OS X Install ESD partition that is exposed when you mount the InstallESD.dmg image.

I took a short screen grab video to explain this process visually. There's no commentary but hopefully this will be useful to someone. Note that you do not need to make two partitions on your destination device; but you must have at least one partition large enough to hold Mac OS X Install ESD and the device should be partitioned w/ a GUID map.

https://dl.dropbox.com/s/9il2xov8com2d67/creating-a-ML-USB-installer.mov (24.1MB)

The overall gist of what is done here:

• Open Disk Utility
• From the Contents of the Mountain Lion installer app, drag InstallESD.dmg to the left pane of the Disk Utility
• Right-click the .dmg file and choose Open to "attach" (mount) it. You'll see Mac OS X Install ESD appear in the list
• Plug in your USB pen drive (or whatever device you're making a ML installer on), select it in Disk Utility and choose the Partition tab
• Make a new Mac OS X Extended (journaled) partition on the device that is just large enough to hold the Mac OS X Install ESD; I made mine 5.0GB (the installer data is about 4.75GB) (note here that you can choose to multi-partition, but you don't have to, you minimally need one large enough to hold the installer)
• Hit the Options button and make sure GUID is selected
• Hit Apply and let it partition
• Click Mac OS X Install ESD in the left column, so that it's highlighted
• On the right side, click the Restore tab
• In the left column, click and drag (important: do not select it, just click and drag) the new partition on your device that you just created. Drop it into the Destination field on the right side
• Click Restore, click Erase, enter your credentials and you should be on your way

I think that's everything.

PS: please disregard my gratuitous highlighting of text in the video. I'm a bit ADHD like that..

WOW...Disk Utility is SO picky haha. Just wanted to confirm that this will work to clear up the Restore error 206 too! THANK YOU. Going to install ML now!

 

[Stingd21]

Okay so I went to install ML from booting into the hard drive, it seems to load just fine, but then stops loading and goes into OS X Utilities instead of OS X Mountain Lion Installer? Shouldn't it start to install ML?? Can anyone help???? I am dying here...