How to Create a Portable Offline Installer for Mac – Guide
Apple’s Yosemite OS update has changed the way Mac users access their operating system, no longer allowing them to purchase a copy of the installer. This poses an issue for those with limited or metered broadband connections, who must now create a portable offline installer in order to install the OS.
Download or buy the Mac operating system
To install El Capitan on your Mac, go to the App Store and search for the operating system. If it is already installed, you will be warned; if not, select ‘Get’ instead of ‘Download’. Once downloaded, do not install it yet - instead, go to the Install OS X menu and select ‘Exit OS X Installation’, then keep the file as you will need it later.
You can still create an installer for a previous operating system you purchased on the App Store. Go to the Purchased tab, scroll through your purchases and find the correct OS - in this case, Mavericks.
The easy way: DiskMaker X
DiskMaker X is a free program that simplifies the process of creating a USB installer. Those who find it useful are encouraged to donate to the developers.
Using an SD card, users can create an El Capitan installer on their Macs running Yosemite. All that’s needed is a disk of 8 GB or larger.
DiskMaker verifies the disk you wish to use for the installer, then warns that it must be erased. Confirm you have the right disk and click ‘Continue’. After entering your Mac’s administrator name and password, you will have a fully-functioning installer in a few minutes.
The Difficult Way: Terminal Commands
Creating an El Capitan installer is possible without a third-party program. All you need is an OS X Extended (Journaled) formatted disk with 6 GB of space, the El Capitan installer in the Applications folder, and one long command. Replace “Installer El Capitan” with the name of your installation disc to get started.
The command line tool createinstallmedia can be used to install OS X El Capitan on a Mac, without any user interaction. To do so, the command must be run with the application path and volume specified.
Once the password is entered, the media creation process begins.
Why do you need this?
Having a recovery partition on your Mac can help you repair problems, but if it’s not there, an offline installer with a disk utility can provide the same solution. Save yourself the hassle of using a flash drive or SD card by downloading the installer instead.
If your Mac’s hard drive fails, you won’t have an easy way to reinstall the operating system. To avoid this issue, create a backup installer in advance.
Windows users should create a system repair or recovery disk for their Windows 7, 8, or 10 operating systems to ensure they can quickly and easily restore their computers in the event of an issue.
Reinstalling your operating system can be a time-consuming process, especially if you’re on a slow connection. Downloading the installer can take several hours, making troubleshooting more of a hassle.
With just a small investment, you can ensure your Mac issues are quickly resolved and enjoy the peace of mind that comes with it.
Final note
If you need help creating a Portable Offline Installer for Mac, this guide can help. Got questions? Reach out to us. Spread the word and share with your friends!
