The macOS installer file is large with approximate size of 6 to 10GB depending upon the. Here are the steps I took to create the bootable USB drive (I have a Mid-2014 MacBook Pro with Retina Display): Downloaded the latest OS X El Capitan (10.11.3) from the Mac App Store. Created a bootable USB drive using createinstallmedia (as explained in Apple’s documentation) and it went well. Erased Macintosh HD. Tried booting from USB drive.
Fancy testing the latest beta version of Mac? But are afraid to install it?
Like this, there can be several other reasons – troubleshooting Mac or installing a new update due to which you might want to boot Mac from USB. Here’s how to install macOS from USB and make macOS bootable USB.
What is a USB
USB or Universal Serial Bus, also known as a flash drive, is a portable storage device. Due to its portability, compatibility, affordability it is most commonly used across the globe to store any type of data.
This small device is used for several other purposes like storing, copying, transferring data and much more. In addition to this one most important thing, USB is used for is Booting Windows and Mac. But why do we need a bootable USB for Mac?
Reasons for Mac Boot from USB:
Booting/Installing macOS from USB gives users full control over macOS. This means if your Mac won’t start or is giving you any trouble you can get around to it by creating bootable USB for Mac. In addition to this, other common reasons why installing macOS from USB should be considered are:
- It allows users to install a different version of macOS.
- It gives users a chance to test the beta version before making the final decision.
- Risk-free testing of the Beta version.
- Faster and efficient.
- Can install older versions to run your favorite apps that aren’t compatible with the latest macOS.
Boot From Usb Mac Not Working
How to Boot from USB on Mac
Loading Mac from a bootable USB Mac is pretty simple. You just need to know the requirements and follow the steps explained below:
Requirements:
- Intel-based Mac
- USB thumb drive with GUID partition and OSX installer.
- Minimum 12 GB of free space.
Note: Avoid booting earlier version of macOS X than the one your Mac was shipped with.
Now that you know what you need let’s get started.
Steps to boot Mac from USB
- Attach USB to Mac machine.
- Restart your Mac if already running or turn on your Mac.
- When your Mac is about to start, press and hold the Option key to access built-in Startup Manager. Once the Startup Manager screen opens, free the Option key. The utility will now search for available drives including bootable.
- Use arrow keys to select the USB drive you want to start Mac from.
- Once done double click the selection. The machine will not start from the select bootable USB drive.
Using these simple steps you can Mac boot from USB. To learn in detail how to create bootable USB and boot Mac from USB read further.
How to Create a Bootable Installer for macOS
Step 1: Download macOS
Click the suitable download link to download macOS:
- macOS Catalina, macOS Mojave, and macOS High Sierra. Selected OS will be downloaded to your Applications folder. In case the installer launches, exit it.
Step 2: Use the Terminal
Attach bootable USB Mac flash drive and open Terminal. You can find it under the Utilities folder of your Application folder.
Assuming the installer is still in the Application folder and MyVolume is the name of the USB you are using. Type in createinstallmedia and the following commands.
Catalina: *
sudo /Applications/Install macOS Catalina.app/Contents/Resources/createinstallmedia --volume /Volumes/MyVolume
Mojave: *
sudo /Applications/Install macOS Mojave.app/Contents/Resources/createinstallmedia --volume /Volumes/MyVolume
High Sierra: *
sudo /Applications/Install macOS High Sierra.app/Contents/Resources/createinstallmedia --volume /Volumes/MyVolume
How to Install macOS from USB
To boot Mac from USB you’ll need to select it during boot time. For this, you’ll need to use the Startup Manager feature. To use it follow the steps below:
Step 1: Restart or power on your Mac.
Step 2: Next, press and hold the Option key. This will open the Startup Manager and will list connected volumes and drives that can be used to boot macOS.
Step 3: Select the drive on which OS X is installed, you can use arrow keys to make the selection.
Step 4: Double-click to boot your Mac from the selected volume.
How to boot Mac from USB through System Preferences
Alternatively, you can use System Preferences to boot Mac from it. To do so follow the steps below:
Step 1: Open System Preferences > Startup Disk. You’ll see different various disk icons.
Step 2: Select the volume you’d like to use to start your Mac.
Step 3: Click the Restart button.
Your Mac will now boot using the selected device until you change it or override it from the Startup Manager.
FAQ’s
If you run into problems while trying to boot your Mac from USB check this FAQ section:
What to do if Mac doesn’t boot from bootable USB drive?
If you face any problem while booting Mac from a USB drive or the drive with a bootable copy of OS X isn’t visible in Startup Manager, it might need repair.
To repair it head to Disk Utility to repair disk permission. If this doesn’t help you might have to reinstall OS X.
What type of USB can I use to boot Mac from USB?
Boot Mac Off Usb Drive
Intel-based Macs support GUID partition type to boot Mac from USB
Why does my Mac shut down when I connect the USB drive?
If connected USB is damaged MacBook air automatically restarts as it contains a preventive measure that shuts it down when a USB storage device with the issue is connected.
This was all for now. Using this simple guide we hope you were able to load Mac using the bootable drive. This step will come handy when you want to troubleshoot any problem or want to load Mac from an external device.
We hope the steps were simple to follow. Do share your comments and let us know how you found the article. If you need us to cover any specific topic, please do let us know in the comments sections.
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Sep 28, 2020 • Filed to: Solve Mac Problems • Proven solutions
A Universal Serial Bus or USB Drive, also known as a flash drive is a portable data storage device that includes a memory which includes a USB interface. It is typically removable and much smaller than an optical disc. Any sort of data can be stored in this device. The drives are available in various sizes and as of to date, the 2TB(Tera-Byte) flash drives in terms of storage capacity are the largest ones available in the market.
Today, these drives are one of the most consumed used devices in the world. Thanks to their portable nature, affordability, and compatibility, USB drives are being used to send and receive endless information across a surplus of networks and platforms all around the globe. This small tool has opened the world to a stream of limitless options with respect to storing, transferring, copying data, and much more. One of them includes Booting the Mac from such a device.
Part 1. Reasons for Mac Boot from USB
Booting the Mac from USB in a way gives the power back to the user. The likeliest of the reason for choosing the boot from the USB method is that your Mac won't start which denies the user access to the computer. Using an external source like the USB drive helps the user get around the problem. It provides the user access to the contents of the internal drive, assuming the data is safe and not corrupted. It also helps to repair the Mac disk with Disk Utility and other tools. Here are the top reasons why the user should choose to Boot Mac from USB:
- Allows the user to install a different version of macOS.
- It allows the user to test a new version before you make the decision to upgrade.
- Allows risk-free testing of the Beta version.
- Faster and efficient.
- By installing older versions through USB, it permits certain Apps to run which are not compatible with the latest macOS.
Part 2. Preparations for Booting Mac from USB
To ensure a risk-free procedure certain measure should be taken:
- The user should buy a name-brand flash drive.
- The USB should contain 16-32GB of free space.
- The user should scan the flash drive with some reputable Anti-Virus software.
- The user should check to see what size of ports they have on the Mac. A 12' Mac only contains a single C-Type port.
- Make sure to purchase the C port flash drive to avoid any inconvenience.
- It is advised that the user should go with a USB 3.0 supported drive, with a size of 16GB to ensure a swift transfer of data.
- The USB drive should be formatted with a supported GUID partition.
- It should contain an OS X installer or a usable operating system to work with.
Part 3. How to Create Bootable USB on Mac
There are a few general guidelines that can help get your machine started which are mentioned above, regardless of the OS the user prefers. Here are the methods to create a bootable USB drive on Mac.
Creating a Bootable USB Using Terminal
The terminal is the default gateway to the command line on a Mac. It is just like the Command Prompt feature works for MS Windows. The Terminal feature ensures a hassle-free experience for the Mac user without the conventional pointing and clicking, the user just has to type the commands and the computer does the rest. The user can find Terminal in the Applications > Utility folder or it can be checked in the finder utility.
Related: Further, read and know more complete details on Mac Terminal.
Using the Terminal feature is the most simple way to create the bootable USB drive. The user just needs to follow one easy step which is renaming the MyVolume portion of the command with the name of the drive. The name of the drive can be changed using the Disk Utility of Mac. Here are the steps required after opening the Terminal feature to create a bootable USB drive.
- Copy and paste the command which is suited for the version of the operating system into the Terminal window.
- The command for MacOS Mojave is as follows:
sudo/Applications/InstallmacOSMojave.app/Contents/Resources/createinstallmedia --volume/Volumes/MyVolume - Press the Return key.
- Enter the password.
- Confirm to erase the USB drive by typing Y followed by the Return key.
- The terminal will erase all the data inside the drive and create the bootable USB drive.
If there is a need to install a different version of the operating system then the user just has to replace the above-underlined command with their desired version of OS. For example, if the user wants to install Mac OS Sierra instead of Mojave then they would have to replace 'Mojave.app' with 'Sierra.app' inside the command line.
Part 4. How to Boot Mac from USB Media
After creating a bootable USB drive, the user simply needs to plug the created drive into the open port on the Mac. Here are the steps to boot Mac from the USB flash drive:
- Power on the system.
- Press and hold the Option (Alt) key on the keyboard when the computer starts.
- Select the USB drive as a startup disk when the option appears.
- The system will start the boot process off the USB drive.
- Install the operating system from the macOS utilities.
- Data can be restored by using the Time-Machine backup option.
Video Tutorial on How to Boot Mac into Recovery Mode
Part 5. How to Recover Data from Unbootable Mac
Mac Create Bootable Usb From Iso
The Mac becomes unbootable when the BIOS which is a firmware that is used to perform hardware initialization during the booting process fails to recognize the startup process. It usually happens when there is a failed system update, system crash, damaged MBR, or when the drive becomes corrupt.
Recoverit Mac Data Recovery software is the most efficient option to recover all the lost data when Mac becomes unbootable. Developed by Wondershare, Recoverit is one of the most preferred recovery tools in the world. The tool provides an instant preview of what is recovered after a detailed scan. It allows us to connect almost every type of portable device and recover data from them. Data can be restored by performing the recovery and repair process. The process involves the installation of the Recoverit software that offers users the chance to get back the important data that they had lost.
Step 1. Create a Bootable Media
To recover data from an unbootable Mac, you need to create a bootable media first.
- Installation: Please Install Recoverit by clicking on the icon.
- Select an option: For your crashed Mac, please choose the 'Computer Crash Recovery' option.
- Initiate Recovery Process: Click on 'Start' for the recovery process to launch.
- Create Bootable Drive: Select the 'Create USB bootable drive' option and click on 'Create'.
- A pop-up dialogue will appear that will prompt the user to format the USB drive.
- Format the Drive: Click on 'Format' Now.
- Recoverit will show you the process of formatting the USB drive and creating a bootable drive.
- After a while, the bootable drive will be built up. And please follow the guides which Recoverit shows you.
Step 2. Recover Data from Crashed Mac
Here are the following steps required to recover data from an unbootable computer.
1. Select the Location
When you launch Recoverit, you can select a location to scan. In this case, we will be performing data recovery on Mac's internal hard drive (Macintosh HD) instead of any other connected source.
2. Scan the Location
As soon as you would click on the 'Start' button, Recoverit will take the needed steps for data extraction. If you want positive results, then try not to close the application in between.
Boot From Usb For Mac
3. Preview and Recover
When the data recovery process is completed, the application will display the results on the interface. You can go to any category of your choice from here and preview the retrieved content. Make the needed selection and click on the 'Recover' button to save your files to a secure location.
All hope gets lost when the computer becomes unbootable and the data gets deleted. Recoverit recovery software is the most convenient program when it comes to retrieving lost data from the computer.
Installing the macOS from a USB flash drive gives the user an instant solution when the Mac installer due to some reason refused to work. The method to create a bootable drive is easier than it sounds. Now, you know what to do whenever you want to upgrade your macOS from a bootable external source by following different methods to ensure a safe and hassle-free process. If you lose valuable data when the Mac becomes unbootable then you can easily recover the lost files by using the Recoverit recovery software. Recoverit guarantees data recovery in no time.
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