Creating a USB flash drive has never been easier! If you are looking for a solution to create a bootable macOS Catalina 10.15 USB flash drive, then this post is for you. The steps explained in this post is pretty simple.
You can use the created bootable macOS Catalina USB flash drive to test on your Mac or install it on a separate drive. Currently, macOS 10.15 is still available in developer & public beta, the public version will be launched next month. But, the process is the same. So let’s find out how to do it.
Steps to Create a Bootable macOS Catalina USB Flash Drive
Before getting started, you will first need a USB flash drive and it’s better to prepare a USB with the USB-C connection. This is the port that most MacBooks have.
Make sure the USB you use for creating a bootable flash drive is at least 16GB and before the process, it must be formatted first. Once you are all set, let’s start creating a bootable macOS USB flash drive
Step 1: If you are a developer, you should download the developer beta version from this link, and if you want a public beta, you can download it from here. Until the final version of macOS Catalina is released, you can directly get it from the Mac App Store.
Step 2: After the macOS Catalina file is downloaded to your Mac, there will be an installer automatically opening on the screen, you need to close it when you see the popup!
Step 3: Click on Finder → Applications and install macOS Catalina Beta by right-clicking on it. Choose Show Package Contents. After that, you need to open Resources> Contents.
Step 4: Open Terminal window on your Mac by heading to Applications → Utilities → Terminal. You can also search for it in Spotlight. Once it’s opened, type in the following command
sudo with space
Since you have already opened resources, so you need to drag & drop createinstallmedia file into the Terminal window.
Step 5: Next, enter type –volume followed by a space after you have dropped the createinstallmedia file.
Step 6: Navigate to Go To Folder from Finder → Go → Go To Folder. In this section, type in: /Volume and select Go.
Step 7: Plug your USB drive into your Mac and it will show up in the Finder window after a second. After that, drag your USB into the Terminal window.
Step 8: Hit the Return key to start the process as well as apply full command. Enter your Mac password when prompted in the Terminal.
Note: You will not see your password when typing, but do not worry, type it as normal.
Step 9: Next, type in Y when you are asked in Terminal and hit the Return key once again.
Step 10: Your USB plugged into your Mac will be formatted, all the files inside it are also deleted. It will then start installing the installer files into the USB.
Wait for about 20-30 minutes for the process to complete. Make sure you do not press any button on your Mac until the entire process is finished. When done, your USB has become a bootable macOS Catalina 10.15 flash drive.
Do you have any question? Let’s know in the comment below.