A bootable macOS (formerly OS X) install disc is a portable device that has all the files needed to install a certain version of macOS. Why would you want to Create Bootable Installer for MacOS that is outside of it? With this kind of tool, you can easily install any version of macOS on several Apple computers. It can also be used to reinstall the OS on a Mac that won’t turn on.
It’s a useful tool, and it’s even better if you use a small flash drive that fits in your pocket. You can use almost any external USB drive, including solid-state drives and traditional hard drives, to run macOS on your external disc. Most of the time, though, USB flash drives are preferred because they are small, easy to carry, cheap, and simple to use.
It’s important to use a drive that’s big enough to hold macOS. The installer for Ventura is over 12GB, as is the one for Monterey, and the one for Big Sur is over 13GB. That means you’ll need a flash drive with 16GB of space or more before you start.
Steps to Create Bootable Installer for MacOS
- Plug in the USB flash drive or other volume that you’re using for the bootable installer.
- Open Terminal, which is in the Utilities folder of your Applications folder.
- Type or paste one of the commands below into Terminal, then press Return to enter the command. Each command assumes that the installer is in your Applications folder, and MyVolume is the name of the USB flash drive or other volume you’re using. If the volume has a different name, replace MyVolume in the command with the name of your volume.
- When prompted, type your administrator password. Terminal doesn’t show any characters as you type. Then press Return.
- When prompted, type Y to confirm that you want to erase the volume, then press Return. Terminal shows the progress as the volume is erased.
- After the volume is erased, you may see an alert that Terminal would like to access files on a removable volume. Click OK to allow the copy to proceed.
- When Terminal says that it’s done, the volume will have the same name as the installer you downloaded, such as Install macOS Monterey. You can now quit Terminal and eject the volume.
FAQ
How to make a bootable USB drive for Mac?
- Connect the USB to your MacBook.
- Open Disk Utility by following Applications → Utilities → Disk Utility.
- In the sidebar on the left, click on your disk name.
- Before formatting the disk, make sure it’s backed up.
- Click on Erase.
Can you boot macOS from a USB drive?
It’s pretty easy to get your Mac to load from a USB drive. Put the USB boot media into a USB slot that is open. Press the Power button to turn on your Mac. If it’s already on, press the Restart button. Press and hold the Option key when you hear the startup sound.
Why won’t my Mac boot from an external drive?
Select “Startup Security Utility” from the Utilities menu. Check the box next to “Allow booting from external media” under “External Boot” to stop boot restrictions. If you restart the Mac again and hold OPTION, it should now work to boot from a boot disc.