Got a ISO file and wanna make a bootable USB drive with it ? YOU ARE ON THE RIGHT PLACE. This simple how-to guide will help you to create for bootable pendrive. You can follow this method to make bootable USB pendrive of Windows operating systems, Linux operating systems, and all other ISOs. THIS METHOD SIMPLY CREATE BOOTABLE USB FROM ISO FILE MAC in 3 commands. It works on all the Mac OS X versions like Mountain lion, Mavericks, Yosemite, etc.
Convert the .iso file to .dmg
Its a very simple and quick process. First copy the .ISO file to your desktop. And then open the Command Terminal window and follow the below 2 commands. First command will make Desktop as the current working directory. Second command will convert the .iso file from the desktop and save the converted file and save on the desktop.
cd Desktop/
hdiutil convert -format UDRW -o <converted DMG file name> <source .iso file name>
Eg: hdiutil convert -format UDRW -o Converted-windows Windows.iso
[Note: a file named Converted-windows.dmg will create on Desktop]
Clean your USB Pendrive
Run the below command to list all the connected physical disks to your MAC. Including your Mac Hard disk and USB pendrives.
diskutil list
And find your USB pend rive name from the command output. Find your pendrive by checking the “SIZE” easily. (my pendrive name is /dev/disk2 ) Now run the command below to clean your Pendrive.
diskutil partitiondisk <USB disk location> 1 “Free Space” “unused” “100%”
Eg: diskutil partitiondisk /dev/disk2 1 “Free Space” “unused” “100%”
Copy and Create bootable USB from ISO file Mac (now from .DMG)
Now copy all the contents in the DMG file to the Pendrive. Follow the below command to copy files and make it bootable.
sudo dd if=converted.dmg of=<USB disk location> bs=1m
Eg: sudo dd if=Converted-windows.dmg of=/dev/disk2 bs=1m
Now you are all done. Your Pendrive is now ready to boot and install all your stuff. Don’t forget to hit like and post your feedbacks as comments.
Are you looking for creating a latest Yosemite bootable USB ? Read about How to create OSX Yosemite USB installer
Thank you for posting this. Just a couple of things.
Your blog automatically replaced the quotes with smart quotes. Anyone copy/pasting should be aware that they need to put straight dumb quotes in place of the ones in the post.
Also, if the final dd command is taking a long time, you can track the progress by pressing CTRL+T while focused on the terminal window.
Extremely well written. Thank you! Also the CTRL+T command was very helpful Steven. Thanks.
Wonderful, beautiful. Might be nice to add warning using ‘dd’ to be very careful you enter the correct drive. There is little mistake on the page:
IS:
And find your USB pend rive name
Intended:
And find your USB pen drive name
OR:
And find your USB pendrive name
Thank you all for the comments
Hi,
I am trying to convert a OS X .iso into a .dmg for my new mac so I can downgrade back to Yosemite. I will admit that I am pretty novice when it comes to this stuff, but even so I can’t get past the first step – 1.) cd Desktop/
2.) hdiutil convert -format UDRW -o
after trying to initialise the second common I get –
hdiutil: convert: only a single input file can be specified
Usage: hdiutil convert -format -o [options]
hdiutil convert -help
I seem to be missing something. I’ve only worked with Terminal a few times and it is by no means my area of expertise, but your step through seems well explained so I don’t know what I’m missing.
Regards,
Apologies – second command*