And each OS will only take the space needed on the drive, keeping all the remaining space of the disk in an OtherStuff partition so that you can keep other tools as well. DiskMaker X Pro is a perfect tool for Apple technicians performing on-site repairs, allowing to restore any OS in a few clicks.
Wednesday, September 21st, 2016 Author:UPDATE 09/2018:UPDATE 09/2017:Apple has made macOS installations (and those for Mac OS X before it) as simple as hitting a download link, but what if you’d like to have a bootable disk drive with which to install macOS Sierra on a number of different Macs? Fortunately, there’s a quick and free solution in the form of, which has just become available in a macOS Sierra-compatible version. In this post, we’ll demonstrate how to create your own bootable install drive.The first thing you’ll want to do is download DiskMakerX 6 to a Mac using the link above. Note that although DiskMaker X is free of charge, donations are accepted — you can help support a useful utility by sending the developers what you feel the app is worth.Install DiskMaker X 6To install DiskMaker X 6, find the installer disk image file — usually in the Downloads folder — and double-click it. The disk image is mounted, and the following screen appears. DiskMaker X 6 Installer ScreenInstallation is simple — just drag the DiskMaker X 6 icon to the Applications folder alias as shown on the installer screen. Within seconds, the app is installed and ready for launch.
But don’t double-click that app icon yetDownload the macOS Sierra installerChances are good that when macOS Sierra was installed on your Mac, the installer file disappeared. That’s OK — you can download it by launching the Mac App Store, locating and clicking on the link for macOS Sierra in the right sidebar, then clicking the “Download” button. A copy of the installer is downloaded and saved into the Applications folder. OWC 16GB USB Flash DriveGet a suitable USB thumb, USB, Thunderbolt, or FireWire driveDiskMaker X will require at least 8GB of capacity on whatever drive you select to be your bootable install drive. USB thumb drives are adequate for the task; this (see image above) is perfect, and it’s only $9.99. Likewise, a fast ($94.99) is a lot speedier for installation, the ($119.99) is handy with Macs that support that connection, and for the best possible speed while performing mass installations of macOS Sierra from the drive, you’ll want to look into something like this ($179.99).Note that whatever is on the drive when you create your bootable macOS Sierra Install Drive will be erased. If you plan to use the same drive to carry other utilities or tools, or to serve as a backup drive, you’ll need to do that after the bootable install drive is created.Launch DiskMaker X 6Make sure that your drive is attached to your Mac and visible from the Finder, then launch DiskMaker X 6.
As you can see in the screenshot below, DiskMaker X 6 allows the creation of bootable disks for Mac OS X Yosemite, Mac OS X El Capitan, and of course macOS Sierra. DiskMaker finds the macOS Sierra installerThe copy we are using is in the Applications folder, so click the highlighted (blue) button marked “Use this copy”. Next, DiskMaker X 6 asks for the type of disk you’ll be using for your bootable disk (see image below).
Note that if you’re using a 8GB (or larger) USB thumb drive, it will be completely erased. DiskMaker will erase any complete volume that you signify, so if you wish to make a disk that can install Yosemite, El Capitan, and Sierra, consider using Disk Utility (found in the Applications/Utilities folder) to partition the drive into three separate volumes, one for each operating system version. I tried to make both a Sierra startup disc and also a high Sierra startup disc. I used 16GB Lexar flash drives. I got error messages starting up, but then it seemed the process started. I was using Yosemite when first trying the Diskmaker 6, then tried using Sierra to make a second.
I saw the initial screens and was asked for admin pw, the then there was no indication that anything had completed. When trying to make the High Sierra disc which started at 5:08. I left everything alone until 8:38 and then ejected the flash drive. I then tried to start up with that flash drive and held down the option key. I was given the choice of my hard drive or the flash drive. I did NOT select the flash drive because the system is already on the laptop.
Did the high Sierra using DiskMaker 7. I have used DiskMaker for years and have loved it.
I have startup discs for every system since Lion. What is going on when trying to make a Sierra and High Sierra disc? No Lion ever roared and no notices received. Get notified of new posts!Email AddressSubscribe.
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Further ReadingIt was 2009. Things have proceeded remarkably smoothly since version 10.7 switched to download-only installers, but there are still good reasons to want an old, reliable USB stick. For instance, if you find yourself doing multiple installs, a USB drive may be faster than multiple downloads (especially if you use a USB 3.0 drive).
Or maybe you need a recovery disk for older Macs that don't support the Internet Recovery feature. Whatever the reason, you're in luck, because it's not hard to make one., there are two ways to get it done. There's the super easy way with the graphical user interface and the only slightly less easy way that requires some light Terminal use. Here's what you need to get started. A Mac that you have administrator access to, duh. We've created El Capitan USB stick from both Yosemite and El Capitan, but your experience with other versions may vary. An 8GB or larger USB flash drive or an 8GB or larger partition on some other kind of external drive.
For newer Macs, use a USB 3.0 drive—it makes things significantly faster. The OS X 10.11 El Capitan installer from the Mac App Store in your Applications folder.
The installer will delete itself when you install the operating system, but it can be re-downloaded if necessary. If you want a GUI, you need the latest version of app.
Version 5 is the one with official El Capitan support. Diskmaker X is free to download, but if you want to support his efforts.The easy way. Once you've obtained all of the necessary materials, connect the USB drive to your Mac and run the Diskmaker X app. The app will offer to make installers for OS X 10.9, 10.10, and 10.11, and it should run on OS X versions all the way back to 10.7—support for 10.6 was dropped in the most recent release.Diskmaker X has actually been around since the days of OS X 10.7 (it was previously known as Lion Diskmaker), and it's still the easiest GUI-based way to go without intimidating newbies. If you're comfortable with the command line, it's still possible to create a disk manually using a Terminal command, which we'll cover momentarily.Select OS X 10.11 in Diskmaker X, and the app should automatically find the copy you've downloaded to your Applications folder. It will then ask you where you want to copy the files—click 'An 8GB USB thumb drive' if you have a single drive to use or 'Another kind of disk' to use a partition on a larger drive or some other kind of external drive. Choose your disk (or partition) from the list that appears, verify that you'd like to have the disk (or partition) erased, and then wait for the files to copy over.
The process is outlined in screenshots above. The only slightly less-easy wayIf you don't want to use Diskmaker X, Apple has actually included a terminal command that can create an install disk for you. Assuming that you have the OS X El Capitan installer in your Applications folder and you have a Mac OS X Extended (Journaled)-formatted USB drive named 'Untitled' mounted on the system, you can create an El Capitan install drive by typing the following command into the Terminal.sudo /Applications/Install OS X El Capitan.app/Contents/Resources/createinstallmedia -volume /Volumes/Untitled -applicationpath /Applications/Install OS X El Capitan.app -nointeractionThe command will erase the disk and copy the install files over.
Give it some time, and your volume will soon be loaded up with not just the OS X installer but also an external recovery partition that may come in handy if your hard drive dies and you're away from an Internet connection.Whichever method you use, you should be able to boot from your new USB drive either by changing the default Startup Disk in System Preferences or by holding down the Option key at boot and selecting the drive. Once booted, you'll be able to install or upgrade El Capitan as you normally would.
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