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How to Make a Bootable Flash Installer of OS X or macOS

A simple Terminal command makes the process easy

By Tom Nelson Tom Nelson Writer Tom Nelson is an engineer, programmer, network manager, and computer network and systems designer who has written for Other World Computing,and others. Tom is also president of Coyote Moon, Inc., a Macintosh and Windows consulting firm. lifewire's editorial guidelines Updated on July 11, 2022 Reviewed by Jerrick Leger Reviewed by Jerrick Leger Jerrick Leger is a CompTIA-certified IT Specialist with more than 10 years' experience in technical support and IT fields. He is also a systems administrator for an IT firm in Texas serving small businesses. lifewire's editorial guidelines Tweet Share Email Tweet Share Email Apple Macs iPad

What to Know

You'll need: OS X or macOS installer and a 12+ GB USB flash drive (formatted as "Mac OS Extended").Find installer in Applications > plug in flash drive > rename flash drive > open Applications or Utilities folder.Next: Open Terminal > enter OS-specific command > enter admin password when asked > Y to confirm. This article explains how to create a bootable installer for OS X or macOS using a USB flash drive. This article addresses the creation of a bootable USB drive for OS X Mavericks and later as well as macOS. macOS refers to Apple operating systems starting with version numbers 10.12 and later. OS X describes version numbers 10.8 through 10.11. Lifewire / Alex Dos Diaz

What You Need

First, you need the OS X or macOS installer on your Mac. Ideally, download the installer, but don't use it. When you download and use the OS X or macOS installer, the installer deletes itself as part of the installation process. If you've already installed OS X or macOS, redownload the installer. If you download the installer and find that it starts up on its own, quit the installer the way you would any other Mac app. After it is downloaded, the installer resides in the Applications folder. It is called "Install OS X [your version]" or "Install macOS [your version]." You'll also need a USB flash drive. Make sure that it has at least 12 GB of available storage and is formatted as Mac OS Extended. It's also important that your Mac meets the minimum requirements for the OS you're installing. Apple's website offers the exact system requirements for each version.

How to Use the Createinstallmedia Terminal Command

From OS X Mavericks forward, in the installer packages is a hidden command that you can enter into Terminal to create a bootable copy of the installer. This Terminal command, called createinstallmedia, creates a bootable copy of the installer using any drive connected to your Mac. This example uses a USB flash drive. Here's how to do it: The createinstallmedia command erases the content of the USB drive, so back up any data on the drive if it's important. Locate the Mac OS installer file in the Applications folder. Plug the USB flash drive into your Mac. Change the flash drive's name. This example calls it FlashInstaller. Double-click the drive's name to select it and then type in the new name. Rapid double-clicking the name of a drive can open that drive in a window on Finder, so if this step isn't working for you, try clicking once on the file name, pausing for a second, and then clicking a second time. Launch Terminal, located in Applications/Utilities. Alternatively, enter Terminal into Spotlight Search to quickly start up the utility. In the Terminal window that opens, enter one of the following commands, depending on which OS X or macOS installer you're working with. Note that they use the example name FlashInstaller for our USB drive, so if you named your drive something else, use that name. For macOS Catalina: sudo /Applications/Install\ macOS\ Catalina.app/Contents/Resources/createinstallmedia --volume /Volumes/FlashInstaller For macOS Mojave: sudo /Applications/Install\ macOS\ Mojave.app/Contents/Resources/createinstallmedia --volume /Volumes/FlashInstaller For macOS High Sierra: sudo /Applications/Install\ macOS\ High\ Sierra.app/Contents/Resources/createinstallmedia --volume /Volumes/FlashInstaller For OS X El Capitan sudo /Applications/Install\ OS\ X\ El\ Capitan.app/Contents/Resources/createinstallmedia --volume /Volumes/FlashInstaller --applicationpath /Applications/Install\ OS\ X\ El\ Capitan.app For OS X Yosemite: sudo /Applications/Install\ OS\ X\ Yosemite.app/Contents/Resources/createinstallmedia --volume /Volumes/FlashInstaller --applicationpath /Applications/Install\ OS\ X\ Yosemite.app --nointeraction For OS X Mavericks: sudo /Applications/Install\ OS\ X\ Mavericks.app/Contents/Resources/createinstallmedia --volume /Volumes/FlashInstaller --applicationpath /Applications/Install\ OS\ X\ Mavericks.app --nointeraction After you enter the command, press Return. When prompted, type your administrator password and press Return again. Terminal doesn't show any characters as you type your password. When prompted, type Y to confirm that you want to erase the volume and then press Return. Terminal shows the progress as the bootable installer is created. When Terminal is finished, the volume has the same name as the installer you downloaded, such as Install macOS Catalina. Quit Terminal and eject the volume. You now have a bootable installer for your OS X or macOS version. Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know! Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day Subscribe Tell us why! Other Not enough details Hard to understand Submit More from Lifewire Make a Bootable USB Installer for OS X El Capitan How to Create an Emergency Mac OS Boot Device Using a USB Flash Drive How to Downgrade From Catalina to Mojave Perform a Clean Install of OS X Mavericks on a Startup Drive How to Install Mac OS on PC How to Use Disk Utility in macOS How to Reinstall Mac OS Perform a Clean Install of OS X Yosemite on Your Mac Create a Bootable macOS Sierra Installer on a USB Flash Drive How to Boot From a USB Device How to Back up Your Mac to an External Hard Drive With Time Machine How to Upgrade Install macOS Sierra Safely on Your Mac How to Update Your MacBook Pro How to Format a Mac Hard Drive With Disk Utility How to Burn an ISO File to a USB Drive How to Partition a Drive in OS X El Capitan Using Disk Utility Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. Cookies Settings Accept All Cookies