This guide deals with 3 ways of making a boot disk from macOS, the first one is the fastest and is done via the Terminal from a command in macOS called createinstallmedia, the other 2 are older ways are done with a mixture of finder using Disk Utility and command line.
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The first way can support macOS Big Sur, macOS Catalina, macOS Mojave or macOS High Sierraand further back to SIerra, El Capitan, Yosemite and Mavericks.
Quickest Way
So, here's how I got a Mountain Lion Install DVD from the recovery partition. It's a crazy workaround. Mount the invisible recovery partition. Mount the invisible BaseSystem.dmg disk image. Run the Installer from there, targeting a USB stick with 5gb free space. When the machine reboots, yank the USB Stick out. Managing the OS X 10.7 Lion restore drive. Then select the 'BaseSystem.dmg' disk image in the sidebar and click the Restore tab in Disk Utility. At this point you should see the 'BaseSystem. I just got a hand of the Gold Master Build and I am making preperations to my harddrive and machine to have a fresh install of OSX Lion 10.7. Things to Note about the Gold master and 10.6.8 release: “Golden Master” refers to the final release version. 11A511 is listed as GM. You will be able to update as Apple releases 10.7.x maintenance. Mac OS X Lion Softwares System Requirements, Minimum Requirements, Recommended Requirements, Mac OS X Lion Specifications, Mac OS X Lion Hardware Requirements.
Download the macOS version you need but don’t install.
Attach your USB stick/drive.
Launch the Terminal from /Applications/Utilities and enter the command below and then your password when prompted, be sure to change the ‘Untitled‘ name in the below command to your external disk name:
Let it do its thing and there you have it, one bootable macOS drive.
This really is a super simple way – however if using the Terminal fills you with fear and dread, there are some GUI apps that can get the job done namely DiskMakerX and a new imaging tool that can clone a new disk very quickly – AutoDMG, although AutoDMG can not work with macOS Big Sur
Alternative Ways of building a Bootable macOS Disk.
An alternative way to make a boot disk of macOS (but not macOS Big Sur), first of all, get the app or download via the App store, if downloaded it will file in the folder Applications.
The example below uses OSX Mavericks.
Control / Left click Options, Show in Finder to get to the app, don’t install at this stage.
Located in the Applications Folder
Finding the InstallESD.dmg
To find the actual InstallESD.dmg file, control/left click the ‘Install macOS’ app and choose show contents – then navigate to Shared Support folder.
Control/Right click to show contents
Navigate to Shared Support folder to see the InstallESD.dmg file
Mount InstallESD.dmg
Double click to mount the image.
Make Invisible Files Visible
We need to see the BaseSystem.dmg inside the InstallESD.dmg
Crank open Terminal and run:
This will show all invisible files have a look inside the mounted InstallESD.dmg
Mount an External Disk
Attach a USB/external drive – this guide uses the external drive name called BootDisk, you need to make sure the format is correct, it needs to be Mac OSX Extended Journaled – if it’s not you can format that in Disk Utility.
Launch Disk Utility
Launch Disk Utility as found in Applications/Utilities and go to the Restore tab.
Drag BaseSystem.dmg to the Source field and your external disk to the Destination and click Restore.
This will mount your new macOS external disk and name it OSX Base System – but we need to add the packages.
Fix the Packages
Couple of things to fix in the newly created boot disk, remove the Packagealias at System/Installation/ folder
Now from the previously mounted InstallESD.dmg copy over the Packages folder to the same location where we just removed the alias above.
Will take a while as it holds all the install packages.
Job done now you can boot from the OSX 10.9 disk.
Make the Visible back to Invisible
If you want all to return back to normal and hide the system files run a couple more commands in the Terminal
How to create the OSX 10.9 Mavericks Bootable Drive just via Terminal
Just for the crazy ones……after Mavericks is downloaded….and again this assumes you external disk is named BootDisk
Mount the InstallESD.dmg buried deep in the app
Swap to the newly mounted image
This puts you back in the Finder in front of the newly mounted InstallESD.dmg, go back to Terminal and clone the BaseSystem.dmg to the remote USB drive
This will change ‘BootDisk‘ to ‘OS X Base System‘
Remove the existing Packages alias link from the newly restored image
Copy the full OSX Mavericks Packages over to the new image….takes a while
And there it is! – to eject the new bootable USB OSX Mavericks 10.9 disk ‘cd’ to home and eject
Now you can boot up from your newly bootable disk and either Install OSX10.9 on another device or use the Terminal/Disk Utility or Firmware Password Utilities on another device.
If you’ve done any deployment work with OS X Lion, InstallESD.dmg is probably not a new concept for you. But just in case you haven’t, or just in case you need a quick refresher, with the release of OS X Lion, Apple completely changed its distribution method for Mac OS X. OS X Lion is only available via an Internet download through the Mac App Store. And although downloaded as an application from the Mac App Store, Install Mac OS X Lion.app, contained within it is the disk image that makes the OS X Lion installer magic happen: InstallESD.dmg.
Jun 20, 2016 New video here for the final release: This is how to install macOS Sierra 10.12 Developer Preview on an Unsupport. Jan 09, 2008 When I try to mount the file it keeps saying 'Backup.dmg - Not recognized'. Having not enough free space can't be the problem, out of 400GB I have 280GB free, the file is only 6.6GB. Trying to restore using DiskUtility doens't work, the program won't run a check or repair. Actually, BaseSystem.dmg is compressed down to only 451MB (at least in OS X v10.7.0). Also, the volume naming is somewhat inconsistent. You've got /dev/disk1s3 named 'Recovery HD', but for some reason it's mounted as '/Volumes/Image Volume' in recovery mode. BaseSystem.dmg has a volume named 'Mac OS X Base System'.
MacPostfactor is a tool to install Mac OSX 10.8+ on older Macbooks that normally only support up to OSX 10.7 (Lion). It works through a combination of a highly customized installer, a replaced set of drivers and various frameworks, and the original installation app from the App Store. Nov 11, 2015 MacPostFactor also supports installing OSX versions up to OSX 10.10 Yosemite on older Macs. And a new version that supports installing OSX 10.11 ElCapitan is in the works. And a new version that supports installing OSX 10.11 ElCapitan is in the works. Nov 02, 2013 Mavericks is the latest Mac operating system released by Apple. There are a few reasons why you may desire to install Mavericks from a USB Flash drive. Having it on a USB drive can come in really handy if you have to install Mavericks on multiple Mac’s as it means you don’t have to re-download. Aug 02, 2011 Make a Bootable USB Drive from OS X Lion Using the Recovery Partition August 2, 2011 19 Comments On every OS X Lion installation a hidden partition is created to enable a method for Lion to be reinstalled on the machine, it is known as the recovery partition or drive and is 650mb in size.
InstallESD.dmg does more than just handle the initial Lion installation. Initially contained within it is also the disk image that forms the basis of Recovery HD. Because InstallESD.dmg is available via the web, users are able to reinstall Lion through Recovery HD or Lion Internet Recovery in worst-case scenarios without needing physical restore media.
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Let’s take a deeper look at InstallESD.dmg, Recovery HD, and Lion Internet Recovery to see what they are, what they mean for you as a Mac Admin, and how they’re all related.
InstallESD.dmg
After downloading Lion from the Mac App Store, Install Mac OS X Lion.app is placed in the /Applications directory. InstallESD.dmg is located within the application’s Contents/SharedSupport directories.
InstallESD.dmg is the new-age Mac OS X retail DVD. As a Mac admin, you can use it to create an external bootable Lion install disk, build a NetInstall or NetRestore set, have it act as the Install DVD for an InstaDMG workflow, and more. A consumer installing Lion would have several pre-installation steps handled by the Install Mac OS X Lion application. After those completed, the installer would prepare InstallESD.dmg to be mounted as the boot volume. The computer would then restart and proceed with and finish the installation.
Looking inside of InstallESD.dmg, take note of two important files: Install Mac OS X Lion.app and BaseSystem.dmg. Yes, that is another Install Mac OS X Lion.app. That installer runs when booted from InstallESD.dmg. It is what actually installs Lion to the hard drive. BaseSystem.dmg is copied to the Recovery HD partition after it’s created during the Lion installation process. Let’s take a look at Recovery HD.
Recovery HD
As a Mac admin, you can rejoice in the fact that the days of keeping stacks of hardware-specific restore discs to reinstall Mac OS X are gone. Recovery HD is created during the Lion installation process as a very small hidden partition on the primary boot drive.
As mentioned earlier, BaseSystem.dmg can be found on Recovery HD, as shown below. Newer Mac models that support diskless Apple Hardware Test may also have a disk image for it contained within a hidden .diagnostics folder inside of the com.apple.recovery.boot folder.
When booted into Recovery HD, BaseSystem.dmg is mounted as the boot volume with the volume name “Mac OS X Base System”. This is shown in the com.apple.Boot.plist file (“rp” stands for root path).
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The guide from lifehacker: Download Lion from the Mac App Store. The installer should show up in your Applications folder. Right-click on the installer and hit 'Show Package Contents'. Navigate to Contents SharedSupport and look for a file called 'InstallESD.dmg'. Open up Disk Utility and drag. Create Bootable USB from DMG File on Windows Mac Install USB TransMac - Make DMG File Bootable USB on Windows. Convert DMG to ISO and Create macOS Boot USB from Windows. PowerISO: Make Bootable Mac Install USB on Windows 10/8/7. Conclusion: All of. How to make osx bootable usb on windows.
The contents of BaseSystem.dmg are shown below.
In case you’re wondering, yes that is yet another Install Mac OS X Lion.app. That one runs when choosing to reinstall Lion when booted into Recovery HD. If you’re super clever, you might wish to customize the “Mac OS X Utilities” screen that is displayed when booted into Recovery HD (like the folks at Google have done). I’ll leave that to the true tinkerers, but taking a peek at the following application should get you started:
Because of Recovery HD’s small size, there is not enough room to store a copy of InstallESD.dmg within it. But thanks to its Internet availability, that’s not a problem. After authenticating with Apple and the iTunes store, the installer downloads a fresh copy of InstallESD.dmg disguised as a package. After download, the installer prepares InstallESD.dmg to be mounted as the boot volume, restarts the computer, and then continues with and finishes the installation.
It’s important to note that DHCP must be available for either a Recovery HD reinstallation of Lion, or a Lion Internet Recovery boot to function. Using Wireshark, I observed the process of reinstalling Lion through Recovery HD. There are far too many steps involved to list them all, but below are the ones I found to be most important. Note that I’m sure it’s possible that the random package names shown below can change, but they did remain consistent throughout my tests. It’s also safe to assume that the mirror names will vary by location, as they are Akamai mirrors. None of the following is officially documented by Apple; the implementation and details are subject to change at any time.
– After getting a DHCP address, osrecovery.apple.com is where it all begins. HTTP GET and POST requests are made to give the Mac a valid session cookie for the process. Some information about the Mac is sent back to Apple, including a model identifier and what appears to be a modified or encrypted version of the serial number.
– An HTTP GET request is made to a1166.phobos.apple.com for mzm.hgbvjzlz.pfpkg. This compressed package is what is responsible for performing the pre-installation checks to make sure the Mac meets the minimum system requirements for Lion. One of the more interesting pieces inside this package, and what allows Lion to be installed in a virtual machine, is this:
– An HTTP GET request is made to swscan.apple.com for Apple’s software update catalog.
– Various types of requests are made to iTunes (usually to ax.init.itunes.apple.com) to authenticate the user and ensure that Lion has been previously purchased. If it has not been previously purchased, the user won’t be eligible to reinstall through Recovery HD or Lion Internet Recovery.
– An HTTP GET request is made to a774.phobos.apple.com for MacOS_10_7_IncompatibleAppList.pkg. This package checks the system for any applications that are incompatible with Lion and moves them to an Incompatible Software folder during the installation. See http://support.apple.com/kb/HT3258 for more information.
– Finally, an HTTP GET request is made to a1166.phobos.apple.com for mzm.ajzbytae.pkg. I was unable to open this package after it downloaded, but can safely assume it is InstallESD.dmg. It is a 4.18 GB “package” and downloads during the installation step where the installer downloads “additional components” just before restarting.
Oct 24, 2019 If you still need OS X Yosemite, use this link: Download OS X Yosemite. A file named InstallMacOSX.dmg will download to your Mac. A file named InstallMacOSX.dmg will download to your Mac. Install the macOS installer. Hackintosh yosemite how to install dmg. An empty USB drive (6 GB or larger): In this guide, you will write Yosemite Zone onto a USB drive, and boot your computer from that drive to install OS X Yosemite. The USB drive must be at least 6 GB in size. Since you will need to erase all of the files on the USB drive, make sure to back up its contents first. Sep 03, 2015 To get Yosemite.ISO in Windows, it’s possible to convert.DMG to.ISO under Windows and Mac OS X by using PowerISO; Create OS X Yosemite USB installer via DiskMaker X. Step 1: Download DiskMaker X here. Run “DiskMaker X”, then choose “OS X Yosemite” when you are asked which version of OS X you want to make a boot disk.
I encourage you to packet capture the process yourself, whether it be through using a VM at home and sniffing your LAN traffic, or by using port mirroring on a switch. It’s interesting to observe just how many steps are involved behind the scenes. But what is even more interesting, is how Apple has created what appears to be globally available NetBoot over the Internet with Lion Internet Recovery.
Lion Internet Recovery
If for any reason Recovery HD isn’t available or otherwise becomes corrupted, Apple created Lion Internet Recovery as a last resort for users. It’s an EFI firmware function available on most Macs shipped in 2010 or later. It enables users to boot over the Internet to Apple’s servers which will eventually present Recovery HD through a downloaded copy of a BaseSystem.dmg equivalent.
Here’s a riddle: What looks like NetBoot, smells like NetBoot, even tastes a bit like NetBoot, but isn’t actually NetBoot? Lion Internet Recovery. Or rather, it’s not traditional NetBoot with BSDP, TFTP, etc. Almost all Lion Internet Recovery traffic is HTTP traffic.
Just like with Recovery HD, there are many steps involved in booting to Lion Internet Recovery, but below are the most important. None of the following is officially documented by Apple; the implementation and details are subject to change at any time.
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– After getting a DHCP address, the process again begins with osrecovery.apple.com. An HTTP GET request with an HTTP User-Agent header of “InternetRecovery” is made to osrecovery.apple.com
– osrecovery.apple.com responds with an HTTP OK giving the Mac a valid session cookie
– An HTTP POST request is made to osrecovery.apple.com/InstallationPayload/RecoveryImage. Some information about the Mac is sent back to Apple, including a model identifier and what appears to be a modified or encrypted version of the serial number, just like with a Recovery HD boot.
– osrecovery.apple.com/InstallationPayload/RecoveryImage replies with an HTTP OK passing additional information back to the Mac, such as where to actually download the Recovery Image from which it will boot.
– An HTTP GET request is made to oscdn.apple.com for RecoveryImage.chunklist. From what I can tell, this file is a checksum of sorts for the recovery image. The actual request for the image, detailed in the next step, uses HTTP range headers. I assume that comparing what has already been downloaded to the contents of the chunklist allows the Mac to only download the parts of the image it requires. This was most likely implemented to handle any network disruptions that might occur during a Lion Internet Recovery boot.
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– Finally, an HTTP GET request is made to oscdn.apple.com for the RecoveryImage itself, appropriately named RecoveryImage.dmg. With Lion Internet Recovery, RecoveryImage.dmg is synonymous with BaseSystem.dmg.
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Once booted to Lion Internet Recovery, the steps the installer performs to reinstall Lion are identical to those mentioned earlier that occur during a standard Recovery HD initiated reinstallation.
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Lion Internet Recovery is an impressive feat of engineering. Again, I would strongly encourage you to packet capture the process to see how it works for yourself. If you’d like to see the full packet capture output from my Lion Internet Recovery boot, it is available here.
Putting It All Together
InstallESD.dmg, contained within the Mac App Store downloadable installer, is at the heart of Recovery HD and Lion Internet Recovery. Recovery HD is there when your users need it, and Lion Internet Recovery is there as a last resort just in case Recovery HD is not. Both rely on BaseSystem.dmg (or RecoveryImage.dmg in the case of Lion Internet Recovery) to provide them with a minimal interface with a few utilities and the ability to reinstall Lion. When choosing to reinstall Lion, either from Recovery HD or Lion Internet Recovery, the installer downloads the latest copy of InstallESD.dmg from the Internet in order to proceed with and finish the reinstallation.
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Hopefully after reading this article, the Lion installation and recovery processes have become clearer. Understanding the relationships between them and InstallESD.dmg is critical for deploying Lion and understanding the recovery options available to your users. Hopefully they won’t need to use Recovery HD nor Lion Internet Recovery nearly as many times as I needed to in order to write this article. Fortunately for me, my ISP doesn’t have a bandwidth cap.