How to Create an OS X El Capitan Install Disk on a Flash Drive
Download a program, such as DiskMaker X, which allows you to make a bootable OS X disk., Open the Mac App Store: You can do this by going to Launchpad., Search in the top right corner for “El Capitan.” Click the app called OS X El Capitan., Wait for...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Download a program
Install it on your computer. -
Step 2: such as DiskMaker X
Or by pressing the ⌘ Cmd key and the space bar key on the keyboard and typing “App Store”. , Click the “Download” button.
If you get a pop up saying “Would you like to continue," you will need to click continue to proceed with this guide.
You will need to type in your iTunes Credentials to download the installer. , This will take some time depending on the speed of your internet connection (roughly 30 minutes). , You can close this out by pressing ⌘ Cmd+Q keys on the keyboard, as you will not need this window for the remainder of this guide.
Or you can click OS X El Capitan in the Menu Bar and select "Quit" to close the application. ,, This can be done by going to Launchpad and clicking the app icon.
Or by pressing ⌘ Cmd and the space bar key on the keyboard and typing DiskMaker X. , It will say it found the OS X installer in the “/Applications” folder.
Click the “Use this copy" option.
Select “An 8 GB USB thumb drive” when asked what kind of disk you will want to use. ,, You must select “Erase then create disk” to continue the creation of the install drive. , Enter administrator password and click "Ok."
The drive is now being created and will take some time depending on the speed of your computer (about 20 minutes).
Do not remove the flash drive during this process.
Do not let the computer shutdown during this process. ,, To do this right click on the drive and select “Eject," or click and hold on the drive and drag to the trash icon to eject, or select the disk on the desktop or in the Finder window and press the ⌘ Cmd+E keys on the keyboard. , To do this, shut down the mac you want to install El Capitan onto.
Plug the Flash Drive into the computer.
Reboot by pressing the power button and holding down the ⌥ Option key while it starts up.
Follow the onscreen instructions to install OS X El Capitan. -
Step 3: which allows you to make a bootable OS X disk.
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Step 4: Open the Mac App Store: You can do this by going to Launchpad.
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Step 5: Search in the top right corner for “El Capitan.” Click the app called OS X El Capitan.
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Step 6: Wait for the downloader to install.
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Step 7: Wait for the installer to launch
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Step 8: once it's downloaded.
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Step 9: Plug your 8 GB flash drive into one of the USB ports on your Mac.
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Step 10: Open DiskMaker X or your chosen equivalent program.
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Step 11: Select the “El Capitan (10.11)” option when asked what type of installer you plan to make.
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Step 12: Select the name of the drive you wish to use (in this guide it is named “El Capitan Installer”).
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Step 13: Wait for the warning that the content on the disk will be erased.
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Step 14: Click "Continue".
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Step 15: Wait for the creation.
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Step 16: Once the installation is complete
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Step 17: quit the installer.
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Step 18: Make sure to eject the disk before you remove it from the computer.
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Step 19: Plug your drive into any eligible Mac to install El Capitan.
Detailed Guide
Install it on your computer.
Or by pressing the ⌘ Cmd key and the space bar key on the keyboard and typing “App Store”. , Click the “Download” button.
If you get a pop up saying “Would you like to continue," you will need to click continue to proceed with this guide.
You will need to type in your iTunes Credentials to download the installer. , This will take some time depending on the speed of your internet connection (roughly 30 minutes). , You can close this out by pressing ⌘ Cmd+Q keys on the keyboard, as you will not need this window for the remainder of this guide.
Or you can click OS X El Capitan in the Menu Bar and select "Quit" to close the application. ,, This can be done by going to Launchpad and clicking the app icon.
Or by pressing ⌘ Cmd and the space bar key on the keyboard and typing DiskMaker X. , It will say it found the OS X installer in the “/Applications” folder.
Click the “Use this copy" option.
Select “An 8 GB USB thumb drive” when asked what kind of disk you will want to use. ,, You must select “Erase then create disk” to continue the creation of the install drive. , Enter administrator password and click "Ok."
The drive is now being created and will take some time depending on the speed of your computer (about 20 minutes).
Do not remove the flash drive during this process.
Do not let the computer shutdown during this process. ,, To do this right click on the drive and select “Eject," or click and hold on the drive and drag to the trash icon to eject, or select the disk on the desktop or in the Finder window and press the ⌘ Cmd+E keys on the keyboard. , To do this, shut down the mac you want to install El Capitan onto.
Plug the Flash Drive into the computer.
Reboot by pressing the power button and holding down the ⌥ Option key while it starts up.
Follow the onscreen instructions to install OS X El Capitan.
About the Author
Jordan Ortiz
With a background in education and learning, Jordan Ortiz brings 3 years of hands-on experience to every article. Jordan believes in making complex topics accessible to everyone.
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