How to Create a Bootable USB for macOS

Edited 1 week ago by ExtremeHow Editorial Team

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Creating a bootable USB drive for macOS can be very useful for troubleshooting, new installations, or upgrading your Mac operating system. The process is straightforward, but it requires careful attention to detail. Below is a comprehensive step-by-step guide to help you create a bootable USB drive for macOS.

What you need

• USB drive with at least 16GB of storage.
• A computer running macOS.
• Internet connection to download the macOS installer.

Let's first prepare our USB drive and download the necessary files. The steps are as follows:

Step 1: Format the USB drive

First, we need to format the USB drive to make sure it is ready to become a bootable installer. Follow these steps:

1. Insert the USB drive into your Mac computer.
2. Open the Disk Utility application. You can find it by searching in Spotlight or by going to Applications > Utilities > Disk Utility.
3. In the Disk Utility window, find your USB drive in the left sidebar. Its name is usually something like UNTITLED.
4. Select your USB drive and click the Erase button at the top of the Disk Utility window.
5. In the Erase window, enter a name for your USB drive. This guide will use MyVolume as an example.
6. Set the Format to Mac OS Extended (Journaled) and the Scheme to GUID Partition Map.
7. Click Erase to format the USB drive.

When the process is finished, click Done to complete the formatting.

Step 2: Download the macOS installer

Next, you need to download the macOS installer for the version of macOS you want to use. Follow these steps:

1. Open the App Store on your Mac.
2. Find the macOS version you need, such as macOS Ventura or macOS Monterey.
3. Click the Download button to download the macOS installer to your Applications folder.
4. Wait for the download to complete. The macOS installer will appear in your Applications folder when it's complete.

The installer file is usually named something like Install macOS [version].app.

Step 3: Create a bootable USB installer using the Terminal

Now that you have formatted the USB drive and downloaded the macOS installer, you can create a bootable USB installer using the Terminal application. Follow these detailed steps:

1. Open the Terminal application. You can find it in Applications > Utilities > Terminal.
2. In the Terminal window, type the following command. Make sure to replace the installer name and /Volumes/MyVolume appropriately.

sudo /Applications/Install\ macOS\ [Installer\ name].app/Contents/Resources/createinstallmedia --volume /Volumes/MyVolume

For example, if you’re creating a bootable USB for macOS Ventura, you would use:

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

1. Press Enter to execute the command.
2. You'll be asked to enter your Mac's administrator password. This password will not be displayed when you type it; just type it correctly and press Enter.
3. If prompted, type Y to confirm that you want to erase the USB drive and press Enter.

Terminal will begin copying the installer to your USB drive and making it bootable. This process may take some time, depending on the speed of your Mac and the USB drive.

When the terminal is finished, it will display a message that the USB drive is now bootable.

Step 4: Boot from the USB installer

Now that you've created a bootable USB drive, you can use it to install macOS on your Mac. Here's how:

1. Shut down your Mac.
2. Insert the bootable USB drive you just created into your Mac.
3. Turn on your Mac and immediately press and hold the Option (⌥) key until you see the Startup Manager screen.
4. Select the Install macOS [version] option from the list and press Enter.
5. Your Mac will now boot from the USB drive, and the macOS installer will start.

From here, you can follow the on-screen instructions to install macOS on your Mac.

Troubleshooting tips

If you encounter any problems while creating or using a bootable USB installer, here are some troubleshooting tips:

• Make sure you have a stable internet connection during the macOS installer download.
• Verify that the USB drive is formatted correctly and has a minimum of 16GB of storage.
• Make sure the macOS installer is in the Applications folder before running the Terminal command.
• Double-check the command syntax in the terminal, especially the path and installer name.

Conclusion

Creating a bootable USB drive for macOS is a useful skill that can help you perform new installations, troubleshoot problems, and upgrade your Mac's operating system more efficiently. By following the steps in this guide, you can easily create a bootable USB drive and use it to install macOS on any compatible Mac computer.

Don't forget to back up important data before performing the macOS installation, as this process may erase all data on your Mac's hard drive. Have fun installing!

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