Select the volume containing the bootable installer, then select ‘Continue’.
Hold the power button until you see the startup options window. Make sure this machine is connected to the internet and supports the macOS version you’re installing.
Click ‘Continue’ and follow the instructions.įirst, plug the bootable installer into the Mac you wish to install macOS. Select ‘Install macOS’ or ‘Install OS X’ from the Utilities window. Select the volume that contains the bootable installer. Release the ‘Option’ key when you see a dark screen showing your bootable volumes. The computer's exact specifications, including its original OS and the answer as to whether or not the retail DVD would have worked. Phone Apple and order replacement original disks if you've made an USB installer from the Mac App Store version of 10.7 or newer, you can use that instead. Press and hold the ‘Option’ key after turning on or restarting the Mac. A retail Snow Leopard DVD won't work on that Mac.
Plug the bootable installer into a Mac that’s connected to the internet and is compatible with the macOS version you’re installing. The steps are different, depending on whether you're using an Intel-based Mac or one with Apple silicon. This command creates a bootable USB installer based on macOS Big Sur.app, which we’ve previously placed in your Applications.
Type in your admin password and press Return and Y to confirm the action. It's now time to use the bootable installer to install a fresh copy of macOS. sudo /Applications/Install macOS Big Sur.app/Contents/Resources/createinstallmedia -volume /Volumes/Untitled. You've now successfully created a bootable installer that you can use to install macOS on other machines. If asked, click 'OK' to allow the copying of files to proceed. Type 'Y' to confirm that you want to erase the volume, then press 'Return'. Type your administrator password when prompted, then press 'Return' again. Continue with TerminalĪfter pasting the command above, hit the 'Return' key. Change the name in the command to match your settings, if necessary.įor macOS Big Sur, copy and paste the following into Terminal: sudo /Applications/Install\ macOS\ Big\ Sur.app/Contents/Resources/createinstallmedia -volume /Volumes/MyVolumeįor macOS Catalina: sudo /Applications/Install\ macOS\ Catalina.app/Contents/Resources/createinstallmedia -volume /Volumes/MyVolumeįor macOS Mojave: sudo /Applications/Install\ macOS\ Mojave.app/Contents/Resources/createinstallmedia -volume /Volumes/MyVolumeįor macOS High Sierra: sudo /Applications/Install\ macOS\ High\ Sierra.app/Contents/Resources/createinstallmedia -volume /Volumes/MyVolumeįor OS X El Capitan: sudo /Applications/Install\ OS\ X\ El\ Capitan.app/Contents/Resources/createinstallmedia -volume /Volumes/MyVolume -applicationpath /Applications/Install\ OS\ X\ El\ Capitan.app 3.
With each command, it's assumed the installer is located in your 'Applications' folder and 'MyVolume' is the name of the USB flash drive. The command differs, depending on the macOS version you're going to install. In the next step, you'll enter a command in Terminal. Choose 'Finder' then select 'Go' from the menu bar. Connect the USB flash drive to the computer you wish to install macOS. Whether a computer is brand new or becomes unusable from a compromised OS, you can use a bootable USB to install an operating system.
Forgot your Mac Password? Reset it Without Losing Data nor Install Disc (OS X 10.5 and older) OS X Tips & Tricks: Resetting An Administrator Password Using Single User Mode Stream Music, Movies & More from Android to Apple TV How to Downgrade iTunes and Fix the "Library.Once you have your bootable installer ready, it's time to move to the next step. A bootable USB is a flash drive that allows you to both install an operating system (OS), and boot the computer from the external USB drive instead of the computer’s hard drive.