Bootable USB disk for Mavericks

If you want to create the bootable USB disk for the Mavericks installer from within Snow Leopard you can't do it with the createinstallmedia tool from Apple (http://support.apple.com/kb/HT5856). You need an alternate way as Kappy wrote.

The support article has a note that "createinstallmedia is only intended to be used with the version of OS X installer app it came with."

I found the note to be ambiguous so I gave it a shot if I could make a Mavericks installer with (the Mavericks version of) createinstallmedia.

Which in my experience is not possible. Using the createinstallmedia to create the bootable installer after I had upgraded to Mavericks (from SL) worked perfectly. I used a HFS+ partition on an external USB hard drive (GUID partition table).

By the way you don't need to redownload Mavericks from the App store after upgrading if you keep a copy somewhere.

Make Your Own Mavericks, Mountain/Lion Installer

After downloading the installer you must first save the Install Mac OS X application. After the installer downloads DO NOT click on the Install button. Go to your Applications folder and make a copy of the 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.

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

1. Open Disk Utility in your Utilities folder.
2. After DU loads select your flash drive (this is the entry with the mfgr.'s ID and size) from the leftside list. 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.
3. Select the volume you just created (this is the sub-entry under the drive entry) from the left side list.
4. Click on the Erase tab in the DU main window.
5. 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.
6. Click on the Erase button. The format process can take up to an hour depending upon the flash drive size.

Use DiskMaker X to put your installer clone onto the USB flash drive.

Make your own Mavericks flash drive installer using the Mavericks tool:

You can also create a Mavericks flash drive installer via the Terminal. Mavericks has its own built-in installer maker you use via the Terminal:

You will need a freshly partitioned and formatted USB flash drive with at least 8GBs. Leave the name of the flash drive at the system default, "Untitled." Do not change this name. Open the Terminal in the Utilities folder. Copy this command line after the prompt in the Terminal's window:

sudo /Applications/Install\ OS\ X\ Mavericks.app/Contents/Resources/createinstallmedia --volume /Volumes/Untitled --applicationpath /Applications/Install\ OS\ X\ Mavericks.app --nointeraction

Press RETURN. Enter your admin password when prompted. It will not be echoed to the screen so be careful to enter it correctly. Press RETURN, again.

Wait for the process to complete which will take quite some time.

Go to your Applications folder and make a copy of the 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.

I already have 10.9.5 on my machine. I made a copy of the installer as suggested. May I assume that I should just “quit” the installer ?

Yes there is. Re-read Kappy's post from above.

The trick in the App Store is to press the option key and the Purchases label to get a DOWNLOAD status on Mavericks, before attempting to download the Mavericks installer.

I have bootable USB sticks for Lion, Mountain Lion, Mavericks, and now Yosemite.

See this article, if Kappy's post is insufficient for you.

The trick in the App Store is to press the option key and the Purchases label to get a DOWNLOAD status on Mavericks, before attempting to download the Mavericks installer.

I did not do any “trick”. I was able to download Mavericks just by clicking “download”. I did not press “install” on the installer.

I just copied the installer file to my downloads folder. I think the result is the same that you are describing above, true ?

DiskMaker X DiskMaker X (formerly Lion DiskMaker) is great, makes a bootable Mavericks installer flash drive. I'm not sure it will work from within SL, though. It will work from Mavericks.

Disk Maker X did no worked for me on os x 10.9.2. I meam it created boot usb but system did not recognize this USB as bootable on start

most bootable usb for mac will not boot right away you have to hold the option key down on start up.

So there isn't a way to make a bootable USB drive to boot Mavericks. You have to upgrade to Mavericks first, then create the bootable drive with the installer. Is this correct?