December 4, 2024
How to Make a Bootable OS X Yosemite USB Install Key

How to Make a Bootable OS X Yosemite USB Install Key

Posted October 17, 2014 at 8:39am by iClarified
These are instructions on how to make a bootable OS X Yosemite USB key.

Step One
Connect a 8GB or larger USB key to your computer then launch the Mac App Store from your dock.
How to Make a Bootable OS X Yosemite USB Install Key

Step Two
Navigate to the OS X Yosemite application page and click the Install button. If you are already on, or have already downloaded Yosemite, you may need to click the Download button.
How to Make a Bootable OS X Yosemite USB Install Key


How to Make a Bootable OS X Yosemite USB Install Key

Step Three
Launch Disk Utility from the Applications:Utilities folder.
How to Make a Bootable OS X Yosemite USB Install Key

Step Four
Select your USB thumb drive from the list on the left and click the Partition tab.
How to Make a Bootable OS X Yosemite USB Install Key

Step Five
Set the Partition Layout to 1 Partition, set the Name to 'Yosemite', and set the Format to Mac OS Extended (Journaled).
How to Make a Bootable OS X Yosemite USB Install Key

Step Six
Click the Options button then choose GUID Partition Table from the popup window then click the OK button.
How to Make a Bootable OS X Yosemite USB Install Key

Step Seven
Next click the Apply button to save your changes. When asked to confirm click the Partition button.
How to Make a Bootable OS X Yosemite USB Install Key

How to Make a Bootable OS X Yosemite USB Install Key

Step Eight
Launch Terminal from the Applications:Utilities folder.
How to Make a Bootable OS X Yosemite USB Install Key

Step Nine
Make sure your empty USB key is still inserted. Additionally, make sure you do not have any other volumes named 'Yosemite' except for the one we just created in Step Five.

Execute the following command in the Terminal window to create your OS X Yosemite Install key.

sudo '/Applications/Install OS X Yosemite.app/Contents/Resources/createinstallmedia' --volume '/Volumes/Yosemite' --applicationpath '/Applications/Install OS X Yosemite.app' --nointeraction
How to Make a Bootable OS X Yosemite USB Install Key

You will be asked to enter your Administrative account password.
How to Make a Bootable OS X Yosemite USB Install Key

Step Ten
After about 15 minutes the creation of your USB Install Key for OS X Yosemite will be complete.
How to Make a Bootable OS X Yosemite USB Install Key

Step Eleven
You may now restart your Mac and hold down the Option key after hearing the boot sound. You'll be presented with a list of bootable drives. Select the USB install key.
How to Make a Bootable OS X Yosemite USB Install Key

How to Make a Bootable OS X Yosemite USB Install Key

How to Make a Bootable OS X Yosemite USB Install Key
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Comments (20)
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stilnox
stilnox - October 25, 2014 at 5:25am
is it normal that only Install OS X Yosemite.app is in the thumbdrive?
Robsfirst1
Robsfirst1 - October 19, 2014 at 11:53pm
Warning! BEWARE! This line command erased my unrelated CF card that was in my CF reader ready to import images and video. I looked down and noticed the light flashing on the drive and it didn't make sense to me and I looked at the finder and found the SUDO command had renamed my CF card to 'Install OSX Yosemite' Did anyone else experience and anomaly? Will iClarified pay for any possible data recovery?
Leigh
Leigh - October 26, 2014 at 1:58am
The sudo command had nothing to do with it. You were the tool who picked the wrong drive in Disk Utility and re partitioned it!
Jonzjob
Jonzjob - July 2, 2015 at 12:14pm
Dave121424234 it must be sheer hell up there on that pedestal and being so perfect!
Me
Me - October 19, 2014 at 2:10pm
How do I revert to maverick this is slow as he'll
walusimbi
walusimbi - October 18, 2014 at 9:24pm
thanks worked like a charm
Derfadhr
Derfadhr - October 18, 2014 at 3:37am
Already created bootable usb with this tutorial. When i try to install it on phase "preparing to install, your computer will restart automatically" then it said "an error occurred while preparing installation. Try to running this application again". Ive tried many times but still not works. Any solution?
Dalogan72
Dalogan72 - October 18, 2014 at 9:57am
option + command + p + R
Alejandro Iván
Alejandro Iván - October 18, 2014 at 4:17pm
Probably a date problem... try resettng the PRAM: 1. Turn off your computer. 2. Keep pressed Command+Option+P+R. 3. While keeping those keys pressed, push the power button. 4. Release all keys. 5. Push the power button to power up your computer. 6. Try to install again.
Vim9
Vim9 - October 18, 2014 at 2:41am
Muchas Gracias!! Thanks guys
yogibaba
yogibaba - October 17, 2014 at 8:08pm
Muchas Gracias!!
Darie
Darie - October 17, 2014 at 4:37pm
Thanks guys !
LuizP
LuizP - October 17, 2014 at 1:49pm
That-s what I got> Last login: Fri Oct 17 10:04:23 on ttys000 Luizs-iMac:~ luize$ sudo '/Applications/Install OS X Yosemite.app/Contents/Resources/createinstallmedia' --volume '/Volumes/Yosemite' --applicationpath '/Applications/Install OS X Yosemite.app' --nointeraction sudo: /Applications/Install OS X Yosemite.app/Contents/Resources/createinstallmedia: command not found Luizs-iMac:~ luize$
AppleGuy299
AppleGuy299 - October 17, 2014 at 1:39pm
What about the GarageBand update? iClarified is too lazy to make an article on that.
Rashaad Sallie
Rashaad Sallie - October 17, 2014 at 9:40am
I have an external USB drive (360GB) that has 5 partitions of 10GB each. Each one has a bootable install of OSX (Lion. Mountain Lion, Mavericks and Yosemite) The 3rd big partition is packed with software and updates. I have had no problem installing from the drive. using a rMBP late 2013.
Lion_X
Lion_X - October 17, 2014 at 5:00pm
What is configuration of your rMBP late 2013 model . How Yosemite is performing on your Machine. Does it work flawlessly or it has some issues which might be irritating for user . My rMBP late 2013 configuration is 8GB RAM , 256 GB SSD . How about the apps running on your system and Battery performance of Macbook .
hamood_d10
hamood_d10 - October 17, 2014 at 9:38am
Thankss been looking for this, now i can get clean osx rather than getting it from torrent
Maxette
Maxette - October 17, 2014 at 9:29am
My Macbook Pro is taking forever to boot the installer from the pen drive. Anyone else?
AppleGuy299
AppleGuy299 - October 17, 2014 at 12:38pm
That happens when booting from a USB drive.
Jim
Jim - October 17, 2014 at 1:28pm
Same here. Used to be much faster on Mavericks.
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