Learning how to create a bootable macOS installation disk can be helpful in a variety of situations. Rather than download and install a new OS from Apple's servers each time, it can be used for multiple installations on different machines. It can also help in situations where the operating system is corrupted or installation from app store shows errors.
To create a bootable macOS installation disk, you have to burn the DMG file to a USB drive as CD/DVD is not available for Mac computers. Here's how to do it from text commands and using a purpose-built software called WizDMG. You will first need to download the DMG file for the macOS version you wish to install. For example, if you want to create a bootable macOS Mojave installer, you will need the DMG file for macOS Mojave. Once the file has been downloaded to your PC, you can proceed with one of the bootable disk creation methods shown below.
Method 1: How to Create Bootable USB Installer for Mac via Commands
Start by mounting the application's DMG file. Take note of both the name of the mounted volume and the app itself (Figure A). Launch Terminal and type in the following command, replacing the paths as necessary (Figure B). After authenticating, your package will commence building (Figure C).
macOS (formly named Mac OS X) is just a variant of popular Unix based operating system. This means a lot of daily and advanced tasks on Mac can be done via text commands such as creating bootable USB installer for Mac. However, this could be a lot of challenges if you had no clue about commands and I suggest taking a look at the other solutions in this post to avoid messing up the computer with the wrong commands.
Step 1. Search macOS name in app store (Mojave, High Serria, EI Capitai). Click 'Get' button to download the installer image on your Mac. The downloaded file will be located in Application folder.
Step 2. When the download is completed, the installation windows opens automatically, just close the window and go to Application folder. You will find a file started Install, such as Install macOS Majave.
Step 3. Now connect an external flash drive with more than 16G free space. And backup the data in that USB drive as the installer erase all content from it. Open Disk Utility app and format the USB drive with APFS or Mac OS Extended.
Step 4. Open the Terminal app and copy-and-past the following commands to make a booatble USB installer from macOS image:
For Majove: sudo /Applications/Install macOS Mojave.app/Contents/Resources/createinstallmedia --volume /Volumes/MyVolume
For High Serria: sudo /Applications/Install macOS High Sierra.app/Contents/Resources/createinstallmedia --volume /Volumes/MyVolume
For EI Capitan: sudo /Applications/Install OS X El Capitan.app/Contents/Resources/createinstallmedia --volume /Volumes/MyVolume --applicationpath /Applications/Install OS X El Capitan.app
Step 5. Input the admin password when being prompted. And wait for the booatable disk being created. When it is done successfully, you will receive a message shown in above screenshot.
Unconfortable with text commadns and prefer doing it in a simple way? The second suggestion is more user friendly!
Method 2: How to Make Bootable USB from macOS with WizDMG
WizDMG fills a huge gap in Windows not supporting DMG files. It is a desktop utility supporting Windows and Mac. It allows you to directly burn DMG files to disk in order to create a bootable macOS Mojave installer or a boot disk for any macOS version.
WizDMG offers an intuitive interface with no clutter and full functionality to handle DMG files. Apart from burning such disk image files to DVD/CD or USB, it also gives you edit options where you can add and remove files from within the DMG file, rename DMG files and even create DMGs from files and folders on your desktop. This software application has been created for novice users as well as experts. It is easy to use, has a very high burn success rate and will help you create a bootable macOS installer in no time. Follow the instructions below:
Step 1Install WizDMG
Download WizDMG from the official website and install it on your PC. Launch the program and select the 'Burn' option in the main interface.
Step 2Create Bootable USB from macOS Install Image
Click on Load DMG to import the macOS installation file into the application. Insert a USB (16G free space) and click on the 'Burn' button next to the appropriate media type.
The important thing to remember here is that you now know how to create a macOS installer in Windows. There aren't a lot of options out there because of the compatibility issues between Mac and Windows environments. That means converting DMG to ISO and back again to DMG leaves the door open for corrupted files and incorrectly burned bootable media, which defeats the whole purpose because it might not even work in the end.
Method 3: Create macOS High Serria/Mojave Bootable USB on Windows 10/7
Another way to create macoS bootable disk on Windows is using a tool called DMG2IMG along with Windows command prompt. It requires a bit of a workaround, but even novice users can learn to burn a DMG file to a disk to create bootable media for a macOS installation. Just make sure you follow the instructions below carefully.
Step 1. Download DMG2IMG and install it in your Windows PC. Open File Explorer and go to the folder containing the DMG2IMG program, then right-click and select 'Open command windows here.'
Step 2. Type the following command and hit Enter: dmg2img [sourcefile.dmg] [destinationfile.iso]
Step 3. Now that the DMG file has been converted to ISO format, you can use the following command to burn it to a disk. Before that, insert a disk into the optical drive: isoburn.exe /Q E: 'C:UsersUsernameDesktopdestinationfile.iso'
Step 4. This command utilizes the Windows native disk image burner to burn the ISO to the disk in your optical drive. The ISO file can't be used directly in macOS, but it can be mounted as a virtual drive. Once you do this, you can convert it back to DMG using Disk Utility in Mac. You can then use this as your bootable macOS installer.
As you can see, this is a bit of a workaround because DMG files aren't natively supported in Windows. Likewise, ISO files aren't fully supported in macOS. However, you can use this method to create a macOS installation disk in Windows. If you want a much simpler solution, then review the next method shown here.
Summary
Create Dmg Mac
If you ask us how to create a bootable macOS installation disk, this is the method we recommend. There's no confusing command line work involved, you don't need a bunch of additional software utilities to get the job done, and the high accuracy of the application ensures that you won't be wasting disk after disk trying to burn the installation media for macOS onto a disk. Use WizDMG as a quick and painless way to create a macOS installation disk in a very short time.
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We’ll download macOS Catalina ISO and Create a macOS Catalina ISO file. Now macOS Catalina ISO VMware and macOS Catalina ISO VirtualBox. Whether you want to install macOS Catalina on VMware or install Catalina on VirtualBox, you’ll definitely need the macOS Catalina ISO image file. For installing macOS on a virtual machine, the first and most important step is to download macOS Catalina ISO which is accessible online but doesn’t promise to work. Those images are never completely functional and aswell maybe there’s any other problem with it. In this case, those aren’t better than creating macOS Catalina ISO file with your hands.
- Related:Download macOS Catalina ISO, DMG, VMDK – All In One
The method we’ll make this Catalina ISO is pretty straightforward. The primary image of the macOS Catalina will be certainly from the App Store or Apple’s Beta Software Program as of now. So first, we’ll download the macOS Catalina from one of the places (App Store or Apple’s Beta Software Program). Then we’ll apply some commands on Terminal that will make this part to the end. So let’s dive in.
Though we’ve made macOS Catalina VMDK or Catalina VMware & VirtualBox beforehand accessible which are pretty easy to obtain. But for some reasons, if you’d like to create and utilize macOS Catalina ISO, you can probably do so. In this case, creating macOS Catalina is useful which we’ll show how to create macOS Catalina ISO file and accomplish with it.
- Related:Download macOS Catalina ISO For VMware & VirtualBox
Create macOS Catalina ISO File
Create Dmg From App Terminal 2
Creating macOS Catalina ISO file for installing macOS Catalina on VirtualBox and VMware is not different. This works for both. Except this, it will work anywhere else where the file is required. For this process, we’ll need an actual working Mac. That can be a real Mac or macOS Catalina running on VMware or Catalina on VirtualBox.
Step One – Download macOS Catalina From App Store
While the macOS Catalina is entirely out, you can take a copy of macOS Catalina from App Store. From a Mac, simply head over to the App Store and search for macOS Catalina. When it appears, click on it then click on Get.
Get macOS Catalina
Then it will start loading to download.
Step Two – Apply Commands on Terminal
That done, now from the top-right corner open up Spotlight.
There, type in Terminal and hit Enter.
Open Terminal
In this step, copy and paste these command one by one.
- Create a DMG Disk Image
- Mount it to your macOS
How To Create Dmg File
- Create macOS Catalina Installer
- Unmount Catalina Disk
- Convert the DMG file to an ISO file
Create Dmg From App Terminal 3
- Rename and Move to Desktop
Create Dmg File On Windows
After it’s done, you’ll see the macOS Catalina ISO on desktop.
macOS Catalina ISO
Step Three – Install macOS Catalina on VMware or VirtualBox
That done, now it’s a perfect idea to install macOS Catalina on VMware or VirtualBox with ISO file, so we’ve it prepared beforehand.
Here’s how to install macOS Catalina on VMware and how to install macOS Catalina on VirtualBox.
Install macOS Catalina on VMware on Windows PC
Create Dmg On Windows
This is the perfect and working ISO image of macOS Catalina and can be used everywhere.
Mac Os Create Dmg
And that’s all to there it is. If there’s something remaining, let me know in the comment down below.