Install macOS Big Sur on a separate partition or disk

Install Big Sur on separate partition

In this article you can read how to macOS Big Sur beta safely download and install, without compromising your daily work. We do this by installing this new version on a separate partition. You can read which option is best for you below. As a user, you can create multiple partitions on the same disk, so you can install multiple operating systems side by side without getting in each other’s way. It also often happens that a disk is divided into separate parties for system and data.

Below you can read:

macOS Big Sur on separate partition

Apple goes in the fall of 2020 macOS Make Big Sur available to anyone with a suitable Mac. But you can already start with the beta: from June for developers and presumably from July for public beta testers.

System requirements for macOS Big Sur

If macOS Big Sur to install you need the following:

Step 1: Make a backup first
When installing on a separate partition or a separate volume, you do not run that much risk. But if you really want to make sure that something can go wrong, we recommend that you first backup met Time Machine to make. You do this as follows:

1. Connect an external disk, for example a Time Capsule or another disk with USB, FireWire or Thunderbolt.
2. Go to > System Preferences and choose the tab Time Machine.
3. Turn on the switch Time Machine On.
4. Choose a backup disk.
5. Time Machine will now format the disk and the backup start.

Step 2: Create partition or volume

If you do not want to be at risk, it is best to install Big Sur on a separate partition or on an external USB disk. If something goes wrong, you don’t have to do your whole thing Mac to recover. It means that you free up space on your disk (internal or external) for installing Big Sur. This allows you to continue working with everyday life macOS Catalina and only switch to Big Sur if you feel the need.

If you have an external write with sufficient storage space available, you can proceed directly to the next step. If not, you must first create a partition. You split your hard disk into several parts:

1. Open the Disk Utility on Mac.
2. Select your hard disk in the left menu, usually Macintosh HD.
3. Press the button Partitioneer.
4. Click the plus to create an additional partition.
5. Name the partition and choose its size. For example, you can use 100GB for it.
6. Choose APFS as the structure if prompted.
7. click on Not toe.

The Disk Utility will now check the disk and create the partition. This can take several minutes.

With the plus you can create multiple partitions.

Step 3: Install beta profile

You need a beta profile to install betas. The official route is via Apple’s Developer portal.

1. Go to developer.apple.com and click Discover.
2. Click at the top of the screen macOS.
3. Click on top right Download.
4. Log in with your developer account.
5. Scroll down and click the Install Profile button.

6. Wait for the download to succeed and click macOSDeveloperBetaAccessUtility.dmg
7. Double click on this file and extract it.
8. Install macOSDeveloperBetaAccessUtility.pkg to the hard disk. You don’t have to choose the partition just yet.

When the installer is finished, the Mac automatically checks for an update for macOS. You don’t see the latest developer beta, but only older betas of it macOS Catalina, then restart the Mac. Then open the System Preferences again and check if there is an update.

Install macOS Big Sur

When System Preferences has searched for and shows an update, click Update to install it. Then click Get on and agree to the terms.

1. When you need to choose a disk, choose the created partition.
2. click on to install.
3. The installation file will guide you through the steps.

The installation can take quite some time. After the installation is successful, restart your Mac and start setting up MacOS Big Sur. You must do this Apple ID and enter password.

Start from other disk

If you created macOS Big Sur on a new partition, here’s how to change the startup disk:

1. click on > System Preferences> Startup Disk
2. Click on the padlock at the bottom left.
3. Enter your system password and click OK.
4. Choose the drive you are for macOS Created Big Sur.
5. click on Restart.

You can also choose the startup disk by pressing the Option key when you hear the Mac’s startup sound. This will bring up a screen where you can choose the startup disk.

read everything about macOS Big Sur in onze round-up!

–