Conquering the Mountain: Booting macOS Sierra from a USB Drive (Because Normal Startup is For Chumps)
Ah, macOS Sierra. The majestic peak of operating systems, known for its stunning landscapes (of desktops) and powerful features (like that calculator app everyone secretly loves). But what happens when your Mac decides to take a scenic detour and refuses to boot normally? Fear not, intrepid explorer! Today, we'll be scaling the treacherous slopes of creating a bootable USB drive for macOS Sierra and booting your Mac back to life.
Gear Up: What You'll Need
- A Mac that still (somewhat) functions: This brave soldier will be venturing into the unknown to download the magic.
- A USB flash drive: Bold for the faint of heart, as this entire operation will erase everything on the drive. Choose your weapon wisely!
- A copy of the macOS Sierra installer: This can be downloaded from the App Store (assuming you haven't banished it to the deepest corners of your Applications folder).
- Courage and a sense of adventure: Because messing with system files can feel a bit like spelunking in the dark.
Step 1: Assembling the Boot Camp
We're not creating a summer camp for Macs here, but we are creating a bootable camp. Here's how to prep your USB drive:
- Plug in your USB drive: Because, you know, magic doesn't work wirelessly (yet).
- Fire up Terminal: This is our mission control, located in Applications > Utilities.
- Type the magic incantation (carefully!): We're using Terminal, so things can get a little cryptic. Copy and paste the following command, replacing "MyVolume" with the actual name of your USB drive (find it on the sidebar):
sudo /Applications/Install macOS Sierra.app/Contents/Resources/createinstallmedia --volume /Volumes/MyVolume --applicationpath /Applications/Install macOS Sierra.app
- Press Enter and offer a blood sacrifice (optional): Just kidding (mostly). Your Mac will ask for your administrator password. Type it in bravely, but remember, no one can see you type it because reasons.
Side note: This command will erase everything on your USB drive. Double, triple check it's the right one before hitting Enter!
Step 2: Booting Up Like a Boss
With your bootable USB drive in hand, it's time to wrestle your Mac back under control:
- Power down your Mac completely: None of that wimpy sleep mode stuff here.
- Insert the USB drive: This is your key to the mountaintop (or desktop, whatever).
- Hold down the Option key: This is like the secret handshake for booting from external drives.
- Power on your Mac: While still holding the Option key. Your Mac might ask, "Who dares disturb my slumber?" Just calmly reply, "It is I, the one with the bootable USB drive!"
Mac Fun Fact: On some newer Macs with the Apple T2 Security Chip, you might need to jump through a few extra hoops in Startup Security Utility to allow booting from external media.
Step 3: Conquering the Peak (and Reinstalling macOS Sierra, if Needed)
- You should now see a boot menu with your bootable USB drive as an option. Select it with your cursor and press Enter.
- From here, you can choose to reinstall macOS Sierra, access Disk Utility to troubleshoot any storage issues, or even grab a cup of coffee and admire your handiwork.
Remember: Reinstalling macOS Sierra will erase all your data. Make sure you have a backup before proceeding.
Congratulations! You've Bootlegged Your Way to Success (Legally)
By following these steps, you've successfully created a bootable USB drive and booted your Mac from it. Now you can reinstall macOS Sierra, troubleshoot startup problems, or simply impress your friends with your newfound tech wizardry. Just remember, with great power comes great responsibility. Use your newfound knowledge for good (and maybe to avoid that awkward conversation with IT).
