• Bootable USB flash drive for mac os. How to properly create a bootable USB flash drive for Mac OS. Yosemite boot disk. Drive recording. Using the system utility

    In the last article about Hackintosh, we talked about how. A significant drawback of this method was the need to perform basic actions on the installed previous version Mac OS X. Now we continue to use Clover, but we use a ready-made flash drive image, with the help of which all actions can be performed in a more accessible Windows.

    So, the desired image OS X for PC (OS X v10.10.5) take it on your favorite Rutracker: . There, in the development of the topic, there are also tips for all sorts of difficult cases; more than 80 pages have already been written. Here we will take a closer look at the installation process itself.

    We need a computer with Intel CPU And flash drive at least 8 gigabytes. All additional programs are contained in the distribution. First we mount image 10105usb.iso, then we register the MBR sector, then reboot, installation Yosemite, reboot again and install the bootloader and kexts. Step by step it looks like this:

    1. Insert the flash drive.
    2. Prepare a flash drive in the standard program diskpart, which is called from the “Run” line. We write in the window list disk– we get a list of disks in the system, determine the number of our flash drive by capacity. Next we write sel disk x(instead of x is the number of the flash drive disk) – this is the disk selection. Next step - clean- we clean it. And the team exit we exit the program.

    3. Now, after cleaning, directly mount. Produced in the program R-Drive, which is in the distribution. Working with it is quite simple, detailed image mounting Mac OS X for PC we discussed in the article “The easiest installation of OS X on a PC. We are deploying the finished image.”

    Now we do the same thing, only in two steps - in an additional step we add a bootloader to the image Clover:

    Select the downloaded image.

    Select the first section of the image, which is smaller. We choose where to mount it - on a prepared flash drive. Set the file system for the selected partition " FAT32", and the drive letter " Default" We mount it.

    After completing the operation, select “ Add another object».

    Now we select its second, larger part from the image, and also select the larger unallocated space on the flash drive. At this step we set the file system for the selected partition " HFS+", and the drive letter " Do not connect».

    4. Registering the MBR sector (this step is for UEFI can be skipped).

    Let's launch BOOTICE. Selecting a process MBR and check the boxes as in the picture.

    5. Reboot the PC from the USB flash drive and install Mac OS X Yosemite.
    6. Reboot again and start from the flash drive again, but now in the bootloader menu we select the partition of the newly installed OS X Yosemite.
    7. After a successful download, install the bootloader and kexts for your equipment.

    Everything is yours Hackintosh on PC ready! Although, in fact, not everyone goes smoothly the first time. Answers to many questions are given, as already mentioned, in the Rutracker forum thread, from where we downloaded the image. It will also be useful to look at the Full description of the bootloader Clover.

    I currently have a 16GB flash drive and I want to install two operating systems, MacOS Sierra and OS X El Capitan, on it. On my PC, these versions work stably, quickly, and will continue to develop, so I chose them. You can use the versions you need.

    In this article we will look at installing different images that will help achieve the same goal. The size of the flash drive can vary using different methods from 4 to 16 GB.

    Creating a bootable flash drive from original App Store images

    To create this installation flash drive we will need:

    1. Flash drive at least 16GB;
    2. Sierra and El Capitan installation images from the App Store;
    3. Latest version.

    Format and split the flash drive into partitions

    The first thing we need to do is format the flash drive. Be sure to use the diagram GUID. Now this flash drive has an Apple standard, a hidden EFI partition (aka ESP) was automatically created on it, which we will use for Clover, but we need to create another partition, we are making a flash drive to install two systems.

    By the way, if you are going to do what I did in Sierra Disk Utility, then you should take into account that formatting is successful only the second, and sometimes even the third time. In order for formatting and other manipulations to be successful the first time, you should unmount the internal partitions. Near which there is an EJECT icon, if this condition is met, everything will go without a hitch.

    Now let's move on to the breakdown into sections. Open the “Partition” tab.

    After formatting, we have only one partition; to install two systems, we need to create a second one. To do this, click “+” under the diagram and, highlighting each section, give it a NAME. For clarity, I set the name El Capitan, but it is recommended to use the section name without spaces to avoid recording errors. So in the name El Capitan, you can use El_Capitan instead of a space.

    After assigning names, click “Apply”.

    And we get the desired two sections.

    Writing boot images to flash drive partitions

    Recording OS X El Capitan

    Move the installation image to the “Programs” folder and open the terminal utility. Then we enter the code, to simplify it you can copy and paste.

    sudo /Applications/Install\ OS\ X\ El\ Capitan.app/Contents/Resources/createinstallmedia —volume /Volumes/ El Capitan--applicationpath "/Applications/Install OS X El Capitan.app"

    It is worth considering that commands must be preceded by two hyphens, very often when copying and pasting into the terminal, two hyphens "—" are replaced by one "-". In this case, an error will be displayed. This glitch is very common on websites, as many engines automatically replace characters.

    (instead of El Capitan we write the name of your USB partition)

    Press ENTER, enter the password, El Capitan may also ask for confirmation. In this case, press Y and Enter.

    DONE, which will mean that the recording was completed successfully. Writing files can take varying amounts of time, it all depends on the speed of the drive and hard drive, and system load, so don’t panic, just wait for it to complete. Forcibly removing a flash drive while writing or reading can lead not only to data loss, but also turn the drive into an interior element; in many cases, the flash drive may not be repairable.

    Recording MacOS Sierra

    We perform all the same actions as in the previous case. Only the recording code will differ. To record Sierra we use the code

    sudo /Applications/Install\ macOS\ Sierra.app/Contents/Resources/createinstallmedia —volume /Volumes/ Sierra--applicationpath /Applications/Install\ macOS\ Sierra.app --nointeraction

    (instead of Sierra we write the name of your USB partition)

    We wait for the operation to complete until the message appears in the terminal DONE.

    At this stage, the installation (bootable) flash drive is completely ready for installation on Apple computers or using Clover EFI, which is already installed on the Hackintosh hard drive.

    For a clean installation on a hackintosh PC, you need to install the Clover EFI Bootloader. I will not repeat myself; I have many articles in which this point is described in detail, so follow the link and read: the only point is to select any partition of the Flash drive we created instead of the system disk. Everything else is exactly the same.

    Be careful when setting up config.plist to match the two operating systems. If your configuration does not allow you to get by with one file, create two different ones and place them in the Clover folder, and during installation and download, select the one you already require through the bootloader control panel. To understand how this works, I advise you to read the book - this is the most detailed instructions from the bootloader developer.

    Creating a bootable flash drive using recovery images

    To do this, you need to download official Apple recovery packages for Recovery HD.
    Since we are making this flash drive to install two specific systems, we will download packages for them accordingly.

    The sizes of these packages do not exceed 500 MB each, I recommend downloading them one by one, before downloading the second package, move the first one to a folder calling it the name of the system for which the package is intended, otherwise I guarantee confusion.)
    Now we launch the downloaded packages one by one and select the corresponding partition on our flash drive as the installation location.
    I launch RecoveryHDUpdate.pkg from the El Capitan folder and select the El Capitan partition on the flash drive being created.


    After the installation is complete, I repeat everything with RecoveryHDUpdate.pkg from the Sierra folder and install it on the corresponding partition of the flash drive.


    I'm waiting for the installation to finish.


    I run the command in the terminal.

    And I check what happened.


    And it turned out as planned!
    I repeat, in order to repeat this, a 4 GB flash drive is sufficient.
    All that remains is to load your hardware using this UEFI flash drive as a boot device, go to the Clover menu and select the required Recovery HD partition, and then everything is exactly the same as on any original Mac.

    A bootable flash drive with Recovery HD can also be created from under Windows using the program.

    Why Recovery HDs weigh so little

    Because this is not a full-fledged system, but a kind of engineering OS for restoring and configuring the main one, which is stored in an image and deployed only when it boots, Windows also has similar images with wim extensions, the same Win PE is a suitable example for comparison.

    Having booted into Recovery HD, we will only get access to the disk utility in order to partition our HDD, and of course there is the opportunity to deploy your own or someone else’s image with the system, as well as the ability to use the Time Machine, but that’s not what I suggested, there is official item by clicking on which any person. can install the system from scratch, using the following algorithm instead of the installation image of the Apple server.

    Booted into Recovery HD, selected disk utility, partitioned your disk as it should be according to Apple rules and your own needs, closed disk utility, selected restore..., the system will automatically contact Apple servers and ask which partition you want, you will indicate to it the partition you had previously planned in disk utility, the installation has started. The installation time depends only on the speed of the Internet and the load on the apple servers at the immediate moment; in this way, installing macOS is even twice as fast as the classic one, but there are difficult moments, but they are rare.)

    As you can understand, there are several ways to achieve the same goal. I hope now you will always have order with bootable flash drives.

    This article was created based on my personal experience and advice from an expert in the hackintosh community.

    This step-by-step guide shows you several ways to easily make a bootable Mac OS X Yosemite USB flash drive. Such a drive can be useful if you want to perform a clean installation of Yosemite on your Mac, you need to quickly install the system on several Macs and MacBooks (without downloading on each), and for installation on Intel computers (for those methods where the original distribution is used).

    If you don't feel like using a terminal and just want a simple program to make a bootable OS X Yosemite USB flash drive on your Mac, DiskMaker X is a great option for that. You can download the program from the official website http://diskmakerx.com

    Just like the previous method, before using the program, download Yosemite from the App Store, and then launch DiskMaker X.

    At the first stage, you need to indicate which version of the system you want to write to the flash drive, in our case it is Yosemite.

    After this, the program will find the previously downloaded OS X distribution and offer to use it, click “Use this copy” (but you can select another image if you have one).

    After this, all you have to do is select the flash drive to write to, agree to delete all data and wait until the files are copied.

    Bootable USB flash drive OS X Yosemite in Windows

    Perhaps the fastest and most convenient way to burn a bootable USB drive with Yosemite in Windows is to use the TransMac program. It's not free, but it works for 15 days without the need for a purchase. You can download the program from the official website http://www.acutesystems.com/

    To create a bootable USB flash drive, you will need an OS X Yosemite image in .dmg format. If you have one, connect the drive to your computer and run the TransMac program as an administrator.

    In the list on the left, right-click on the desired USB drive and select the “Restore with Disk Image” context menu item.

    Specify the path to the OS X image file, agree to the warnings that data from the disk will be deleted and wait until all files from the image are copied - the bootable USB flash drive is ready.

    A bootable MAC OS flash drive is created quite simply and quickly. This can be done using the same operating system or any other.

    1. We use MAC OS

    In all cases, to complete the task we will need an empty flash drive with a capacity of at least 8 GB, as well as an Internet connection. If you use MAC OS, you also need an Apple ID account.

    The step-by-step process for creating a boot drive is as follows:

    • Download the system image from apple.com. There is always the latest version. Usually on the main page there is promotional material for the OS and the inscription “Update your system right now.” It can also be found on the App Store. To do this, use the search. Apple companies often give away their latest creations for free.
    • Insert the flash drive. Run the downloaded image. This is a special utility for creating bootable media. In the left panel, select the inserted drive. Go to the "Partition" tab.
    • Under “Partition Layout”, select “1 Partition”. It is also advisable to indicate the name of the flash drive. It is most convenient to name it according to the name of the operating system. In our case it is “El Captain”.
    • In addition, indicate the format next to “Format” “Mac OS Extended (Journaled)” and the size of the flash drive - enter as much as is on the media. Click Apply.

    • Now go back to the downloaded folder and launch the terminal. In it, enter the command shown in Figure 2. It can also be seen in this file.

    • Wait approximately 15 minutes. After this, the process will be completed and you will have bootable media ready to install the operating system.

    Clue: To boot from the resulting media, connect it to your computer while holding down the Alt button. Then simply follow the installer's instructions.

    As you can see, everything here is extremely simple. Difficulties arise if you are not able to use MAC OS to complete the task. Then you will have to resort to “workarounds”.

    2. We use Windows

    In this case, the installation image from the App Store will not work. You need to search on torrent trackers or regular sites. And then there are two options - either you will find the image in .dmg format, or in .iso format.

    In the first case, you need to do this:

    • Download and install the TransMac program on your computer. The best way to do this is on the website acutesystems.com (it’s official). The program is paid, but it has a trial period of 15 days. During this time, you can manage to create many flash drives.
    • In the left panel, select the flash drive that you are going to make bootable. Right-click on it and click “Format Disk for Mac” in the drop-down list. A prompt will appear in which you simply need to click “Yes” or “OK”.
    • Once formatting is complete, right-click on the drive again, but now select “Restore with Disk Image.”
    • In the window that appears, under the words “Disk Image to restore”, indicate the path to the .dmg file that you downloaded earlier. Click OK. In all subsequent warnings, also click “OK” or “Yes”. Everywhere they talk about the fact that all data will be lost, and the image will be installed on the selected disk. But that's what we need.

    In the future, use the flash drive in the same way as when creating one in MAC OS, that is, insert it into the computer and hold down “Alt”. The corresponding menu will appear and the OS can be easily installed.

    If you managed to find an image in .iso format (which is most likely), then you have a lot of options for creating a bootable drive with it. And they are all absolutely free. For example, you can use Rufus.

    To do this, do this:

    • Download the program from the official website (rufus.akeo.ie) and run it on your computer.
    • In the “Device” field, select the flash drive that you are going to make bootable. You can change the remaining fields up to the one related to the name at your discretion. If you don’t understand, it’s better not to touch them at all.
    • In the New Volume Label field, enter the name of your media. This is not necessary, but it is better to name the drive accordingly to make it easier to deal with later.
    • Check the boxes next to “Quick format” and “Create a boot disk.” To the right of the last one, select “ISO image” and click on the button in the form of a disk drive. Specify the path to the downloaded image.
    • Click "Finish" and wait for the process to complete.

    In the same way, you can use the following programs:

    • SARDU and others.

    Some of them are paid, so be careful.

    3. Use Linux

    In Linux and Ubuntu everything is much simpler. There is no need to use any additional programs here. All you need is a terminal, the same empty flash drive and the downloaded image.

    Important! To complete the task from Linux, you must have an image in .iso format. Others may not be suitable. However, some of the .iso files may not be suitable, but if you download the images in other formats, they definitely cannot be used.

    If all this is there, insert the USB flash drive, launch the terminal and do the following:

    • Enter the command "diskutil list". After completing it, you will see a complete list of disks that are currently in use on the computer. Find your drive there.
    • Enter the command "diskutil unmountdisk [media name]". That is, if the flash drive is called “/dev/mydisk”, the command will look like “diskutil unmountdisk /dev/mydisk”.
    • Enter the command “sudo dd if=[folder where the image in .iso format is located] of=[name of the removable drive] bs=1024”. Then if the folder with the image is called “z:/papka/obraz”, then the command will look like “sudo dd if= z:/papka/obraz of=/dev/mydisk bs=1024”.
    • Wait for the creation process to complete.

    As you can see, in Linux it is easiest to complete the task.

    Recently, I was asked to reinstall Windows 10, my experience with this OS ended 3 years ago when I bought myself a macbook. At the time of using Venda, I had Windows 7 installed. But this is not what we’re talking about, but about how to make a bootable USB from Windows via Mac OS X and in my article “ Make a bootable USB from Windows via Mac OS X“everything will be written out.

    I was wondering how I could burn an image to a USB drive with Windows 10. It turned out that it was not a particularly long and complicated process.

    Make a bootable USB from Windows via Mac OS X

    1. The first thing you need to start with is downloading the image itself from Window. I will not say how and where to download and I will also not promote this or that site. But you can download the image either from the official website, or you can find a site with pirated software on the Internet.

    Windows 10 can run on all modern Macs and support hardware thanks to Boot Camp. If you want to run Windows and have OS X on the same Mac, you want to create a bootable Windows 10 on USB, which can be created through OS X and the Boot Camp Assistant tool. To create an installation USB with Windows, you will need to have a flash drive (at least 8 GB).

    And so, the downloaded Windows 10 image is available on my macbook.

    2. Connect the USB drive to the Mac - it will be erased. Therefore, copy and do not lose the data!
    3. Open the “Boot Camp Assistant app” utility, it is located in /Applications/Utilities/ (or you can launch it through Spotlight, which is what I did). To launch any utility (search and run it) you need to press “control + space”, enter “Boot Camp Assistant app” and press “enter” - in case someone didn’t know.

    Click on the “Continue” button. Select only “Create an installation disk for windows 7 or later” and click on the “Continue” button:

    As you can see from my screenshot, I chose the path to the downloaded Windows 10 image. We are warned that the data on the selected disk (this is a flash drive) will be lost. And again click on the “Continue” button.

    The USB drive will be formatted and then bootable WINDOWS 10 will be installed on the USB flash drive.

    It took me about 20-30 time. That's it, the topic “Make a bootable USB from Windows via Mac OS X” is completed.

    After which you can install windows on a mac or any other laptop or PC.