Create OS X El Capitan USB Bootable Drive

8/18/2019 Create OS X El Capitan USB Bootable Drive

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by Michal Blazek on October 8, 2015

How to create OS X 10.11 El Capitan bootable installationflash drive

Introduction Apple officially released OS X 10.11 El Capitan operating system in September 2015 as an

update through Apple App Store. This actualization will update core of your system and preserve

your user data.

However, if you want to have a clean installation of El Capitan on your Mac you will need to

create a special installation USB drive and in this article we will show you how.

Four ways how to create El Capitan USB installation flashdrive:

Use createinstallmedia tool

http://www.file-extensions.org/article/create-os-x-el-capitan-usb-bootable-drive#createinstallhttp://www.file-extensions.org/article/create-os-x-el-capitan-usb-bootable-drive#createinstallhttps://plus.google.com/115076202114050446438


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Use Terminal commands

Use Disk Utility and Finder

Use DiskMaker X

Preparation - get OS X El Capitan installer and USB flash drive

Download El Capitan installer (Install OS X El Capitan.app in Applications folder) available in Mac

App Store.

Prepare a flash drive with OS X Disk Utility. Format it with GUID Partition Table and name it as

Untitled. The minimal capacity of flash drive must be 8 GB.

http://www.file-extensions.org/article/create-os-x-el-capitan-usb-bootable-drive#diskmakerhttp://www.file-extensions.org/article/create-os-x-el-capitan-usb-bootable-drive#finderhttp://www.file-extensions.org/article/create-os-x-el-capitan-usb-bootable-drive#terminal


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How to create El Capitan installation USB drive withcreateinstallmedia tool

The createinstallmedia is a command line tool distributed with OS X installer.

When you have prepared your USB flash drive and El Capitan installer is downloaded from App Store►

open Terminal and type command:

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

In our case "Untitled" is the name of USB flash drive! Replace "Untilled" by name of your flash drive.

Wait a few minutes and your El Capitan installation USB drive will be prepared.


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To install OS X El Capitan ► restart computer► hold the Option key and select Installation USB drive

from the menu.

How to create El Capitan USB installation with Terminal

commandsWhen your USB flash drive is ready and El Capitan installer downloaded from App Store► Open

Terminaland type the following sequence of commands:

sudo hdiutil attach /Applications/Install\ OS\ X\ El\

Capitan.app/Contents/SharedSupport/InstallESD.dmg

sudo asr restore -source /Volumes/OS\ X\ Install\ ESD/BaseSystem.dmg -target /Volumes/Untitled -

erase -format HFS+

sudo rm /Volumes/OS\ X\ Base\ System/System/Installation/Packages

sudo cp -a /Volumes/OS\ X\ Install\ ESD/Packages /Volumes/OS\ X\ Base\

System/System/Installation/Packages

sudo cp -a /Volumes/OS\ X\ Install\ ESD/BaseSystem.chunklist /Volumes/OS\ X\ Base\ System

sudo cp -a /Volumes/OS\ X\ Install\ ESD/BaseSystem.chunklist /Volumes/OS\ X\ Base\ System

sudo cp -a /Volumes/OS\ X\ Install\ ESD/BaseSystem.dmg /Volumes/OS\ X\ Base\ System

hdiutil detach /Volumes/OS\ X\ Install\ ESD

Now wait until your bootable installation flash drive with OS X 10.11 El Capitan is made.


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from the menu.

How to create El Capitan USB installation with Disk Utility

and Finder When your USB flash drive is ready and El Capitan installer downloaded from App Store► Open

Terminaland type:

defaults write com.apple.finder AppleShowAllFiles 1 && killall Finder

This command allows you to view hidden files in Finder.

Now Open Finder ► Applications► Install OS X El Capitan.app► right click► Select Show Package

Contents option.


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Navigate to Contents/SharedSupport ► Mount InstallESD.dmg file

Open OS X Install ESD archive in Finder and mount BaseSystem.dmg archive


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Connect USB drive and open Disk Utility (/Applications/Utilities)

Select the USB drive from the list of disks, select Restore tab and pick Select OS X Base System

archiveas a source and USB flash drive as the destination. When ready click on Restore button.


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After the Restore process is finished, open Finder► open USB drive (OS X Base System)► go to the

System/Installation folder and select Packages file and delete it.


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Open OS X Install ESD volume in Finder, select Packages folder and copy them

toSystem/Installation folder on USB drive.

Also copy BaseSystem.chunklist and BaseSystem.dmg files from InstallESD.dmg volume to root of

USB flash drive (OS X Base System).


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Now your El Capitan installation USB drive is prepared and ready for use.


from the menu.

How to create El Capitan USB installation disk with

DiskMaker XDiskMaker X tool is Wizard like tool that allows you create OS X installation disk.

Download DiskMaker X to your Mac and copy it to Applications folder.

When you have prepared your USB flash drive and El Capitan installer is downloaded from App Store►

open DiskMaker X.

Select version of OS X (in our case El Capitan)

Select copy of OS X installation app

http://diskmakerx.com/


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Select USB drive that will be used for USB installation

And wait a few minutes till the the DiskMaker X finish creating process.


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from the menu.

Documents

Create OS X El Capitan USB Bootable Drive