How To Make My Usb Bootable For Mac

Sep 28, 2020 • Filed to: Solve Mac Problems • Proven solutions

  1. Reinstall Mac Os From Usb
  2. How To Make My Usb Bootable For Mac Windows 10
  3. Program To Make Mac Boot Disc
  4. How To Make My Usb Bootable For Mac Os
  5. How To Make My Usb Drive Bootable On Mac

To create a bootable USB flash drive. Insert a USB flash drive into a running computer. Open a Command Prompt window as an administrator. In the new command line window that opens, to determine the USB flash drive number or drive letter, at the. Right-click the software icon on desktop and select 'Run as Administrator' from the contextual.

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 if we talk about storage, the 2TB(Tera-Byte) flash drives in terms of storage capacity are the largest ones available in the market.

Reinstall mac os from usb

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 for 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 decide 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 recommended 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.
  • Create a Bootable drive with the help a third party compression software, which is available for free.

Reinstall Mac Os From Usb

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>Utilities folder or it can be checked in the finder utility.

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:

How To Make My Usb Bootable For Mac Windows 10

  • 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.

Part 5. How to Recover Data from Unbootable Mac:

Program To Make Mac Boot Disc

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 tool 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 you 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.

First of all, the user is required to download the Recoverit software on the Mac system from the official website. Here are the following step required to recover data from an unbootable computer:

  • Installation: Please Install Recoverit by clicking on the icon.
  • Select the folder: Select the 'Recover from Crash Computer' option.
  • Initiate Recovery Process: Click on 'Start' for the recovery process to launch.
How To Make My Usb Bootable For Mac
  • Create Bootable Drive: Select the 'Create USB bootable drive' option and click on 'Create'.
  • A pop up will appear that will prompt the user to format the USB drive.
  • Format the Drive: Click on 'Format' Now.
  • The process will start that will create a bootable flash drive.
  • Recover Data: After the boot is completed, click on the 'View Guide' option to recover data.
  • Start Recoverit: Launch the Recoverit software again.
  • Recover Data: Scan the drives for lost data.
Bootable usb drive creator toolMac

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.

Bootable

Conclusion:

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.

Video Tutorial on How to Boot Mac into Recovery Mode

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Many times you want to install Windows 10 on a Mac computer with the intention of running your favorite windows games, applications which don’t have a version for Mac OS, or solve some Windows issue especially for boot-related issues. Regardless of the causes, you need to first create a Windows 10 bootable USB from ISO on Mac OS. As a Mac users, you might know that Apple provides an custom-tailored solution called Bootcamp to help create a Windows bootable USB. But in fact, creating Windows bootable USB on Mac isn’t as straightforward as you think, in the creating process, naturally there will be a variety of problems.

We've also received lots of emails from readers asking why Bootcamp wouldn’t allow me to use Windows 10, despite the fact that my laptop is compatible. BootCamp doesn't always work well, especially in creating Windows 10 bootable USB installation media, the most common errors you will encounter: 'failed to load BOOTMGR' or 'not Enough Space'. Another reason is Apple has already stripped the ability to make Windows 10 bootable USB in last release of Mac OS, and it is a problem because that require uses other tools. It’s believed that each software has its own pros and cons, Boot Camp is no exception. But it’s still a outstanding tool which is developed by Apple, so, this article will give priority to Boot Camp and also shows 4 intuitive approach to help you make a Windows 10 bootable USB on mac with or without Boot Cam Assistant.

Method #1: Create A Bootable Windows 10/8/7 USB on Mac with Bootcamp

As a dual-boot booting tool, Boot Camp Assistant is highly regarded in the field of creating Windows 7/8/10 bootable USB since it was released, it provides the ability to download drivers, re-partition, and add new partition on your Mac. But sometimes you will find bootcamp tool doesn't allow any customization of the process. Before using it, you need to know that your USB installation media will be formatted as FAT32 file system, which can’t store files larger than 4 GB. Let’s see how it works.

Step 1. First of all, make sure you’ve download a Windows 10, or Win7, 8 ISO image file on your Mac computer. Then you need to move ISO file to your USB drive by using Boot Cam.

Step 2. Now, insert your USB dive with at least 8GB to your Mac computer, make sure you’ve created a copy for your important file because your USB will be formatted.

Step 3. Launch the Boot Cam Assistant from Utilities, then check the two options: Create a Windows installation disk and Install Windows 7 or later version. Click Continue to proceed.

Step 4. when you go to this step, Boot Cam Assistant will detect and locate your ISO image file, click choose button to find and import the right one, and click continue. It may take some times to format your USB, please wait.

Step 5. When the process is complete, you will see that your USB drive will be renamed as WINNSTALL, this is your windows 10 bootable USB tool! Click Quit to close the app and then Eject the USB drive.

That's it! You’ve successfully made a bootable USB drive with Windows 10 OS, and you can use it to configure new Windows 10 PCs from scratch.

Method #2: Create A Bootable Windows 10 USB On Mac with PassCue for ISO

Making a bootable USB is not as easy as copying ISO file to your USB drive,it requires professional ISO writing tool to burn it to USB drive instead of copying. For Mac users, There may have many chance to encounter some unknown errors when using Bootcamp to create a Windows 10 USB disk on Mac, like Bootcamp failed to load bootmgr, not recognizing iso or usb not enough space,etc. So you desperately need to find a way to create bootable USB without Bootcamp.

Fortunately, PassCue for ISO is a wonderful tool which can burn, create, edit and extract ISO files from any files, folders and operating system files. It has been adopted on a large scale by various users and widely recommended. It provides 5 key functions for your ISO operations including: Burn ISO, Extract ISO, Edit ISO, Create ISO and copy disc, it works very effectively in both Windows and Mac OS.

Step 1. Get the software downloaded from above button and install it on your Mac with proper step instructions. Launch the tool with admin privileges to enable every kind of possible authorities. Once the tool screen turns up, you should see there are five functions including Burn, Extract, Cretae, Edit and Copy Disc. To make a Windows 10 bootable USB, then you need to choose the first option “Burn” and next.

Step 2. As you can see, you’re allowed to create a Windows 10 bootable disk with USB drive or DVD/CD, here, just insert your USB drive to your Mac, then import ISO file by clicking browse button. Select your file format from the 'System File' section as FAT, FAT 32, NTFS.

Step 3. In the partition style, it provide two mode to choose based on your ISO file: MBR or UEFI. If MBR won’t boot, then change UEFI mode to create again. When all settings are complete, click Burn button to begin, it will take 5 - 10 minutes to complete the burning process.

Step 4. When the burning is complete, you can open your USB drive and see there are many boot files inside it. Take out of your USB drive and try to install Windows OS on your other computers.

As you can see, this method is so easy and safe! Never damages your ISO file. If you don’t find the method satisfactory and have plans to try out a different approach, you are most welcome to do so.

Part 3 : Create A Windows 10 Bootable USB on Mac without Bootcamp

As we mentioned above, creating a bootable USB Windows 7/8/10 on mac OS isn’t as simple as you might think. You will need Terminal tool on Mac to perform some command. Before we start make sure you have an effective ISO file and have USB flash drive with not less than 4GB capacity. Here are the steps to be performed on a Mac to create a Windows 10 USB Bootable Installation Drive on mac.


Step 1. Connect your USB drive to your Mac.

Step 2. Open a Terminal (under Utilities)

Step 3. Now you need to Run diskutil list and confirm the device node assigned to your USB flash media disk2.

Step 4. Type the following command.

hdiutil convert -format UDRW -o ~/path/to/windows-10-iso.img ~/path/to/windows-10-iso.iso

Step 5. Replace /path/to/downloaded.iso with the path to where the image file is located; for example, ./windows10.iso). This command will convert the ISO file to IMG format.

Step 6. Type the following command to check the location of your USB drive:

diskutil list

How To Make My Usb Bootable For Mac Os

Step 7. Next, you need to type the command to Unmount the USB drive, then replace /dev/diskX with the location of your USB drive.

diskutil unmountDisk /dev/diskX

Step 8. Finally, run the following command to create Windows 10/8/7 bootable USB on Mac.

sudo dd if=/path/to/windows-10-iso.img of=/dev/rdiskX bs=1m

Step 9 . Then try to replace /path/to/windows-10-iso with the real filepath of the ISO file and /dev/diskX with the location of the USB drive. This command will take some time, and once it’s complete, you can eject the USB drive by this command: diskutil eject /dev/diskX

Once the process is complete, you can see the data will be copied and your USB will be bootable.

Part 4 : Create Bootable USB Windows 10 on Mac with UNetbootin

UNetbootin is free software and the latest release of new features in UNetbootin focuses on cross-platform technology that allows you create bootable Live USB drives for Ubuntu, Fedora, and other Linux distributions without a CD. It can run on Mac, Windows and Linux. Now, I will show a detailed tutorial.

Step 1. Like other method 1, you can also need to check the path name of the USB drive. After you insert your USB to your Mac, open the Disk utility on Mac OS X, select the USB drive from the left panel and click Info button. Write down the USB name info for the next usage.

Step 2. Now, you need to download UNetbootin tool then install it on your Mac, launch it. And copy the app to the /Application folder. Select the Diskimage button and import your ISO image file.

Step 3. In the panel, select the USB drive in the Type option, and select your USB drive on UNetbootin. Click on the OK button and wait to the process end!

In my opintion, It’s easy to use and doesn’t damages your system. But there still some users reported that UNetbootin is not working. Good luck to you!

How To Make My Usb Drive Bootable On Mac

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