To use your bootable installer, you’ll need to plug your USB flash drive into a Mac with an internet connection. How To Use a Bootable macOS Installer to Update your Mac But please be sure to eject it properly using the Finder before you pull it out. unplug your USB drive once you see the completion message.You’ll know it’s done when you see a message that says, “Copy complete and Done.” Terminal will show you a bunch of text.A message will appear asking you to confirm that you want to erase your USB drive and replace it with the macOS installer.Terminal will now request your administrator password.After you enter the correct command, hit the Return key. Replace “MyVolume” with your USB drive’s name, which you confirmed earlier in Disk Utility.In Terminal, you need to type a special command that matches the macOS version you want to install.Open Spotlight once more, type “Terminal,” and press return to open the Terminal program.Click Erase again to reset the external drive.You should also change the name of your USB and note it because you’ll need it in the next steps. On the pop-up that appears, select Mac OS Extended (Journaled) as the format and GUID Partition Map as the Scheme.Select the External Drive from the left pane.Click on View and select Show All Devices.Open Disk Utility (Press Command + Spacebar on your keyboard to activate Spotlight, then type “Disk Utility” and press Return).Insert your USB drive into an available USB port on your Mac.Here’s how to make your bootable USB drive: Once you’ve downloaded the macOS version, use Terminal to create a bootable USB drive.īe extra careful because a wrong move could wipe out important data. Simply click on any of the links to start your download. These versions are also a bit tricky to find, so I’ve also made it easy for you. Look for a DMG file after you download it, you’ll find the PKG file inside the disk image. Here are direct links I’ve compiled for easy access:įor even older macOS versions, visit Apple’s website, where they keep an archive of these files. macOS versions like Sonoma, Ventura, Monterey, Mojave, Catalina, Big Sur, and High Sierra are available on the App Store but are difficult to find. The macOS version you aim for on your bootable drive will determine where you can download it. You can find the installer files available for download on Apple’s website or on the Mac App Store. Installation files are the actual files for the macOS version you want to install, and you’ll need a working Mac to download these installer files. Double-check and move any crucial data from it before diving in. To give some perspective, macOS Monterey and Ventura consume about 12GB, making 15GB a cautious choice.Ī word of caution: the installation will wipe your external drive clean. Make sure to reserve at least 15GB on your drive. If you’re on a newer Mac, lean towards a USB type-C connection to sidestep the need for an adapter. This isn’t just a storage vault for your installation files it’s a gateway that lets you install and fire up your macOS straight from it.įor optimal results, we recommend either a USB Flash Drive or a Thunderbolt drive. External DriveĬonsider your external drive as the launching pad for your macOS installer. To create a bootable installer, you’ll need an external drive and the installation files. What Will I Need To Create a Bootable macOS Installer? Keep reading to find out how to create a bootable installer for macOS, what you’ll need, and why you should create one. No matter the reason, a bootable installer lets you install older or newer macOS versions directly from an external drive.

Maybe you’re considering reinstalling your macOS or shifting to a different version. If you need to create a bootable installer for macOS, you’ve come to the right place.

Poser pro osx