Troubleshooting the Creation of a Vanilla macOS Installer

It sounds like you're in the middle of creating a macOS bootable installer using the "vanilla" method and have run into an issue while preparing the USB drive (or in your case, an SD card). The "vanilla" method refers to creating a macOS installation drive without any modifications or third-party installations, which is often used in Hackintosh setups. Let’s go through the steps to help you resolve the issue:

Guide Step by Step:

1. Format the USB/SD Card:

   • Start by properly formatting your USB drive or SD card. Use Disk Utility on a Mac to format the drive to macOS Extended (Journaled) with a GUID Partition Map.
   • In Disk Utility, select the drive (not just the partition), choose Erase, and make sure to select the correct format and scheme.

2. Revisit DiskPart Method:

   • If you used DiskPart on a Windows machine to prepare the drive, ensure that you followed all steps correctly. DiskPart is powerful but can be tricky. You might need to clean the disk and create a new partition.

3. Create the Install Media:

   • After formatting, use the createinstallmedia command in Terminal on a Mac to create the bootable installer. You need a copy of the macOS installer app for this.
   • The command looks something like this (replace MyVolume with the name of your USB drive):

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     sudo /Applications/Install\ macOS\ [version name].app/Contents/Resources/createinstallmedia --volume /Volumes/MyVolume
     

   • This process will automatically create the necessary com.apple.recovery.boot folder and files on your USB drive.

4. Copying the EFI Folder (for Hackintosh):

   • If you're making a Hackintosh installer, you'll need to mount the EFI partition of your USB/SD card and copy the EFI folder to it.
   • Use Clover Configurator or a similar EFI mounting tool to mount the EFI partition and then drag your prepared EFI folder into it.

5. Checking USB/SD Card Content:

   • After the createinstallmedia process is complete (it can take some time), check the contents of your USB/SD card. You should see the installer files, including the com.apple.recovery.boot folder.

6. Troubleshooting Tips:

   • If the drive still appears empty, try the process again on a different USB drive or SD card to rule out hardware issues.
   • Ensure your macOS installer app is complete and not corrupted. You can download it from the Mac App Store.

7. Proceed with Installation:

   • Once the bootable installer is correctly created, you can use it to install macOS. Boot from the USB/SD card by holding down the Option (Alt) key during startup and selecting the drive.

Important Notes:

• Creating a bootable macOS installer requires careful attention to each step. Any misstep, especially in formatting or command execution, can lead to issues.
• The method slightly varies depending on whether you're setting up a regular Mac or a Hackintosh. For Hackintosh, additional steps like EFI folder customization are necessary.
• If you're not comfortable with these processes, it might be helpful to seek assistance from someone who has experience in creating bootable macOS installers or Hackintosh setups.

Remember, creating a bootable macOS installer, especially for Hackintosh purposes, can be complex. If you're still having trouble, please provide more specific details about the steps you've taken and where exactly you're encountering issues. This will help in giving more targeted advice.