BackinthedaywhenweboughtOSXondiscs,aslongasyoukeptthatdisc,youalwayshada

bootableinstallerjustincase.Modern,downloadableversionsofOSXcreatearecoverypartitionon
yourdrive,butit'salwaysasmartideatomakeyourownbootableinstallerdrivetoo.
IrecommendmakingoneforYosemite,onanexternalharddriveorUSBthumbdrive,formanyofthe
samereasonsIrecommendmakingabootableMavericksinstallerdrive:Ifyouwanttoinstall
YosemiteonmultipleMacs,usingabootableinstallerdrivecanbemoreconvenientthandownloading
orcopyingtheentireinstallertoeachcomputer.IfyouwanttoerasethedriveonaMacbefore
installingYosemite,orstartoveratanytime,youcanuseadedicatedinstallerdrivetobootthatMac,
eraseitsdrive,andtheninstalltheOScleanandrestorewhateverdatayouneedfromabackup.Andif
yourMacisexperiencingproblems,abootableinstallerdrivemakesahandyemergencydisk.
MacworldalsohasbootableinstalldriveinstructionsforMavericks(OSX10.9),MountainLion
(OSX10.8),andLion(OSX10.7).
AswithpreviousversionsofOSX,itsnotdifficulttocreateabootableinstallerdrivefromthe
Yosemiteinstaller,thoughtheprocesseshavechangedslightlysinceMavericks.Ishowyouhow,
below.

Keeptheinstallerfrombeingdeleted
LikeallrecentversionsofOSX,YosemiteisdistributedthroughtheMacAppStore.Aswiththe
Mavericksinstaller,ifyouleavetheYosemitebetainstallerinitsdefaultlocation(inthemain
Applicationsfolder)whenyouinstallOSX10.10,theinstallerwilldeleteitselfaftertheinstallation
finishes.IfyouplantousethatinstalleronotherMacs,orinthiscasetocreateabootabledrive,be
suretocopytheinstallertoanotherdrive,oratleastmoveitoutoftheApplicationsfolder,beforeyou
install.Ifyoudon't,you'llhavetoredownloadtheinstallerfromtheMacAppStorebeforeyoucan
createabootableinstallerdrive.

CreatetheYosemiteinstalldrive:Theoptions
IvecomeupwiththreewaysyoucancreateabootableOSXinstalldrivefortheYosemite:usingthe
installersbuiltincreateinstallmediatool;usingDiskUtility;orperformingtheDiskUtilityprocedure
usingTerminal.
Thecreateinstallmediamethodistheeasiest;ifyoureatallcomfortableusingTerminal,itsthe
approachthatIrecommendyoutryfirst.(NotethatthecreateinstallmediatooldoesntworkunderOS
X10.6SnowLeoparditrequiresOSX10.7Lionorlater.)
TheDiskUtilitymethodisthewaytogoforpeoplewhoaremorecomfortableintheFinder(thoughit
doesrequireacoupleTerminalcommands),anditworksunderSnowLeopard,Lion,MountainLion,
Mavericks,andYosemite.TheDiskUtilityviaTerminalapproachisfortheshelljunkiesoutthere.
Whichevermethodyouuse,youneedaMacformatteddrive(aharddrive,solidstatedrive,thumb
drive,orUSBstick)thatsbigenoughtoholdtheinstallerandallitsdataIrecommendatleastan
8GBflashdrive.ThatdrivemustalsobeformattedwithaGUIDPartitionTable.(Followthistutorial
toproperlyformatthedrive.)YourOSXuseraccountmustalsohaveadministratorprivileges.

Option1:Usecreateinstallmedia

StartingwithMavericks,hiddeninsidetheOSXinstallerisaUnixprogramcalledcreateinstallmedia,
providedbyApplespecificallyforcreatingabootableinstallerdrive.Ifyourecomfortableusing
Terminal,createinstallmediaisarelativelysimpletooltouse.
Asmentionedabove,thecreateinstallmediatoolworksonlyinLion,MountainLion,Mavericks,or
YosemiteyoucantcreateaninstallerdrivethiswaywhilebootedintoSnowLeopard.Ifyouneedto
createaYosemitebetainstalldrivewhilebootedintoSnowLeopard,youshouldusetheDiskUtility
instructions,below.

UsingthecreateinstallmediacommandinTerminal

Herearetherequiredsteps:
1.

ConnecttoyourMacaproperlyformatted8GB(orlarger)drive,andrenamethedrive
Untitled.(TheTerminalcommandusedhereassumesthedriveisnamedUntitled.)Also,
makesuretheYosemiteinstaller,calledInstallOSXYosemite.app,isinitsdefaultlocation
inyourmainApplicationsfolder(/Applications).Thismeansthatifyoumoveditbefore
installingYosemite,youneedtomoveitbackbeforemakingyourinstallerdisk.

2.

SelectthetextofthisTerminalcommandandcopyit:
sudo/Applications/Install\OS\X\
Yosemite.app/Contents/Resources/createinstallmediavolume
/Volumes/Untitledapplicationpath/Applications/Install\OS\
X\Yosemite.appnointeraction

3.

LaunchTerminal(in/Applications/Utilities).

4.

Warning:Thisstepwillerasethedestinationdriveorpartition,somakesurethatitdoesnt
containanyvaluabledata.PastethecopiedcommandintoTerminalandpressReturn.

5.

Typeyouradminlevelaccountpasswordwhenprompted,andthenpressReturn.

6.

TheTerminalwindowdisplaystheprogressoftheprocess,inaveryTerminalsortofway,by
displayingatextualrepresentationofaprogressbar:ErasingDisk:0%...10percent...20

percent...andsoon.Theprogramthentellsyouitscopyingtheinstallerfiles,makingthe
diskbootable,andcopyingbootfiles.WaituntilyouseethetextCopyComplete.Done.(see
thescreenshotabove),whichcouldtakeaslongas20or30minutes,dependingonhowfast
yourMaccancopydatatoyourdestinationdrive.
YounowhaveabootableYosemiteinstalldrive.Ifyoulike,youcanrenamethedrivefromitsdefault
nameofInstallOSXYosemite,thoughIthinkitskindofacatchyname.

Option2:UseDiskUtility
YoullfindDiskUtility,ahandyappthatshipswithOSX,in/Applications/Utilities.Herearethesteps
forusingittocreateyourinstallerdrive.TheprocedureisabitmoreinvolvedwithYosemitethanit
wasforMavericks(whichwasitselfabitmoreinvolvedthanunderMountainLionandLion).

Rightclick(or
Control+click)theYosemiteinstallertoviewitscontents.
1.

OnceyouvedownloadedYosemite,findtheinstalleronyourMac.ItscalledInstallOSX
Yosemite.appanditshouldhavebeendownloadedtoyourmainApplicationsfolder
(/Applications).

2.

Rightclick(orControl+click)theinstaller,andchooseShowPackageContentsfromthe
resultingcontextualmenu.

3.

Inthefolderthatappears,openContents,thenopenSharedSupport;youllseeadiskimage
filecalledInstallESD.dmg.

4.

DoubleclickInstallESD.dmgintheFindertomountitsvolume.Thatvolumewillappearin
theFinderasOSXInstallESD;openittoviewitscontents.

5.

SeveralofthefilesyoullneedtoworkwitharehiddenintheFinder,andyouneedtomake
themvisible.OpentheTerminalapp(in/Application/Utilities),thentype(orcopyandpaste)
thefollowingcommand,andthenpressReturn:
defaultswritecom.apple.finderAppleShowAllFiles1&&killall
Finder
(ThistellstheFindertoshowhiddenfileswellrehidesuchfileslater.)

6.

LaunchDiskUtility(in/Applications/Utilities)andthendragBaseSystem.dmg(intheOSX
InstallESDvolume)intoDiskUtilityslefthandsidebar.

7.

SelectBaseSystem.dmginDiskUtilityssidebar,andthenclicktheRestorebuttoninthe
mainpartofthewindow.

8.

DragtheBaseSystem.dmgiconintotheSourcefieldontheright(ifitisntalreadythere).

9.

ConnecttoyourMactheproperlyformattedharddriveorflashdriveyouwanttouseforyour
bootableYosemiteinstaller.

10. InDiskUtility,findthisdestinationdriveintheleftsidebar.Youmayseeacouplepartitions
underthedrive:onenamedEFIandanotherwiththenameyouseeforthedriveintheFinder.
DragthelattertheonewiththedrivenameintotheDestinationfieldontheright.(Ifthe
destinationdrivehasadditionalpartitions,justdragthepartitionyouwanttouseasyour
bootableinstallervolume.)
11. Warning:Thisstepwillerasethedestinationdriveorpartition,somakesurethatitdoesnt
containanyvaluabledata.ClickRestore,andthenclickEraseinthedialogboxthatappears;
ifprompted,enteranadminlevelusernameandpassword.
12. Waitfortherestoreproceduretofinish,whichshouldtakejustafewminutes.
13. Openthedestinationdrivetheoneyoureusingforyourbootableinstallerdrive,whichhas
beenrenamedOSXBaseSystem.Insidethatdrive,opentheSystemfolder,andthenopenthe
Installationfolder.YoullseeanaliascalledPackages.Deletethatalias.
14. OpenthemountedOSXInstallESDvolume,andyoullseeafoldercalledPackages.Drag
thatfolderintotheInstallationfolderonyourdestinationdrive.(You'rereplacingthedeleted
PackagesaliaswiththisPackagesfolder.)Thefolderisabout4.6GBinsize,sothecopywill
takeabitoftime,especiallyifyourecopyingtoaslowthumbdrive.
15. AlsointhemountedOSXInstallESDvolume,youllfindfilesnamedBaseSystem.chunklist
andBaseSystem.dmg.Copythesefilestotheroot(top)levelofyourinstalldrive(OSXBase
System,notintotheSystemorInstallationfolder).
16. EjecttheOSXInstallESDvolume.
17. YoulllikelywanttorehideinvisiblefilesintheFinder.OpentheTerminalapp,type(or
copyandpaste)thefollowingcommand,andthenpressReturn:
defaultswritecom.apple.finderAppleShowAllFiles0&&killall
Finder
YounowhaveabootableYosemiteinstalldrive.Ifyoulike,youcanrenamethedrivefromOSXBase
Systemtosomethingmoredescriptive,suchasYosemiteInstaller.

YoucanuseDiskUtility'sRestorescreentocreateabootableYosemiteinstallerdrive.

Option3:UseTerminal
Ifyou'reaTerminaljockey,youlikelyknowthatmostofDiskUtility'sfeaturescanbeaccessedusing
shellcommandswhichmeansthatyoucanperformtheDiskUtilityprocedureusingafewcommands
inTerminal.
1.

DownloadtheYosemiteinstallerfromtheMacAppStoreandmakesureitsinyourmain
Applicationsfolder(/Applications)itscalledInstallOSXYosemite.app.

2.

ConnecttoyourMacaproperlyformatted8GB(orlarger)drive.Renamethedriveto
Untitled.(TheTerminalcommandsIprovidehereassumethedriveisnamedUntitled.)

3.

OpenTerminalandtype(orcopyandpaste)thefollowingcommands,onebyone,pressing
returnaftereachtorunit.Makesureeachcommandfinishesinotherwords,youseea
commandpromptbeforerunningthenextcommand.Enteryouradminlevelaccount
passwordwhenprompted.
sudohdiutilattach/Applications/Install\OS\X\
Yosemite.app/Contents/SharedSupport/InstallESD.dmg
sudoasrrestoresource/Volumes/OS\X\Install\
ESD/BaseSystem.dmgtarget/Volumes/Untitlederaseformat
HFS+
(Duringthisstep,youllbepromptedtoconfirmthatyouwanttoerasethecontentsof
Untitled.TypeyandpressReturn.)
sudorm/Volumes/OS\X\Base\
System/System/Installation/Packages
sudocpa/Volumes/OS\X\Install\ESD/Packages/Volumes/OS\
X\Base\System/System/Installation/Packages
sudocpa/Volumes/OS\X\Install\ESD/BaseSystem.chunklist
/Volumes/OS\X\Base\System
sudocpa/Volumes/OS\X\Install\ESD/BaseSystem.dmg
/Volumes/OS\X\Base\System
hdiutildetach/Volumes/OS\X\Install\ESD

YounowhaveabootableYosemiteinstalldrive.Ifyoulike,youcanrenamethedrivefromitsdefault
nameofOSXBaseSystemtosomethingmoredescriptive,suchasYosemiteInstaller.

YoucanperformtheDisk
UtilityprocedureentirelyinTerminal.

Bootingfromtheinstallerdrive
Whicheveroftheaboveprocessesyou'veused,youcannowbootanyYosemitecompatibleMacfrom
theresultingdrive:JustconnectthedrivetoyourMacandeither(ifyourMacisalreadybootedinto
OSX)choosetheinstalldriveintheStartupDiskpaneofSystemPreferencesor(ifyourMacis

currentlyshutdown)holddowntheOptionkeyatstartupandchoosetheinstalldrivewhenOSXs
StartupManagerappears.
WhenyourMacisbootedfromyourinstallerdrive,youcan,ofcourse,installtheOS,butyoucanalso
useanyoftheOSXinstallersspecialrecoveryandrestorefeatures.Dependingonhowyoumadeyour
installerdrive,whenyoubootfromthatdrive,youmayevenseethesameOSXUtilitiesscreenyou
getwhenyoubootintoOSXRecovery(recoverymode).However,unlikewithrecoverymode,your
bootableinstallerincludestheentireinstaller.