These advanced steps are primarily for system administrators and others who are familiar with the command line. You don't need a bootable installer to upgrade macOS or reinstall macOS, but it can be useful when you want to install on multiple computers without downloading the installer each time.

Download macOS

Installers for each of these macOS versions download directly to your. Make a connection. To format an external storage device, connect it to one of the ports on your.

Find the appropriate download link in the upgrade instructions for each macOS version:

macOS Catalina, macOS Mojave, ormacOS High Sierra
Installers for each of these macOS versions download directly to your Applications folder as an app named Install macOS Catalina, Install macOS Mojave, or Install macOS High Sierra. If the installer opens after downloading, quit it without continuing installation. Important: To get the correct installer, download from a Mac that is using macOS Sierra 10.12.5 or later, or El Capitan 10.11.6. Enterprise administrators, please download from Apple, not a locally hosted software-update server.

OS X El Capitan
El Capitan downloads as a disk image. On a Mac that is compatible with El Capitan, open the disk image and run the installer within, named InstallMacOSX.pkg. It installs an app named Install OS X El Capitan into your Applications folder. You will create the bootable installer from this app, not from the disk image or .pkg installer.

Use the 'createinstallmedia' command in Terminal

1. Connect the USB flash drive or other volume that you're using for the bootable installer. Make sure that it has at least 12GB of available storage and is formatted as Mac OS Extended.
2. Open Terminal, which is in the Utilities folder of your Applications folder.
3. Type or paste one of the following commands in Terminal. These assume that the installer is still in your Applications folder, and MyVolume is the name of the USB flash drive or other volume you're using. If it has a different name, replace MyVolume in these commands with the name of your volume.
   Catalina:*
   Mojave:*
   
   High Sierra:*
   El Capitan:
   
4. Press Return after typing the command.
5. When prompted, type your administrator password and press Return again. Terminal doesn't show any characters as you type your password.
6. When prompted, type Y to confirm that you want to erase the volume, then press Return. Terminal shows the progress as the bootable installer is created.
7. When Terminal says that it's done, the volume will have the same name as the installer you downloaded, such as Install macOS Catalina. You can now quit Terminal and eject the volume.

* If your Mac is using macOS Sierra or earlier, include the --applicationpath argument, similar to the way this argument is used in the command for El Capitan.

Use the bootable installer

After creating the bootable installer, follow these steps to use it:

1. Plug the bootable installer into a compatible Mac.
2. Use Startup Manager or Startup Disk preferences to select the bootable installer as the startup disk, then start up from it. Your Mac will start up to macOS Recovery.
   Learn about selecting a startup disk, including what to do if your Mac doesn't start up from it.
3. Choose your language, if prompted.
4. A bootable installer doesn't download macOS from the Internet, but it does require the Internet to get information specific to your Mac model, such as firmware updates. If you need to connect to a Wi-Fi network, use the Wi-Fi menu in the menu bar.
5. Select Install macOS (or Install OS X) from the Utilities window, then click Continue and follow the onscreen instructions.

Learn more

For more information about the createinstallmedia command and the arguments that you can use with it, make sure that the macOS installer is in your Applications folder, then enter this path in Terminal:

Catalina:

Mojave:

High Sierra:

El Capitan:

Sep 09, 2020 • Filed to: Solve Mac Problems • Proven solutions

Creating a bootable drive for your Mac certainly seems to be a wise decision to make. Even though the macOS recovery partition can take care of all your recovery requirements in times of need, it’s still worthwhile to have a bootable installer.

Why Do You Need to Create A Bootable Drive For Your Mac?

• The Mac installer gets deleted as soon as you download it and use it by installing the Mac operating system. Once the installer gets deleted, it means that you can no longer use it to install the macOS on another Mac device. You will have to again download the installer on the latter Mac to install the macOS. This can take a lot of time and become inefficient if you have multiple Macs.
• Clean installs can be performed by installers which are very helpful in overwriting your start-up drive. You can also use this function for other troubleshooting issues as well.
• When you have a bootable installer, it ensures that you are well guarded in an emergency scenario by making use of some of its helpful utilities.
• A bootable installer can allow you to install an earlier version of macOS and also let you temporarily boot into the previous version of the macOS.

What Do You Need Before Creating Your Bootable Drive?

Before you begin the process, you will need the following:

• USB Stick / External Hard Drive: If you are planning to use a USB for downloading the bootable version of the installer, make sure that it is 8GB in size or larger than that. In the case of Sierra, 12GB is recommended as the minimum requirement. Ideally, 32GB to 64GB is a good size to have as it is not only cost-effective but also gives a better performance. In the case of an external drive, you can use any spare one that you are not going to use for any other work.
• Download macOS High Sierra Installer: It is important to note that once you have downloaded the installer, it will begin with the installation process on its own. You can close the installer just like you quit any Mac app. In the case of the macOS version being older than the current one, you can click on ‘ok’ once the message flashes that the version is too old to install. You can find the old installer file in your ‘Application Folder’. Don’t forget to take a backup of your Mac to be on a safe side.

Part 1. How to Create a Bootable Drive Using Terminal

There are two ways of creating a bootable copy of the installer. You can either use Terminal or get the job done through a free software like Recoverit to do it for you. First, let us look at how to create a bootable drive using Terminal.

Create Usb Boot Disk Mac

Steps to create a macOS Siera beta boot disk:

1. The first step in the process is to connect your external hard drive to your Mac. You need to name your external drive ‘untitled’ for the Terminal command to work.
2. Launch Terminal. You can find this in the 'Utilities' folder of your Applications folder.
3. Copy the following instructions now:

1. In this step, you have to paste the copied instruction on the screen by going back to the Terminal.

1. You will be required to feed in your user password now and then hit ‘Return’.
2. Now, the Terminal will ask for your permission to erase the drive. To continue, type ‘Y’ and again hit return.

1. After the Terminal has erased your drive, your Mac will prompt you if you wish to use the drive for Time Machine. Click ‘Don’t Use’.
2. Next, the installer file will be copied by the Terminal to your drive. This might take some time, so be patient.

1. Once the copying is completed, a ‘Copy complete’ message will be displayed on your screen. You can now quit the Terminal and use your drive.

Part 2. How to Create Bootable Media for Mac with Recoverit Mac Data Recovery

Recoverit Mac data recovery software is one of the most impressive and easy-to-use data recovery software in the market, and it has lots to offer with its varied utilities and functions. With Recoverit to create bootable media, you can access your system easily without the need to reinstall the macOS to recover your lost data.

Step 1 Launch Recoverit and get to select 'Computer Crash Recovery'. Click 'Start'.

Step 2 Choose your connected external hard drive as the bootable media, and click 'Start'. You will receive a requirement of formatting the device. Before the formatting, remember to back your drive data up.

Step 3 Wait for a while, and Recoverit will format your drive and start creating the bootable media.

Step 4 Once it finishes, follow the next steps to restore data.

Part 3. How to Set the Computer Boot from the Bootable Media

Step 1 Connect your external drive to your unbootable Mac.

Step 2 Press down on the ‘Option’ key after restarting your Mac.

Step 3 Once the booting has finished, your Mac will display the Startup Manager to show you the available boot drives. Select your external hard drive and hit ‘Return’.

Boot Disk For Macbook Pro

Step 4 If you want to install Sierra but keep your data untouched, you can select 'Install OS X'. However, if you wish to delete all your data, then you can select Disk Utility to format the entire drive and wipe away all your data to reformat the internal drive first and then install macOS Sierra.

Macbook Pro Boot Disk Download

You now have a bootable copy of the macOS Sierra installer, and you can use it on multiple Macs to install the Mac OS. If you are familiar with the command line, you can opt to create a bootable drive using Terminal. For others, you can simply opt for reliable Mac hard drive recovery software like Recoverit and assist you in recovering your data as well from crashed systems in case of emergencies.

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