{"id":33160,"date":"2015-10-01T16:35:12","date_gmt":"2015-10-01T21:35:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/eshop.macsales.com\/blog\/?p=33160"},"modified":"2019-09-25T14:29:35","modified_gmt":"2019-09-25T19:29:35","slug":"how-to-create-a-bootable-el-capitan-usb-install-drive-with-diskmaker-x","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/eshop.macsales.com\/blog\/33160-how-to-create-a-bootable-el-capitan-usb-install-drive-with-diskmaker-x\/","title":{"rendered":"Create Bootable El Capitan USB Install Drive with DiskMaker X for Mac"},"content":{"rendered":"

UPDATE 09\/2018:<\/strong> Create a Bootable macOS Mojave Install Drive with DiskMaker X 8<\/a><\/p>\n

UPDATE 09\/2017: <\/strong>Create a Bootable macOS High Sierra Install Drive with DiskMaker X 7<\/a><\/p>\n

UPDATE 09\/2016:<\/strong> Create a Bootable macOS Sierra Install Drive with DiskMaker X<\/a><\/p>\n

With OS X El Capitan<\/a>, Apple has built on many of the changes that were brought on by Yosemite. And as with previous OS X versions dating back to OS X 10.7, El Capitan is only available for install via download from the App Store.<\/p>\n

So if you previously relied on DVD installs, you won\u2019t be able to do so with this version. Luckily, DiskMaker X helps fill the void by allowing you to make a bootable OS X 10.11 El Capitan USB install drive, making a task such as installing on several different machines easier.<\/p>\n

Like the previous versions, DiskMaker X is free of charge (however, donations are accepted). All you need is an 8 GB (minimum) USB thumb drive<\/a>, a USB, FireWire<\/a>, or Thunderbolt drive<\/a> or an SD-Card; the OS X 10.11 El Capitan Installer from the App Store (once the download is complete the installer file will appear in the Applications folder \u2014 do not move it); and the DiskMaker X installer<\/a>. It should be noted that DiskMaker X erases the volume or the drive you chose, according to the options you chose. So don\u2019t forget to backup your data first<\/a>.<\/p>\n

For more about OS X 10.11 and its new features, check out our handy El Capitan Compatibility and Transition Guide<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Here is our brief walkthrough for making an install drive:<\/strong><\/p>\n

1.)<\/strong> Launch the DiskMaker X installer and in the disk image window that appears, drag the application icon onto the Applications folder icon. The application will only take a second or two to be copied into the folder (it\u2019s a small file). When finished, right-click in the disk image window and choose Eject Disk.<\/p>\n

2.)<\/strong> Connect your USB thumb drive<\/a> to your Mac, then launch the DiskMaker X application from your Applications folder.<\/p>\n

3.)<\/strong> A small window will appear asking you to choose from three versions of OS X, in order to create the boot disk. Click the button that says \u201cEl Capitan (10.11)\u201d.<\/p>\n

\"Disk<\/p>\n

4.)<\/strong> By default, DiskMaker X should find the OS X installer file you downloaded earlier. Click \u201cUse this copy\u201d.<\/p>\n

\"Disk<\/p>\n

5.)<\/strong> Next you will be asked which kind of disk you want to use for your bootable installer. For this example, click the button that says \u201cAn 8 GB USB thumb drive\u201d.<\/p>\n

\"Disk<\/p>\n

6.)<\/strong> DiskMaker X will find the available thumb drives connected to your Mac. Select the disk you want to use and click \u201cChoose this disk\u201d.<\/p>\n

\"Disk<\/p>\n

7.)<\/strong> DiskMaker X will warn you that you are about to erase the disk. If you are OK with this click \u201cErase then create the disk\u201d. DiskMaker X will remind you that administrator privileges are required. Click Continue.<\/p>\n

\"Disk<\/p>\n

\"Disk<\/p>\n

8.)<\/strong> Initially you will not see any windows for several seconds, then the administrator password dialog will appear. Type in your administrator password and click OK.<\/p>\n

Next you will see a small window with progress information on it as the installer disk is created; the information will change as the process nears its end. Because the application sets up more than 6GB of installer data via a USB connection (most thumb drives use USB 2 which has a maximum data rate of ~ 50MB\/s), this process will take a while. In our test, Step 8 took ~ 32 minutes.<\/p>\n

\"Disk<\/p>\n

9.)<\/strong> When the process is finished, a window should open displaying the contents of the new bootable drive. You can close this if you do not wish to begin the install process right away.<\/p>\n

\"Disk<\/p>\n

10.)<\/strong> Finally a dialog will pop up telling you that your boot disk is ready, giving you further options to quit, open the startup disk preferences so you can begin the OS X install process, and an option to make a donation.<\/p>\n

\"Disk<\/p>\n

(Within the Startup Disk preferences, once you set the new bootable installer disk to be the active boot drive, you can click the Restart\u2026 button and the OS X installation process will begin. From that point you can follow the standard OS X prompts as they appear.)<\/p>\n

Learn more:<\/strong> Check out more OS X El Capitan coverage from the Rocket Yard here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Note: OWC has no affiliation with this software and receives no benefit related to this support (other than a benefit we all share in the continued support of these applications). If you appreciate the function or functionality this software offers, we encourage you to support the authors.<\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

UPDATE 09\/2018: Create a Bootable macOS Mojave Install Drive with DiskMaker X 8 UPDATE 09\/2017: Create a Bootable macOS High Sierra Install Drive with DiskMaker X 7 UPDATE 09\/2016: Create a Bootable macOS Sierra Install Drive with DiskMaker X With OS X El Capitan, Apple has built on many of the changes that were brought on by Yosemite. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":84,"featured_media":33161,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"spay_email":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"class_list":["post-33160","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-tech-tips"],"yoast_head":"\nCreate Bootable El Capitan Drive with DiskMaker X for Mac<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"In this article, we'll show you how to create a bootable El Capitan USB install drive with DiskMaker X (Disk Maker X) for El Capitan on your Mac!\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" 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