Some Mac users may wish to create a bootable MacOS Catalina installer drive, typically using a USB flash drive or with another similar small boot disk. Bootable USB installers offer an easy way to upgrade multiple Macs to macOS Catalina, to perform clean installs of MacOS Catalina, to perform maintenance from a boot disk like formatting disks. MacOS Catalina USB Installer Bootable Flash Disk. An easy method to Create (Without Terminal Commands).How to create a bootable USB flash disk for macOS Cata.
Create a macOS Catalina installer the easy way with Install Disk Creator.This tool is for the mac user who is not comfortable with using the terminal command. How to create a bootable installer using Terminal. Plug the USB stick, hard drive or SSD into your Mac. Go to ApplicationsUtilities and double-click Disk Utility to launch it. Select the disk you want to use for the installer and choose the Erase tab.
Step Three: Create macOS Catalina Bootable USB Installer in Windows on Terminal. The USB installer has now been formated, it’s time to create and copy the installer with a command on Terminal. For this purpose, open Spotlight and type Terminal.
In our previous post, we shared an easy method to Create Bootable USB Installer for any macOS on Windows 10. We also shared a method on How to Create a Bootable Disk of MacOS X: 2 Easy Steps using a MAC system. Today, we will dive into a much deeper method on How To Create macOS Catalina Bootable USB on Windows!
Create macOS Catalina Bootable USB on Windows: Required Files
- macOS Catalina DMG file for a clean installation. (Download links have been provided below)
- A good internet connection to download the macOS Catalina DMG file. The file is around 8GBs, so you will need a good internet connection. Alternatively, you can use the Internet Download Manager tool that will help you enhance your downloading speed. I have provided the download links below.
- A USB Drive (Pen-Drive or External Disk). Your USB device must be of sufficient memory for the installation.
- TransMac tool from Acute Systems. This tool is a Windows application that may replicate and manage folders and files around Apple drives and apparatus, such as Mac-formatted hard drives, flash drives, and other memory devices, also, to open and burn disk images and .dmg along with .sparseimage documents.
How To Create macOS Catalina Bootable USB on Windows: Step by Step
This is a 4 step process, so please make sure you do not skip any part of it and eventually get frustrated with the failure. I have also shared a complete video tutorial on How To Create macOS Catalina Bootable USB on Windows: Step by Step, you can find the video at the end of this post.
Step 1: Download the required files to Create macOS Catalina Bootable USB on Windows
- TransMac tool from Acute Systems- This file is password protected and the password is www.techrechard.com. You can extract this file using WinRAR download free and support: WinRAR (win-rar.com).
- IDM 6.27 Build 2 Registered (32bit + 64bit Patch) [Techrechard.com] – This file is password protected and the password is www.techrechard.com. You can extract this file using WinRAR download free and support: WinRAR (win-rar.com).
Step 2: Install TransMac Tool on your Windows 10
After downloading the TransMac tool from the above links, you can simply proceed with the installation. You will see the following contents:
After the files have downloaded, click SETUP.
And click, Next.
Accept the terms and conditions.
Choose the directory for installation.
Leave the default ticks and click Next.
And you see that within no time the setup is complete.
Step 3: Open TransMac Tool
Once the installation is over, the transmac tool will open itself. And you will see the following message.
Since we are running the trial version of TransMac, you need to wait for 7 seconds and it will open up automatically. After the 7 seconds are over, you can simply click, Run.
Now insert your pendrive, usb drive or any external disk.
And click Tools, followed by Refresh drive list.
Once you click refresh drive list, you will see your USD device attached.
Step 4: Complete the installation
Now, right click your USB and click Restore with Disk Image.
Now, you will be prompted an error that you need to run TransMac using administrator access. So you simply click YES.
Now, wait again for 7 seconds.
Now, right click on your USB device and click Restore from Disk Image again. You will be prompted with a warning and you can click Yes.
Now you select the Catalins DMG file and upload it.
Now click OK,
Now you will get your last warning that the USD device will be formatted. You can simply click YES.
The restoration process will begin and it will take around 20-30 minutes, depending upon your USD speed. For me, it took around 17 minutes.
Once complete, you will see.
Now the Restore process is complete, and you can use this USB as macOS Catalina Bootable USB. To check the contents of this USB, you will need a MAC system. If you do not have a spare MAC, no need to worry. I will show you the contents of this USB created.
NOTE: This USB will not work on Windows anymore. If you plug it again on your desktop, it will ask you to format the drive. So do not worry. The contents of this USB will be visible only on a MAC system.
As you can see the contents of the USB device. Now, you can use this as a macOS Catalina Bootable USB.
After this process is complete, you can use this USB to install macOS Catalina on your MAC system using the BIOS mode. You simply need to boot your MAC using this USB device at startup.
Here are some other posts that you might be interested in-
How to change the working of the function keys in Catalina?
How to Install macOS Catalina on VirtualBox on Windows: 8 Step Ultimate Guide
How to Install macOS Catalina on Unsupported Mac: 9 Easy Steps
How To Download Macos Catalina Vmware and Virtualbox Image – Latest Version
How To Download Macos 10.15 Catalina Iso + Dmg + Vmdk
How to Speed Up macOS Catalina? 7 Easy Methods
How To Create macOS Catalina Bootable USB on Windows: Conclusion
I hope you have enjoyed this article and have successfully created macOS Catalina Bootable USB on Windows. If you find any issues, you can leave your comments below. I have also created a complete video tutorial that you use and learn How To Create macOS Catalina Bootable USB on Windows below.
macOS 10.15, code name for Catalina, is the latest operating system shipped for Mac desktop and laptops. And it is the right time to create a bootable USB install USB based on Catalina becasue the signing certificates for old version of macOS and OS X are expired soon. It means only macOS Catalina is available for future macOS install. So before the Mac goes into trouble or just want to install a fresh copy of Catalina, it is highly recommend making a bootable USB installer right now!
Looking for make a bootable USB installer for macOS Catalina for your Mac device but don't know how? Well, this article will guide you straight away with all the preparatory tips and steps to create a bootable macOS Catalina USB install drive in minutes.
Part 1: Preparation for Making a Bootable macOS Catalina Install USB
Before we get started for creating bootable macOS Catalina install USB, there are a few things we should pay attention to. This will avaoid the portential issue within the installation process.
1. An accessible Mac computer where you can download and make the bootable installation drive.
2. An USB drive with a minimum storage capacity of 16 GB. Also, it should be formatted to APFS.
3. Make sure there are enough free space on Mac. The Installer file is over 8G.
Part 2: Download a Copy of Bootable macOS Catalina Installer
There are two ways to download macOS Catalina 10.15. The most common way is via Mac App Store or you can use the third-party apps, which is a good alternative if the operation could not completed successful in App store. This happens a lot at least on my MacBook Pro.
Step 1: Open App Store on Mac and type 'Catalina' in search bar.
Step 2: The macOS Catalina install app appears in search result and click 'Get' button. Now the Software Update interface shows up, asking if you want to download macOS Catalina.
Step 3: Confirm the operation and the system starts to download macOS Catalina Installer. Now wait for the task to be completed. You will find the an app named Install macOS Catalina in Application folder. That's the file for OS installation.
Part 3: Create Bootable macOS Catalina USB Using DMG Editor
If you have download macOS Catalina DMG file, then UUByte DMG Editor is the only tool you can find to make a macOS bootable USB from DMG disk image. However, if you downlaoded the Catalina install app from App store, please skip this part and read the following recommendations.
Step 1: Click above button to download a copy of UUByte DMG Editor.
Step 2: Install the app on a Windows PC or Mac and insert an USB drive into the computer.
Step 3: There are three options you can see from the main window. Click 'Burn' button in this step for creating bootable USB.
Step 4: Click 'Browse' button to import the macOS Catalina dmg file into DMG Editor and select the correct USB drive, where the dmg file will be copied to. Now, click 'Burn' button to initial the task.
Step 5: There is a progress bard associated to this process and you can see the estimated time. Wait untile you get 'burning completely' message. This means the burning process is finished successfully and the USB is now bootable!
Eject the USB drive from Mac and insert it to the device where macOS needs to be installed. And follow the instructions to install macOS when the installation wizard is loaded.
Part 4: Create Bootable macOS Catalina USB Using Install Disk Creator
When you get the macOS 10.15 Catalina install file, the next move is to burn the file to USB. However, it is not a single copy-paste. The bootable information should be written to USB at the same time. So you must use third-party apps to get it done. At here, we are using Install Disk Creator, one of the best GUI programs to make a bootable USB from macOS.
Step 1: Click this link to download Install Disk Creator.
Step 2: Unzip the file on Mac and drag the app icon to Application folder. Open the app from Launchpad and insert an USB drive into Mac.
Step 3: From the app interface, click the USB drive name you just installed and add macOS Catalina Install App file in Application folder. Then click 'Create Installer' to write boot information and copy installation files to USB.
Part 5: Create Bootable macOS Catalina Install USB via Patcher App
You might get this error when trying to download macOS Catalina from App Store. And that's why we need to use third-party apps to replace Mac App Store.
macOS Catalina Patcher is a great utility for creating USB flash drive installer for Mac devices that don't support macOS Catalina. The Patcher tool is available with several new updates and features. However, these updates are not applicable for all the Mac users to upgrade their devices to the latest desktop iOS version. This tool is used for the unofficial installation of macOS Catalina on Macs that wouldn’t normally support an upgrade to Catalina.
Step 1: Connect the USB to Mac and format it to OS X Extended with Disk Utility app.
Step 2: Download the latest version of macOS Catalina Patcher. Go to Tools and click 'Download a Copy' to download the installer app.
Step 3: It will take some while to complete the download as its size is around 8GB. When the download is finished, open macOS Catalina Patcher app and click 'Browse a copy' option to add the downloaded installer file (Install macOS Catalina) in Application folder. Then choose the target USB drive and start the copying installation files to USB.
Step 4: Reboot Mac and hold on to the Option button. Startup Manager will appear on the screen. Nowm use the arrow keys to choose the bootable USB flash drive and click on Return.
Step 5: Open Disk Utility app and format the hard drive to APFS. From the Install macOS screen, select the hard drive on Mac to install the OS.
Step 6: As the installation process is done, shut down the Mac, and reboot back to the install USB drive. This is to ensure post-install patches on that device so that Catalina supports the system.
Step 7: Returning to macOS Recovery environment, hit 'macOS Post Install'. The installer will automatically choose all the accurate patches needed for your device, by default. Then hit Apply Patches and let the process complete. and allow the process to complete. After applying the patches, choose 'Force Cache Rebuild' and hit Restart. Now your device will reboot, where you can easily start the macOS Catalina installation.
Part 6: Make Bootable macOS Catalina Install USB Using Terminal
Another choice to create a bootable macOS USB is through Terminal app. It is completely free and there is no need to install addition apps. However, it takes more time to figure out how it works.
Step 1: Download a copy of macOS Catalina according to the above section.
Step 2: Head to Applications folder. Then right-click on the macOS Catalina Install app icon and pick Show Package Contents. Access Contents and go to Resources folder.
Step 3: Open Terminal app and enter 'sudo' command.
Step 4: Drag the createinstallmedia to Terminal window through the Finder location as shown in Step 4.
Step 5: Type 'volume' and put a space. Head over to Finder -> Go -> Go to Folder, enter '/Volumes' and hit Go.
Step 6: Insert the USB drive to the Mac device, which will then be displayed in Finder window.
Step 7: Fetch the volume of the flash drive to Terminal with a drag-and-drop. Hit Return from keyboard to give in the entire command. Then type your password when notified.
Install Disk Creator Catalina
Step 8: When prompted, enter 'y' to proceed followed by hitting return from the keyboard. Now the installation erases all content on USB and the installer files will then be copied to the drive. The process will only take a little while to complete.
Summary
Install Disk Creator Catalina Download
Hopefully, both the tips were helpful in guiding you on how to make bootable macOS Catalina on Mac. However, it is best to go with macOS Catalina Patcher app if your Mac device is compatible with Catalina 101.15 version and only needs a bootable USB drive to install the OS.