How to Make a Bootable Mac OS X Lion USB Install Key [Video]

These are instructions on how to make a bootable Mac OS X Lion USB install key.



Step One
Connect a 8GB or larger USB key to your computer.


Step Two
On a Mac that can run Mac OS X Lion, open Apple's How to download and install macOS page in Safari and click Lion 10.7 under 'Download via web browser'. The InstallMacOSX.dmg disk image downloads to your Downloads folder. Apple no longer sells Mac OS X Lion in the Mac App Store; this download is free.

Step Three
Double-click InstallMacOSX.dmg to open it, then double-click InstallMacOSX.pkg and follow the onscreen instructions. This puts the Install Mac OS X Lion app in your Applications folder. If the Mac isn't compatible with Mac OS X Lion, the package won't complete.

**If you'd rather install Mac OS X Lion on this Mac, follow these instructions.

Step Four
If the installer opens, choose Quit Install Mac OS X Lion from the Install Mac OS X Lion menu to exit it.

Step Five
Click to launch a new Finder window from your dock.


Step Six
Navigate to the Applications folder and right click the new "Install Mac OS X Lion" icon then select Show Package Contents from the contextual menu.




Step Seven
Double click the Contents folder.


Step Eight
Then double click the SharedSupport folder


Step Nine
Locate the InstallESD.dmg file then open a new Finder window by pressing Command + N on your keyboard.


Step Ten
Navigate to your Applications:Utilities folder then double click Disk Utility to launch the application


On OS X El Capitan or later, Disk Utility has no Partition or Restore tabs. Select the USB drive, click Erase, name it 'OS X Lion', choose Mac OS Extended (Journaled) and GUID Partition Map, then click Erase. Then select the new volume, choose Edit > Restore, click Image, pick the InstallESD.dmg file and click Restore.

Step Eleven
Select your USB thumb drive from the list on the left and click the Partition tab.


Step Twelve
Set the Partition Layout to 1 Partition, set the Name to OS X Lion, and set the Format to Mac OS Extended (Journaled) and then click the Options button.


Step Thirteen
Choose GUID Partition Table from the popup window then click the OK button.


Step Fourteen
Next click the Apply button to save your changes.


When asked to confirm click the Partition button.


Step Fifteen
Once the USB drive has been partitioned correctly, select the new OS X Lion partition from the list on the left and click the Restore tab.


Step Sixteen
Drag the InstallESD.dmg file we located earlier from the Finder window into the Source field. Then drag the OS X Lion partition from the list on the left into the Destination field.


Step Seventeen
Click the Restore button then click the Erase button from the confirmation popup to begin building your install key.


Another popup will appear asking you to log in. Enter your administrative username and password then click OK.


Step Eighteen
When the restore is complete the Mac OS X Lion USB Install Key will be mounted and it will be ready to use.