Clean re-install of Mountain Lion - How to?

Memphis

Memphis

Memphis

Soldato
Joined
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Ok folkies, I'm hoping this will be a quick query even if it's just to confirm what I'm hoping isn't the case.

I've got ML on my MacBook Pro but it was an upgrade from Lion which in turn was an upgrade from Snow Leopard (I think it was that way around...). The performance isn't too hot so I want to clean re-install ML.

Now the query... Do I really have to fully redownload the ML installer to create a boot USB to do this? Or is there another way using the files already on the machine?

I'd really rather avoid the re-download but I guess it's my own fault for not creating the media in the first instance.

Thanks! :)
 
The upgrade should have upgraded the hdd recovery option too.

Just boot up to the recovery partition and your be able to tell if its lion or ML, if its ML, choose the disk util option, recreate the partition(s) and that will blank out the hdd. Then exit disk util and select recovery and it should be a fresh install.
 
Many thanks slinxy!

Will the recovery need to download the OS as part of the operation though? I have half attempted this once before and it sat all night re-downloading ML only for me to find in the morning that everything was still in place as if nothing had happened! :confused:
 
no its should all be based on a recovery partition on the hdd.

I'm not sure how it works but if you remove all visual partitions from the hdd, it can still recover from the hdd. But it its worth creating a usb recovery pen just in case. But if all else fails there's the internet recovery option.
 
slinxy said:
But it its worth creating a usb recovery pen just in case. But if all else fails there's the internet recovery option.
Click to expand...

I would. Funny how it's always times like that your internet has a hiccup or so when you don't have an installer ready.
 
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My MBP shipped with Lion and was upgraded to Mountain Lion. When I changed the hard drive I tried internet recovery ... which put it back to Lion, then I had to upgrade it again to Mountain Lion.

Probably easiest to make a USB stick or DVD from the installer.
 
MagicBoy said:
My MBP shipped with Lion and was upgraded to Mountain Lion. When I changed the hard drive I tried internet recovery ... which put it back to Lion, then I had to upgrade it again to Mountain Lion.

Probably easiest to make a USB stick or DVD from the installer.
Click to expand...

weird.. as I tried the same thing and it went to ML... there's an apple update that should update the recovery info on the machine.

But it is best to use an USB stick. :)
 
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