OS X Mavericks is available in the Mac App Store now, but it's only an upgrade—but if you want to do a clean install, you'll need to manually burn an installation flash drive. Here's how to do it.

Windows install floppies and discs have gone the way of the dodo, but it still pays to keep a copy of the OS on a USB drive. Here's how to make your own.

Formatting a hard drive along with the install of a new OS is the best option. The vast majority of operating system installations provide a "format" option as part of the installation process.

How to create a bootable USB to install OS X Your email has been sent Creating a USB Installer for Apple OS X 10.7-10.8 Creating a USB Installer for Apple OS X 10.5 ...

I think the reason we haven't heard many complaints about the doing away of physical media is exactly this. As long as power users can make their own offline media, there's nothing to complain about.

(Note: This guide is adapted from one I found buried in Google's cache, so I thought Ars might appreciate a more accessible, updated version.)<br><br><b>Introduction</b><br><br>We all know that OS X ...