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Steve.P.JobsFan

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Jan 27, 2010
1,010
613
Columbus
Hmm.. Still getting the same error.

I went and tried another method using the same flash drive (link in 1st post in this thread), which I think is the same thing it's just a script and it seems to work fine now. No idea what the problem was.

Let me do some digging.


UPDATE TO ALL GUIDE USERS: IF YOU ENCOUNTER THE SAME ISSUE AS ABOVE, PLEASE USE THIS ALTERNATE METHOD:

[URL="https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1409416/"]OS X Mountain Lion - Alternate Flashing Method[/URL]
 

PaulKemp

macrumors 6502a
Jun 2, 2009
569
127
Norway
I'm also getting a error at the very end. After the whole copy process.

screenshot20120725at163.png


I will try anyway, and see if it works :) Using the 1.st method.

Edit: the installer seems to be working fine with 4 min to go. No bad arguments here!
 
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Winter Charm

macrumors 6502a
Jul 31, 2008
804
270
It's safer to get an 8GB USB flash drive. That reminds me, I need another flash drive. I used my 8GB one for OS X Lion. Thanks for the unintended reminder! :p

Is there any way to reformat the flash drive I use for Lion or ML? because I will need it for other things in the future. I just don't want to have to download ML 4 times on 4 different macs....

EDIT: one more question

I have a bootcamp partition. Is it okay to just erase my Mac OS X partition, and then proceed with an install?
 

SnowLeopard2008

macrumors 604
Jul 4, 2008
6,772
18
Silicon Valley
Is there any way to reformat the flash drive I use for Lion or ML? because I will need it for other things in the future. I just don't want to have to download ML 4 times on 4 different macs....

EDIT: one more question

I have a bootcamp partition. Is it okay to just erase my Mac OS X partition, and then proceed with an install?

Yes. Use Disk Utility, select the flash drive on the left panel and click the erase tab on the right panel. I assume you can do the rest.

And yes, it is ok to just erase the Mac partition and leave the Windows partition alone.

Note to OP: I noticed that your guide says a flash drive with 4GB of free space is required (ML clean install step 6). That is incorrect. The ML dmg is 4.35GB. A 8GB flash drive (I don't think 6GB exists?) is required. This makes a big difference.
 

Winter Charm

macrumors 6502a
Jul 31, 2008
804
270
Yes. Use Disk Utility, select the flash drive on the left panel and click the erase tab on the right panel. I assume you can do the rest.

And yes, it is ok to just erase the Mac partition and leave the Windows partition alone.

Note to OP: I noticed that your guide says a flash drive with 4GB of free space is required (ML clean install step 6). That is incorrect. The ML dmg is 4.35GB. A 8GB flash drive (I don't think 6GB exists?) is required. This makes a big difference.

Thank you. Hopefully, bootcamp works as-is. I will be sorely disappointed if it doesn't :p
 

macingman

macrumors 68020
Jan 2, 2011
2,147
3
Thanks so much. This thread NEEDS to be sticky'd, so much saved time for so many people if it will be sticky'd.
 

SnowLeopard2008

macrumors 604
Jul 4, 2008
6,772
18
Silicon Valley
Thank you. Hopefully, bootcamp works as-is. I will be sorely disappointed if it doesn't :p

BootCamp will work since what it really boils down to is partitioning the hard drive, supplying drivers for hardware and emulate the BIOS. The third part is done by the EFI firmware on a Mac which is separate from the OS. And the first two are generic things that isn't special or unique to the OS.

The only thing that changes with ML is newer/better hardware drivers and you can just boot into the Windows partition and update the drivers through the BootCamp program.
 

shyam09

macrumors 68020
Oct 31, 2010
2,247
2,507
this is my first clean install, so can you select the apps and data you want to transfer from your time machine backup? say i want iworks [i got this during SL], iLife (again before MAS), and google chrome (per se), can i select these and all my document files and have only these specifics restored??

nooby question, so i apologize
 

Steve.P.JobsFan

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Jan 27, 2010
1,010
613
Columbus
The source should be the mount point of the DMG, not the DMG itself.

Sorry, but you're wrong. If you restore the 'Install OS X Mountain Lion' app to your media, it doesn't boot. If you restore the InstallESD.dmg, it works perfectly fine, and boots.

----------

this is my first clean install, so can you select the apps and data you want to transfer from your time machine backup? say i want iworks [i got this during SL], iLife (again before MAS), and google chrome (per se), can i select these and all my document files and have only these specifics restored??

nooby question, so i apologize

Sorry, but you cannot transfer individual files.

I should mention that if you clean install ML, and transfer your data, it's still a clean install.

HOWEVER, BE SURE TO UNCHECK SYSTEM SETTINGS IN THE MIGRATION ASSISTANT WINDOW. Then it would be a 'clean' install because system values would be at default.
 

calderone

Cancelled
Aug 28, 2009
3,743
352
Sorry, but you're wrong. If you restore the 'Install OS X Mountain Lion' app to your media, it doesn't boot. If you restore the InstallESD.dmg, it works perfectly fine, and boots.


Depends on how you do it. The folks getting the errors are doing it incorrectly, which is why my comment was specifically on the problem NOT the guide itself.

The valid ways:

1. Source: DMG, Destination: Flash Drive (The brand name and capacity)
2. Source: Mounted DMG "Mac OS X Install ESD" Volume, Destination: Volume on the Flash drive.
 

Steve.P.JobsFan

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Jan 27, 2010
1,010
613
Columbus
Depends on how you do it. The folks getting the errors are doing it incorrectly, which is why my comment was specifically on the problem NOT the guide itself.

The valid ways:

1. Source: DMG, Destination: Flash Drive (The brand name and capacity)
2. Source: Mounted DMG "Mac OS X Install ESD" Volume, Destination: Volume on the Flash drive.


Oh, okay. I was confused. Those are the correct ways, and the way I list in my guide.

----------

Why would someone want to migrate from ML GM to ML (GM) ? They're both the same build.

I didn't know that until yesterday.
 

Steve.P.JobsFan

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Jan 27, 2010
1,010
613
Columbus

Here's a PSA to everyone on MR.

If I say something that makes no sense or is stupid, excuse me. I haven't had a proper sleep in 6 days. I've had severe mental fatigue since June. My brain is basically a bowl of Jell-O. I keep forgetting things. So, if I say something idiotic, excuse me. :/
 

Winter Charm

macrumors 6502a
Jul 31, 2008
804
270
Okay, so I managed to screw up the install on my Mac mini....

For some reason, the windows XP bootcamp partition I had carried over since snow leopard caused some sort of error. :(

Now, Mountain Lion won't install from the USB drive. For some reason it seems to be stuck. Every time I boot from my USB disk... I get an error :(

Mountain Lion could not be installed...

*sigh* time to resort to a DVD
 

slynger

macrumors regular
Mar 1, 2010
159
27
So I've tried this tutorial a few times and I get an error message at the end of making the USB drive and when I boot to it, it isn't there.

I've tried the supposedly user-friendly Discmaker app and that isn't working either.

What am I doing wrong? I have a 2009 macbook 6,1 - any help is greatly welcomed??

edit - so it looks like all the files made it to the USB, but when I boot to it I don't have that as an option?
 
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Steve.P.JobsFan

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Jan 27, 2010
1,010
613
Columbus
So I've tried this tutorial a few times and I get an error message at the end of making the USB drive and when I boot to it, it isn't there.

I've tried the supposedly user-friendly Discmaker app and that isn't working either.

What am I doing wrong? I have a 2009 macbook 6,1 - any help is greatly welcomed??

edit - so it looks like all the files made it to the USB, but when I boot to it I don't have that as an option?

I'm in my Mom's Jeep speeding down the Ohio Turnpike (I'm not driving) right now, so I can't do a lot of research. Let me see if that revision of MBP can boot from USB. It should be able to because my '07 iMac did. Give me a few minutes, and I'll get back to you.

----------

Okay, so I managed to screw up the install on my Mac mini....

For some reason, the windows XP bootcamp partition I had carried over since snow leopard caused some sort of error. :(

Now, Mountain Lion won't install from the USB drive. For some reason it seems to be stuck. Every time I boot from my USB disk... I get an error :(

Mountain Lion could not be installed...

*sigh* time to resort to a DVD

This is weird. Apple had to've change something. These are the exact steps you do for OS X Lion. As I just said, I'm on the expressway, and can't do massive research. Give me a little bit to get back to you. In the mean time, did your DVD work?
 

blacksurfer

macrumors 6502
Mar 15, 2011
292
108
Hi...I see this is for a clean install....but my iMac is only three months old, so should I just do an upgrade?
 

Steve.P.JobsFan

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Jan 27, 2010
1,010
613
Columbus
Hi...I see this is for a clean install....but my iMac is only three months old, so should I just do an upgrade?

Congratulations on the new iMac! Anyways, I personally always do a clean install. The purpose of a clean install is to remove all traces of OS X Lion. Your iMac should be fine if you don't do a clean install. Just download it, and run the app. However, copy the app to a hard drive, or somewhere else for backup. After install, the install app will self-delete.
 
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