How to Create El Capitan Bootable USB from Windows PC with DMG File?

Creating El Capitan bootable USB from a Windows PC can be a bit tricky. Not all software is created equal for this task. You can't just use any USB creator tool. I’ve tried a few that just don’t play nice with DMG files. A recommended free tool for this process is Balena Etchar, which works well with both DMG and IMG files. Forgetting to format your USB drive or choosing the wrong format can lead to problems. Make sure to format it as FAT32 or exFAT, which helps it be compatible across platforms. I once used NTFS, and guess what—it didn’t work on the Mac side!

Some people try using old, tiny USB drives. You need at least 8GB free space here. I had a friend who grabbed an old 4GB drive, and surprise, it didn’t fit the DMG! When running software like Balena Etchar or any other, be sure you're doing it with admin privileges. If not, you might run into permission issues. I skipped this once and ended up with a half-finished bootable drive that was a headache to troubleshoot.

Each tool has a process to follow, and it’s easy to overlook an important step, especially if you're in a rush. Following the instructions meticulously is key. I once got lazy and skipped a few clicks when restoring from an image, which led to a botched USB.

Remember, formatting your USB erases everything on it. Make sure you back up any files you don’t want to lose. I learned that the hard way! If you feel a bit techy, you can use this command-line tool to convert DMG files to IMG format, which can then be burned to USB using tools like Rufus. It’s a bit more involved, but if you're comfortable with commands, it’s an option.