# Create macOS Installer - OCLP

## Create a bootable installer for macOS with OCLP

This section of the guide is focused around downloading and writing the full macOS installer to a USB drive and then copying the EFI folder to the USB drive as well to create a bootable installer.

* Note: 16GB+ USB will be required for the installer

*OLCP will only be able to create an installer for Big Sur or newer. If you need to create an installer for macOS Catalina or older, then use this alternative method:* [*Create a bootable installer for macOS with TINU*](https://chriswayg.gitbook.io/opencore-visual-beginners-guide/alternatives/create-installer-using-tinu)*.*

Another good alternative for downloading macOS is [Mist](https://github.com/ninxsoft/Mist) which can retrieve Mac OS X Lion (10.7.5) to macOS Sequoia (15.1.1) and beyond from Apple servers. Mist requires *Full Disk Access*, which may not work when using *OCLP*. If you are unable to save files in Mist, start it from the Terminal using the following command: `sudo /Applications/Mist.app/Contents/MacOS/Mist`

### Download and launch OCLP

With *OpenCore Legacy Patcher* *(OCLP)*, the new GUI includes a convenient download menu for recent macOS installers. We will not be using the other features of OCLP, as they are not relevant to creating a hackintosh.

So to start off, you'll want to grab the latest *OpenCore-Patcher-GUI.app.zip* from:

* [OpenCore Legacy Patcher Release Apps](https://github.com/dortania/OpenCore-Legacy-Patcher/releases/latest)

For this guide, we'll be using the standard **OpenCore-Patcher (GUI)**. Once downloaded, open the app and you should be greeted with this:

![](https://3366797968-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2F-LwXl0c-BaUDNDvUg8TP%2Fuploads%2F2JLEPQBhWTNaxFXvm9yE%2FScreenshot%202024-06-04%20at%2010.26.42%20PM.png?alt=media\&token=f5a3133a-a86e-415a-aa4a-fb06b2fb95ae)

### Download macOS Installer

First click the *"Create macOS Installer"* button. This will present you with 2 options:

![](https://3366797968-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2F-LwXl0c-BaUDNDvUg8TP%2Fuploads%2FcoqZ72zKpMFIKr7IyBFW%2FScreenshot%202024-06-04%20at%2010.28.42%20PM.png?alt=media\&token=7ce5c90a-fce6-4756-8c14-ee5238cc0477)

For this example, we'll assume you'll need an installer. Selecting this option will check for available installers and build a list for you to choose:

* **Listed Installers**

![](https://3366797968-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2F-LwXl0c-BaUDNDvUg8TP%2Fuploads%2F8mO8yFNreP1ZoFco8H7I%2FScreenshot%202024-06-04%20at%2010.31.52%20PM.png?alt=media\&token=8035e407-beeb-409c-9c35-bac8070c4f1f)

Since *OCLP only supports Big Sur and newer*, only those entries will be shown. For this example, we'll select macOS 13.6. This will download and save the macOS Ventura installer to your *Applications* folder.

* **Downloading and extracting the Installer**

![](https://3366797968-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2F-LwXl0c-BaUDNDvUg8TP%2Fuploads%2FLeyyXr2RFY8ap0c4mrOH%2FScreenshot%202024-06-04%20at%2010.35.13%20PM.png?alt=media\&token=c6c42070-3e6b-455c-948f-df353191954c)

<figure><img src="https://3366797968-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2F-LwXl0c-BaUDNDvUg8TP%2Fuploads%2FHSzuYDL1zfO9UMjBNlUR%2FScreenshot%202024-06-04%20at%2011.13.00%20PM.png?alt=media&#x26;token=0f34b5cc-0449-4100-83a2-c983e4d00f20" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

<figure><img src="https://3366797968-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2F-LwXl0c-BaUDNDvUg8TP%2Fuploads%2FT7anxjQACKfsW1YZGnWy%2FScreenshot%202024-06-04%20at%2011.40.38%20PM.png?alt=media&#x26;token=6201b58e-025b-4746-8cc5-9aa45572fca9" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

### Write installer to USB drive

Once finished, you can proceed to write the installer onto a USB drive.

<figure><img src="https://3366797968-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2F-LwXl0c-BaUDNDvUg8TP%2Fuploads%2FdIUhSulqM5Iq1hkzftWP%2FScreenshot%202024-06-04%20at%2011.41.37%20PM.png?alt=media&#x26;token=c33faeb3-6eac-441e-aae2-95df48b0ac4b" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

* **Select downloaded Installer**

<figure><img src="https://3366797968-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2F-LwXl0c-BaUDNDvUg8TP%2Fuploads%2F0pMsRE8UnMs1ALhpKJNq%2FScreenshot%202024-06-04%20at%2011.43.27%20PM.png?alt=media&#x26;token=fc7ef5d7-5f62-4a2d-8efc-5b3824ce2f55" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

* **Select USB drive**

<figure><img src="https://3366797968-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2F-LwXl0c-BaUDNDvUg8TP%2Fuploads%2FiyornEgbw2JswCPQlnFy%2FScreenshot%202024-06-04%20at%2011.44.38%20PM.png?alt=media&#x26;token=6304fefe-5287-4b39-a80a-fe086bed95bd" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

<figure><img src="https://3366797968-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2F-LwXl0c-BaUDNDvUg8TP%2Fuploads%2FYsySGJBMZC91W4pzULiC%2FScreenshot%202024-06-04%20at%2011.45.09%20PM.png?alt=media&#x26;token=1c6d44ef-1545-4f95-a21a-7feacc562a34" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

* **Create the installer**
* Now OCLP will start copying macOS to the USB drive

![](https://3366797968-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2F-LwXl0c-BaUDNDvUg8TP%2Fuploads%2FunpX1CKogaHgXZRKC0HI%2FScreenshot%202024-06-04%20at%2011.51.42%20PM.png?alt=media\&token=0a431bfe-d8d7-4bca-bb79-c79f957e3580)

* **Success Prompt**

![](https://3366797968-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2F-LwXl0c-BaUDNDvUg8TP%2Fuploads%2FtHHyyTGP8R3z9PKrCcdL%2FScreenshot%202024-06-05%20at%2012.09.20%20AM.png?alt=media\&token=3145d997-4804-4f4c-9420-620a3cc5db68)

* You may now exit the OCLP App.

### Copy EFI folder to USB drive

* Download, install and launch [EFI-Agent](https://github.com/headkaze/EFI-Agent/releases) which gives a nice view of available EFI partitions. (Alternatively you can use OCAuxiliaryTools: *Menu -> Edit -> Mount ESP* to accomplish the same thing.*)*
* Open *EFI Agent* from its Menu Bar Icon and click on the downward triangle next to the USB drive you wish to use (*SanDisk Ultra* in this example).

![](https://3366797968-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2F-LwXl0c-BaUDNDvUg8TP%2Fuploads%2F7dwFAsA0AHdZPZXgdtUe%2FScreenshot%202024-06-04%20at%2010.59.24%20PM.png?alt=media\&token=9aa6b38d-8d0b-44cf-a513-111ee5ad1ac8)

* After authenticating, you will see the EFI partition of your USB drive in the Finder.

![](https://3366797968-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2F-LwXl0c-BaUDNDvUg8TP%2Fuploads%2FFBrdwGrRT6aG1nRDpyKt%2FScreenshot%202024-06-05%20at%2012.21.38%20AM.png?alt=media\&token=1f6e26ee-2e63-44ad-82d1-1fe81812da36)

* Drag to copy the EFI folder previously created and configured with [OCAuxiliaryTools](https://chriswayg.gitbook.io/opencore-visual-beginners-guide/oc_auxiliary_tools) from the **Desktop** to the EFI partition on the USB drive.

![](https://3366797968-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2F-LwXl0c-BaUDNDvUg8TP%2Fuploads%2FD0CKYURirECf8sUt7isV%2FScreenshot%202024-06-05%20at%2012.24.26%20AM.png?alt=media\&token=da027609-ae80-42a6-a2b2-207a66e17bcc)

This step completes the creation of a hackintosh bootable USB drive with the macOS installer and the OpenCore EFI folder on it. - You may want to add some tools such as *OCAuxiliaryTools* and *EFI-Agent* to the USB drive, as these will be useful during post-install configuration.

#### Credits

*This portion of the guide is mostly based on the section* [*Download and build macOS Installers | OpenCore Legacy Patcher*](https://dortania.github.io/OpenCore-Legacy-Patcher/INSTALLER.html#creating-the-installer) *by Dortania.*

![](https://3366797968-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2F-LwXl0c-BaUDNDvUg8TP%2Fuploads%2FFgodoVfQ9J7nzfXa4rSu%2Fby-nc-license.svg?alt=media\&token=03a208c0-37c6-488e-b564-b57cd43c75c9) *Except where otherwise noted, content on this site is licensed under the* [*Creative Commons — Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International — CC BY-NC 4.0*](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/) *license. Attribution by link to* [*chriswayg · GitHub*](https://github.com/chriswayg)*.*