10.7.4 Install to USB ERROR Could not restore - invalid argument. ISSUE

Same issue for me and I have not found away around it. I have created a bootble DVD that is a start.

You can get around this issue by using Carbon Copy Cloner to automatically create a bootable flash drive with the Lion installer. Assuming the Lion installer is in your Applications folder (default location), CCC now has a command that can create a bootable Lion installer.

Scott thanks hepas...all solved with CCC.

I commented too early. CCC created a USB with the correct info fine. BUT I can not boot off it.Back to square one.

Found a good answer without using CCC at http://groups.google.com/group/macenterprise/browse_thread/thread/4eb7564bb57151 9d .

If you mount the .dmg file and use the mounted volume as the source for the restore rather than the .dmg image file itself the restore succeeds with no errors.

I suspect that the system makes some kind of change to the newly-copied volume on the flash drive before the checksum so it fails. If you use the mounted image as the source, the system has already made the change so the comparison succeeds? Just a theory, but it would explain the problem.

I agree with OregonKenBrown having just tried that method.

However, when I did it the other way and got the error message, the flash drive I was making still booted perfectly. Also, I've used CCC twice within the past week to make a bootable volume and it worked perfectly.

Thus, without more information, I can't comment on the problems boxallw has had.

Note: In versions of the Lion installer prior to 10.7.4, you didn’t need to first mount the InstallESD.dmg image—you could simply drag the image itself into the Source field. However, with the 10.7.4 installer, you must use the mounted Mac OS X Install ESD volume or you will get an error at the end of the restore procedure and the newly created bootable drive may not function properly.

I'm sure that's what was mentioned in the previous post but just to clarify.

Now a new error...resource in use or something. This is rediculous.

Yes, the "resource busy" error message is more Apple "elegance." Heaven forbid they tell you the NAME of the resource.

You can fix this by unmounting the defective volume that the restore attempt created on your target drive.

I had this problem as well, but it got me thinking: the error occurs in the last second of completion. So after trying two diffrent sticks i just went for it: plugged it in and it's installing fine with the dreaded error "Could not restore".

Now im doing my mac mini from scratch, with a downloaded bootloader from internet restore mode. And plugged the stick in the back. And via the option reinstall Mac OSX, it came up with the ML install dialog! 😝

Same here. I got the same error, and it worked anyway. Watching it in stall now.

Just mount the dmg file before restoring. Problem Solved 😎

Mine was simply a corrupted USB key. Amazing.

The problem is easily corrected, and the solution is simple.

The file: InstallESD.dmg must be mounted from the SHARESUPPORT folder prior to starting disk utility.

Had this happened several times, until I did the above, no errors now.

MOUNT FIRST