If your Mac still refuses to boot off your USB stick you may find it easier to boot and install off an Ubuntu DVD instead. See our How to burn a DVD on macOS for further details. Alternatively, if you feel confident using the macOS command line, see the community documentation on How to install Ubuntu on MacBook using USB Stick for a more. Burn ISO to USB Mac Using Terminal. You can make use of the default command line.
These advanced steps are primarily for system administrators and others who are familiar with the command line. You don't need a bootable installer to upgrade macOS or reinstall macOS, but it can be useful when you want to install on multiple computers without downloading the installer each time.
Download macOS
Find the appropriate download link in the upgrade instructions for each macOS version:
macOS Catalina, macOS Mojave, ormacOS High Sierra
Installers for each of these macOS versions download directly to your Applications folder as an app named Install macOS Catalina, Install macOS Mojave, or Install macOS High Sierra. If the installer opens after downloading, quit it without continuing installation. Important: To get the correct installer, download from a Mac that is using macOS Sierra 10.12.5 or later, or El Capitan 10.11.6. Enterprise administrators, please download from Apple, not a locally hosted software-update server.
OS X El Capitan
El Capitan downloads as a disk image. On a Mac that is compatible with El Capitan, open the disk image and run the installer within, named InstallMacOSX.pkg. It installs an app named Install OS X El Capitan into your Applications folder. You will create the bootable installer from this app, not from the disk image or .pkg installer.
Use the 'createinstallmedia' command in Terminal
- Connect the USB flash drive or other volume that you're using for the bootable installer. Make sure that it has at least 12GB of available storage and is formatted as Mac OS Extended.
- Open Terminal, which is in the Utilities folder of your Applications folder.
- Type or paste one of the following commands in Terminal. These assume that the installer is still in your Applications folder, and MyVolume is the name of the USB flash drive or other volume you're using. If it has a different name, replace
MyVolumein these commands with the name of your volume.
Catalina:*
Mojave:*
High Sierra:*
El Capitan: - Press Return after typing the command.
- When prompted, type your administrator password and press Return again. Terminal doesn't show any characters as you type your password.
- When prompted, type
Yto confirm that you want to erase the volume, then press Return. Terminal shows the progress as the bootable installer is created. - When Terminal says that it's done, the volume will have the same name as the installer you downloaded, such as Install macOS Catalina. You can now quit Terminal and eject the volume.
* If your Mac is using macOS Sierra or earlier, include the --applicationpath argument, similar to the way this argument is used in the command for El Capitan.
Use the bootable installer
After creating the bootable installer, follow these steps to use it:
- Plug the bootable installer into a compatible Mac.
- Use Startup Manager or Startup Disk preferences to select the bootable installer as the startup disk, then start up from it. Your Mac will start up to macOS Recovery.
Learn about selecting a startup disk, including what to do if your Mac doesn't start up from it. - Choose your language, if prompted.
- A bootable installer doesn't download macOS from the Internet, but it does require the Internet to get information specific to your Mac model, such as firmware updates. If you need to connect to a Wi-Fi network, use the Wi-Fi menu in the menu bar.
- Select Install macOS (or Install OS X) from the Utilities window, then click Continue and follow the onscreen instructions.
Learn more
For more information about the createinstallmedia command and the arguments that you can use with it, make sure that the macOS installer is in your Applications folder, then enter this path in Terminal:
Catalina:
Mojave:
High Sierra:
El Capitan:
Ubuntu Usb Stick Mac Os X
ISO image burning is rather a need when your system is compromised due to malware attack and you need to format, or you need to reset your forgotten password of your admin account. Thus if you are not fully aware of how to burn ISO image file onto to disk especially on Mac computers, this article would be the best guideline to show you the methodology. Mac besides windows computers has got certain discrepancies which makes it a bit different from others, but if you have got the right ISO image burning tool to accomplish your task, Mac computers can be as supportive as the Windows computers.
Also read: How to burn ISO file to USB on Windows
Besides, the user needs to have a basic idea of what burning of ISO image file means exactly. Well, if you are not fully aware, then you should know that ISO image files are fragmented files or achieve files of an optical disk which are compressed in the form of an Image called ISO image. It is specifically characterized by the extension it uses, that is .iso file. Thus if you want to create a Windows 10 bootable USB on mac then you have to burn the ISO image files onto the disk by segregating a partitioned zone within the disk to avail the compressed files and make them executable. The methods in this article will show you how to create a Windows 10 bootable USB/DVD on Mac . Keep reading to know them in full-length.
Method #1: Create Windows 10 Bootable USB/DVD on Mac Using Disk Utility
Instead of trying out with an external agent, it would be better to make use of the in-built application of Mac, called Disk Utility to burn the ISO image files on disk to make them bootable. It comes pre-installed with the Mac OS so you don't have to worry about its downloading and installation. Just follow the steps below to burn ISO files to USB/DVD on Mac OS X.
Step 1. Go to the 'Applications' and then 'Utilities'.
Step 2. Locate the app 'Disk Utility' from the apps available on the 'Utilities' folder.
Step 3. Now pull down the fileStep 4. Browse to the ISO image file that you want to get burnt into your specific drive and click 'Ok'. menu and choose 'Open Disk Image'. Browse to the ISO image file that you want to get burnt into your specific drive and click 'Ok'.
Step 4. Insert the empty disk, be it CD/DVD or USB with a comparable storage capacity depending upon the size of the ISO image.
Step 5. Now click 'Burn' to burn the ISO image files into the disk and wait until the burning is completed.
Cons:
- Sometimes the app might intermittently stop in between the process if the file size is too heavy.
- Errors are reported with Disk Utility. and only works with OS X 10.10 or lower.
- There are bugs issues, present while burning the ISO image files.
Also read: Top Free ISO Burner Software for Windows 10/8/7
Method #2: Burn ISO to USB/DVD/CD on Mac OS X using WizISO
Mac OS comes with a great a tool for making bootable USB/DVD from ISO, but unfortunately, it doesn't seem to work for burning ISO images to USB drives on Mac because it may comes with some sort of cryptic errors. Here we will introduce a professional ISO burning tool for your Mac OS X. iSeePassword WizISO is an astounding ISO burning tool which supports both Windows and Mac computers and give you ability to create Windows 10 bootable USB on Mac OS with easy.
It provides 5 powerful key feature including ISO Burner, ISO Extractor, ISO Maker, ISO Editor and Copy Disc based on different needs. Here in this section, we would only focus on burning ISO image to USB/DVD on Mac OSX. WizISO has been incessantly serving countless users across the internet with its exceptional service and its advanced features which makes it different from other ISO burning tools.
WizISO - Create Windows 10 Bootable USB on Mac OS X
- Just 3 simple steps to burn ISO to USB/DVD on Mac OS X without getting errors.
- It combines 5 functions: Burn, Extract, Edit, Create and Copy Disc.
- It works for both GPT (UEFI boot) and MBR (legacy BIOS/CMS boot) modes.
- It supports all types of system files- FAT. FAT 32, and NTFS.
- Supports both windows and Mac OS X.
Step 1. Get the program file downloaded on your Mac OS X. Launch it admin privileges so that you can exercise all the admin rights. (It may ask you to type the Administrator password).
Step 2. You can it combines five functions including Burn, Extract, Cretae, Edit and Copy Disc. Firstly click the 'Burn' option to open main interface and browse the ISO image source file from the source location.
Ubuntu For Mac Usb
Step 3. Either choose 'Create a Bootable CD/DVD' or 'Create a Bootable USB' depending upon the type of disk you are using to burn your ISO image files. Insert your USB or DVD/CD to your Mac OS X. Select your file format from the 'System File' section as FAT, FAT 32, NTFS.
Step 5. After you have chosen all your priorities, click on 'Burn' button to burn the ISO image file. It will take few minutes and your bootable disk will be created with the ISO image burnt onto the disk.
Burning ISO image files on Mac is not that difficult job to pull off unless you have the basic idea of ISO image files and have the right choice for burning ISO tools. Form the article above, you can clearly deduce that iSeePassword ISO Editor for Mac is the only reliable burning image tool with no demerits or limitations at all. It has been tested with many brands of computers and operating systems including the Mac OS, thus you can completely rely on it to burn ISO file to USB/DVD on Mac OS X without getting any errors.
Also read: How to burn ISO file to DVD/CD
Don't miss: How to Create A Bootable USB/DVD on Mac OS for Windows 10
Method #3: Create Bootable Windows 10 USB on Mac using Terminal
If you're Mac Sierra users then you must notice that Apple has stripped the function to create Windows 10/8/7 bootable USB/DVD from ISO on Mac Sierra and Macbook air. So it makes it very difficult to burn a Windows ISO to USB on Mac OS. But you still have a choice to do that by using Terminal command although it's very complicated. But there are many potential errors when burning ISO to USB on Macbook air or high sierra. Most Mac OS X cannot load the IntelMEI driver and pop up a 'Windows Setup could not insatll one or more boot-critical drivers. and restart the installation'. However, most of time it's working and your data will be copied.
First, mount the USB disk on your system then follow these steps –
Step 1. Open the 'Finder' option then 'Terminal' app. Now, type 'diskutil list' to find out which one is the USB flash drive.
Step 2. Let's say your USB drive is 'disk 2', so first we will have to format it in the Terminal app by typing diskutil eraseDisk ExFat 'WINDOWS10' MBR disk2.
Mac Os Usb Download
Step 3. By entering this, the app will format the USB drive and name t 'WINDOWS10' so that you can use it as an installer.
Step 4. Assuming you have downloaded the Windows 10 .ISO file and it is stored in the Downloads folder. So, go ahead and mount the .ISO by opening it. It should be named as ' CCCOMA_X64FRE_EN-US_DV9'
Step 5. Now, on the Terminal app type the following to copy the files of Windows 10 to the USB flash drive. 'cp -rp /Volumes/CCCOMA_X64FRE_EN-US_DV9/* /Volumes/WINDOWS10/' . This will take several minutes to complete but your data should be copied and the flash drive will be bootable. You can use it install Windows 10 on any desired system. Then you can be able to install your Microsoft Windows 10/8/7 system on Intel-based Macintosh computers.
Cons
- Most Mac OS X cannot load the IntelMEI driver and pop up errors on Macbook air or high sierra.
- It requires USB with at least 40 GB space
- Won't support UEFI and 64bit Windows 10 ISO.
- Command line operations, not intended for the beginner and at your own risk.
Usb Ubuntu For Mac Os Versions