How to create a bootable macOS Catalina USB stick for Windows and Mac

How to create a bootable USB flash drive in macOS

We will need any USB drive from 8 GB and a free utility Disk Creator… A flash drive can also be created with console commands through the terminal, but I see no reason to suffer.

🧰 Download Disk Creator, 2.2 MB

Step 1. Download macOS Catalina

If you currently have macOS High Sierra or a later version of macOS installed, you can download macOS Catalina from the Mac App Store, and then in the folder Applications macOS a new icon will appear.

Step 2. Launch Disk Creator

If you downloaded the macOS Catalina installer beforehand, Disk Creator will automatically find it and display it in the interface. All that remains is to select the flash drive to which you want to deploy the image:

Step 3. Create a bootable disk

Click on Create Installer and wait while Disk Creator has created a bootable Catalina USB stick. On a fast drive, the process takes 3-4 minutes.

👨‍💻 Read also: what’s on my Mac in 2019

How to boot from a USB flash drive and start installation

Insert the bootable USB drive into the Mac and turn it on while holding the key Option… The computer will start to boot into the flash drive. If you are going to install the system on Hackintosh, then select the USB flash drive as “bootable” in the BIOS.

🤦‍♂️If boot from the flash drive does not work, you should try to recreate it again or try another drive. I myself have more than once encountered situations when the installer simply did not want to boot with certain pleshki.

And be sure to read my 5 tips for reinstalling macOS from scratch. In this article, I told you how not to forget anything and spend a minimum of time on reinstalling the system.

How to create a bootable macOS USB stick in Windows

When creating a USB flash drive in Windows, you will need the TransMac utility. It is paid, but after installation there is a two week trial period. Which is more than enough for us.

🧰 Download TransMac, 2.1 MB

Step 1. Download macOS Mojave

Alas, there is no official way to tell macOS from under Windows. You will have to download it using your iMac or MacBook. Or find an installer on torrents.

Step 2. Start TransMac in Administrator Mode

Right-click on the TransMac icon and select the appropriate item from the menu.

Step 3. Format the USB stick

1. Right click on the name of the flash drive;
2. Format Disk for Mac…

Step 4. Select the dmg file with macOS image

1. Right click on the name of the flash drive;
2. Restore with Disk Image;
3. Specify the path to the macOS installation file;
4. Wait until the bootable USB drive is created.

How to boot from a USB flash drive and start installation

Insert the bootable USB drive into the Mac and turn it on while holding the key Option… This will allow you to start the installation. If you are going to install the system on Hackintosh, then select the USB flash drive as “bootable” in the BIOS.

And be sure to read my 5 tips for reinstalling macOS from scratch. In this article, I told you how not to forget anything and spend a minimum of time on reinstalling the system.