How do I boot to a usb drive in mac os x sierra?
How do I make a bootable usb drive with mac os x sierra? (or high sierra, not sure if I can upgrade or not, the imac that I have had os x sierra on it) The imac will only boot to recovery and when I reinstall mac os x sierra I get the annoying "-30 seconds until finished" message that never stops. I have tried 5 times. I have turned off wifi and back on but nothing helps so I thought I would boot right from a usb drive and see if that works. How do I add os x to the usb drive (software?) and what key combination do I use to boot to the usb drive?
ASKER CERTIFIED SOLUTION
membership
Create a free account to see this answer
Signing up is free and takes 30 seconds. No credit card required.
This page will give you links to every version of macOS still available for download from Apple (back to Lion 10.7) and instructions for various ways to install them, including making a bootable USB drive.
What is the issue.
Does the system boot?
The system no longer boots?
When starting hold command option and R it should go into internet recovery.
Do you have someone with a Mac that could help creating a bookable usb using terminal window and softwareuodate to retrieve full offline installer that can the. Be used to create the bookable USB.
Might there be hw issues, hard drive?
Unfortunately, in internet recovery OS X and safari do not permit access to the Apple help links like the one posted to retrieve a version OS X suitable to your system.
FYI, recently two three weeks, apple recovery servers seemed to have issue access. It cleared up, using the softwareupdate using another' Mac was able to download the full offline installer and using that to create a bookable USB.
Does the system boot?
The system no longer boots?
When starting hold command option and R it should go into internet recovery.
Do you have someone with a Mac that could help creating a bookable usb using terminal window and softwareuodate to retrieve full offline installer that can the. Be used to create the bookable USB.
Might there be hw issues, hard drive?
Unfortunately, in internet recovery OS X and safari do not permit access to the Apple help links like the one posted to retrieve a version OS X suitable to your system.
FYI, recently two three weeks, apple recovery servers seemed to have issue access. It cleared up, using the softwareupdate using another' Mac was able to download the full offline installer and using that to create a bookable USB.
Using command line on another system running sierra or high sierra you could retrieve an offline full installer and create a bookable usb.
https://wpbeaches.com/making-a-boot-usb-disk-of-macos-10-9-10-15-via-terminal-and-gui/
in a few words:
1. download the Sierra image from .HERE.
2. mount the download image by double-clicking it from the Applications folder (by default).
3. run the below code under admin privileges with MyVolume in the command with the name of your volume.
https://support.apple.com/HT211683
https://support.apple.com/HT201372
1. download the Sierra image from .HERE.
2. mount the download image by double-clicking it from the Applications folder (by default).
3. run the below code under admin privileges with MyVolume in the command with the name of your volume.
sudo /Applications/Install\ macOS\ Sierra.app/Contents/Resources/createinstallmedia --volume /Volumes/MyVolumehttps://support.apple.com/HT211683
https://support.apple.com/HT201372
ASKER
bbao, look at this
Last login: Thu Sep 14 12:10:33 on ttys000
The default interactive shell is now zsh.
To update your account to use zsh, please run `chsh -s /bin/zsh`.
For more details, please visit https://support.apple.com/kb/HT208050.
nicmcc:~ TLK819$ sudo /Applications/Install\ macOS\ Sierra.app/Contents/Resour
Password:
sudo: /Applications/Install macOS Sierra.app/Contents/Resour
This is after I doubleclicked installOS.dmg (I copied it from downloads folder to applications folder. When I double clicked it it brought up a window that says InstallOS.pkg
sierrainstall is what I called the usb drive
Last login: Thu Sep 14 12:10:33 on ttys000
The default interactive shell is now zsh.
To update your account to use zsh, please run `chsh -s /bin/zsh`.
For more details, please visit https://support.apple.com/kb/HT208050.
nicmcc:~ TLK819$ sudo /Applications/Install\ macOS\ Sierra.app/Contents/Resour
Password:
sudo: /Applications/Install macOS Sierra.app/Contents/Resour
This is after I doubleclicked installOS.dmg (I copied it from downloads folder to applications folder. When I double clicked it it brought up a window that says InstallOS.pkg
sierrainstall is what I called the usb drive
You first have to retrieve the installer and install.
The error says you do not have it.
In the terminal window run
sudo -i
this will establish an elevated shell.
you can look at ls or dir /Applications/Install to see what you have there
look at the link I posted, run softwareupdate --help | grep -i full
see if you have a list of options one deals with retrieving the full install and one is listing which OS options are available to you for download.
if high sierra is an available option,
use the example softwareupdate noting the version 10.x.y that you want.
once it is done, check the /Applications folder again and repeat the above.
The error says you do not have it.
In the terminal window run
sudo -i
this will establish an elevated shell.
you can look at ls or dir /Applications/Install to see what you have there
look at the link I posted, run softwareupdate --help | grep -i full
see if you have a list of options one deals with retrieving the full install and one is listing which OS options are available to you for download.
if high sierra is an available option,
use the example softwareupdate noting the version 10.x.y that you want.
once it is done, check the /Applications folder again and repeat the above.
ASKER
I'll have to have someone else do this. I have no clue.
I get lost when I'm looking at the list of instructions and changing things in terminal. Isn't there a software that can take a .dmg install file and make a bootable usb drive with it?
I get lost when I'm looking at the list of instructions and changing things in terminal. Isn't there a software that can take a .dmg install file and make a bootable usb drive with it?
That is not what you need.
you first from the links provided earlier need to download a DMG installler.
the steps are fairly straight forward.
1) download the installer. whether the links or by way of the software update ...
Recently the retrieval of data in graphical and from the web sites .
Seemed off.
the Command line option may prove more successful
If you run the sudo softwareupdate --list-full-installers
IF the output does not show up a list of option, that means there might be an issue with the connection, or apple's servers. no point going further.
if on the other hand you get a listing of available version available.
run sudo softwareupdate --fetch-full-installer --full-installer-version 10.12.x (this is the number you should use from the list)
once you have downloaded it.
you run the dmg which will setup the /Applications/install/maxo
To create the bootable USB, note look at /Volumes to make sure the USB is seen there ...
you can use the disk utility to rename the USB to make sure you are creating the Bootable installer on the right USB/Volume.
the process if fairly quick when you have downloaded the Full offline installer.
Then during boot with the USB inserted, you hold the option/command keys.
It should recognize it and prompt you with what do you want to boot from one will be the USB and the other will be your harddrive....
Make sure you backup your data if you want to access it post install.
Or do you merely want to upgrade your imac to the more recent OS...
What is the current OS?
you first from the links provided earlier need to download a DMG installler.
the steps are fairly straight forward.
1) download the installer. whether the links or by way of the software update ...
Recently the retrieval of data in graphical and from the web sites .
Seemed off.
the Command line option may prove more successful
If you run the sudo softwareupdate --list-full-installers
IF the output does not show up a list of option, that means there might be an issue with the connection, or apple's servers. no point going further.
if on the other hand you get a listing of available version available.
run sudo softwareupdate --fetch-full-installer --full-installer-version 10.12.x (this is the number you should use from the list)
once you have downloaded it.
you run the dmg which will setup the /Applications/install/maxo
To create the bootable USB, note look at /Volumes to make sure the USB is seen there ...
you can use the disk utility to rename the USB to make sure you are creating the Bootable installer on the right USB/Volume.
the process if fairly quick when you have downloaded the Full offline installer.
Then during boot with the USB inserted, you hold the option/command keys.
It should recognize it and prompt you with what do you want to boot from one will be the USB and the other will be your harddrive....
Make sure you backup your data if you want to access it post install.
Or do you merely want to upgrade your imac to the more recent OS...
What is the current OS?
ASKER
I am working on my imac (monterey) to create the bootable media. The other imac that is having the issue has sierra on it.
Ok, on the monterey, see if sudo softwareupdate --list-full-installers returns anything.
If it does, see which options are returned, it should list the OS X available for your system
If it has Sierra, High Sierra the highest version available
go through the sudo softwareupdate --fetch-full-installer --full-installer-version 10.13.6
once it is downloaded install, it will add in the /Applications/installs/mac
Then you can try to boot your other mac.
if you list the contents (ls or dir) of /Applications/installs/mac
If it does, see which options are returned, it should list the OS X available for your system
If it has Sierra, High Sierra the highest version available
go through the sudo softwareupdate --fetch-full-installer --full-installer-version 10.13.6
once it is downloaded install, it will add in the /Applications/installs/mac
Then you can try to boot your other mac.
if you list the contents (ls or dir) of /Applications/installs/mac
sorry, just realised that Sierra uses traditional "InstallESD.dmg" inside the downloaded "InstallOS.dmg".
1. mount the downloaded "InstallOS.dmg" to see "InstallOS.pkg", the only visible file inside the disk image file.
2. run the below command line to extract its content to a folder named "Expanded" on your Mac desktop.
3. follow the corresponding instructions below to generate the bootable USB.
https://discussions.apple.com/thread/251038496
1. mount the downloaded "InstallOS.dmg" to see "InstallOS.pkg", the only visible file inside the disk image file.
2. run the below command line to extract its content to a folder named "Expanded" on your Mac desktop.
pkgutil --expand <drag the InstallOS.pkg here> ~/Desktop/Expanded
3. follow the corresponding instructions below to generate the bootable USB.
https://discussions.apple.com/thread/251038496
ASKER
I have seen some instructions on the web about using terminal for this but I was wondering if there is another way, possibly a software that does this. Also, where can I find a copy of mac os x sierra?