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Creating a USB Bootstick in Recovery Mode

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GianniUnamos

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Jul 22, 2020
5
0
hi there,
do you know if I can create a bootable USB Stick in Internet recovery mode?

I followed a step-by-step Video of how to restore a Mac to factory settings. It didn’t work. I cannot install the only available Software (MacOS X Lion). I have a MacBook 13 mid 2011

Now I can only reboot to Internet Recovery Mode.

I have seen that you need to open and use Terminal when creating a bootable USB Stick.
But I cannot go to Terminal in recovery mode. Would that be a problem?

I’m stuck. I’ve spent the whole day trying to fix this.

PC stores are asking 100€ to do the reset. I’m selling my mac for 200€

I gotta fix this

Any help will be much appreciated!
 
Last edited:
Hi,
sorry, I mean a bootable USB Stick.
I have a MacBook 13 mid 2011

i have tried to use time machine as well. Three times now. All I get at the End is a Stop sign.
Nothing seems to work
 
You do not need to go into terminal to install the OS on a USB drive. You just need to format the USB drive correctly using Disk Utility which is available in Internet Recovery.

Also, not all USB drives can be used as boot drives. While most are okay, some for some reason, just won't work. It isn't brand specific, as I had some Sandisk thumb drives work, while at least one, did not work.

But, I am still a little confused with what you end goal is. Why are you trying to install the OS on a USB drive and not the internal drive?

Do you have another Mac to use?
 
@vertical smile It sounds like the OP is trying to use the terminal command that allows one to create a USB drive that contains the macOS installation files so that the Mac can have the OS reinstalled from the USB rather than using a "live" download.

Unfortunately unless you have the file already on a USB drive someplace, to point the Terminal command to in order to build another drive with the installation media, you won't be able to do that. Additionally - I don't know that you'd be able to in Recovery. I believe that Mac also has a very limited Internet Recovery capability compared to a 2012, or a 2011 that had a more recent version of macOS prior to being wiped as I believe Recovery changed in Mountain Lion or the next OS. The latest OS that computer will take is Mojave.
 
GianniUnamos said:
Hi,
sorry, I mean a bootable USB Stick.
I have a MacBook 13 mid 2011

i have tried to use time machine as well. Three times now. All I get at the End is a Stop sign.
Nothing seems to work
Click to expand...
If you're trying to reformat the drive and install a clean copy of the operating system on the computer, you can do all of this from internet recovery without using a USB drive of any sort whatsoever.
 
vertical smile said:
You do not need to go into terminal to install the OS on a USB drive. You just need to format the USB drive correctly using Disk Utility which is available in Internet Recovery.

Also, not all USB drives can be used as boot drives. While most are okay, some for some reason, just won't work. It isn't brand specific, as I had some Sandisk thumb drives work, while at least one, did not work.

But, I am still a little confused with what you end goal is. Why are you trying to install the OS on a USB drive and not the internal drive?

Do you have another Mac to use?
Click to expand...

Lion Mac OS X cannot be installed on MacBook Air 2011. So I need a bootable USB Stick. And I don’t think I can create such a USB stick in recovery mode. So now I will use the MacBook of a friend to make it.
 
GianniUnamos said:
Lion Mac OS X cannot be installed on MacBook Air 2011. So I need a bootable USB Stick. And I don’t think I can create such a USB stick in recovery mode. So now I will use the MacBook of a friend to make it.
Click to expand...
Just use internet recovery to install whatever operating system it offers. You do not need a USB drive for this.
 
GianniUnamos said:
Lion Mac OS X cannot be installed on MacBook Air 2011
Click to expand...
Lion was released in July of 2011 and shipped with the Mid 2011 MBA. It should be able to be installed.

Since MacOS 10.12.4, Internet Recovery should enable you to install the latest OS available for your Mac, which is High Sierra.

If you never updated your MBA up to 10.12.4 or above, which I suspect is the issue, then the only option available to you will be the OS that shipped with your Mac, which is Lion.
[automerge]1595511809[/automerge]
GianniUnamos said:
So I need a bootable USB Stick.
Click to expand...
I assume you mean bootable USB installer.

Sometimes certain thumb drives just don't work as bootable installers. If you follow the directions, but it isn't working, try using a different thumb drive, or better yet, an external HDD or SSD.

GianniUnamos said:
So now I will use the MacBook of a friend to make it.
Click to expand...
Do you know what MacBook your friend has?

You could keep it really simple and connect the two using a TB cable, start your Mac in Target Disk Mode, and it would show up on your friends Mac as an external drive, and you could just install the OS right to your Mac's SSD instead of messing with Terminal to make a USB Installer.
 
Last edited:
A mid-2011 MacBook Pro should be able to run an OS later than Lion.
Everymac.com says it can run up to High Sierra.

My recommendation would be El Capitan (10.11) or Low Sierra (10.12).

Your best bet is to use the friend's MacBook.

IMPORTANT QUESTION:
What version of the OS is running on his MacBook?

I'd suggest that you download OS 10.12 "Low Sierra".
Get it here:
(this initiates a download when you click it)

There is a free utility called "DiskMaker X" that can create the flashdrive. Makes it easier.

If this doesn't work, you can go on Ebay and BUY a USB flashdrive installer with the OS of your choice pre-installed on it.
Will cost about $20 (US).
That will probably work for you if nothing else does.

TIP:
Next time, don't erase a Mac UNLESS you have a bootable backup on an external drive.
Because once it's erased, you have no way to "get to the finder" !
 
Fishrrman said:
What version of the OS is running on his MacBook?
Click to expand...

She has a macbook Air 13 2015 / MacOs Catalina Version 10.15.5

That might not work then, I think? Or does it?

Fishrrman said:
Next time, don't erase a Mac UNLESS you have a bootable backup on an external drive.
Because once it's erased, you have no way to "get to the finder" !
Click to expand...
This I will never forget! For sure!

vertical smile said:
Sometimes certain thumb drives just don't work as bootable installers.
Click to expand...
How exactly do I find out if it's working or not?

I hope you can help me out with this one:

I installed MacOs Sierra. From Step 4

macOS laden und installieren - Apple Support (DE)

Lade und installiere aktuelle oder frühere Versionen des Mac-Betriebssystems auf kompatiblen Mac-Computern.
support.apple.com support.apple.com

Then I introduced this command in the Terminal of my friend:

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

or this one:

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

and I always get this back:

sudo: /Applications/Install macOS Sierra.app/Contents/Resources/createinstallmedia: command not found

The Name of the USB Stick is MyVolume
 
GianniUnamos said:
She has a macbook Air 13 2015 / MacOs Catalina Version 10.15.5

That might not work then, I think? Or does it?


This I will never forget! For sure!


How exactly do I find out if it's working or not?

I hope you can help me out with this one:

I installed MacOs Sierra. From Step 4

macOS laden und installieren - Apple Support (DE)

Lade und installiere aktuelle oder frühere Versionen des Mac-Betriebssystems auf kompatiblen Mac-Computern.
support.apple.com support.apple.com

Then I introduced this command in the Terminal of my friend:

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

or this one:

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

and I always get this back:

sudo: /Applications/Install macOS Sierra.app/Contents/Resources/createinstallmedia: command not found

The Name of the USB Stick is MyVolume
Click to expand...
Once again: why have you not just reinstalled using internet recovery?
 
chrfr said:
Once again: why have you not just reinstalled using internet recovery?
Click to expand...

This is the main problem here. It cannot be installed in internet recovery mode. I also tried to reinstall everything using the time machine (three times) and always get the Stop Sign at the end.

Does someone know why the command cannot be found?
I downloaded Sierra from the link of #11. It cannot be downloaded from the app store of my friend, cause it doesn't show the option. She says that her AppStore hasn't been working lately.
Could that be the problem why the command in the Terminal is not working? Cause all the youtube tutorials I have watched use the AppStore download when creating a boot USB.
 
Last edited:
Can you post the How-To that you are using?
Also, how are you formatting the Thumb Drive?

This might be old, but this is what I used for Terminal to create my Sierra Installer:

sudo /Applications/Install\ macOS\ Sierra.app/Contents/Resources/createinstallmedia --volume /Volumes/10.12 --applicationpath /Applications/Install\ macOS\ Sierra.app

I think there might be some problems though. I think the installer, once downloaded, needs to be opened once IIRC. I am unsure if it would open on your friend's Mac since she has 10.15.


TRY THIS:
If could you put her Mac in Internet Recovery Mode by holding Shift+Option+Command+R at startup (this installs the OS that came with the Mac from the Internet which should be Sierra), she could just install the Sierra OS right on the Thumb Drive. I am referring to installing the OS, not creating an installer.

Or, if you have a TB cable, you can connect the two Macs, and install Sierra right on your Mac.

JUST DON'T ERASE HER INTERNAL DRIVE!

Also, post how you are formatting the potential install drive. If the format is wrong, you will not be able to install the OS, nor a bootable installer.
 
Try using DiskMaker X to create the USB installer.
MAKE SURE that you download and use the right version (of DiskMaker) for Sierra.
 
Did you get this resolved yet? If not I can upload a USB image to my google drive for you. Some Macs will only boot with the latest installer (10.7.5 Build 11G63) Or any other version you may need.
 
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