How to Boot an M1 or M2 Apple Silicon Mac Using a Bootable USB Disk

Are you looking for a way to boot your M1 or M2 Apple silicon Mac using a bootable USB disk? Look no further! In this article, we will guide you through the process of creating a bootable USB drive and using it to reinstall macOS.

Booting Your Mac from a Bootable USB Disk

To start, power on your system or restart it if it's already on. As soon as it starts booting, press and hold the Option key. This will allow you to access the boot menu where you can select your bootable USB drive. Simply plug your created USB drive into an open USB port on your Mac.

Method 1: Booting Your M1 or M2 Apple Silicon Mac

If you have an M1 or M2 Apple silicon Mac, there are two different methods to boot your Mac from a bootable USB disk. The first method is by using the Option key while powering on or restarting your system. This will allow you to access the boot menu where you can select your bootable USB drive.

Method 2: Booting Your Intel-Based Mac

If you have an Intel-based Mac, you can also use a bootable USB disk to reinstall macOS. To do this, power on your system or restart it if it's already on. As soon as it starts booting, press and hold the Option key. This will allow you to access the boot menu where you can select your bootable USB drive.

Benefits of Using a Bootable Disk for a macOS Installation

Using a bootable disk for a macOS installation has several benefits. For one, you can perform a clean installation, which allows you to get rid of junk apps and files that may have accumulated over time. This is especially useful if your Mac refuses to boot or if you need to recover system files that seem to be lost.

Another benefit of using a bootable disk for a macOS installation is that you can troubleshoot and fix different kinds of issues using the built-in recovery tools that come with the macOS installer. This can save quite a bit of time, considering the most recent versions of macOS have an installer size of 12GB.

Why Would You Need to Install macOS From a USB?

Creating a bootable USB drive and using it to reinstall macOS is a bit of a lengthier process compared to simply updating macOS from the Software Update section of the System Preferences. However, it has its benefits. For one, you can install or update macOS on multiple systems without having to download the installer on each Mac.

In summary, creating a bootable USB drive and using it to reinstall macOS is a great way to troubleshoot and fix different kinds of issues with your Mac. It also allows you to perform a clean installation, which can result in a faster-running Mac. With these benefits in mind, creating a bootable USB disk for your M1 or M2 Apple silicon Mac is definitely worth the effort.

Before You Reinstall macOS

Before you reinstall macOS on your Mac, make sure you've backed up all your important data! This is crucial when you do a fresh installation, as it will wipe your hard drive. You can use Time Machine to easily back up the data on your Mac.

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