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Mountain Lion is the second release of OS X to be delivered via the Mac App Store. Like with Lion, users can create their own bootable USB key installer to use as a recovery disk or to install Mountain Lion on multiple Macs without needing to download the 4GB installer multiple times.

Ars Technica has an excellent walk-through using either the Disk Utility application that is included on every Mac, or the newly updated Lion Diskmaker app that automates the process of creating a bootable install key.

The biggest catch to the whole process is to make a copy of the Mountain Lion installer before actually installing Mountain Lion, otherwise the installer will need to be redownloaded from the Mac App Store.

(Image via Ars Technica/Chris Foresman)

Top Rated Comments

FearlessFreep Avatar
FearlessFreep
167 months ago
Unlike most of America I sadly do not have a true high-speed option for internet at my house. Thus I bring my MBP to work and use this method to generate an install package for my iMac at home. It's really the only way to do multiple installs if you don't have a good internet connection.

Reminder: you MUST copy the package before the actual install, but it's easy.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
smithrh Avatar
smithrh
167 months ago
The Lion Diskmaker link... well, the link isn't bad, I don't think, but the server it points to isn't happy...
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
likemyorbs Avatar
likemyorbs
167 months ago
"Create a Bootable Mountain Lion USB Key Installer"

No! I will not!
I fell for this with Lion and spent X wasted minutes of my life creating a USB key installer of Lion which I never used. :mad:

I'm letting is all hang out this time around; no ML USB key installer for me!

Yeah that'll show em'!
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
iSee Avatar
iSee
167 months ago
I'm feel like ranting...

"Create a Bootable Mountain Lion USB Key Installer"

No! I will not!
I fell for this with Lion and spent X wasted minutes of my life creating a USB key installer of Lion which I never used. :mad:

I'm letting is all hang out this time around; no ML USB key installer for me!

Yay, I'm about 5 minutes too late since I already installed ML. Oh well.

You got lucky in my opinion.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
felipecerda Avatar
felipecerda
167 months ago
Hi, sorry for the ignorance but does this method work for doing a clean install of ML and not just upgrading from an existing installation of Lion?
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
h1r0ll3r Avatar
h1r0ll3r
167 months ago
Yay, I'm about 5 minutes too late since I already installed ML. Oh well.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
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