Step 1: Download – Get a copy of macOS Catalina

Download Catalina 10.15 from the Mac App Store

download it through a third party source such as gibMacOS.

Step 2: Installer – Create the macOS Catalina flash drive

  • Formatting the USB Drive

    • Click Erase
    • Set the following settings:
      • Name: Hackintosher
      • Format: Mac OS Extended (Journaled)
      • Scheme: GUID Partition Map
    • Click Erase

  • Transferring the Catalina Installer

    • balena-etcher

Step 3: Catalina EFI Partition & Clover Files

  1. Mount EFI Partition
  2. Delete the folder called EFI in the partition you mounted (If it exists)
  3. Download Hackintosher-Catalina-10.15-EFI.zip
  4. Unzip Hackintosher-Catalina-10.15-EFI
  5. Copy the unzipped EFI folder
  6. Paste the EFI folder downloaded from this website into your mounted EFI partition

Step 4: Generating a DSDT table

Catalina requires an extra step to the install where we must spoof the EC device. To do that we must first prematurely boot into the Clover Menu then press F4 to generate a DSDT file map.

  1. Restart or boot the computer you want to install Catalina on with the flash drive is plugged in
  2. Boot from the UEFI partition of the flash drive by either selecting it as a temporary boot device or setting it as priority in BIOS settings.
  3. You will be brought to the Clover Bootloader Menu
  4. Press F4 and that will generate an DSDT onto the EFI partition of your flash drive located in /Volumes/EFI/EFI/CLOVER/ACPI/origin
  5. Return to your other Mac or boot back into the virtual machine you were using.

Step 5: Catalina Desktop EC Spoofing

  • do not use for laptops

Step 6: Bootloader – Configuring Clover config.plist for Install

We now need to configure the file in our EFI folder called config.plist to work with our hardware by opening and modifying it with Clover Configurator.

Step 7: BIOS – Recommended Settings

  • UEFI Booting set to Enabled and set Priority over Legacy
  • Secure Boot : Disabled
  • Fast Boot : Disabled

Step 8: Install – macOS Catalina Hackintosh Installation Walkthrough

  • Booting the Catalina flash drive Installer

  • Disk Utility Partitioning for macOS Catalina

    • Press Continue when the installer appears
    • Select your language
    • Select Disk Utility from the install menu
    • Select Show All Devices from the drop down menu by pressing the View button at the top left top left corner of the Disk Utility window. (Note: NVME drive not showing?)
    • Select the disk you will be installing macOS and either select Partition to add space for macOS or Erase if you want to start clean
    • If you get the Apple File System Space Sharing popup select the Always partition checkbox and click Partition
    • Disk Drive Settings:
      • Name: (It can be named anything you want)
      • Format: Mac OS Extended (Journaled)
      • Scheme: GUID Partition Map
    • Click Partition or Erase when ready
    • Quit Disk Utility after successfully reformatting or partitioning the drive for Catalina.

  • Install macOS Catalina 10.15

    • Select Install macOS from the main menu
    • Click Continue
    • Click Agree for the Software Terms Licenese Agreement
    • Click Agree second agreement prompt
    • Select the Drive macOS will be installed on
    • Click Install and wait

  • Complete the Catalina Install

    • Select Boot macOS Install from “Hackintosh”
    • The installer will load up and you’ll see an apple logo and loading bar briefly before an automatic restart happens:
    • Reenter the Clover Menu on Restart
    • Select Boot macOS Install from “Hackintosh” again
    • The same apple logo and loading bar will appear again, but time this time it will reach the end.

  • Catalina Hackintosh First Boot

    • Select Boot macOS from “Hackintosh” and the Catalina will begin booting for the first time
    • Select Language and click Continue
    • Select Keyboard and click Continue
    • Click Continue for Data & Privacy
    • If prompted select My computer does not connect to the Internet and click Continue
    • Select Don’t transfer any information now
    • (Option) Sign into an Apple ID or click Set Up Later at the top
    • Click Agree to the Terms and Conditions
    • Fill out Computer Account macOS login profile and click Continue
    • (Optional) Choose Customize Settings at Express Set Up if you don’t want to be monitored through Location and Siri.
    • Choose Your Look and click Continue
    • Welcome to macOS Catalina!

  • Copying the EFI Partition from the Flash Drive to the macOS Catalina Drive

    • Now that we’re in macOS we want to be able to boot macOS without needing to have the USB flash drive plugged in. To do that all we have to do is copy and paste the EFI folder on the UEFI partition of the flash drive to the UEFI partition of the hackintosh disk.

      1. Open Clover Configurator
      2. Mount the EFI of the USB Flash Drive
      3. Press Open EFI or navigate to the EFI location of the flash drive in Finder
      4. Copy the EFI Folder onto your desktop
      5. Open Finder and Eject All the Flash Drive
      6. Using Clover Configurator Mount the EFI of the drive disk you just installed Mac OS on
      7. Press Open EFI or navigate to the EFI location of the drive in Finder
      8. Delete the mostly empty EFI Folder located on the mounted drive
      9. Paste or Move the EFI from your Desktop to the EFI partition of the drive /Volumes/EFI/ the existing EFI on the disk

      You will now be able to boot macOS without the USB Flash Drive

Step 9: Catalina Hackintosh Post-Install Changes

Reference

  1. https://hackintosher.com/guides/how-to-make-a-macos-10-15-catalina-flash-drive-installer/