6/16/2017 How to make a bootable macOS install drive - Macworld UK

Adsby Google DownloadInstall FreeInstall HowtoRepair CreateInstall HardDriveRepair

HowtomakeabootablemacOSinstalldrive
CreateabootableinstalleroftheMacoperatingsystemusingthisguide

byKarenHaslam|30May17

Adclosedby
We'lltrynotto
Adclosedby
showthatad
again
Stopseeingthis
ad
Inthisarticlewe'llrunthroughthestepsnecessarytocreateabootableinstalleroftheMacoperatingsystem,whetherit'ssoyoucaninstallthelatestversionof
themacOSonmultipleMacsperformacleaninstalofthemacOSorjusttobepreparedwithahandyemergencydiskifyourMacexperiencesproblemsand
Whythisad?
youdon'twanttoconnecttotheinternet.
YoucanalsouseyourbootableinstallertoinstalltheMacOSonaseparatepartitionofyourharddrive,it'salsoahasslefreewaytogobacktotheprevious
versionoftheMacOS.
Luckily,makingabootableinstallationoftheMacoperatingsystembecameawholeloteasierwhenApplelaunchedMavericksbackin2013.Withthatversion
ofMacOSX,andallversionssince,itisbeenpossibletousetheTerminalcommandcreateinstallmediatocreateabootableinstallerofthemacOS,inthis
articlewe'llshowyouhow.

Whatyoullneed

12GBFlashDrive

Youllneedadrivewithatleast12GBstorageavailable(itusedtobe8GB,butApplenowrecommends12GBalthoughwesayideally32
64GB.)
WerecommendaFlashmemorystickifyouareplanningtobootfromthedriveasitwillbequicker.
Ifyouhavedataonthedrivethatyouneedyouwillneedtofindanotherdriveasthiswillbecompletedformatted.

TheMacOSinstallationfiles
YouwillneedtogettheinstallationfilesfromtheMacAppStore.IfyoualreadyhavethesoftwareonyourMacyouwillfinditintheMacApp
Storeunderyourpurchasedtab.
Itgoeswithoutsayingthatyouwillneedaninternetconnectiontodownloadthesoftware.
DownloadthesoftwarebutdontstarttheprocessofinstallingitonyourMacbecausedoingsowilldeletetheinstallersanditstheinstallers
youneed.Ifitopens,closetheinstaller.
Youwillfindtheinstallationfilesinyour/Applicationsfolder.AccessitfromtheFinder.

UsingTerminaltocreateabootableinstallationofMacOS
Note,thecreateinstallmediatooldoesntworkunderOSX10.6SnowLeoparditrequiresOSX10.7Lionorlater.
Also,theprocesseshavechangedslightlysinceMaverickssoifyourlookingtocreateaninstallationofoneoftheCatversionsofMacOSXyoushouldread
thisinstead.
CreatingabootableinstallationofMacOSrequiresasinglecommandinTerminal.Thecreateinstallmediacommandmakesitpossibletocreateabootablecopy
ofaninstalleronanydrivethatsconnectedtoyourMac.
Notethatthecreateinstallmediacommanderasesanythingonyourexternaldiskthough,somakesuretheresnothingonitthatyouneed.

1.DownloadtheinstallationfilesfromtheMacAppStore
2.Dontstarttheinstallationprocess.
3.Pluginyourexternaldrive.
4.Changethedrivesnametosomethingmemorable.ForthesakeofthistutorialwellcallitName.
5.OpenTerminal,whichyouwillfindinApplications>Utilities(orjustsearchusingSpotlightcmd+spacebar)
6.Type(orpaste)thefollowingintoTerminal,replacingNamewiththenameyougaveyourdrive.(IfitsSierrayouareinstallingthewordswillbe
asbelow,alternatively,ifitsYosemite.app,Mavericks.apptypeitthus,ifitsElCapitan:youneedtotypeEl\Capitan.app

sudo/Applications/Install\macOS\
Sierra.app/Contents/Resources/createinstallmediavolume/Volumes/Name
applicationpath/Applications/Install\macOS\Sierra.appnointeraction&&say
Done
7.ClickEnter
8.EnteryourpasswordandwaitTheprocesscantakeawhile,you'llseeErasingDisk:0%10%20%30%100%Copyinginstaller
filestodiskCopycomplete.andsoon.
9.WaituntilyouseeDoneinthecommandline

YoucanalsoruntheMacoperatingsystemdirectlyfromanexternaldriveratherthanyourbuiltinstartupdisk,thisishandyifyouaretestingnewversionsof
theMacOS.Theprocessisdifferenttotheonedescribedabovethough,andwecoverithere:ReadaboutHowtorunmacOSonanexternalharddrivehere.
Tags:

MacSoftware

Sharethisarticle
Share
Tweet
Send

Friend'semail/s(commaseparated)*

http://www.macworld.co.uk/how-to/mac-software/make-bootable-mac-os-x-install-drive-3575875/ 1/4
6/16/2017 How to make a bootable macOS install drive - Macworld UK
YourName*
Youremail*
Hi.Isawthison
MacworldUKand
thoughtyoushouldsee
Send
Comments

TrendingToda AdsbyRevcontent

MarkZuckererg'NewNetWorthInThi HeIAmongTheRichetKidInThe HCReult2017,HCoardxam

LitIMindlowing WorldAndThiIWhatHeDoeForA Reult
Bradofo.com Living BDTime
Bradofo.com

7uropeanCountrieWhereCollegeI 16UnelievaleCelerit WhatitFeelLiketoFallAleepinZero-

100%Free Doppelganger Gravit?
Memebrity.com ViralIQ PluginMagazine

MorefromMacworld PromotedbyRevcontent

Howtoendandreceivetextmeage HowtohackandremoveouriPador Howtoeraeaoluteleverthingon

onourMac iPhonepacode ouriPhoneoriPad

Comments

13comments

Sign in 5 people listening

+Follow Share Postcommentas...

Newest|Oldest

Bernardo Sep14,2015

Itdidn'tworkforOSXElCapitanGMusingan8GBpendrive.Notenoughspaceerror!

Like Reply

EliGould Aug26,2015

AftergoingthroughstepNO.4"DoubleclickInstallESD.dmgtomountthevolumeinMacOSX.AFinderwindowwillopen.Notethefileinsidecalled
BaseSystem.dmg."Ican'tseeBasesystem.dmg,ionlyhavebasesystembinaries.pkgandbasesystemresources.pkg.PleasehelpI'mstuck
http://www.macworld.co.uk/how-to/mac-software/make-bootable-mac-os-x-install-drive-3575875/ 2/4
6/16/2017 How to make a bootable macOS install drive - Macworld UK
BaseSystem.dmg."Ican'tseeBasesystem.dmg,ionlyhavebasesystembinaries.pkgandbasesystemresources.pkg.PleasehelpI'mstuck
Like Reply

RobGreen Jun22,2015

Greattutorialbutthefollowingscreenshotisincorrect:
https://cdn2.macworld.co.uk/cm...
ThesourceshouldstillbeBaseSystem.dmgandonlythedestinationshouldchangetoyourUSBdrive.Causedmesomeconfusionbutthanksforthe
instructions!

Like Reply

artrock Mar11,2015

thankyouworkedmymrswentcrazywithingleusermodebashcommandsandcannotfortheloveofmegethermactobootupsogoingtoboot
fromdiskandseewhatsshedone?
Like Reply

dh Feb13,2015

thankyougreatguidesavedmymacbook

Like Reply

AD Feb8,2015

Idon'tliketoassume,soI'masking,eveniftheanswerseemsobvious.CananSDcardoftherightsizebeusedinsteadofaUSBstick?Whatmight
I/othersneedtoconsiderforprocessingspeedofthecard/stick?Yousaidtohaveatleast8GBforsize,sothankyouforthathelpfulbit.Canwedo
thissameprocesstobackuptheoriginalMavericksOStoo,Iassume?Thanks!

Like Reply

jzenith Jan31,2015

Thankyouforthisgreatguide.Ithinkyouhavetakenthewrongscreenshotforstep8,itshowsusingtheusbdriveassourceanddestination.
Like Reply

DavidCrandon Nov16,2014

Whattheheck?Amonthgoesbyandtheauthordoesn'teditandfixthewordFindertoTerminal.Readyourcomments!!!!!

Like Reply

Omejones Nov5,2014

hiallthanksforthedetails...ifyoucanhelpmeoutfromthissituation...
Macbookmid2010
2gbRam...250gbhd
Mavricksinstalled...
accidentallyierasedthediskandthemavricks(OS)includingtheentiredatagoterased.
Now...wheniswitchonthemacitdirectsmetotherecovry..whereicanseediskutilitlyandall...unfortunetlymyinternetisnotworkingsoicant
downloadosfromnet.Soiamletwith3options....
firstsays...backupfromtimemachine(whichidonthave)
secondsays.....downloadfrominternet....thattooisnotworking
thirdsays...onlineusesafariwhichisalsouselessforme...'
forthsays....diskutility....
plshelpmehowcanimakethisdeadmacbookalive....astheentireosplusdataisgone....
feelinghelpless........pls.suggest.
p.ssorryforwrongspellings.
ThanksinAdvance.
Omejones

Like Reply

MariaAmberRossetti Oct27,2014

someonecanhelpme?afteriinstalledyosemite,thebootit'stooslow
https://www.youtube.com/watch?...

Like Reply

DJOllie Oct18,2014

Thanksforthetutorial...Justwonderingifthiscanalsobedonebothways?Inotherwords,ifIalreadyupgradedto10.10(Yosemite),canIusethis
methodtoinstallthe10.9(Mavericks)OSasabootabledrive?

Like Reply

Micky Oct15,2014

Thanks,workedflawlessly.
However,ifyouwanttoundoafterwardsthesettingwhichmakeshiddenOSXfilesvisible,Davidisright:youshouldopenaterminal,notthefinderto
executethecommand.

Like Reply

David Oct13,2014

"Youshouldnowrestorefilestothehiddenstate(thisisagoodprecautionthatpreventsyoufromaccidentallymoving,orremoving,importantfiles.
OpenFinderandcutandpastethislineintoit:"Shouldsay"Youshouldnowrestorefilestothehiddenstate(thisisagoodprecautionthatprevents
youfromaccidentallymoving,orremoving,importantfiles.OpenTERMINALandcutandpastethislineintoit:"

Like Reply

http://www.macworld.co.uk/how-to/mac-software/make-bootable-mac-os-x-install-drive-3575875/ 3/4
6/16/2017 How to make a bootable macOS install drive - Macworld UK

E32017latestnews:Gameannouncements,trailers&releasedates

CommentutiliserInstagramsurunMac?

AdobeStockgainsover12millionnewimagesandfilters

iMac27inch(2017)preview

http://www.macworld.co.uk/how-to/mac-software/make-bootable-mac-os-x-install-drive-3575875/ 4/4