This guide shows how to install fresh OS X 10.9 Mavericks on VMware workstation with Windows 7 or Windows 8. Mavericks is the latest desktop & laptop OS from Apple with full of new features. After it has been release officially, it can be download from Apple site (or from any torrent sites).
By any chance you like to try latest OS X 10.9 on VMware virtual machine with Windows 7 or Windows 8 host, you can follow these steps. Basically the OS is available as an app. So, it has to be used with existing Mac OS X and installed on different partition with dual boot. This way doesn’t work in virtual environment due to boot loader and disk issues with VMware and VirtualBox.
Update: If you like to use OS X 10.9 Mavericks with pre-installed VMware image without trying fresh installation as shown below, you can click here to see our simple guide.
To continue our normal steps, we will be making a virtual bootable hard disk from OS X 10.9 DMG, and boot the new virtual machine from it. Creating bootable VMDK file is slightly a lengthy processor and I’m sure the below each steps will be good enough to explain it.
Earlier this guide was made with DP version of Mavericks, but you can follow the same steps to do the installation of final retail version.
What you Need to Make Bootable OS X 10.9 VMDK in VMware1) Running OS X (10.8 or 10.7) in VMware
2) OS X 10.9 Mavericks DMG file
3) Sysprobs Lion Files
4) Latest darwin.iso file
Part 1 – How to Make Bootable Hard disk (VMDK)1) Make sure to have a running Mac OS X virtual machine in VMware workstation.
2) Attach a new hard disk VMDK file (single file, no split) size of 10GB. The virtual machine should be powered off to add new virtual hard disk.
3) Transfer (copy) the OS X 10.9 Mavericks DMG file inside virtual machine. I have used USB disk for this.
4) Once you have started virtual machine with newly added hard disk, you need to initiate the disk and create a partition.
Name the partition, and select correct format and type.
Name – 109installer
Format: Mac OS X Extended
Partitions: Single partition – Apple Partition Map
Press apply to create partition and format.
5) Double click OS X 10.9 Mavericks DMG file and let it mount. A new volume ( ‘OS X Mavericks 10.9 DP1” as of now) will appear under volumes once it’s mounted.
We need to open (mount) InstallESD.dmg file now. You can run the following terminal command from inside OS X Mavericks 10.9 DP1.
6) Mount BaseSystem.dmg which is inside the volume mounted in previous step.
Run following command from inside newly mounted volume called ‘OS X Install ESD’.
Wait for some time to get over of mounting BaseSystem.
7) It’s time to restore BaseSystem content to newly created partition (VMDK disk).
Open Disk Utility under utilities. Set the source and destination correctly as shown below. Press Restore button to start the process.
Remember: The above process will overwrite destination volume and it’s name. So, to get the same name (‘109installer’ in this example), you need to rename the volume again after above restore process had been completed.
8.) Let’s copy the packages from original location to new installer disk.