Use Terminal to create a bootable installer. Another way to create a bootable installer for macOS is to use Terminal. Make sure that you have the installation files on your Mac before trying this step out. How to make a bootable USB on Mac: Open Terminal by following Applications → Utilities → Terminal. Connect the USB drive to your Mac. Even though the el capitan installer says it is 6.08 GB which would make you think it should fit onto a dual layer dvd just like it can be done for yosemite, there is other invisible stuff copied over making it bootable which would make it much bigger than 6.08 GB.
Step-by-Step instructions on How to Create a Bootable MAC OS X El Capitan USB Flash Drive.Copy and Paste Code: http://goo.gl/j9Fz6b. What you need to create a bootable installer Os X El Capitan Bootable Usb Installer. A USB flash drive or other secondary volume formatted as Mac OS Extended, with at least 14GB of available storage; A downloaded installer for macOS Big Sur, Catalina, Mojave, High Sierra, or El Capitan; Download macOS.
Created a bootable USB with El Capitan installer
booted from it, erased my MBP (mid 2009), clean install from USB installer
Install OS X El Capitan, Sierra Using Only Windows - Without: AHCI or Working MAC. Make bootable Mac OS X Usb in windows (No mac device needed).
decided to use migration assistant, most apps not working plus all the clutter from pre clean install
decided to do another clean install but MBP won't boot from USB and uses the recovery version instead.
tried to get Maverick back and basically ended up with a non-working MBP that went into a boot loop
did a reinstall from MAS, ended up DLing the entire Installer again, went to bed and in the morning and 'working'
MBP again, plus all the clutter and non working apps.
Made a new bootable USB key using terminal and yes it finished and yes it said bootable at the end as well as in Disk Utilities.
However when trying to boot from USB, start+Option, or start+cmd+r still no sign of the USB stick, which i guess would leave me
with a non clean install again.
Any help, suggestions.....?
Cheers
Ralf
Mac Bootable Usb Drive
MacBook Pro (13-inch Mid 2009), OS X El Capitan (10.11)
Create Bootable Linux Flash Drive
Posted on Oct 4, 2015 7:57 AM