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Making an OS Installer

Ambrosia7177

Ambrosia7177

macrumors 68020
Original poster
Feb 6, 2016
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In this thread I learned how to get a copy of Sierra, and now I could use help learning how to create an "installer".

I would like to be able to install older versions of macOS onto a new Retina that I just bought.

I would also like the ability to re-install Sierra on this used Retina that I bought, since I don't trust the software that is on there. (Got a good deal on it online www.russian-hackers-for-peace.com but am not so sure it doesn't contain malware on it!) :D

What items are needed, and what steps must I take now that @Mr_Brightside_@ gave me a link on iTunes?
 
There's various sites that show the same basic steps to create a macOS installer using the terminal.
You can find the steps at the Apple support page. Here's a link to that article.

Or, if you don't care for using the terminal - there's at least 3 different apps that will do that easily for you.
DiskMakerX is my favorite.
Also, Install Disk Creator
and, Boot Buddy is another.
I have used all three recently.
 
If the computer will run Sierra, download and copy of Sierra from Apple and create a bootable USB flashdrive installer. Then wipe the internal drive and do a clean install.

There is nothing you can do beyond that.
 
I prefer the command line method for the following reasons:
  1. You don't have to download a third-party utility,
  2. You don't have to worry if the third-party utility's programmers got the commands right, and
  3. You don't have to worry if some malware was added to the USB installer drive.
About point #3, I am sure some third-party developers are honest and not evil, but by using the command line invocation that only uses Apple's own tool, I don't have to figure out which third-party developer's tool is worth using.

Note that it's possible that a third-party developer's tool could be tampered with by another party.

It's your risk assessment. You figure out what is acceptable to you.

For me, firing up Terminal and typing in one command is perfectly acceptable.
 
Bart Kela said:
For me, firing up Terminal and typing in one command is perfectly acceptable.
Click to expand...

Not to mention - once you've run the command once, unless terminal history somehow gets reset you can always scroll back through your commands and find it to re-run. I don't use Terminal for much so it's easy to find for me.
 
You need to use Internet Recovery like, yesterday, to erase the retina's SSD and reinstall macOS.

All the links posted here are good (I like DiskmakerX) but as I mentioned in the other thread, you will only be able to download copies of OS X equal to and newer than the version your Mac shipped with.

It would be best to make these OS copies from your 2012 Mac.
 
DeltaMac said:
There's various sites that show the same basic steps to create a macOS installer using the terminal.
You can find the steps at the Apple support page. Here's a link to that article.

Or, if you don't care for using the terminal - there's at least 3 different apps that will do that easily for you.
DiskMakerX is my favorite.
Also, Install Disk Creator
and, Boot Buddy is another.
I have used all three recently.
Click to expand...

@DeltaMac,

Questions:
1.) If I follow the instructions on the Apple page, it looks creating a USB installer is fairly foolproof, right?

2.) Is it okay if my volume is named something different and if I have the download somewhere other than the Applications folder?

3.) As long as I place a copy of my Sierra installer file somewhere else, then that should remain on my hard-drive for later use, right?

4.) After I create the USB installer, what do I do? Just option-boot to it or what?

5.) Must I use a USB 3.0 thumbdrive? Could I use a USB 2.0 drive?

6.) How long should it take to install Sierra onto my Retina?
 
Yes
Yes, you just have to update their Terminal commands (which assume Install macOS Sierra is in Applications) - I find dragging the file from its location to the Terminal window helps with this, it copies the path properly
Yes but I always make two copies
Yes
Yes, any drive. FireWire, Thunderbolt, whatever
30-60 minutes I would say
 
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Mr_Brightside_@ said:
Yes
Yes, you just have to update their Terminal commands (which assume Install macOS Sierra is in Applications) - I find dragging the file from its location to the Terminal window helps with this, it copies the path properly
Yes but I always make two copies
Yes
Yes, any drive. FireWire, Thunderbolt, whatever
30-60 minutes I would say
Click to expand...

I'm nervous... :(

But I still am having Trouble logging in so I guess the next logical step is to nuke my (semi) brand new Retina's OS and see if a re-install of Sierra fixes things...

Feeling very nervous... :(
 
Mr_Brightside_@ said:
Why?
Click to expand...

Because I have spent the last few months learning how to better set up my new Retina, and now it is acting weird, and I fear that if I install Sierra on my own I might break things even more. (I am also nervous, because if there is a hardware issue, then I am f***ed!)
 
Why are there backslashes in the command below?
Code: 
sudo /Applications/Install\ macOS\ Sierra.app/Contents/Resources/createinstallmedia --volume /Volumes/MyVolume --applicationpath /Applications/Install\ macOS\ Sierra.app
 
Mr_Brightside_@ said:
It's how it interprets a space
Click to expand...

Confused on how to use the USB installer that I created...

After creating it, I booted up using command + R and turned off my firmware password and also went into Disk Utility and formatted my internal SSD.

Then I shut down, did an option boot and I see a orange icon "Install macOS Sierra".

That is the first surprise, because my USB drive is called "SierraInstaller".

So why don't I see my USB drive's name?

So I choose "Install macOS Sierra" and was expecting to maybe see what I saw the first time I took my Retina out of the box and booted it up.

Instead, I end up on a macOS Utilities window?

I see a menu option called "Install macOS" but I thought the whole idea of the USB installer is that you computer bootups up from the USB and the installation takes over from there?

Am I doing this right?
 
It's renamed during create install media.

You haven't reinstalled macOS yet. You need to tell it to, exactly where you saw it when booted off the installer.
The idea of create install media is to have a copy on hand, not immediately install the OS: installing the OS immediately is what you do when you run Install macOS Sierra from Applications.

You are doing it completely right. If you wanna be really sure, try unplugging the Sierra USB and booting up - you'll be greeted by a folder icon.
 
You may see a slightly different name for a boot volume in the Option-boot window, because it will show what the firmware interprets as the volume name. I typically see a variety of results for names, you just have to know which drive to select (if there are several) with a little logical thinking. If there is only the one drive, and it appears to be the installer for Sierra (the one that you created on a USB stick), then that's your choice!:cool: (the actual name might be different than what YOU decided to choose, even though the name WILL show as you expect in the Finder)
And, here's another tip. You can make sure that USB stick is the correct one while the Option-boot screen is on by un-plugging the USB drive. The volume should disappear in a "puff". Reinsert the USB, and the volume will re-appear. That's how you can decide for sure that volume is your correct choice. (Doesn't hurt anything to plug and unplug your USB stick on this screen, as the drive is not mounted as it would be when the system is booted. It's just a firmware display of available bootable devices.
 
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Mr_Brightside_@ said:
It's renamed during create install media.

You haven't reinstalled macOS yet. You need to tell it to, exactly where you saw it when booted off the installer.
The idea of create install media is to have a copy on hand, not immediately install the OS: installing the OS immediately is what you do when you run Install macOS Sierra from Applications.

You are doing it completely right.
Click to expand...

I think you misunderstood me.

After I created the USB installer and booted up, I was expecting to see the same screen I saw when I turned on my brand new Retina for the first time.

The fact that option Boot didn't yield my USB drive with its correct name, combined with me ending up at macOS Utilities made me think I wasn't booting up from my USB drive at all.

I thought maybe I was in the Recovery Partition or maybe doing an "Internet Recovery".

Again, I figured booting up from the USB Installer would be similar to when you would boot up from a CD with your OS on it. In that case, the first thing you would see would be the "Welcome" page...


Mr_Brightside_@ said:
If you wanna be really sure, try unplugging the Sierra USB and booting up - you'll be greeted by a folder icon.
Click to expand...

Yes, I have been experimenting with all different combinations: option-boot, command+r boot, plain boot, boot with USB in, boot with no USB, etc.
[doublepost=1517543121][/doublepost]
DeltaMac said:
You may see a slightly different name for a boot volume in the Option-boot window, because it will show what the firmware interprets as the volume name. I typically see a variety of results for names, you just have to know which drive to select (if there are several) with a little logical thinking. If there is only the one drive, and it appears to be the installer for Sierra (the one that you created on a USB stick), then that's your choice!:cool: (the actual name might be different than what YOU decided to choose, even though the name WILL show as you expect in the Finder)
And, here's another tip. You can make sure that USB stick is the correct one while the Option-boot screen is on by un-plugging the USB drive. The volume should disappear in a "puff". Reinsert the USB, and the volume will re-appear. That's how you can decide for sure that volume is your correct choice. (Doesn't hurt anything to plug and unplug your USB stick on this screen, as the drive is not mounted as it would be when the system is booted. It's just a firmware display of available bootable devices.
Click to expand...

Good suggestions.

My fear was that I was going to install Sierra from a source other than my USB drive.

(Before I did this, I had "Install macOS Sierra" into the "Applications" folder, so I thought maybe it was being installed form there, although since I formatted my SSD before I tried installing things, I guess that fear made no sense.)

Hey, I'm not as experienced as all of you, but at least give me credit for trying different things and trying to learn the right way to do things!
 
Texas_Toast said:
I think you misunderstood me.

After I created the USB installer and booted up, I was expecting to see the same screen I saw when I turned on my brand new Retina for the first time.

The fact that option Boot didn't yield my USB drive with its correct name, combined with me ending up at macOS Utilities made me think I wasn't booting up from my USB drive at all.

I thought maybe I was in the Recovery Partition or maybe doing an "Internet Recovery".

Again, I figured booting up from the USB Installer would be similar to when you would boot up from a CD with your OS on it. In that case, the first thing you would see would be the "Welcome" page...




Yes, I have been experimenting with all different combinations: option-boot, command+r boot, plain boot, boot with USB in, boot with no USB, etc.
Click to expand...
You figured wrong. You need to manually reinstall macOS by booting off your USB. Once the install is complete, your Mac will reboot onto the SSD where you will be greeted by the welcome screen.

You are following these steps, with the difference being that you will boot off the USB:
https://support.apple.com/en-ca/HT204904

@DeltaMac left you an extremely useful tip on how to be certain you're booting off the right USB.
 
IIRC - Texas_Toast has mentioned several times that he has a 2015 MBPro, so the system would accept Yosemite (OS X 10.10.5), should you choose to go back to that.
The 2015 is new, said it sat unused for a year or so before he began to set it up.
However, you also mentioned having a brand-new MBPro. "brand-new" does not, to me, mean sitting in a box, because I wasn't ready to use it. It means "very recently bought, new, recent model" :cool:
@Texas_Toast : does that mean you do have a new one that you have just purchased? THAT would mean that you cannot install anything older than Sierra, at least on that new one.
 
DeltaMac said:
IIRC - Texas_Toast has mentioned several times that he has a 2015 MBPro, so the system would accept Yosemite (OS X 10.10.5), should you choose to go back to that.
The 2015 is new, said it sat unused for a year or so before he began to set it up.
However, you also mentioned having a brand-new MBPro. "brand-new" does not, to me, mean sitting in a box, because I wasn't ready to use it. It means "very recently bought, new, recent model" :cool:
@Texas_Toast : does that mean you do have a new one that you have just purchased? THAT would mean that you cannot install anything older than Sierra, at least on that new one.
Click to expand...

I am *still* typing on my 2011 MBP. The "new" Retina I refer to is a 2015 Retina MBP that I bought in 2016 and have been trying to set up last half of 2017.

It is starting to become fairly "ancient" in physical terms, but I often refer to it as "new" beause, well, God, I haven't ever even used the stupid thing yet!!

FWIW, I have no desire to run anything older than Sierra on it for security reasons. In other threads I had asked about how to download older versions of OS-X just so I could tinker and learn. But my Retina will stay at Sierra for now and ultimately get upgraded to High Sierra when I think that is safe.

Also, I bought a "used" Retina last October and it is also sitting around and literally has dust on it. It should be an identical make to my Retina I am trying to get set up to replace my 2011. And I bought it because it is the last Apple laptop with a removable SSD and that is larger than an iPhone!! I also bought it because I will use it as a test computer when I want to learn things like reinstalling macOS via an installer. But first I need to get my middle Retina up and working... (Life moves so slow for me...)

BTW, after an initial test last night, it appears that my delayed, jerky login screen is fixed. So I pray that as I rebuild my middle Retina that it keeps behaving properly and I can finally get my "new" mac working and put my 2011 out to pasture!

So that is what is going on with my Macs...
 
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OP wrote:
"I am *still* typing on my 2011 MBP. The "new" Retina I refer to is a 2015 Retina MBP that I bought in 2016 and have been trying to set up last half of 2017.
It is starting to become fairly "ancient" in physical terms, but I often refer to it as "new" beause, well, God, I haven't ever even used the stupid thing yet!!"

Frankly, I've never seen anyone in this forum who has the "problems" you seem to be experiencing.

Even "never touched a Mac before" users can buy a MacBook Pro, unbox it, turn it on, and then set it up without too much trouble.

If it's taking you TWO YEARS to get a 2015 MBPro just to boot and run, and you can't even "get there" yet, I advise you to either sell it or smash it to pieces (you're so "security-minded", right?), and get something else.

Now if you want to quit the b.s. and get the thing up and running, I can tell you what to do.
But -- TEN TO ONE -- you won't do it, claiming some kind of excuse to wit..."but... it won't be SECURE!"
 
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hmm... Maybe it's time to back off just a little :cool:
I believe that the OP explained that a family situation was the reason for the rMBP sitting unused for most of a year.
Sometimes when you learn about some new tech, you take in too much "learning" at once, and in OPs case, sometimes you have to be ready to wipe everything, and start over from scratch (remembering your mistakes :rolleyes: ) -- with the hope of avoiding the same problems the second time through. Hopefully, victory is coming soon ...
 
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