How to reinstall macOS from USB for old versions like monterey

If you can’t create a bootable USB for an older macOS version using the createinstallmedia command on your current Mac, a practical workaround is to borrow another Mac that officially supports that macOS version. Newer Macs often block or fail to properly create installers for older systems due to compatibility and security restrictions, which can lead to errors or incomplete USB creation.

On the compatible Mac, download the correct macOS installer from Apple, then use the createinstallmedia command in Terminal to build the bootable USB without issues. Once the USB is ready, you can use it on your target Mac to install the older macOS version. This method is often more reliable than forcing the process on unsupported hardware and saves a lot of troubleshooting time.

How to download and install macOS - Apple Support

If you couldn't find another mac to do this, one possible solution is using a dedicated app for making bootable usb on any PC or Mac.

Creating a macOS bootable USB with SysGeeker UltraDMG is one of the easiest ways to install or reinstall macOS without dealing with complicated Terminal commands. It’s especially helpful if Recovery Mode fails, the installer gets stuck, or you need a clean installation on multiple Macs. UltraDMG simplifies the whole process by letting you download macOS DMG files and turn them into a bootable USB in just a few clicks.

Steps for Creating a Mac Bootable USB Installer:

1. Download and install UltraDMG on a Mac or Windows PC, then launch the program.
2. Insert a USB drive (at least 16GB) and back up any important data on it, as it will be erased.
3. Go to the Download macOS section and select the macOS version you want (e.g., Sonoma, Ventura), then download the DMG file.
4. After the download, switch to the Create Bootable USB feature.
5. Select the downloaded DMG file and choose your USB drive from the list.
6. Click Burn to start creating the bootable USB and wait until the process is completed.

Reinstall macOS from a bootable USB

1. Insert the macOS bootable USB into your Mac.
2. Shut down the Mac completely.
3. Turn it on and immediately hold the Option (⌥) key until the startup disk menu appears.
4. Select the USB installer (Install macOS) and press Enter.
5. Once the macOS Utilities window loads, open Disk Utility (optional but recommended for clean install).
6. Select your main drive (usually Macintosh HD) and click Erase → format as APFS.
7. Close Disk Utility and choose Install macOS, then select your target disk.
8. Follow the on-screen instructions and wait for the installation to complete (your Mac may restart several times).

It has been true for a very very long time that a Mac cannot boot – or create a bootable installer – from a macOS version it is not qualified to run, nor can it boot from an OS that predates its own release date. Your MBA that shipped with Sequoia isn't qualified to run the Monterey OS that predates its own release.

If you have any friend family with a Mac that does qualify for Monterey, then perhaps you can use that to create your bootable USB installer. That Mac doesn't have to be running Monterey, it just has to be capable of that.

Meanwhile, you might reboot the Mac and try reinstalling an OS from recover mode again and give it more time. The process can take an hour or more depending on computer and internet speed. If you are trying to do this wirelessly, then you might use an Ethernet cable to connect the Mac to your router to improve the download speed.

Try adding: mrmacintosh download full macOS installer from Apple

to your search (along with the macOS you want)

Dalinington wrote:

This is the single most important thing to know if you want to reinstall macOS from USB for old versions: You cannot use an installer made for an Intel Mac on an M1 Mac. The installer you create must be the official Apple Silicon version, or your Mac will not recognize it.

Not entirely correct. If an Intel/Apple Silicon Mac can run X version of macOS, then you can use either an Intel Mac or Apple Silicon Mac to make a bootable X installer that can be used on either Intel or Apple Silicon.

Correct part....It has never been possible to create a bootable macOS USB installer using normal means on unsupported Mac hardware, so that part of the statement is true.

Apple's App Store won't let your M3 iMac download Monterey. You'll need to use a different Mac that can run Monterey (like an older Intel MacBook)

Correct.

or a PC.

Wrong. macOS is not supported on non-Apple PC hardware. It is against the terms of the macOS EULA license.

We've seen so many people on this forum say there is a Windows app that can make such a macOS USB installer, but we have never seen any success stories in recent years (perhaps with some older installers it was possible at some at one time).

FYI, be mindful of the Apple forum's Terms of Use.

Apple Support Communities Use Agreement - Apple Community

This is the single most important thing to know if you want to reinstall macOS from USB for old versions: You cannot use an installer made for an Intel Mac on an M1 Mac. The installer you create must be the official Apple Silicon version, or your Mac will not recognize it.

Apple's App Store won't let your M3 iMac download Monterey. You'll need to use a different Mac that can run Monterey (like an older Intel MacBook) or a PC.

Using balenaEtcher can be a helpful solution if you're trying to reinstall macOS from USB for old versions, especially when you're facing issues with internet recovery. In your situation, where your MacBook Air M1 with Monterey was erased and the internet recovery is stuck at about 70%, creating a bootable USB installer becomes a viable alternative.

To do this, you need to first obtain the macOS Monterey installer suitable for your Mac. Since the internet recovery isn't working properly, you can use balenaEtcher to reinstall macOS from USB for old versions. However, keep in mind that creating a bootable installer for older macOS versions can sometimes be tricky, especially on newer Macs like your iMac M3 with Sequoia 15.7, which may have compatibility issues or require specific steps.

Gorriechi wrote:

Using balenaEtcher can be a helpful solution if you're trying to reinstall macOS from USB for old versions, especially when you're facing issues with internet recovery. In your situation, where your MacBook Air M1 with Monterey was erased and the internet recovery is stuck at about 70%, creating a bootable USB installer becomes a viable alternative.

To do this, you need to first obtain the macOS Monterey installer suitable for your Mac. Since the internet recovery isn't working properly, you can use balenaEtcher to reinstall macOS from USB for old versions. However, keep in mind that creating a bootable installer for older macOS versions can sometimes be tricky, especially on newer Macs like your iMac M3 with Sequoia 15.7, which may have compatibility issues or require specific steps.

Balena Etcher cannot be used to create a bootable macOS USB installer. At least not with any official installers.

Balena Etcher really can only create bootable USB sticks for Linux distributions and some other Linux based boot drives. macOS is not Linux.