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ChristianZhao's avatar
ChristianZhao
Bronze Contributor
Mar 05, 2026

Safe and fast way for macos monterey dmg download?

Bought an 2017 iMac. Currently, I have wiped the internal SSD want to reinstall macOS Monterey on it. I know the first step is to find a working bootable dmg file in order to make a bootable usb driv...
PaxtonRebel's avatar
PaxtonRebel
Iron Contributor
Mar 05, 2026

Creating a bootable macOS Monterey USB drive is a smart move, whether you’re looking to perform a clean install or just want an "emergency kit" in your drawer. Before we dive in, you will need a USB flash drive with at least 16GB of space and a Mac that is compatible with macOS Monterey.

However, you have to borrow a Mac capable of running macOS Monterey as Apple does not offer macOS monterey 12.7.6 dmg download anymore.

Step 1: Download macOS Monterey installer app from the Mac App Store.

Step 2: Plug in your USB drive into Mac.

Step 3: Open Terminal (Applications > Utilities). Copy and paste the following command into Terminal:

sudo /Applications/Install\ macOS\ Monterey.app/Contents/Resources/createinstallmedia --volume /Volumes/Untitled

Step 4: Type your admin password when prompted (you won't see characters as you type) and press Enter.

Step 5: When prompted to erase the volume, type Y and press Enter.

Step 6: Terminal will now copy the files. Once it says "Install media now available," you’re done!