OS X Recovery System

Herta Nava

IT/LOCALIZATION CONSULTANT & AUTHOR

@hertanava www.actuallymagazine.net

Overview

OS X Recovery System
Recovery Utilities
Local OS X Recovery HD
External Installation Disk

OS X Recovery System

OS X Recovery System
It is a set of built in utilities that can be used to restore a
Mac from Time Machine, reinstall OS X, get help and
perform repair or other disk administration tasks.

El Capitan OS X (installed or upgraded)

OS X Recovery

Hidden Recovery HD
Internet connection
Apple ID (upgraded)

OS X Recovery HD Not Available

External
Recovery
Disk
Internet
Recovery

Time
Machine
Recovery
System
not
available

Mac mid-2010 or later

Updated firmware

Internet
Recovery

Internet connection
Apple ID

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201314

External
Recovery Disk

Time Machine

Recovery Utilities

OS X Recovery Utilities
Restore from
Time Machine

Disk Utility

Network

Install or
reinstall OS X

Startup Disk

Terminal

Get Help Online

Firmware
Password

Reset Password

Restore from Time Machine Backup

Restoring from a backup will erase the

selected destination disk.
To restore from a backup to
computer Use Migration Assistant.

new

To restore individual files use Time Machine

in the Finder.

Install or Reinstall OS X

Local hidden Recovery HD and disks

created with OS X Recovery Disk Assistant
do not contain the installation files.
Internet access is required to reinstall OS X.

Macs upgraded to the OS X El Capitan,

require an Apple ID.
The Apple ID is not required for Macs
already shipped with the OS X El Capitan.

Get Help Online

Disk Utility

The Reset Password utility must be used

with a lot of caution since it can bypass
current security settings.
It is recommended to use a firmware
password to further protect the system.

Local OS X Recovery HD

What is required to reinstall OS X

using the hidden recovery disk?

You require two things, high-speed

Internet access and be able to verify
access to the installation files.

Why high-speed Internet access?

Because the local hidden OS X Recovery HD doesnt
include the OS X installation assets.

How do you verify access to the installation

files?
Upgraded Mac computers are verified through the Apple ID
used to purchase the OS X.
Mac computers that included OS X El Capitan when
purchased are verified automatically.

Always keep the Recovery Disk up to date

with the latest version.

External OS X Recovery Disk

External
Recovery Disk

Local Recovery HD is absent due to:

- Replaced internal disk
- OS X on RAID sets
- Nonstandard Boot Camp partitioning
- System critical errors

Recovery Disk
Assistant

Requirements
- OS X Lion or Mountain Lion
- An existing recovery system in the
startup volume
- 1 GB or more external drive
https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT202294

The Recovery Disk created with the

Assistant should be used with the same
computer that created it.
Other systems may not be able to start
from this Recovery Disk.
The Recovery Disk will not have the
installation
assets
required
for
a
reinstallation.

External Installation Disk

createinstallmedia

Demo
Examine the OS X recovery system
Create an OS X install disk

OS X Recovery

Prerequisites:
- OS X El Capitan (installed or upgraded)
- Local hidden Recovery HD
- Internet access

OS X
Install Disk

Prerequisites:
- External volume with at least 8GB
capacity
- A copy of the OS X Installer
- Local admin account

External
Recovery Disk

Make note of the OS X version used to

create the install disk.
Keep your installation disks updated to
the latest OS X version.

/Volumes/[Volume]/[Folder]/Insta
ll\ OS\ X\ El\
Capitan.app/Contents/Resources/c
reateinstallmedia

Usage: createinstallmedia -volume <path to volume to

convert> --applicationpath <path
to Install OS X El Capitan.app>
[--force]
Arguments--volume, A path to a
volume that can be unmounted and
erased to create the install
media.

Drag createinstallmedia from

the resources folder in the OS X
installer package

Press Return

--applicationpath, A path to
copy of the OS installer
application to create the
bootable media from.
--nointeraction, Erase the disk
pointed to by volume without
prompting for confirmation.
Example: createinstallmedia -volume /Volumes/Untitled -applicationpath
"/Applications/Install OS X El
Capitan.app"
This tool must be run as root.

sudo

/Volumes/[Volume]/[Folder]/Insta
ll\ OS\ X\ El\
Capitan.app/Contents/Resources/c
reateinstallmedia

--volume

/Volumes/[Target Volume]

--applicationpath

Type sudo (dont press return

yet), with a space at the end
Drag createinstallmedia from
the resources folder once more
Enter --volume (with two
dashes at the beginning and a
space at the end)
Drag your target install disk
Type --applicationpath (with
two dashes at the beginning and
a space at the end)

/Volumes/[Volume]/[Folder]/Insta
ll\ OS\ X\ El\ Capitan.app
WARNING: Improper use of the
sudo command could lead to data
loss or the deletion of
important system files. Please
double-check your typing when
using sudo. Type "man sudo" for
more information.

Drag the OS X El Capitan

installer
Press Return and you will be
asked for the admin password

To proceed, enter your password,

or type Ctrl-C to abort.
Password:

Enter the admin password

Ready to start.
To continue we need to erase the disk
at /Volumes/Install OS X El Capitan.
If you wish to continue type (Y) then
press return:
Y

Erasing Disk: 0%... 10%...

Copying installer files to disk...

Verify that the target volume is

correct, type Y and press Return
Wait for the process to
complete

Copy complete.
Making disk bootable...
Copying boot files...
Copy complete.
Done.

When the process is complete, it

will indicate Done.

Create Install Disk

HNavas-MacBook-Pro:~ macadmin$ /Volumes/MAC\ BACK\ UP/Instaladores/Install\ OS\ X\ El\
Capitan.app/Contents/Resources/createinstallmedia
Usage: createinstallmedia --volume <path to volume to convert> --applicationpath <path
to Install OS X El Capitan.app> [--force]
Arguments--volume, A path to a volume that can be unmounted and erased to create the
install media.
--applicationpath, A path to copy of the OS installer application to create the bootable
media from.--nointeraction, Erase the disk pointed to by volume without prompting for
confirmation.
Example: createinstallmedia --volume /Volumes/Untitled --applicationpath
"/Applications/Install OS X El Capitan.app
This tool must be run as root.
HNavas-MacBook-Pro:~ macadmin$ sudo /Volumes/MAC\ BACK\ UP/Instaladores/Install\ OS\ X\
El\ Capitan.app/Contents/Resources/createinstallmedia --volume /Volumes/Install\ OS\ X\
El\ Capitan --applicationpath /Volumes/MAC\ BACK\ UP/Instaladores/Install\ OS\ X\ El\
Capitan.app

OS X Recovery System
- Restore, reinstall OS X, get help, repair
and other disk administrative tasks.

Summary

Recovery Utilities
- Restore from Time Machine
- Install or reinstall OS X
- Get Help Online
- Disk Utility
- Startup disk
- Firmware password
- Network
- Terminal
- Reset password

Summary

Local OS X Recovery HD
External installation disk
- Recovery Disk Assistant
- Install disk: createinstallmedia

Coming Next
OS X Software Updates