How to make a bootable USB flash drive with macOS

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

You will need a Mac, a USB drive, and a few minutes of free time.

The easiest way to update macOS to a newer version is through the Mac App Store. But if the old system had problems, a clean install may be required, which requires a bootable USB stick.

It can be done in two ways: through the "Terminal" and using a special utility. The first one is suitable for advanced users, the second one - for beginners and those who, for some reason, do not like to mess with the command line.

Step 1. Boot macOS

Follow one of the links and download the installer for the required version of macOS from the Mac App Store:

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Confirm the download by clicking Download.

When finished, choose Finish macOS Installation from the menu bar to close the installer.

Step 2. Create a bootable disk

How to create a bootable USB flash drive in the "Terminal"

Plug your USB stick into your Mac and find it in Finder.

Select Rename from the context menu and set the new name to MyVolume.

Open Terminal through Spotlight or under Applications → Utilities.

Copy and paste the command into the "Terminal" window, depending on the OS version being installed.

Big Sur:

sudo / Applications / Install / macOS / Big / Sur.app/Contents/Resources/createinstallmedia -volume / Volumes / MyVolume

Catalina:

sudo / Applications / Install / macOS / Catalina.app/Contents/Resources/createinstallmedia -volume / Volumes / MyVolume

Mojave:

sudo / Applications / Install / macOS / Mojave.app/Contents/Resources/createinstallmedia -volume / Volumes / MyVolume

High Sierra:

sudo / Applications / Install / macOS / High / Sierra.app/Contents/Resources/createinstallmedia -volume / Volumes / MyVolume

Sierra:

sudo / Applications / Install / macOS / Sierra.app/Contents/Resources/createinstallmedia -volume / Volumes / MyVolume -applicationpath / Applications / Install / macOS / Sierra.app

El Capitan:

sudo / Applications / Install / OS / X / El / Capitan.app/Contents/Resources/createinstallmedia -volume / Volumes / MyVolume -applicationpath / Applications / Install / OS / X / El / Capitan.app

Enter the administrator password.

Confirm the formatting of the flash drive by typing Y and pressing enter. Be careful, all data from it will be deleted.

Wait for the end of copying and remove the USB flash drive.

How to create a bootable USB stick in DiskMaker X

Download the DiskMaker X utility from the developer.

Open the DMG image with the utility and drag it to the Applications folder icon below.

Launch DiskMaker X through Lauchpad or Spotlight.

Click the Use this copy button to confirm using the downloaded installer.

Confirm your choice of USB disk, select your USB flash drive from the list and click the Choose this disk button.

Agree to formatting and deleting all data on the flash drive by clicking the Erase then create the disk button.

Choose a light or dark theme.

Click the Continue button and enter the administrator password.

Wait a few minutes. The utility window is not displayed, but you will receive notifications about the progress of creating a bootable disk.

What to do next

Now that you have a bootable USB stick, you can install macOS from it on any compatible Mac. You need to connect the disk to your computer, restart it while holding down the Option key, then select an item in the list of available bootable disks and follow the instructions of the installation wizard.