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Unable to create El Capitan Bootable USB

Alpal0301

Alpal0301

macrumors member
Original poster
Feb 15, 2018
45
2
Cornwall
Hi,

I have got myself a 32gb usb stick and erased it to Extended Journaled, named the USB " Untitled " without quotations ! copied and pasted this into terminal : Alans-MBP:~ alandaley$ /Applications/Install\ OS\ X\ El\ Capitan.app/Contents/Resources/createinstallmedia --volume /Volumes/Untitled --applicationpath /Applications/Install\ OS\ X\ El\ Capitan.app

to get this error message :

This tool must be run as root.

All I'm trying to do is create a bootable El Capitan USB :-(. Can anyone offer some help please ?
 
CoastalOR

CoastalOR

macrumors 68040
Jan 19, 2015
3,022
1,147
Oregon, USA
I've only used sudo per Apples instructions.

Apples code (paste in your terminal app):
Code: 
sudo /Applications/Install\ OS\ X\ El\ Capitan.app/Contents/Resources/createinstallmedia --volume /Volumes/MyVolume --applicationpath /Applications/Install\ OS\ X\ El\ Capitan.app

Apples Instructions:
https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201372
 
Last edited:
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DeltaMac

DeltaMac

macrumors G5
Jul 30, 2003
13,464
4,408
Delaware
Yes, you need the sudo.
Sudo runs your command as root, which is what the error message is telling you to do.

The sudo will ask you to enter your admin password.
You will NOT see any characters in the terminal when you type your password - so just type it in, then press enter to run the command.
 
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Alpal0301

Alpal0301

macrumors member
Original poster
Feb 15, 2018
45
2
Cornwall
Hi All, believe it or not I am still trying to get El Capitan on my old laptop :-(.
I have now bought an original install dvd for EC but still unable to boot into it ?? What am I doing wrong ? I get this message : The Install OS X El Capitan can't be used from this disc. Copy this application to a writable Mac OS Extended formatted disk and re-open it to continue installation ? :-(. Can anyone please help. This is so crazy that something so simple has turned out to be a right pain in the behind. Many thanks in advance ;-)
 
DeltaMac

DeltaMac

macrumors G5
Jul 30, 2003
13,464
4,408
Delaware
Whoever created that El Capitan DVD was not trying too hard, I suppose. Likely was just not created properly.
Apple has not provided an OS X install on DVD since 10.6.3. Apple DID sell 10.7 (Lion) on a flash drive for a short time, but nothing after 10.7 has been available on anything other than a download from Apple.
Any DVD with an install version newer than 10.6.3 did NOT come from Apple.
 
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Alpal0301

Alpal0301

macrumors member
Original poster
Feb 15, 2018
45
2
Cornwall

Hi, thanks for your reply. How do I use the above ? Do I need to install an OS on the 17" 2010 MBP before I enter it in terminal ? I've tried so many ways to install it that I've lost the will to live lol
 
Banglazed

Banglazed

macrumors 601
Apr 17, 2017
4,904
8,964
Cupertino, CA
Alpal0301 said:
Hi, thanks for your reply. How do I use the above ? Do I need to install an OS on the 17" 2010 MBP before I enter it in terminal ? I've tried so many ways to install it that I've lost the will to live lol
Click to expand...

For simplicity, download the El Capitan, rename flash drive to ElCapInstaller, enter that above into terminal and boom done.

Don’t need to format the USB since the command used in the terminal will format and create the bootable USB.
 
Last edited:
Alpal0301

Alpal0301

macrumors member
Original poster
Feb 15, 2018
45
2
Cornwall
Banglazed said:
For simplicity, download the El Capitan, rename flash drive to ElCapInstaller, enter that above into terminal and boom done.

Don’t need to format the USB since the command used in the terminal will format and create the bootable USB.
Click to expand...

I'll give that a try, I'm not confident it will work because I've followed almost every bit of advice and watch so many you tube vids. I appreciate your help and will let you know how I get on :)
[doublepost=1526424146][/doublepost]
Banglazed said:
For simplicity, download the El Capitan, rename flash drive to ElCapInstaller, enter that above into terminal and boom done.

Don’t need to format the USB since the command used in the terminal will format and create the bootable USB.
Click to expand...

Ive formatted the usb ( no partitions ) and then keyed in the string into terminal but get this ?

" sudo: /Applications/Install OS X El Capitan.app/Contents/Resources/createinstallmedia: command not found. "
 
chrfr

chrfr

macrumors G5
Jul 11, 2009
13,520
7,045
Alpal0301 said:
I'll give that a try, I'm not confident it will work because I've followed almost every bit of advice and watch so many you tube vids. I appreciate your help and will let you know how I get on :)
[doublepost=1526424146][/doublepost]

Ive formatted the usb ( no partitions ) and then keyed in the string into terminal but get this ?

" sudo: /Applications/Install OS X El Capitan.app/Contents/Resources/createinstallmedia: command not found. "
Click to expand...
Don't type that in, copy and paste. All of the \ characters are important. The \ is what's known as an escape character and you need one in front of every space.
 
DeltaMac

DeltaMac

macrumors G5
Jul 30, 2003
13,464
4,408
Delaware
You also need to make sure that your El Capitan installer app is located where the command expects it to be: in your Applications folder.
 
Alpal0301

Alpal0301

macrumors member
Original poster
Feb 15, 2018
45
2
Cornwall
DeltaMac said:
You also need to make sure that your El Capitan installer app is located where the command expects it to be: in your Applications folder.
Click to expand...
That last bit of advice was spot on thanks !!!! I have successfully created the boot disc however I just cannot boot into it ??? It so odd ??
 
bripoole

bripoole

macrumors newbie
Jul 25, 2018
3
0
Poole
Hi, anyone know where I can get a copy of El Capitan to create a usb installer? I have a 2015 MacBook Pro 13 that shipped with El Capitan but I cannot download it from the App Store, I would be very grateful for a link to it or something
 
R

robibobs

macrumors newbie
Nov 2, 2019
1
0
I am also trying to create an El Capitan boot disk but am getting this error message:

sudo: /Applications/Install OS X El Capitan.app/Contents/Resources/createinstallmedia: command not found

when running the command:

sudo /Applications/Install\ OS\ X\ El\ Capitan.app/Contents/Resources/createinstallmedia --volume /Volumes/KINGSTON --applicationpath /Applications/Install\ OS\ X\ El\ Capitan.app --nointeraction

'KINGSTON' being my thumb drive.


The installer is in the applications folder and I have formatted the Usb to Mac OS journaled. I have tried GUI options such 'install disk creator' but still no luck. Please help!
 
chrfr

chrfr

macrumors G5
Jul 11, 2009
13,520
7,045
Try looking in the installer application to be sure it’s the full app, and not a small ”stub“ installer.
 
macstatic

macstatic

macrumors 68010
Oct 21, 2005
2,000
162
Norway
I've recently had success (after a lot of trial and error) in downloading OSX 10.11, creating a bootable USB-installer and doing a clean (on a newly erased hard drive, as opposed to upgrading from an older OSX) 10.11. Here's how I did it, step by step.

What's left to do is figuring out how to add the (already existing) users to my new OS.
 
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