SOLVED Unable to boot using Bootable USB on Mac

[Bob-Ricard]

Hi! I'm not a computer scientist, I'm curious.
I don't work with apple products at all.
But this summer my uncle asked me if I could fix his old Mac (I think he was running with ElCapitan) the hard drive broke. I only have computers running Windows or Linux at my disposal.
I'm just looking for a way to reinstall macOS on my uncle's computer. I tried many things, found on youtube or on forums (bootable usb key with the installer, with a live version, create a virtual machine)
I can't do what I want (the virtual machine did not detect my usb keys, the mac does not detect the boot on the key, the live version did not work, etc...)
I'm going to try to boot my PC on macOS and was trying from this environment to create a bootable USB key in order to reinstall MacOS on my uncle's computer.
Thank you for all your work which, I hope, will help me help out my uncle.

 

[EliteMacx86]

Hi! I'm not a computer scientist, I'm curious.
I don't work with apple products at all.
But this summer my uncle asked me if I could fix his old Mac (I think he was running with ElCapitan) the hard drive broke. I only have computers running Windows or Linux at my disposal.
I'm just looking for a way to reinstall macOS on my uncle's computer. I tried many things, found on youtube or on forums (bootable usb key with the installer, with a live version, create a virtual machine)
I can't do what I want (the virtual machine did not detect my usb keys, the mac does not detect the boot on the key, the live version did not work, etc...)
I'm going to try to boot my PC on macOS and was trying from this environment to create a bootable USB key in order to reinstall MacOS on my uncle's computer.
Thank you for all your work which, I hope, will help me help out my uncle.

How did you create a Bootable USB?

 

[Bob-Ricard]

I'm downloaded ElCapitan here ( https://support.apple.com/fr-fr/HT211683 )
i'm used prompt for clean and convert my usb key on GPT
I'm used HFS+ for windows for format my usb key on Mac format
I'm used TransMac for install the dmg file.

According to my research it seems that I am missing files, because when I use TransMac the result that I have on my pc does not correspond to the tutorials that I follow. I don't know why TransMac doesn't give the same result.

 

[EliteMacx86]

I'm downloaded ElCapitan here ( https://support.apple.com/fr-fr/HT211683 )
i'm used prompt for clean and convert my usb key on GPT
I'm used HFS+ for windows for format my usb key on Mac format
I'm used TransMac for install the dmg file.

According to my research it seems that I am missing files, because when I use TransMac the result that I have on my pc does not correspond to the tutorials that I follow. I don't know why TransMac doesn't give the same result.

Well, that's not a proper way to create a Bootable USB and that's the reason why your Mac cannot find the Bootable USB.

Use any Mac to create the Bootable USB.

 

[Bob-Ricard]

This is the first solution I found on the net.
Unfortunately I don't have a Mac at my disposal and I don't know anyone who has one that I could use to create my Bootable USB.

I wouldn't attempt such complex manipulations if I had a Mac handy.

Thank you for your advice, I'll keep looking hoping for a little miracle.

 

[EliteMacx86]

This is the first solution I found on the net.
Unfortunately I don't have a Mac at my disposal and I don't know anyone who has one that I could use to create my Bootable USB.

I wouldn't attempt such complex manipulations if I had a Mac handy.

Thank you for your advice, I'll keep looking hoping for a little miracle.

You can use VMware or VirtualBox to create it.

 

[Bob-Ricard]

I already tried, unfortunately I couldn't get the virtual machine to detect the USB ports.

That said, you clearly know much better than me, I will follow your advice and seek and try again to go through this means.

Thank you again for directing my research.

 

[EliteMacx86]

I already tried, unfortunately I couldn't get the virtual machine to detect the USB ports.

That said, you clearly know much better than me, I will follow your advice and seek and try again to go through this means.

Thank you again for directing my research.

Did you assigned a USB Device to the Virtual Machine?

 

[Bob-Ricard]

Hello and especially a big thank you to you.

I followed your advice and I resumed my research on a virtual machine (stopped after several failures at the end of last summer).

Oracle VM Virtualbox was already installed on my PC so I first looked for new info via this software.
And I was very pleasantly surprised to discover an update that supported MacOS, without having to do a lot of settings.

I followed a simple tutorial to install it, then I followed the normal procedure to create a bootable USB key and after some trial and error.

I finally succeeded, I thank you very much for your wise advice, my uncle will be very happy.

 

[EliteMacx86]

Hello and especially a big thank you to you.

I followed your advice and I resumed my research on a virtual machine (stopped after several failures at the end of last summer).

Oracle VM Virtualbox was already installed on my PC so I first looked for new info via this software.
And I was very pleasantly surprised to discover an update that supported MacOS, without having to do a lot of settings.

I followed a simple tutorial to install it, then I followed the normal procedure to create a bootable USB key and after some trial and error.

I finally succeeded, I thank you very much for your wise advice, my uncle will be very happy.

View attachment 5506

Glad it's up now. You can even install a new version of the macOS.

Marking SOLVED and closing the thread.