Clean Install: from Recovery Disk vs. from USB Flash Drive

Planning to do a clean install on my MBP running Yosemite. Have come across two ways of doing this: From the Recovery Disk or from a USB Flash Drive.
If the clean install can be done by using the Recovery Disk, why would you do one using a USB drive?
Is there any benefit to the USB drive method? Basically I want to know if one way is preferable over the other.
I want to make sure I wipe everything, as my machine's been slow/glitchy since OS X Yosemite was first installed/updated; I'm also not sure if I have picked up anything else along the way. (I'm pretty careful with my browsing/downloading, but I like to be sure.)
Thanks for any help.

The advantage of the USB drive is that you do not need an Internet connection. If you do not have a solid Internet connection or the Apple servers are down, you may be dead in the water. The only possible advantage of using the recovery option is that the latest version of the given OSX will be available. That may not be the same as what is installed on the USB drive.
Before you use either option, make certain that you have your data backed up.
Ciao.

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Booting from hard disks 2TB - bootable USB flash drive GRUB (w/o OS)?

Hi,
I'm thinking about setting up a hardware supported RAID on a Debian-server (Proxmox) with lots of HDD-space. Therefore, my RAID-array will be >2TB, but I've read that the BIOS of the system will not be able to boot from such. Do you have a solution for this?
I was thinking about installing a bootable GRUB on an USB flash drive, which would then chainload the RAID's GRUB for booting. Is this even possible? I couldn't find any tutorial on how to create/boot only a (customizable) GRUB from the flash drive.
Another option would be to create multiple disks by the RAID-controller, but i'm not sure what happens with the chunks, if i would add another disk to the RAID to expand it.
A third solution, that came to my head, is simply installing Proxmox on a separate disk and detach it from the RAID. But in case of a disk failure, it would not be protected and i would rely on snapshot-backups - so i rather would not like to go with that solution.
Let me know what you think!
VR

I don't know about the answers to your issues, as I have never tried any disks that large. But it would probably be wise not to mention that you are trying to do this on a non Arch system, as now I am pretty sure you will not recieve the help you desire.
I don't mean to say that I encourage you to try to dupe our community into helping you with your debian system by not mentioning it. But it seems pretty silly to come to the Arch threads looking for debian support, even if it is a universal (os independent) issue.

How to install Win 7 on Mac using USB flash drive....???

How to install Win 7 on Mac using USB flash drive....???

clintonfrombirmingham wrote:
I thought that installation through Boot Camp required, without hacks, a physical optical disc to install Boot Camp? I don't use it any longer since I run XP under Parallels, but I would swear that you have to use a disc, and not a USB thumb drive, to install Windows?
Maybe some real Boot Campers will visit this thread...
Clinton
If you have the Media you can use it to create a bootable USB key via boot camp assistant.
It will create the usb and has the option of pre-downlading the drivers and bootcamp utilities for windows.
It is pretty much all automated and quite simple.

Can I copy HP Recovery Media to another USB flash drive?

Hi. Just a couple questions please: 1. When I make the one time only "HP Recovery Media" to a USB pen drive, can I then "copy" and "paste" to another USB flash drive as long as the 2nd flash drive has enough capacity?The Recovery will still work right?I ask this in case I need to change to another USB flash drive and I am aware that I can only have one copy of the HP Recovery. 2. If that is the case, I then can also make a backup to an external Western Digital drive so that in case of malfunction of the USB flash drive I can always transfer the files to another USB flash drive? Thanks in advance for the reply. Best regards.

Hi, Copy and paste won't work. Please try the following method: http://h30434.www3.hp.com/t5/Notebook-Operating-Systems-and-Software/This-is-how-to-make-a-2nd-set-of-recovery-disks/td-p/1694703 Regards.

X220 "Create Recovery Media" on USB flash drive

Is it required to first create an Active Partition on the USB flash drive, within Windows 7, before creating "Factory Recovery Disks" on a USB flash drive - FOR THE X220?
I've carefully looked at the X220 User Guide and it makes no mention of it. Yet, I came across a web page on this site explaining how to create an active partition prior to making recovery media. However, it does NOT reference the X220 as an affected computer and I wonder if the active partition happens automatically on the X220.

http://forums.lenovo.com/t5/X-Series-ThinkPad-Laptops/Making-a-usb-stick-with-the-Lenovo-recovery-pa...
Here's the best thread I can find on the subject. You're still going to have to make the partition active. The x220 doesn't have anything extra in it to automatically make it active. That thread has some good links in it with pretty good instructions. I know the x220 isn't listed as an affected system but I think that the support site just hasn't been updated yet.
Dave
T430u, x301, x200T, x61T, x61, x32, x41T, x40, U160, ThinkPad Tablet 1838-22R, Z500 touch, Yoga Tab 2 Windows 8.1, Yoga Tablet 3 Pro
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Clean install for the 1st time from Macbook late 2008

Hi all!
I'm doing a clean install for the first time before installing Maverick. I have a Macbook from late 2008, which came with Leopard, but I always did an upgrade whenever installing Snow Leopard, Lion or Mountain Lion.
My question is when I do the clean install, the laptop goes back to factory settings, right? Do I need to install all the operating systems or can I go straight to Maverick?
I'mthinking of creating a bootable usb drive with Maverick or should I just install it from the Apple store?
It's my first time erasing the hard drive, I don't want to damage anything, just trying to be extra careful.
Thank you in advance for the help

The hard drive is wiped clean, but the hardware is the same. There is no "factory settings" until you actually install an operating system. In your case it will be Mavericks. Your laptop did not come this way from the factory.
To return to true factory conditions you have to install the OS that came with your computer. I know this seems like nitpicking, but it's better to have the facts straight.
Make Your Own Mavericks, Mountain/Lion Installer
1. 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.
2.   Get a USB flash drive that is at least 8 GBs. Prep this flash drive as follows:
         a. Open Disk Utility in your Utilities folder.
          b. After DU loads select your flash drive (this is the entry with the mfgr.'s ID and size) from the leftside list. Click on the Partition tab in the DU main window.
          c. 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.
          d. 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.
          e. 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.
          f. Click on the Erase button. The format process can take up to an hour depending upon the flash drive size.
3.          Use Lion DiskMaker 3.0 or 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.

Recovery Disk Assistant created USB not a valid start-up disk

Booting from Recovery Disk Assistant created USB drive gives me a slashed circle with an eternally spinning grey wheel. Googling forums for the meaning of that symbol (and the fact that the machine never boots) leads me to believe that my recovery USB is somehow corrupted. This is repeatable -- erasing the USB key, repartitioning, re-downloading and re-installing using the Recovery Disk Assistant leads to the same error. I've verified that the USB drive is fully functional. I'm curious if there's anything obvious that I'm doing wrong here? Has anyone else experienced this?
The particulars are as follows.
- I followed the instructions here: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4848
- I have a 16 GB Corsair flash key, on which I have two GUID partitions: one 2 GB and one 14 GB
     * intially, the 2 GB partition (the to-be recovery partition, even though the recovery files are ~650 MB) is formatted as a non-encrypted, Mac OS Extended (journaled) format
     * the 14 GB partition is ExFat
- the Recovery Assistant finishes normally
- as expected, the recovery partition is not visible in Disk Utility, but exists:
$ diskutil list
...{snip}...
/dev/disk2
   #:                       TYPE NAME                    SIZE       IDENTIFIER
   0:      GUID_partition_scheme                        *16.0 GB    disk2
   1:                        EFI                         209.7 MB   disk2s1
   2:                 Apple_Boot Recovery HD             650.0 MB   disk2s2
   3:       Microsoft Basic Data Feigenbaum              13.7 GB    disk2s3
- to test the recovery disk, I reboot, holding `option' and choose to boot from the recovery partion on my USB drive
     * I'm using a non-retina, 2012 MBP with OS 10.8.5, if that matters
- normal start-up splash: apple icon
- boom: spinning wheel & slashed circle

Thanks for the suggestions! I didn't give this a go with a single partition, but I have resolved the problem.
Before finding the solution, I tried making a bootable clone of the MBP's recovery partition:
- enable Disk Utility's debug option from the terminal: defaults write com.apple.DiskUtility DUDebugMenuEnabled 1
- mounted the recovery partition in Disk Utility
- restored from the recovery partition to the desired partition on my USB drive
- made the partition bootable from the terminal: sudo bless --folder /Volume/{path}/System/Library//CoreServices
- rebooted from the new partition
I got the same result: slashed circle and a spinning wheel
Creating the USB recovery partition on my Mac Pro worked. I verified that it works on both machines before I saw R C-R's suggestion. What's really weird is that the MBP *will* start from its own recovery partition. Maybe the MBP's recovery partition is corrupted in a way that allows it to boot but not be copied? Maybe I've made an error elsewhere? Who knows. In any case, my problem is solved now and hopefully, this thread helps some other poor soul.
Thanks again for the suggestions! Much appreciated.

NB100 - How can I reinstall OS from USB flash drive

My TOSHIBA NB 100 notebook does not have CD-DVD drive.
OS is Windows XP Home SP2.
OS is not booting.
Notebook won't start at all so I cannot run any sort of test when i turn it on.
The we apologize screen come on it says run safe mode, safe mode networking, safe mode comand prompt or start windows normally. But no matter which I chose it won't start it only goes to Windows and seems like its starting but then shows the blue Windows screen & stays there.
So I want to reload Windows from my USB flash drive.
The BIOS boot sequence is HDD - FDD - FD - CD - USB Memory.
What are the steps for loading Windows from USB flash drive?
If this does not work then I want to connect another laptop with Windows CD in its CD-DVD drive to the Notebook.
Will this work? Will the Notebook use the Windows CD in the laptop drive to load the OS?
How to do this connection?

Hi
Usually you would need an external USB CD/DVD drive in order to boot from the Windows XP disk or Toshiba recovery disk.
But there is a method which allows you to install the Win XP using 2GB USB flash drive.
This is possible because the BIOS of NB100 support the booting from USB memory stick.
Pease check this internet page:
+Installing Windows XP Using A USB Flash Drive+
http://www.pctipsbox.com/installing-windows-xp-using-a-usb-flash-drive/
Hope it could be helpful.

How To Transfer music files from a usb flash drive onto my thrive

I have some music taken from my pc onto a usb flash drive. I can play it on the thrive but want to permanently transfer it onto the thrive so I can play it without using the usb flash drive.
Cananyone help me?
Thanks

One way that I did it was to download a movie onto my laptop. Once I did that, I copied it onto an SD card. Inserted the card into my Thrive and dowloaded it from there. Or as others have mentioned, keep the movie on the SD card so that you'll have more memory on your Thrive. I went on YouTube to see how to copy from the SD to the Thrive. It's pretty easy.

Copying files from iMac to USB flash drives

I am having problems copying files from my iMac computer to USB flash drives. Sometimes, I get the error message: "Sorry the operation could not be completed because an unexpected error occurred (Error Code -50)."
How can I solve this problem?
This error message does not happen everytime but rather occasionally. Most of the files I am trying to copy to my USB flash drives are MS Word documents. I have tried using various brands of flash drive, but I still get this error message.
I use my USB flash drives for both Mac and Windows OS computers. For my 2GB Kingston Data Traveller flash drive, I checked its product datasheet on the Kingston website, and it says that it is compatible with both Macintosh and Windows OS, and that I can use it for cross-platform PC/Mac file transfers.
I also checked the Properties tab for this flash drive, and the File System for the drive is listed as "FAT."

Hello Stedman:
I am pretty sure that these files were not open in MS Word when I tried to copy them.
I only get this error message/code for a handful of MS Word documents; the rest of my MS Word documents were copied successfully to my USB flash drive.

IMac Dropping Firewire Disks & USB Flash Drive

I have a 3TB 800mb WD Firewire Disk daisy chained to a 1TB 800mb WD Firewire Disk on my iMac along with a 3.95GB USB Flash Drive.
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Removing the Firewire Disks power lead sometimes fixes it, sometimes an iMac restart does the trick.
The problem with restarting the IMac is the length of time it takes in restarting. The USB drive's default appears to be to go AWOL every time the iMac restarts.
Does anyone know of a fix to cure this issue of Disks going AWOL and the abnormal time it takes to restart the iMac?
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iPentax
2.93 GHz Intel Core i7 16 GB 1333 MHz DDR3 Memory OS X 10.8.2

Hi Mike,
Tried all that, doesn't solve the issue.
Incidentally, I have Arcana Startuo Sound installed, this mutes the AWFULL Apple Diagnostic Startup Sound that some Apple Idiot devised.
Surely an on-screen message after startup, warning that something is amiss would be the sensible alternative?
Apple have more than their fair share of the number of idiots they employ, witness the Wireless Keyboard, a Keyboard without Page up/down keys and Calculator keys? I admit the Wireless Keyboard does comes in useful for iPad!
The problem with resetting the Pram is that it trashes Arcana, then I have to Restore OS X or reformat and install Snow Leopard>Mountain Lion etc.
Arcana isn't available for Mountain Lion, my Arcana copy only works with Mountain Lion through a legacy process.
Regards,
iPentax

Pavilion dm1 Making A Recovery Set Using USB Flash Drive

I have a Pavilion dm1 for which I have tried to create a Recovery Set using a USB flash drive. However, on starting the Recovery Manager, I find I can only use discs......but the Pavilion dm1 has NO disc drive and no facility therefore to burn discs!!! Am I wrong to be completely puzzled by this? Does anyone have any idea at all, other than to purchase an external disc drive which I really do not want to do?? HP will sell me a Recovery Set but again ONLY ON DISC!! Seems absurd that a piece of kit that has no disc drive will only be able to be recovered using a disc! I confess to being a bit computer illiterate so maybe I am missing something. Any help most gratefully accepted.
This question was solved.
View Solution.

I will keep an eye out for your response.
Thanks for updating the community.
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How to burn a powerpoint 2013 presentation to a DVD R and or USB flash drive.

My Powerpoint 2013 slideshow includes photo's, clip art with transitions and animations and embedded music.   I want to
burn this presentation to either a DVD disk or a USB flash drive and send it to a friend.   My friend has a windows 7 desktop
computer and a DVD player attached to a TV.   Ideally I want to know how to burn the presentation to a DVD so that the presentation can be played back on the TV using the DVD player.    I do not want to lose any of the transitions
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presentation is copied to a USB flash drive.   What are my best options to keep the integrity of the presentation intact, and how do I go about doing this?   I need detailed instructions please.   Thanks in advance
for your assistance.

Hi,
The factor of keeping the integrity of presentation when you burn this presentation to either a DVD disk or a USB flash drive depends on performance of DVD disk and USB flash drive.
There are two ways to put PowerPoint presentation on a DVD convert PPT to video.
1. Convert PPT Files To DVD is to use a screen capture software.
2. Convert and Burn PowerPoint Presentation onto DVD would be to use a professional PowerPoint to DVD converter software.
For more detail information:
http://worldclassmedia.com/how-to-convert-powerpoint-files-to-dvd-put-a-powerpoint-presentation-on-tv/
If your TV doesn’t have built-in processors or Windows installed, it can’t run PowerPoint presentations in their native environment from a USB connectors. If so, you should convert it to video format first.
Detail information:
http://www.free-power-point-templates.com/articles/methods-to-play-powerpoint-on-tv/
Feel free to post back.

Boot problem - Snow Leopard on USB flash drive

Built a fresh install of 10.6 on a USB flash drive. The steps I took to do this were:
Installing from 10.6.3 install disc onto an external firewire drive with minimal install option. Drive is hooked into a Mac Pro station
Booted to external drive, installed updates to get to 10.6.8.
Carbon Copy Cloaner the external firewire OS to a 32gb Patriot USB drive
Removed the external drive, then forced the station to boot to the USB drive
The behavior I get is a startup chime, then the grey Apple logo, but NO spinning gear. No other types of signs or symbols come up for roughly 5 minutes. The system then reboots itself and chimes. Then repeat until I hard shutdown and make it boot back to the Mac Pro's internal HDD.
I also tried installing the OS disc directly to the flash drive ( after formatting it ) but it does the same thing. Chime - logo - no gears - reboot.
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Did I miss a step somewhere?

http://www.maciverse.com/install-os-x-snow-leopard-from-usb-flash-drive.html
https://discussions.apple.com/message/16276201#16276201

USB flash drive issue with photoshop.

For some reason when i try to save .psd files from photoshop CS3 to my usb flash drive I always get The disk is full error, even when the disk is empty. I try to save to the disk, and I can save to the desktop but cannot drag and drop it in. It's a 1 gig flash drive.

Hi Skwertz: Have you tried plugging in the USB Flash drive and emptying the trash? Just be sure that the items in the trash are really meant to be thrown out.
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Clean Install: from Recovery Disk vs. from USB Flash Drive

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