Simple Mac Mini Server question: can I use the Mini to create a USB restore disk?

[wirelessness]

I do have a copy of the the Mac Mini SL Client software but I don't have another Mac to create the USB restore disc in order to load the client on the Mini Server via usb drive. I don't intend to use the Server Software and don't want to 'activate' the license so I can resell it instead. Can I just use the Server to create the bootable restore disc without 'activating' the Server License and locking it to my serial number? Or is there another way to create the restore disc if you don't have access to another Mac to run disc utility?
Thanks!!!

 

[i7QuadCoreMania]

ask a friend who owns a mac to or someone with a macbook, cause you can't read the Macintosh HFS without it.

other solution... borrow an external USB DVDrom drive, and boot off it holding the C button.

 

[wirelessness]

I only have copies of the .dmg files not the actual disks so using an external DVD drive won't work. I just need to find out if booting the Server up and creating the restore disk using the image to the USB drive will require registering the Server OS License?

 

[analogkid]

You have to enter your serial number before you can get to the desktop... I am not 100% sure about registering though, sorry. You can use disc utility before doing anything but I'm not sure how that would help you.

 

[i7QuadCoreMania]

I only have copies of the .dmg files not the actual disks so using an external DVD drive won't work. I just need to find out if booting the Server up and creating the restore disk using the image to the USB drive will require registering the Server OS License?

you need to burn them on Double Layer media, and since they are dmg you need a mac to burn them, if they were ISO you could burn on a pc.

and to answer your question, YES, when you boot up the server it asks for the license key. What I would do, is, make sure it's not hooked up to the internet. The key will still be unused as long as it doesn't register up to Apple with the info.

 

[wirelessness]

you need to burn them on Double Layer media, and since they are dmg you need a mac to burn them, if they were ISO you could burn on a pc.

and to answer your question, YES, when you boot up the server it asks for the license key. What I would do, is, make sure it's not hooked up to the internet. The key will still be unused as long as it doesn't register up to Apple with the info.

Thanks, just to clarify I plan to use a USB flash drive to boot from not a DVD at this point. Either way seems to require another Mac which I don't really have easy access to at this point.

The second part about the license key is exactly what I was looking to know as well. Thanks!!!

 

[lostime]

I would just use Disk Utility's "restore" function. Put in a USB thumb drive and "Restore" your current hard drive to the thumb drive. It will clone your hard drive and make a bootable copy on the USB stick.

If you ever needed to reload just insert it, hold the "option" key when you boot and select the USB drive, it will boot just like normal then go into disk utility and reverse the process to re-install it to a corrupted hard drive or whatever.