<< Solved >> Updating "Install macOS Big Sur.app" on an existing Flash Drive

[wstrohm]

Question: If I replace the installer on my flash drive with the 16.8.00 version directly, without going through the "Create installer" routine used for a new flash drive install, will the flash drive be totally ready to install MacOS 11.6, or will I have fallen into a swamp?

 

[Edhawk]

Swamp!

 

[wstrohm]

Thanks for that! I'll do the whole thing over again from scratch, then. It does kind of put the lie to this statement:

Install macOS Big Sur App has been updated - If you downloaded macOS Big Sur from the App Store prior to today, and you want to have the latest version on your backup installer USB, simply log into the Mac App Store and click Download. The updated Install macOS Big Sur App can be found in the Applications folder.

on this web page, though. I would infer from it that one could just replace an existing Big Sur backup installer on a flash drive with a later one. Thanks again for keeping me from making a big mistake.

 

[wstrohm]

"From scratch" technique worked fine, but took more time than simply dragging a new "Install macOS Big Sur.app" file from my computer's Applications folder to replace the already-created installer app from an earlier version.