"not a valid volume mount point" Can't make bootable drive

[Nightrich]

I have downloaded El Capitan and have formatted my 8gb usb drive and have partitioned and have typed the command in terminal and every single time I get the error message "Untitled is not a valid volume mount point". My drive is titled Untitled so it isn't any problem with that syntax to my knowledge. I am about to give up. I have even tried copying and pasting others command lines into terminal hoping that perhaps I may have in fact messed with the syntax and didn't catch it. Even trying this though I still get the same old response.

What can I do and what am I doing wrong?

Thanks guys. I'm at your mercy.

 

[chrfr]

I have downloaded El Capitan and have formatted my 8gb usb drive and have partitioned and have typed the command in terminal

What command?
Is your drive named Untitled or untitled? Path names are case sensitive.
Your drive also needs to be partitioned using GUID, which it may not be.

 

[Nightrich]

It is titled Untitled and I made sure it said that in the syntax. I did also partition using GUID as well. Here is the command:

sudo /Applications/Install\ OS\ X\ El\ Capitan.app/Contents/Resources/createinstallmedia –volume /Volumes/Untitled –applicationpath /Applications/Install\ OS\ X\ El\ Capitan.app –nointeraction

 

[chrfr]

It is titled Untitled and I made sure it said that in the syntax. I did also partition using GUID as well. Here is the command:

sudo /Applications/Install\ OS\ X\ El\ Capitan.app/Contents/Resources/createinstallmedia –volume /Volumes/Untitled –applicationpath /Applications/Install\ OS\ X\ El\ Capitan.app –nointeraction

change all of your single dashes to double: -- instead of -.

 

[Nightrich]

Ok I thought that they were so I just retyped everything in again and I got the same response.

 

[Nightrich]

And actually I just got this response "
You must specify both the volume and install application path."

 

[CoastalOR]

This is what I have for the command:

sudo /Applications/Install\ OS\ X\ El\ Capitan.app/Contents/Resources/createinstallmedia --volume /Volumes/Untitled --applicationpath /Applications/Install\ OS\ X\ El\ Capitan.app --nointeraction

Try using copy and paste of the terminal command string instead of typing.

 

[ana luiza]

This is what I have for the command:

sudo /Applications/Install\ OS\ X\ El\ Capitan.app/Contents/Resources/createinstallmedia --volume /Volumes/Untitled --applicationpath /Applications/Install\ OS\ X\ El\ Capitan.app --nointeraction

Try using copy and paste of the terminal command string instead of typing.

Thank you. It finally worked for me. I can't even see what the difference is from the lines above, but I don't care. Forever grateful ))))

 

[CoastalOR]

Thank you. It finally worked for me. I can't even see what the difference is from the lines above, but I don't care. Forever grateful ))))

It looked like you had single dashes (-) instead of double dashes (--) throughout the string.

 

[Coolwhisper]

It looked like you had single dashes (-) instead of double dashes (--) throughout the string.

Had a similar issue with High Sierra. This resolved it. Thank you!

 

[MacMG]

Hi, I see this is a quite old thread, but I landed here after a search, because I also still have the same problem as described here. I am trying to make an installation USB drive for High Sierra to revive an older Mac. I formatted the drive as required as Mac OS Extended (Journaled) with the correct scheme (GUID Partition Map). I named it at first 'Untitled' and then retried that naming it 'notitle'... In either case I have no chance and always get the same error, the the volume is not known:

mg@MBP:~$ sudo /Applications/Install\ macOS\ High\ Sierra.app/Contents/Resources/createinstallmedia --volume /Volumes/notitle

/Volumes/notitle is not a valid volume mount point.

the double '--' is here. The --applicationpath option disappered starting with High Sierra, so no more need for that.. And even with that option the result is still the same... The volume is not a valid mount point..

Any advice, what I am doing wrong?

 

[MacMG]

Hi, I see this is a quite old thread, but I landed here after a search, because I also still have the same problem as described here. I am trying to make an installation USB drive for High Sierra to revive an older Mac. I formatted the drive as required as Mac OS Extended (Journaled) with the correct scheme (GUID Partition Map). I named it at first 'Untitled' and then retried that naming it 'notitle'... In either case I have no chance and always get the same error, the the volume is not known:

mg@MBP:~$ sudo /Applications/Install\ macOS\ High\ Sierra.app/Contents/Resources/createinstallmedia --volume /Volumes/notitle

/Volumes/notitle is not a valid volume mount point.

the double '--' is here. The --applicationpath option disappered starting with High Sierra, so no more need for that.. And even with that option the result is still the same... The volume is not a valid mount point..

Any advice, what I am doing wrong?

I meanwhile manage to get the volume be recognize. In fact, when creating the image from a Mojave MacOS, it looksl ike you have to select APFS (or if your Mac is using MacOS). So I erased and formatted the drive as desribed here: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT208496 and the installer recognizes the Volume for the USB drive. The next error comes when the installer ask if all data must be deleted:

APFS disks may not be used as bootable install media.

Any Idea why the APFS usb drive is not accepted as bootable install media, and what I can do at this point?

Cheers!

 

[chrfr]

I meanwhile manage to get the volume be recognize. In fact, when creating the image from a Mojave MacOS, it looksl ike you have to select APFS (or if your Mac is using MacOS). So I erased and formatted the drive as desribed here: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT208496 and the installer recognizes the Volume for the USB drive. The next error comes when the installer ask if all data must be deleted:

APFS disks may not be used as bootable install media.

Any Idea why the APFS usb drive is not accepted as bootable install media, and what I can do at this point?

Cheers!

You need to reformat your USB drive as "macOS Extended (Journaled)".

 

[CoastalOR]

I meanwhile manage to get the volume be recognize. In fact, when creating the image from a Mojave MacOS, it looksl ike you have to select APFS (or if your Mac is using MacOS). So I erased and formatted the drive as desribed here: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT208496 and the installer recognizes the Volume for the USB drive. The next error comes when the installer ask if all data must be deleted:

APFS disks may not be used as bootable install media.

Any Idea why the APFS usb drive is not accepted as bootable install media, and what I can do at this point?

Cheers!

As @chrfr said and the Apple link you posted;
"Are you preparing a Time Machine backup disk or bootable installer?
Choose Mac OS Extended (Journaled) for any disk that you plan to use with Time Machine or as a bootable installer."
your bootable installer requires Mac OS Extended (Journaled).

 

[MacMG]

Thanks for your reply.
I formatted the USB drive as MacOS extended (jourmaled) but it can't be mounted. I tried it with three different USB devices, but no chance to mount any of them.

 

[calluty7]

i too am having difficulties, my usb is formatted to the journaled too please any suggestions

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

 

[chrfr]

i too am having difficulties, my usb is formatted to the journaled too please any suggestions

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

There's apparently a bug in the newly posted Sierra installer which causes this.

 

[brianfmorris]

I am having the same issue and it appears to affect the El Capitan installer also

 

[CoastalOR]

I am having the same issue and it appears to affect the El Capitan installer also

How did you acquire El Capitan? Was it from a download of the InstallMacOSX.dmg file shown in Step 4 listed on the Apple "How to upgrade to OS X El Capitan" page?

How to download and install macOS – Apple Support (UK)

Download and install current or previous versions of the Mac operating system on compatible Mac computers.

support.apple.com

 

[brianfmorris]

yes - a fresh download this week due to the certificate update, expiration issue

Redownload Archived macOS Installers to Address Expired Certificates - TidBITS

Signing certificates for macOS installers have expired, so Apple consultants and IT admins who maintain troubleshooting toolkits containing older installers will need to download new copies.

tidbits.com

 

[CoastalOR]

yes - a fresh download this week due to the certificate update, expiration issue

Interesting. My archived copies of Yosemite & El Capitan are working fine, to include the USB installers. My copies of Sierra, High Sierra, & Mojave were impacted by the expired certificates.

I'm running on Mojave now, so the App Store will not let me download previous OS purchases that do not work with APFS. I did a test to see if I could download the El Capitan Installer app, I booted to an external SSD that has Yosemite installed and I was able to download El Capitan from the App Store Purchased tab (I had previously "Purchased" El Capitan). It worked and the launched fine. I was able to create a bootable USB installer.

 

[brianfmorris]

I'm running Mojave also - you can still download the installers via the links in the TidBits article. I will try again from a different computer.

 

[Martin111]

I have the same issue. I’m quite sure, its a bug in the new installer. When I do the same command with the old installer it works.
And there is a simple trick, how to install with the old installer: set the date of the mac to somewhat in september 2019 before you start the installation.

 

[rickysuper]

Just the new Sierra installer got "not a valid volume mount point error" when creating USB bootable device, others from 10.11-10.15 with no problems. May try creating the USB with old installer and replace the app content with the new one.

 

[matthewstraub]

Having the same problem. Working on making a bunch of Bootable Installers for different versions of macOS today. High Sierra worked no problem, as did El Capitan. The sierra one was giving me the same issues as those have listed above "/Volumes/VolumeName is not a valid volume mount point" Hoping someone will post some kind of solution soon.

Also: I downloaded the installer from Apple Today (Nov 4, 2019). Fresh downloader right from Apple's website, still having the same problem.