Re-Install OS

[MacGuy2011]

New member and will apologize if I missed this being discussed when I tried searching.

I want to re-install a fresh copy, cause I've got file fragments and pieces of old programs lurking on the hdd. Plus programs, apps and games I don't use anymore. So I want to start over and just install what I do use and want. I've backed up all the important stuff and ready to do this. However I'm running into 'resistance' at reinstalling. I've cmd-option-p-r'd it. When cmd-r'd at startup a pin-wheel goes around and the pc eventually shuts off. Tried several times and always just shuts off. Holding option down at startup and selecting recovery (which is for 10.9) the pin-wheel goes around and again the thing shuts off. Again made multiple attempts and it shuts off. I have 10.8 burned onto a dvd and holding option and selecting the disc filled me with false hopes. Cause after a while it brought up a menu where I selected reinstall, progressing to selecting the partition to use and screens saying it was installing. But when it was all done doing what it was doing......the old bloated yet trusty 10.10 still boots.

The machine is a mid 2011 iMac (27"), quad i5, now 8gb ram, 1tb hdd. Originally had 10.7 when purchased new. Was upgraded to 10.8, 10.9 and then to 10.10. Recovery lists 10.9 but doesn't work. Has a small bootcamp partition with win8.1 created during 10.9.

So am I missing a step or doing something wrong? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Rod]

Assuming you have backed up everything correctly and you really want to start afresh you will need to download the mavericks installer from the App Store. It will be in your purchases.
Once you have that, double click it and choose "Clean Instal". This will erase your Hard drive including the Windows partition and install a mint version of Mavericks just like a brand new computer. Of course you will need to setup Mail accounts, location, language, and all of your System preferences.
You will need your Apple ID and preferred email address for setup.

 

[MacGuy2011]

Yes, as I said the important stuff I wanted to keep was backed up. I didn't want to go thru the whole process of redoing Windows if I didn't have to. I walked away and let my frustrations pass, then took another go with the 10.8 dvd. This time using the disk utility to erase the contents of the existing os x partition. Then reinstalled 10.8, which worked successfully. Have accomplished my goal of a fresh install to work with.

 

[Rod]

Hey, well done, I was under the misconception that you wanted to erase the whole drive and reinstall Mavericks. Of course you can still do that over your OS 10.8 if you wish by doing what I suggested. Once you have bought it it will remain in your Past Purchases in the App Store and can be downloaded again any time. You can also make a start up Mavericks USB drive which is handy if you ever need to reinstall or run disk utility from another bootable drive. Just like your 10.8 DVD.

 

[MacGuy2011]

After getting 10.8 installed last night/early this morning I then downloaded Yosemite, which upon completion was given an error basically saying the download was corrupted and Yosemite couldn't be installed. So earlier this evening I went to the app store, to the purchases tab and clicked to download Mavericks. Well after the download completed it too gave me an error saying it's corrupted and cannot be installed. Both times it showed the install screen, with the install button at the bottom. But that error dialog box closes out the install window when ok is clicked.
Could there be a problem within the 10.8 install? Everything seems to be running fine, in fact faster now than before. Any thoughts on the issue?

 

[MacGuy2011]

I did run/install current updates to 10.8.5. But at 5+gb a pop, I don't want to keep downloading these just to keep having the same issue. Have a monthly bandwidth cap from my isp, and although it just restarted I'm not the only one using it and there is a good amount of netflix streaming & gaming done. So I don't want to waste a huge chunk of it on failed upgrade attempts.

 

[Slydude]

Something odd is going on here. If I understand you correctly both the Mavericks and Yosemite installers are not completing correctly. Furthermore they are both erring out in the same way. Have you tried booting from the recovery partition. If not boot from there and let Disk Utility repar any errors it may find while verifying the boot disk.

It won't hurt to run a permission repair as well.

 

[MacGuy2011]

I just ran a permission repair. I will try booting with the recovery partition and try a fix that way.

 

[MacGuy2011]

Via recovery options ran disk utility, both permission and disk repair were done. Is there a way I can download either the 10.9 or 10.10 installer and put to a thumb drive? So I can download one of them again and have a 'reusable' copy. So if the latest utility repairs didn't correct the issue, can try another fix idea and retry installing Maverick/Yosemite without downloading another copy each time.

*Edit*
I know there are torrent sites and such were one could "acquire" a copy of either os. But I mean download from the app store, directly from Apple so its a 100% genuine image.

 

[Rod]

Via recovery options ran disk utility, both permission and disk repair were done. Is there a way I can download either the 10.9 or 10.10 installer and put to a thumb drive? So I can download one of them again and have a 'reusable' copy. So if the latest utility repairs didn't correct the issue, can try another fix idea and retry installing Maverick/Yosemite without downloading another copy each time.

*Edit*
I know there are torrent sites and such were one could "acquire" a copy of either os. But I mean download from the app store, directly from Apple so its a 100% genuine image.

Yes, you can create a bootable thumb drive from the Mavericks/Yosemite installers for future use.
Create a bootable installer for OS X Mavericks or Yosemite - Apple Support
There is a way to do this using Disk Utility but this is the way I advise. Be sure to copy an paste the commands from this site into terminal. Trying to hand copy is dangerous because they need to be exactly as written here.

 

[Slydude]

You certainly can build a bootable installer and save yourself the need of re-downloading those installer files every time.

1. You will need either a hard drive that you don't mind formatting or a flash drive of at least 8 GB that you don't mind formatting. Be sure to remove any files on the drive as they will be lost during formatting.
2. You need a copy of a Diskmaker X and the Yosemite installer downloaded from the App store.
3. Follow these directions. The article contains links to the necessary software. The same directions should work with 10.8 and above.

When you download the installer from the App Store you will be given the opportunity to complete/ continue the install when the download finishes.Do not start the actual installation until you have completed the steps to create the boot disk. The installer file you need to create the boot disk gets deleted when the installation is finished.

BTW Were there any directory / file errors on the disk? I know you said there were no permissions errors but directory/file errors are different.

 

[MacGuy2011]

You guys are awesome with the help and quick replies.

The permissions repair founds/fixed some things. Disk repair found nothing and said the volume appeared ok.

I will work on the t/drive idea with the directions you guys posted.

 

[Iatros55]

I am also having a problem with newly installed Yosemite. I have decided to do a clean install but I am hampered by my being unable to find the OSX Yosemite installer.app called for in the apple paper. I found OSXUpd10.10.1.app in the app store. Is this app the 'installer' app? I want to create an bootable USB disk to use as a 'clean' installer.

I have already backed up everything on Time Machine. Won't the Time Machine files allow restore on fresh Yosemite drive?

 

[Slydude]

Once 10.10.1 was released it replaced the 10.10.0 installer that was in the app store. that way users always get the moat current version of the installer. The new one should work.

If I understand correctly you shouldn't have a problem with Time Machine.

 

[Iatros55]

OK, I understand that Yosemite 10.10.1 has the installer included as part of the package, but HOW do I use just the installer to place on an USB thumb drive?

 

[Slydude]

It's actually pretty easy to do. You'll need either an 8 GB USB drive or some other drive to create the boot disk on. A hard drive would also work.

1. Download the Yosemite installer from the Mac App Store but don't actually finish the install.
2. Follow the directions here. It has directions for several methods. I recommend the Easy Way.

 

[MacGuy2011]

Ok, so I tried again to with both Maverick and Yosemite and both installers are giving me the same error about the copy of the Install OS X Maverick/Yosemite application is damaged and can't be used to install it. Also I got Diskmaker X and not able to get it to work and create a bootable disk. I have both 10.9 & 10.10 installers in my application folder, dm x finds those files, it starts doing something with the usb but then gives me error code -128. I reformatted the usb and trying the terminal method now.

 

[harryb2448]

If no joy, trash them and download a fresh Yosemite copy and use LionDiskmaker. It formats the thumb drive as part of the install operation.

 

[MacGuy2011]

Well the terminal method worked to create a bootable yosemite, which after downloading from app store said was damaged. I used the usb to install it, but ran into an issue during the install process. Was in a steady loop of trying to install and rebooting. Encounters a problem and reboots, again and again. I used the 10.8 disc to get into disk utility, blanked the mac partition and used the usb to install yosemite. Worked fine with no problems.