OS X Mavericks 10.9 is the latest iteration of Apple’s desktop computer operating system, released to great fanfare at Apple’s Special Event on 22nd October 2013.
Mavericks is distrubuted through Apple’s Mac App Store and is a
digital download of 5.29GB. If you have a superfast fibre connection
then this may be of little concern. Even a fast ADSL connection and the
upgrade can be downloaded reasonably quickly. If you are on a slower
internet connection, then this distribution model is not suiting you.
In this tutorial, I will show you two ways to install OS X Mavericks
onto a bootable USB drive. This is particularly useful if you have two
or more Macs to upgrade as it means you only have to download the
software once.
Cost
Where Snow Leopard, Lion and Mountain Lion cost £25, £20.99 and
£13.99, respectively, OS X Mavericks has been made available at zero
cost to Mac owners.
What You Will Need
Before you get started, you will need to gather together the following:
Open a Finder window and navigate to Applications > Install OS X Mavericks. If you do not have the Install OS X Mavericks app in the Applications
folder – possibly because you have already upgraded to Mavericks – you
will need to follow the instructions to redownload OS X Mavericks.
Provided that you have located the Install OS X Mavericks app in the Applications folder, you can move on to creating your USB drive with either the command line method or the automated app method. Locating the Mavericks installer In Finder
Redownload OS X Mavericks
The Mavericks installer application is automatically erased after
upgrading a Mac to Mavericks, therefore the best time to create your
bootable Mavericks USB drive is after downloading Mavericks from the Mac
App Store and before installing it.
If you have already upgraded to Mavericks and subsequently wish to create your bootable USB installer, simply open the Mac App Store, click on the Purchases tab, locate OS X Mavericks and click the Download button.
You will be advised that Mavericks is already installed on your Mac. Redownloading OS X Mavericks on a Mac that is already running Mavericks
Command Line Method
Step 1. Erase USB Drive
Insert your USB drive, open Disk Utility, select your USB Drive click the Erase tab then click the Erase button. This will erase all of the contents of your USB drive and it will be titled Untitled. Erase your USB drive using Disk Utility
Step 2. Open Terminal
This method is straightforward and does not require the downloading
of additional apps. Ideal if you are the sort of person who only
installs the apps that you really need for your workflow.
Tip: If you in anyway unsure about entering commands
into Terminal, or if you have fat fingers and an inability to
concentrate, then perhaps look to the automated app method. Entering
incorrect commands into Terminal may have catastrophic consequences.
Provided that you are competent and confident with Terminal, or at
least able follow instructions accurately, then the command line
approach works well.
Step 3. Enter Terminal Command
Assuming that you have already confirmed that you have a copy of the installer app, located at Applications > Install OS X Mavericks, and you have inserted a blank USB drive called Untitled, open up a Terminal window and enter the following command:
If your USB drive is named Untitled, then you may copy and paste the text, above, into Terminal. Double check everything is correct before you proceed, though. Entering the command in Terminal
Tip: To launch terminal quickly and easily, simply press Command Spacebar to open the Spotlight search window and then type Terminal. If you use Alfred, you can press Option Spacebar followed by Terminal.
Step 4. Create USB Drive
This process can take some time. For example, it took around 40
minutes to complete on my mid–2012 MacBook Pro copying to a USB 2.0
drive. Admittedly, this could be quicker had I used a USB 3.0 drive. Using Terminal to create the USB installer drive
Step 4. Remove USB Drive
When the process has finished, be sure to eject the USB drive before removing it from your Mac.
You have now created a bootable OS X Mavericks drive that will enable
you to upgrade existing Macs, or clean install Mavericks onto Macs
without the need to download 5.29GB of data onto each Mac.
Automated App Method
If the thought of having to use Terminal fills you
with fear and loathing, whatever your location, then the automated
method, using and app, is going to be easier for you.
Step 1. Erase USB Drive
Insert your USB drive, open Disk Utility, select your USB Drive click the Erase tab then click the Erase button. This will erase all of the contents of your USB drive and it will be titled Untitled. Erase your USB drive using Disk Utility
Launch the DiskMaker X utility and follow the instructions ensuring that you choose your blank USB drive as the destination.
Step 4. Create USB Drive
This process can take some time. For example, it took around 15
minutes to complete on my mid–2012 MacBook Pro copying to a USB 2.0
drive. Admittedly, this could be quicker had I used a USB 3.0 drive. Creating the USB drive using DiskMaker X
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Step 5. Remove USB Drive
When the process has finished, be sure to eject the USB drive before removing it from your Mac.
You have now created a bootable OS X Mavericks drive that will enable
you to upgrade existing Macs, or clean install Mavericks onto Macs
without the need to download 5.29GB of data onto each Mac. DiskMaker X completion confirmation The DiskMaker X USB drive
Conclusion
Creating an OS X Mavericks installer USB drive is a straightforward process if you know how to do it.
In this tutorial, I have shown you two more methods – one via command
line and one via an application – that allow you to easily create a USB
drive that you can use as a backup drive and as a drive to install OS X
Mavericks onto more than one Mac whilst requiring only one download
from the Mac App Store.
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