Mac OS X Installation Basics SATA Drive If the SATA drive will simply be a storage drive, please see the 3rd section of this article - Installing a SATA Drive as a Storage Unit. Installing a SATA Drive as a Boot drive 10.11 Note: Reformatting the drive will erase all data on the drive, so you should copy any data you want off the drive prior to formatting. Physically install the drive into the Mac.
After starting up from macOS Recovery, follow these steps to install macOS: Choose Reinstall macOS (or Reinstall OS X) from the Utilities window. Click Continue, then follow the onscreen instructions to choose your disk and begin installation. If the installer asks to unlock your disk, enter the password you use to log in to your Mac. To clean install Mac OS from USB, there are three things you should do. First, you should clean up your Mac from the old baggage — system files that have piled up over time. Once it’s all cleaned up, the next you should do is backup your newly cleaned Mac. And finally, after doing a backup, you can clean install OS X of your choice from USB.
Insert the Mac OS X install CD or USB drive. Power on the computer while holding down the option key. Select Installer. Select Disk Utility.
Highlight the drive. Select Erase. Enter Volume information (Name, Format, and Scheme). Select Mac OS Extended (Journaled) for Format. Select GUID for Scheme.
Select Erase. (Note: This will erase all data from the drive.). Click on Disk Utility and select Quit Disk Utility. Select Install OS X from the options. Select your drives as the destination and install Installing a SATA Drive as a Boot drive 10.6 to 10.10 Note: Reformatting the drive will erase all data on the drive, so you should copy any data you want off the drive prior to formatting. Physically install the drive into the Mac. Insert the Mac OS X install CD or USB drive. Power on the computer while holding down the option key.
Select Installer. Select Disk Utility. Highlight the drive. Select Partition.
Select 1 Partition. Name the drive. Choose Mac OS Extended (Journaled) Partition for the volume format.
Click Options - Select GUID. Select OK. Select Apply (Note: This will erase all data from the drive.). Select partition. Click on Disk Utility and select Quit Disk Utility.
Select Install OS X from the options. Select your drives as the destination and install Installing a SATA Drive as a Storage Unit - 10.11. Physically install the drive into the Mac. Turn the Mac on.
Select Applications. Select Utilities. Select Disk Utility. Select the Erase tab. Verify that the correct hard drive is selected in the left column.
Enter Volume information (Name, Format, and Scheme). Select Mac OS Extended (Journaled) for Format. Select GUID for Scheme. Select Erase. (Note: This will erase all data from the drive.) Installing a SATA Drive as a Storage Unit - 10.6 to 10.10 Note: Reformatting the drive will erase all data on the drive, so you should copy any data you want off the drive prior to formatting. Physically install the drive into the Mac.
Turn the Mac on. Select Applications.
Select Utilities. Select Disk Utility. Highlight the drive. Select Partition. Select 1 Partition. Name the drive.
Choose Mac OS Extended (Journaled) Partition for the volume format. Click Options - Select GUID. Select OK. Select Apply (Note: This will erase all data from the drive.).
Select partition. Click on Disk Utility and select Quit Disk Utility.
Select Install OS X from the options. Select your drives as the destination and install. Allow time for the drive to format. Verify the drive is mounted on the Desktop.
A bootable USB stick – AGAIN? This has been covered in many places, but I am still surprised that not everyone knows how to do this. First off: find yourself a large enough and fast enough USB stick to use as your bootable media. I prefer my OCZ Rally 2 myself – 8 GB and FAST. Remember – you get what you pay for – flash drive speeds vary greatly, choose yours wisely. Run DISKPART with admin rights.
Type in LIST DISK to list off all disks attached to your system. Make note of your disk# representing your USB stick.
Type SELECT DISK # where # represents YOUR USB STICK. Type CLEAN to erase everything / every partition on the disk. Remember you validated what disk to clean in step 2, right?. Type CREATE PARTITION PRIMARY to make your new primary partition. Type ACTIVE to mark partition as active. Type FORMAT FS=NTFS QUICK to perform a quick format. Type EXIT to close diskpart – unless you want to make more bootable USB disks Next up – extract the source files your favorite ISO file to the root of the USB stick.
Windows 7, Server 2008 R2, Windows Server “8” or Windows “8” Consumer Preview. You can use whatever tool you prefer – I used to use WINRAR to open and expand them. Now I just mount the ISO in my Windows 8 Consumer preview by right clicking on it and choosing MOUNT. I can then select all files and SEND TO my newly formatted USB stick. Voila – you now have a bootable USB stick.
The only way for fast OS installs in a modern world. I was going to record a quick screencast and YouTube it up – but then again – why? It’s so simple, this text should do. EDIT. – based on @tommyLee’s suggestion – I’ve created a quick screencast on how do make one yourself. You can get more elaborate and custom make the OS with injected drivers and all sorts of deployment goodness if you CREATE your own ISO with the. I’ll revisit the USB OS install post in a while when the tool refreshes with the next OS update.
I’ve followed your instructions very carefully. I have tried two different USB thumb drives and an SD card. However, this method does not seem to work for windows XP and I still get the boot manager missing message. If you have any tips, I’d be grateful. Problem I have is with an Advent netbook. There is no method to invoke the system recovery at boot.
You have to boot into windows and then run the recovery application. As I cannot boot the machine, due to the fact that I have previously tested windows 7 and Ubuntu linux on the machine, I have no way to recover this machine back to it’s original windows XP installation. I was able to install both Ubuntu linux and windows 7 from a USB thumb drive using your method for windows 7 and unetbootin for Ubuntu. All the best, John.