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ronss

macrumors member
Original poster
Nov 1, 2007
49
0
phoenix,,,az
i might go to best buy and get a new mac mini, external dvd drive....i found out that it looks like no operating system disk , image on hard drive...sucks....is there a way i can get a operating system disk...or burn one off the image...????
 
i might go to best buy and get a new mac mini, external dvd drive....i found out that it looks like no operating system disk , image on hard drive...sucks....is there a way i can get a operating system disk...or burn one off the image...????

Yes, hold 'Alt' on startup and boot into the recovery partition. If you want to install OS X/recovery partition to an external HDD, just format the HDD through Disk Utility and then do 'Reinstall OS X' pointed to the external hard-drive. Simple as that really, so you've always got an external OS for diagnostics or reinstalling.

Alternatively if you're looking for a full backup it might be easier to Time Machine it.

In all honesty though, in all my years I haven't seen the recovery partition get corrupted. Even if the recovery partition is corrupted, you can Cmd+R on startup for Internet Recovery, and it'll download the OS from Apple's servers. So in all circumstances it's pointless to worry about it.
 
ok...I found out about internet recovery.....so of sad they did away with the dvd operation system...its like they don,t want you to have a copy anymore...why?
 
ok...I found out about internet recovery.....so of sad they did away with the dvd operation system...its like they don,t want you to have a copy anymore...why?
Physical media is on its way out (and Apple is usually acting fast on such trends). Unnecessary additional cost and waste of resources.

If you insist on having a copy, you can still download the installers from Apple's website and either store them or create an individual boot medium. Take a look at the hackintosh community (e.g. TonyMacX86) for instructions and required tools to do so.
 
^ Yes, or get Disk Maker X and an 8gb USB3 stick and roll your own very quickly. Many ways to get it done.
 
reduce cost....how much does a dvd disk cost... .10......come one....there are plenty of us want a copy of the software, otherwise it would not be a topic on the forums.....are we not paying for it?
 
reduce cost....how much does a dvd disk cost... .10......come one....there are plenty of us want a copy of the software, otherwise it would not be a topic on the forums.....are we not paying for it?

You just load up the mini, go to the App Store and download the OS. Then get disk maker and make a bootable USB installer (an 8gb USB stick is only about 6 bucks). Wasn't too hard now was it?

Also, when was the last time you got a laptop or desktop which came with physical recovery media? I only ever see this now with business pcs and laptops which ship with windows 8.1 recovery media but have windows 7 downgrade already installed.
 
reduce cost....how much does a dvd disk cost... .10......come one....there are plenty of us want a copy of the software, otherwise it would not be a topic on the forums.....are we not paying for it?

Nope, not these days.
Not seeing a problem - Apple starts to issue the OS for free, but it's online. They eliminate DVD and don't bother with USB Sticks cause it's incredibly easy to recover online. Multiple people post a free solution to take up the slack for people who might want a hard copy. I keep a USB JIC the net's down and I need it. Many people do. DiskMaker for the lazy (ME) or run it on the OS the longer way.

Apple doesn't care if you make a hard copy.
 
Utter, total non-issue.

Pointless to ship a bunch of OSX DVDs when few models have an optical drive anymore.

Expensive and wasteful to ship a bunch of OSX thumb drives when few people will ever use it, and chances are by the time they DO use it they'll just end up downloading a newer version of OSX anyway.

Take the chip off your shoulder and just make your own thumb drive with OSX if it's that important. Simple and easy to do. Instructions are everywhere.
 
reduce cost....how much does a dvd disk cost... .10......come one....there are plenty of us want a copy of the software, otherwise it would not be a topic on the forums.....are we not paying for it?

Now multiply the one disk cost you have shown by about 1 million systems if not more. That is a whopping amount of money. Some people just think of one system cost, and those with some common sense do the actual math....;)
 
so apple does not think I want to watch dvds on my laptop...what world are they living in..not mine

Welcome to 2014 where media is streamed. DVDs are so 2008. :cool:

Apple will gladly sell you a SuperDrive. Or buy any USB drive for $25 if that's a big deal.

Many folks prefer to not haul around rarely used hardware. When I bought my MacBook Air in 2011 I also picked up a $20 USB DVD burner from Newegg.com

I've used it three times. It sits in my desk drawer where it belongs.
 
What I did

Actually, a new mini with Mavericks has a built-in recovery disk. Follow the directions from Apple to get to it. It's very easy to make a sys disk - I used an SD card. I also back-up to a built-in second drive using Super Duper. This gives me a bootable back-up drive. Time Machine is handy, but you can't boot from it. Good luck.
 
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