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Resolved El Capitan install USB not bootable

G

Glud

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Sep 8, 2014
8
1
Hi all!

I have decided to go with a fresh and clean install of OS X 10.11 El Capitan this time. As I've done a thousand times before I created an install-USB by downloading El Capitan from the App Store and compiled it on to the USB-drive by using Apples own terminal command. However, the install-USB is not bootable and does not show up i the "Startup disk preference panel". Is does mount as it should on my desktop, though, and I'm able to run the installer from the USB. But it's not bootable. Can't really see how I can do this procedure wrong.

Heres what I've tried so far:
- Redownloading El Capitan from the App Store (if something was wrong with the first image)
- Tried creating the USB on three different Macs (with Mavericks, Yosemite and El Capitan)
- Tried creating the USB by using Diskmaker X 5.0.1 instead of the terminal command (on three Macs)
- Formatting the USB a thousand times (GUID / OS X - journaled)
- Testing the USB on four different Macs - none of them recognizes the USB as bootable

So what do you wise people say? Why can't I create a bootable OSX-install-USB like before?
Thanks! :)
 
Better solution...boot to your recovery partition, erase drive, install El Capitan.
 
Glud said:
Hi all!

I have decided to go with a fresh and clean install of OS X 10.11 El Capitan this time. As I've done a thousand times before I created an install-USB by downloading El Capitan from the App Store and compiled it on to the USB-drive by using Apples own terminal command. However, the install-USB is not bootable and does not show up i the "Startup disk preference panel". Is does mount as it should on my desktop, though, and I'm able to run the installer from the USB. But it's not bootable. Can't really see how I can do this procedure wrong.

Heres what I've tried so far:
- Redownloading El Capitan from the App Store (if something was wrong with the first image)
- Tried creating the USB on three different Macs (with Mavericks, Yosemite and El Capitan)
- Tried creating the USB by using Diskmaker X 5.0.1 instead of the terminal command (on three Macs)
- Formatting the USB a thousand times (GUID / OS X - journaled)
- Testing the USB on four different Macs - none of them recognizes the USB as bootable

So what do you wise people say? Why can't I create a bootable OSX-install-USB like before?
Thanks! :)
Click to expand...

When you restart your Mac, are you holding down the Option key to select your boot device?

BL.
 
Glud said:
Hi all!

I have decided to go with a fresh and clean install of OS X 10.11 El Capitan this time. As I've done a thousand times before I created an install-USB by downloading El Capitan from the App Store and compiled it on to the USB-drive by using Apples own terminal command. However, the install-USB is not bootable and does not show up i the "Startup disk preference panel". Is does mount as it should on my desktop, though, and I'm able to run the installer from the USB. But it's not bootable. Can't really see how I can do this procedure wrong.

Heres what I've tried so far:
- Redownloading El Capitan from the App Store (if something was wrong with the first image)
- Tried creating the USB on three different Macs (with Mavericks, Yosemite and El Capitan)
- Tried creating the USB by using Diskmaker X 5.0.1 instead of the terminal command (on three Macs)
- Formatting the USB a thousand times (GUID / OS X - journaled)
- Testing the USB on four different Macs - none of them recognizes the USB as bootable

So what do you wise people say? Why can't I create a bootable OSX-install-USB like before?
Thanks! :)
Click to expand...

Instead of CLI then, just use this.

http://diskmakerx.com
 
Thanks for all your replies. As said, I already tried Diskmaker X (on three different Macs).

bradl said:
When you restart your Mac, are you holding down the Option key to select your boot device?
Click to expand...
Yep. But only my system HDD is shown in the boot menu + the option for connection to WiFi. It's not showing up in the "Startup disk preference panel" either.

chabig said:
Better solution...boot to your recovery partition, erase drive, install El Capitan.
Click to expand...
Yeah, that would probably be the easiest solution. But my Macs recovery partition is gone and a install-USB as actually pretty handy to upgrade multiple Macs since I don't have to download it all each time.
 
Get another USB stick, preferably different brand. Some sticks just don't work.
 
Sko said:
Get another USB stick, preferably different brand. Some sticks just don't work.
Click to expand...
Tried two different ones: one 16 GB SanDisk USB and a 32 GB SanDisk SDHC memory card. The 16 GB one had the Yosemite installer files on it before and was bootable (it showed up in the Startup disk preference panel). Once it got the El Capitan files on it, it disappeared from the boot menu.
 
Go with the terminal commands. That actually is the only officially supported method of creating USB boot sticks. I've used that method from Mountain Lion up to El Capitan, and haven't had it fail once.

BL.
 
Glud said:
Hi all!

I have decided to go with a fresh and clean install of OS X 10.11 El Capitan this time. As I've done a thousand times before I created an install-USB by downloading El Capitan from the App Store and compiled it on to the USB-drive by using Apples own terminal command. However, the install-USB is not bootable and does not show up i the "Startup disk preference panel". Is does mount as it should on my desktop, though, and I'm able to run the installer from the USB. But it's not bootable. Can't really see how I can do this procedure wrong.

Heres what I've tried so far:
- Redownloading El Capitan from the App Store (if something was wrong with the first image)
- Tried creating the USB on three different Macs (with Mavericks, Yosemite and El Capitan)
- Tried creating the USB by using Diskmaker X 5.0.1 instead of the terminal command (on three Macs)
- Formatting the USB a thousand times (GUID / OS X - journaled)
- Testing the USB on four different Macs - none of them recognizes the USB as bootable

So what do you wise people say? Why can't I create a bootable OSX-install-USB like before?
Thanks! :)
Click to expand...
same issue for me.
Tried 3 different USB stick and 3 different Macs. Still not working.
 
Sko said:
Get another USB stick, preferably different brand. Some sticks just don't work.
Click to expand...
tried three different stick. Same result...
bradl said:
Go with the terminal commands. That actually is the only officially supported method of creating USB boot sticks. I've used that method from Mountain Lion up to El Capitan, and haven't had it fail once.

BL.
Click to expand...
Tried. Same result. :confused:
 
Max(IT) said:
tried three different stick. Same result...

Tried. Same result. :confused:
Click to expand...

Are you getting an error when creating the disk or just with trying to boot from it? And what model of Mac are you using to create the stick?

BL.
 
bradl said:
Are you getting an error when creating the disk or just with trying to boot from it? And what model of Mac are you using to create the stick?

BL.
Click to expand...
no error. The USB stick just doesn't appear in the list of the bootable disk even if correctly mounted.
I tried with 3 Macs: a late 11 MBP, a 2009 Mini and today my new 2015 MBP. Same result. I don't know whats wrong.
I made an USB bootable install disk one year ago for Maverick with no problem, so it isn't something new for me.
 
Max(IT) said:
no error. The USB stick just doesn't appear in the list of the bootable disk even if correctly mounted.
I tried with 3 Macs: a late 11 MBP, a 2009 Mini and today my new 2015 MBP. Same result. I don't know whats wrong.
I made an USB bootable install disk one year ago for Maverick with no problem, so it isn't something new for me.
Click to expand...

Something doesn't sound right, as you shouldn't have to mount the drive at all. If anything, after the USB stick is created, you could power down the Mac you want to perform the installation on, plug in the USB stick, hold down the option key as you power on (obviously, you could wait until the chime, but it's okay to be earlier than that), and keep it held down until you get the list of startup disks.

Are you waiting until the Mac is powered up before putting in the USB stick? If so, that's the problem. It would need to be in before you power on the Mac.

BL.
 
Okay, I kinda solved the problem. Actually, it's more like a workaround, but here's the deal: When I turn on my Mac while holding down the option-key, it'll only show my system drive and not my El Capitan install USB. But if I unplug my install USB while at the boot screen and then reinsert it in one of the other ports, it suddenly shows up as a bootable device.

I was then able to install El Capitan, but at the first reboot during the install process it showed a folder with a question mark on it at boot. Apparently my USB was the issue again so I did the same port-switch-trick and boom: the installation continued.

I've now got El Capitan up and running, but I really don't know what is causing this weird USB-boot-issue. I've installed OS X this way on all my Macs since Lion (10.7) and it has never been an issue.
Thanks for all your contributions! :)
 
Last edited:
Glud said:
Okay, I kinda solved the problem. Actually, it's more like a workaround, but here's the deal: When I turn on my Mac while holding down the option-key, it'll only show my system drive and not my El Capitan install USB. But if I unplug my install USB while at the boot screen and then reinsert it in one of the other ports, it suddenly shows up as a bootable device.

I was then able to install El Capitan, but at the first reboot during the install process it showed a holder with a question mark on it at boot. Apparently my USB was the issue again so I did the same port-switch-trick and boom: the installation continued.

I've now got El Capitan up and running, but i really don't know what is causing this weird USB-boot-issue. I've installed OS X this way on all my Macs since Lion (10.7) and it has never been an issue. Thanks for all your contributions! :)
Click to expand...
seems to be USB stick related, but I used the same USB stick that worked for Mavericks and it doesn't work for El Cap. I bought another one with same results. not going to buy another
 
Can you please help me?
I use diskmakerx to make a bootable disk, I select the el capitan .app, but it seems to stuck and I do not know what is the problem.
Here is the error:
2qn5x1c.jpg
 
Max(IT) said:
seems to be USB stick related, but I used the same USB stick that worked for Mavericks and it doesn't work for El Cap. I bought another one with same results. not going to buy another
Click to expand...
[doublepost=1462679422][/doublepost]I had the same problem with my MBPro model A1278 not seeing the usb stick when I booted with the alt key option, but switching to a different usb port didn't work for me either. I believe the issue stems from the type of hardware you are utilizing to create the bootable usb stick.

I created the usb stick using diskmaker X on a older 2013 and tried 4 different methods of creating the bootable usb installer and Zilch! it wouldn't work! BUT....

I decided to stick the same usb in a mac air model A1466 and WALA! It recognized the usb drive and I was able to boot into it. I will be testing it on three different model macs and post my results in the coming days. I wouldn't be surprised if it has to deal with UEFI support. I believe UEFI support on the 2013 was probably not fully supported then.

If folks are creating EL Capitan OS X bootable usb installers on older hardware, they may have to update their Mac firmware to get it to work. Just speculating, but if anyone tries it please post your results here.

Again! I haven't tried this and who ever tries this will do so at their own risk!
 
Last edited:
Re: sudo error: that's usually from a corrupt /etc/sudoers file (eg. syntax error in the file, or just totally messed up). Or, only admin account is in sudoers and you are running this from non-admin account? If editing the sudoers file, need to use the visudo command-line command. I would suggest to be VERY careful (read: know what you are doing) when messing with that file: might make a bad situation worse.

Re: old vs newer Macs to create USB sticks: I have my doubts. For example, I have an early-2008 MBP and have created USB bootable drive that I was able to use on a 2014 iMac. Stick created with the createinstallmedia command/method.
Code: 
sudo /Applications/Install\ OS\ X\ Mavericks.app/Contents/Resources/createinstallmedia --volume /Volumes/name_of_your_usb --applicationpath /Applications/Install\ OS\ X\ Mavericks.app --nointeraction
(substitute Mav with El Cap)
 
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Reactions: bradl
Glud said:
Hi all!

I have decided to go with a fresh and clean install of OS X 10.11 El Capitan this time. As I've done a thousand times before I created an install-USB by downloading El Capitan from the App Store and compiled it on to the USB-drive by using Apples own terminal command. However, the install-USB is not bootable and does not show up i the "Startup disk preference panel". Is does mount as it should on my desktop, though, and I'm able to run the installer from the USB. But it's not bootable. Can't really see how I can do this procedure wrong.

Heres what I've tried so far:
- Redownloading El Capitan from the App Store (if something was wrong with the first image)
- Tried creating the USB on three different Macs (with Mavericks, Yosemite and El Capitan)
- Tried creating the USB by using Diskmaker X 5.0.1 instead of the terminal command (on three Macs)
- Formatting the USB a thousand times (GUID / OS X - journaled)
- Testing the USB on four different Macs - none of them recognizes the USB as bootable

So what do you wise people say? Why can't I create a bootable OSX-install-USB like before?
Thanks! :)
Click to expand...
The problem lies within Hard Drive , not USB
The Hard Drive on which you are installing the OS should have Format compatible with Mac OS (Extended Journaled),

Steps:

1. Connect your Hard Drive to another Mac/iMac.
2. Format (Erase) through Disk Utility " Extended Journaled "
3. Create a bootable USB http://www.macworld.com/article/298...le-os-x-10-11-el-capitan-installer-drive.html
4. Insert the Hard back to your Mac
5. Enjoy

Note: Avoid using the same name as HDD for USB while performing creating bootable usb.
 
Anyone know where I can get a copy of OS X El Capitan.app? I cannot download it from App Store even though my 2015 MacBook Pro 13 shipped with it!!
 
I have the same issue with my USB bootable stick created with TransMac utility.
I have no other mac os near me, so can't use mac software.
So my Air 2009 couldn't see this USB stick with el capitan - tried to unplug it due to load with no success.
Tried with 5 different sticks - USB stick is not a problem here.
Any solution guys?
 
Same issue here, El Capitan bootable stick can't be detected by my 20in imac, the weird thing is that my High Sierra bootable stick is showing when i use it, but the EL Capitan stick is not showing. Both USB sticks was made by the same MBP machine
 
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