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Trying to create bootable Sierra USB

Trying to make a bootable Sierra usb for iMac 10,3. Tried the terminal but would error all the time. Disk Maker X failing all the time as well. Trying to make it on MacBook Pro on Catalina. Any other suggestions please?


Thank you


Mariane

iMac 21.5", OS X 10.11

Posted on Dec 22, 2019 1:51 PM

Reply
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Dec 22, 2019 2:03 PM

Do you have the Sierra full installer app - Install macOS Sierra? Is the USB stick properly formatted using HFS+ and GUID partition scheme? In Terminal did you use the correct command? Did you give the required name to the USB flash drive?


Bootable USB Installers for OS X Mavericks Through Catalina


First, review this introductory article: Create a bootable installer for macOS. Second, read this How To outline for creating a bootable macOS installer. Simply use the Terminal command by copying and pasting the command line for the version of macOS from the list below. You will need an 8GB or larger USB flash drive that has been partitioned and formatted for use with OS X as well as an installer for the desired macOS version that you have previously downloaded from the App Store.


Drive Partition and Format


  1. Open Disk Utility in the Utilities' folder.
  2. After Disk Utility loads select the drive (out-dented entry with the mfg.'s ID and size) from the side list.
  3. Click on the Erase tab in the Disk Utility toolbar. Name the drive, "MyVolume". <---- IMPORTANT!
  4. In the drop down panel set the partition scheme to GUID. Set the Format type to Mac OS Extended (Journaled.)
  5. Click on the Apply button and wait for the Done button to activate. When it does click on it.
  6. Quit Disk Utility.


Create Installer


Open the Terminal in the Utilities' folder. Choose the appropriate command line (in red) depending upon what OS X installer you want. Paste that entire command line from below at the Terminal's prompt:


Command for macOS Catalina:

sudo /Applications/Install\ macOS\ Catalina.app/Contents/Resources/createinstallmedia --volume /Volumes/MyVolume


Command for macOS Mojave:

sudo /Applications/Install\ macOS\ Mojave.app/Contents/Resources/createinstallmedia --volume /Volumes/MyVolume


*Command for macOS High Sierra:

sudo /Applications/Install\ macOS\ High\ Sierra.app/Contents/Resources/createinstallmedia --volume /Volumes/MyVolume


Command for macOS Sierra:

sudo /Applications/Install\ macOS\ Sierra.app/Contents/Resources/createinstallmedia --volume /Volumes/MyVolume --applicationpath /Applications/Install\ macOS\ Sierra.app


Command for El Capitan:

sudo /Applications/Install\ OS\ X\ El\ Capitan.app/Contents/Resources/createinstallmedia --volume /Volumes/MyVolume --applicationpath /Applications/Install\ OS\ X\ El\ Capitan.app


Command for Yosemite:

sudo /Applications/Install\ OS\ X\ Yosemite.app/Contents/Resources/createinstallmedia --volume /Volumes/MyVolume --applicationpath /Applications/Install\ OS\ X\ Yosemite.app


Command for Mavericks:

sudo /Applications/Install\ OS\ X\ Mavericks.app/Contents/Resources/createinstallmedia --volume /Volumes/MyVolume --applicationpath /Applications/Install\ OS\ X\ Mavericks.app


Press RETURN. You will be asked for your admin password. It will not echo to the Terminal window. Then press RETURN again. Wait for the return of the Terminal prompt signifying the process has completed. It takes quite some time to finish. Be patient.


* If your Mac is using macOS Sierra or earlier, include the --applicationpath argument. The Sierra and El Capitan commands show the proper format of this argument.


The bootable installer can be used to install the selected version of macOS. Shut the computer down. Insert your flash drive into a USB port. Start the computer like so:


Boot Using OPTION key


  1. Restart the computer.
  2. Immediately after the chime press and hold down the  "OPTION" key.
  3. Release the key when the Boot Manager screen appears.
  4. Select the disk icon for the USB flash drive.
  5. Click on the arrow button under the disk icon.




6 replies
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Dec 22, 2019 2:03 PM in response to mariane34

Do you have the Sierra full installer app - Install macOS Sierra? Is the USB stick properly formatted using HFS+ and GUID partition scheme? In Terminal did you use the correct command? Did you give the required name to the USB flash drive?


Bootable USB Installers for OS X Mavericks Through Catalina


First, review this introductory article: Create a bootable installer for macOS. Second, read this How To outline for creating a bootable macOS installer. Simply use the Terminal command by copying and pasting the command line for the version of macOS from the list below. You will need an 8GB or larger USB flash drive that has been partitioned and formatted for use with OS X as well as an installer for the desired macOS version that you have previously downloaded from the App Store.


Drive Partition and Format


  1. Open Disk Utility in the Utilities' folder.
  2. After Disk Utility loads select the drive (out-dented entry with the mfg.'s ID and size) from the side list.
  3. Click on the Erase tab in the Disk Utility toolbar. Name the drive, "MyVolume". <---- IMPORTANT!
  4. In the drop down panel set the partition scheme to GUID. Set the Format type to Mac OS Extended (Journaled.)
  5. Click on the Apply button and wait for the Done button to activate. When it does click on it.
  6. Quit Disk Utility.


Create Installer


Open the Terminal in the Utilities' folder. Choose the appropriate command line (in red) depending upon what OS X installer you want. Paste that entire command line from below at the Terminal's prompt:


Command for macOS Catalina:

sudo /Applications/Install\ macOS\ Catalina.app/Contents/Resources/createinstallmedia --volume /Volumes/MyVolume


Command for macOS Mojave:

sudo /Applications/Install\ macOS\ Mojave.app/Contents/Resources/createinstallmedia --volume /Volumes/MyVolume


*Command for macOS High Sierra:

sudo /Applications/Install\ macOS\ High\ Sierra.app/Contents/Resources/createinstallmedia --volume /Volumes/MyVolume


Command for macOS Sierra:

sudo /Applications/Install\ macOS\ Sierra.app/Contents/Resources/createinstallmedia --volume /Volumes/MyVolume --applicationpath /Applications/Install\ macOS\ Sierra.app


Command for El Capitan:

sudo /Applications/Install\ OS\ X\ El\ Capitan.app/Contents/Resources/createinstallmedia --volume /Volumes/MyVolume --applicationpath /Applications/Install\ OS\ X\ El\ Capitan.app


Command for Yosemite:

sudo /Applications/Install\ OS\ X\ Yosemite.app/Contents/Resources/createinstallmedia --volume /Volumes/MyVolume --applicationpath /Applications/Install\ OS\ X\ Yosemite.app


Command for Mavericks:

sudo /Applications/Install\ OS\ X\ Mavericks.app/Contents/Resources/createinstallmedia --volume /Volumes/MyVolume --applicationpath /Applications/Install\ OS\ X\ Mavericks.app


Press RETURN. You will be asked for your admin password. It will not echo to the Terminal window. Then press RETURN again. Wait for the return of the Terminal prompt signifying the process has completed. It takes quite some time to finish. Be patient.


* If your Mac is using macOS Sierra or earlier, include the --applicationpath argument. The Sierra and El Capitan commands show the proper format of this argument.


The bootable installer can be used to install the selected version of macOS. Shut the computer down. Insert your flash drive into a USB port. Start the computer like so:


Boot Using OPTION key


  1. Restart the computer.
  2. Immediately after the chime press and hold down the  "OPTION" key.
  3. Release the key when the Boot Manager screen appears.
  4. Select the disk icon for the USB flash drive.
  5. Click on the arrow button under the disk icon.




Dec 24, 2019 7:10 PM in response to mariane34

Did you paste the entire line or did you paste three separate lines? You should use the entire command:


sudo /Applications/Install\ macOS\ Sierra.app/Contents/Resources/createinstallmedia --volume /Volumes/MyVolume --applicationpath /Applications/Install\ macOS\ Sierra.app


Copy the entire command from start to finish. The installer must be in your Applications folder and the USB stick must be named "MyVolume" without the quotes and mounted on the Desktop.

Dec 24, 2019 3:06 PM in response to Kappy

Hi Kappy,


Thank you for the response. I did the above steps again and had the same error of which I posted below. Please advice. Thank you kindly!


Mariane


Marianes-MBP:~ mariane$ sudo /Applications/Install\ macOS\ Sierra.app/Contents/Resources/createinstallmedia --volume /Volumes/MyVolume --applicationpath /Applications/Install\ macOS\ Sierra.app


2019-12-24 17:51:46.820 createinstallmedia[5340:73909] *** Terminating app due to uncaught exception 'NSInternalInconsistencyException', reason: 'Couldn't posix_spawn: error 35'


*** First throw call stack:


(


0   CoreFoundation                      0x00007fff2f0f9f53 __exceptionPreprocess + 250


1   libobjc.A.dylib                     0x00007fff651bf835 objc_exception_throw + 48


2   Foundation                          0x00007fff31732fd5 -[NSConcreteTask launchWithDictionary:error:] + 5014


3   Foundation                          0x00007fff317405a5 +[NSTask launchedTaskWithLaunchPath:arguments:] + 153


4   createinstallmedia                  0x00000001008f8968 createinstallmedia + 6504


5   libdyld.dylib                       0x00007fff665222e5 start + 1


)


libc++abi.dylib: terminating with uncaught exception of type NSException

Dec 25, 2019 2:39 AM in response to Kappy

As said before and countless times since the updated version of Sierra was released (October 2019) the

Install macOS Sierra.app has a fault in its coding that stalls the creation of the USB installer,

where the error is thus,

/Volumes/MyVolume is not a valid mount point

Apple has been informed numerous times and has done nothing about it.


Trying to create bootable Sierra USB

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