How to make a Mountain Lion install disc?

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Level 1

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How to make a Mountain Lion install disc?

Hi,

Ive looked all over the net for the answer to this and nothing I found has worked. I've installed Mountain Lion, but stupidly didn't do a complete new clean install like I usually would... I just downloaded it and installed over evrything and I'm getting some pronlems. I have re downloaded Lion, and have been trying to burn the InstallESD.dmg image file to make an install disc but it won't work. It keeps saying the DVD I am inserting doesn't have enough free space as the file is about 4.75gig I know other people are having this trouble and I'm wondering if anyone knows the solution to burning it to make an install disc?

cheers

Posted on Sep 16, 2012 10:07 PM

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Answer 1

Kappy

Level 10

362,007 points

Sep 16, 2012 10:10 PM in response to Vulnic

Make Your Own Mountain/Lion Installer

1. After downloading Mountain/Lion you must first save the Install Mac OS X Mountain/Lion application. After Mountain/Lion downloads DO NOT click on the Install button. Go to your Applications folder and make a copy of the Mountain/Lion installer. Move the copy into your Downloads folder. Now you can click on the Install button. You must do this because the installer deletes itself automatically when it finishes installing.

2. Get a USB flash drive that is at least 8 GBs. Prep this flash drive as follows:

Open Disk Utility in your Utilities folder.
After DU loads select your flash drive (this is the entry with the mfgr.'s ID and size) from the left side list. Click on the Partition tab in the DU main window.
Under the Volume Scheme heading set the number of partitions from the drop down menu to one. Set the format type to Mac OS Extended (Journaled.) Click on the Options button, set the partition scheme to GUID then click on the OK button. Click on the Partition button and wait until the process has completed.
Select the volume you just created (this is the sub-entry under the drive entry) from the left side list. Click on the Erase tab in the DU main window.
Set the format type to Mac OS Extended (Journaled.) Click on the Options button, check the button for Zero Data and click on OK to return to the Erase window.
Click on the Erase button. The format process can take up to an hour depending upon the flash drive size.

3. Locate the saved Mountain/Lion installer in your Downloads folder. CTRL- or RIGHT-click on the installer and select Show Package Contents from the contextual menu. Double-click on the Contents folder to open it. Double-click on the SharedSupport folder. In this folder you will see a disc image named InstallESD.dmg.

4. Plug in your freshly prepared USB flash drive. You are going to clone the content of the InstallESD.dmg disc image to the flash drive as follows:

Double-click on the InstallESD.dmg file to mount it on your Desktop.
Open Disk Utility.
Select the USB flash drive from the left side list.
Click on the Restore tab in the DU main window.
Select the USB flash drive volume from the left side list and drag it to the Destination entry field.
Drag the mounted disc icon from the Desktop into the Source entry field.
Double-check you got it right, then click on the Restore button.

When the clone is completed you have a fully bootable installer that you can use without having to re-download Mountain/Lion.

Note: The term Mountain/Lion used above means Lion or Mountain Lion.

As an alternative to the above you can try using Lion DiskMaker 2.0 that automates the process.

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Answer 2

Vulnic Author

Level 1

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Sep 17, 2012 4:14 AM in response to Kappy

Thankyou Kappy,

While I won/t be able to use your method/solution tonight as I don;t have a USB flash drive, I will have to leave my computer on untill I buy one. Your reply was very helpful thankyou... What I was actually hoping to get an answer to was making a DVD instal disc, like I did with the Lion 10.7 update. Making a USB install sounds like it will work better even if it is more expemsive though so I will just do that. Thanks again,

Vulnic

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Answer 3

veehb

Level 1

14 points

Sep 17, 2012 3:17 PM in response to Vulnic

I tried to move the installation program before executing in on my 2011 MacBook Pro. I could see the installation app in the Apps folder, but could not get the right click to werk so I could see the the package contents. So I couldn't get to the InstallESD.dmg file. So, had to go ahead with the installation. Now, I 'll have to download (30 minutes) and then install on my wife's MBP? Installation takes 35 minutes on this computer.

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Answer 4

veehb

Level 1

14 points

Sep 17, 2012 3:33 PM in response to veehb

The installation program is kind of squirly. It told me it was nearly finished after about 35 minutes, then changed to 20 minutes and is taking a lot longer than 20 minutes. Maybe because I'm running Windws 7 under Parallels? It 's coming up on an hour. This has a quad core i7 and 8 GBytes of ddr3 memory. I am surprised it is taking so long to install.

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Answer 5

Kappy

Level 10

362,007 points

Sep 17, 2012 3:39 PM in response to veehb

Ideally you should quit all third-party software and any other running software before doing such an installation.

After downloading the installer did you Quit the installer before trying to proceed? It does not sound like you were following the instructions carefully.

If the installer is still in your Applications folder you may be able to copy it to your Downloads folder before it finishes the installation. Otherwise, you've got to re-download as you already know.

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Answer 6

Shootist007

Level 6

16,709 points

Sep 17, 2012 3:42 PM in response to Vulnic

This is a small program that does all the work for you. Work very well.

Serial Serveur » Lion DiskMaker (US)

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Answer 7

Kappy

Level 10

362,007 points

Sep 17, 2012 3:49 PM in response to Shootist007

Yes. I include it in my instructions, now. Unfortunately, the OP may not have been able to save the installer download and extract the InstallESD.dmg file, as I understand.

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Answer 8

Vulnic Author

Level 1

0 points

Sep 17, 2012 5:11 PM in response to veehb

Are you holding Control, and clicking on the Install icon, so that you can click on Show Package Contents and fin the InstallESD.dmg?? I had no issues doing this with 10.7 Lion but other discussions I have found on the net people have said that Apple made the file 4.75gig thus to big to burn onto a DVD. Normally to install an OS Update I would do a complete clean installs but I didn't this time and I'm kicking myself for not doing that as I've had a few problems (getting asked for my password a thousand times a day to modify settings for some reason)

I didnt want to have to buy a USB drive to keep the install on it I'd much rather have it on a DVD but can't work out how to burn it,

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Answer 9

Kappy

Level 10

362,007 points

Sep 17, 2012 5:22 PM in response to Vulnic

Apple uses dual-layered DVDs that can store 9 GBs. That's why you use an 8 GB USB flash drive. You cannot fit the data onto a plain DVD or 4 GB flash drive.

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Answer 10

Vulnic Author

Level 1

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Sep 18, 2012 5:43 PM in response to Shootist007

Thanks a lot shootist,

I bought a 32gig USB Flash drive and the program you sent the link to worked perfectly in no time at all.

Problem solved

Cheers

Vulnic

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Answer 11

Shootist007

Level 6

16,709 points

Sep 19, 2012 2:13 AM in response to Vulnic

You're Welcome.

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Answer 12

Vulnic Author

Level 1

0 points

Sep 19, 2012 5:18 PM in response to Shootist007

Incase anyone else has problems I will mention that you only need a 8gig USB but I used a 32gig USB flash drive with no problems (I asked someone to get me a USB flash drive and they were unsure how big I needed it to be) In disk utility I Erased it and it was Formatted in MS DOS, I then ran the small Lion Diskmaker program Shootist007 mentioned which may have formatted it into MAC Journaled it'self. Either way the program did all the work and the flash drive no mounts as a Mountatin Lion Installer.

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Answer 13

Sep 19, 2012 5:30 PM in response to Vulnic

Try this guys....

http://www.macworld.com/article/1165337/create_a_bootable_lion_install_drive_for _newer_macs.html

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Answer 14

Vulnic Author

Level 1

0 points

Sep 19, 2012 5:53 PM in response to Vulnic

davscanlon, I never had any problem making a DVD Install disc for Lion 10.7, I simply found the installESD.dmg and burnt it onto a normal DVD. The problem is MOUNTAIN Lion 10.8 is a 4,75gig file which is a little bit to big to fit onto a normal Blank DVD. I've been told you can burn it onto a larger blank DVD tho for instance a Dual Layer disc,

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Answer 15

Sep 20, 2012 3:03 AM in response to Vulnic

Ok, I've not tried to write 10.8 to a dual-layer before, but I have burnt 10.7 to a dual-layer, so I'm guessing you would be able to go ahead and burn 10.8 to a dual-layer DVD.

For the price of a DL DVD, you may as well buy an 8Gb flash drive and use that to make a bootable "disk"

The read speeds of USB is MUCH faster than a DVD, would be quicker to re-install....

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