There’s no doubt that your Mac is a trustworthy workhorse. However, things can go wrong sometimes. The OS might become corrupted, or you may wish to install a fresh copy of your macOS to give your system a fresh start. In such situations, having a bootable USB drive can be a lifesaver. A bootable USB drive is one that has a version or versions of Mac operating system available on a disk that is not on your machine. It could be a USB thumb drive or even an external drive.
A bootable USB drive is not only for emergencies. It can be a versatile tool for Mac users in various scenarios. Five of those are discussed below, along with information on how you can create a bootable USB drive on your Mac.
How to Create A Bootable USB Drive?
To make bootable USB on Mac, you need two main things:
- A USB flash drive or an external drive with minimum 14 GB of free space and formatted as Mac OS Extended.
- macOS installer files (macOS High Sierra to Sonoma installer and later versions if available).
Then, connect the USB or external drive to your Mac and open Terminal. Depending on the version of macOS downloaded, you have to enter the command “Monterey: sudo /Applications/Install\ macOS\ Monterey.app/Contents/Resources/createinstallmedia –volume /Volumes/MyVolume” and here, you can replace Monterey with Ventura or your chosen macOS version. After entering the command, press Return on your keyboard and enter the administrator’s password when prompted. Then, press Return again, and when prompted, type ‘y’ to confirm you will erase the USB drive. Eject your USB drive.
If you find Terminal confusing, you can use Disk Drill. This is a third-party application that comes with a detailed video tutorial on how you can create a bootable USB drive. Using Disk Drill, saves you from the trouble of dealing with Terminal commands.
Scenarios Where Creating A Bootable USB Drive Comes In Handy
1. Reinstalling macOS
Reinstalling macOS is the most common reason to create a bootable USB drive. Maybe you have accidentally deleted an important system file, or your Mac is experiencing performance issues. A bootable USB drive allows you to reinstall the OS without relying on an Internet connection.
2. Upgrading a new version of macOS
It is exciting to upgrade to a new version of macOS, but the process is time-consuming, especially if you have an unstable Internet connection. You can speed up the upgrade process with a bootable USB drive.
From the App Store, download the macOS installer to create a bootable drive. Then, initiate the upgrade by following the steps for reinstalling macOS.
3. Repairing Mac from scratch and running Disk Utility
Sometimes, your Mac may not boot up properly due to permission issues or disk errors. This is where you can use Disk Utility, a built-in macOS application. Unfortunately, you cannot access Disk Utility if your Mac won’t boot into the normal macOS environment. This is where a bootable USB drive comes to your rescue.
You can access Disk Utility by booting your Mac from the bootable drive and performing essential repairs.
4. Testing a new macOS version before committing
New macOS versions are regularly released by Apple, each with its unique set of improvements and features. While most updates are beneficial, some users may experience compatibility problems with specific hardware or software. Creating a bootable USB drive with the new macOS version allows you to test the new macOS version in a safe environment. This allows you to try out the new functionalities and features without impacting your main system.
5. Running a different operating system
macOS is the native operating system for Macs but there are situations where you may need to run Windows, Linux or another OS. This is possible with a bootable USB drive.
You can utilize Boot Camp Assistant (for Windows), Parallels Desktop or VirtualBox to create bootable USB Drives with other operating systems.
If you want to run Windows, you can boot your Mac from a USB drive with Windows. Then, you can run Windows applications directly on your Mac hardware.
However, please keep in mind that running another OS this way may not offer the same level of functionality or performance as a dedicated Windows or Linux machine.
Final Thoughts
The creation of a bootable USB drive is a relatively straightforward process and Apple offers detailed instructions, including online tutorials. The time and effort invested in creating this bootable drive can pay off significantly in the scenarios discussed above, including testing new versions of macOS to reinstalling your operating system and running a different operating system altogether.
Hence, next time you are cleaning up your digital toolbox, think of creating a bootable USB drive. It may become your go-to solution for tackling different Mac-related situations.
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