create bootable usb mac disk utility high sierra

Create a Bootable USB Installer for Mac with Disk Utility on High Sierra

Are you experiencing problems when trying to directly upgrade your Mac from macOS Sierra to High Sierra using Apple's official method? Do you have issues with your old HDD drivers not loading, or do you encounter the infamous cross circle problem?

I faced these exact problems when I tried to upgrade my 5-year-old motherboard with both of my old HDD drives (1TB WD Blue and 500GB WD Green) to macOS High Sierra. After trying the official CreatInstaller method and failing, I decided to explore alternative solutions.

In this guide, we will walk through the steps to prepare a bootable partition or USB installer for upgrading existing macOS Sierra or installing new macOS High Sierra.

Why CreateInstaller Method Fails

The problem with the CreatInstaller method is that it loads from BaseSystem.dmg a read-only image which cannot be injected or replaced without breaking its checksum, resulting in a corrupted installer. This makes it impossible to replace AppleAHCIPort, making the method useless in this case.

Solving the Problems

To overcome these issues, we need an alternative way of creating an Installer that allows us to inject or replace AppleAHCIPort. The solution is to create a bootable USB installer using Disk Utility on High Sierra.

Before proceeding, make sure you have backed up your data from your SSD/HDD/USB storage device.

Creating a Bootable USB Installer

To create a bootable USB installer, follow these steps:

By following this guide, you will be able to overcome the problems mentioned above and successfully upgrade your existing macOS Sierra or install new macOS High Sierra on an empty partition.

Create bootable usb mac disk utility high sierra