How to install OpenCore Legacy Patcher

#Before you start

A supported Mac

Check it in the Mac Checker. Note its model identifier (for example MacBookPro11,1).

A USB drive

32 GB or larger. It will be erased. Dortania recommends 32 GB because recent macOS installers plus OCLP's files do not fit on 16 GB.

A backup

Time Machine or a full clone of your disk. Installing macOS can go wrong on any Mac; on a patched one, more so.

Internet, ideally Ethernet

The app downloads macOS (12 to 18 GB) and, during root patching, extra packages. Wi-Fi may not work until root patches are installed.

Time

About 30 to 60 minutes to download and write the installer, 45 to 90 minutes to install macOS, 10 minutes to patch.

For 2008–2010 Macs

A USB keyboard and mouse. On Macs with USB 1.1 internals, the built-in keyboard and trackpad may not work in the installer until the USB 1.1 patch is applied.

#Step by step

1. Download and open OpenCore Legacy Patcher

   5 minutes

   Download OpenCore-Patcher.pkg from the official GitHub release (2.5.1 for up to Sequoia, 3.0.0 for Tahoe) and install it. You can do this on the old Mac itself or on any other Mac. Open OpenCore-Patcher from Applications.

   Version 3.0.0 first shows a welcome screen with the project's contributors; scroll to the end to continue. The main menu then shows the detected model under the title.

   

   

   If you are preparing the USB drive on a different Mac than the one you will install on, open Settings first and choose the target model. OpenCore configurations are built for one model, and automatic root patching after the install depends on this choice.

2. Create the macOS installer

   30–60 minutes

   Click Create macOS Installer, then Download macOS Installer. The app lists the newest release of the four latest macOS versions, straight from Apple's catalog; tick Show Older/Beta Versions for others.

   

   Pick the version you want (our pick for your Mac), wait for the download, then choose your USB drive. The drive is erased, macOS is written to it, and OCLP adds its own files so it can root-patch automatically after the install.

   Already have the installer app in Applications? Choose Use existing macOS Installer instead.

3. Build and install OpenCore to the USB drive

   2 minutes

   Back in the main menu, click Build and Install OpenCore. The build starts right away, with a log in the window. The app assembles an OpenCore EFI folder for your model: the bootloader, the drivers (kexts) it needs, and a config.plist.

   What the build logs (MacBookPro9,2, our run)

   - Adding OpenCore v1.0.6 RELEASE
   - Adding Lilu.kext 1.7.2
   - Enabling BCM943224 and BCM94331 Networking Support
   - Adding AirportBrcmFixup.kext 2.2.1
   - Enabling macOS 26 FileVault 2 support
   - Disabling AMFI
   - Adding AMFIPass.kext 1.4.1
   - Adding RestrictEvents.kext 1.1.7
   Your OpenCore EFI for MacBookPro9,2 has been built at: …

   When the build finishes, click 🔩 Install OpenCore, choose the USB drive under Select disk to install OpenCore onto, then its EFI partition. Enter your password if asked. (Disk missing? It must be formatted GUID/GPT or have a FAT32 partition, as the app notes.)

4. Boot the installer through OpenCore

   5 minutes

   Plug the USB drive into the old Mac and restart it while holding Option. Apple's startup manager appears. Choose EFI Boot (the entry with the OpenCore icon). The OpenCore boot picker appears next: choose Install macOS ….

   Macintosh HD Install macOS Tahoe Windows

   Boots your installed macOS through OpenCore. This is what you choose every day.

   ←→ moveEnter bootSpace show hidden entriesCtrl+Enter set default

   Mac Pros, Xserves and iMacs with upgraded graphics cards may show no Apple startup manager. Dortania's boot guide explains how to set the default boot device from Recovery with bless instead.

5. Install macOS

   45–90 minutes

   The installer works as on any Mac. In Disk Utility you can erase the internal disk for a clean install, or install over your current macOS to keep your data (only if it was not patched with another patcher such as Patched Sur).

   • Brand-new disk: choose View > Show All Devices in Disk Utility and erase the whole disk (the top item), so the EFI partition OCLP needs is created.
   • 2016–2017 MacBook Pro with Touch Bar (T1): erase only the macOS volume, never the whole disk, when installing Sonoma or newer, or Touch ID and the Touch Bar stop working (Dortania).
   • The Mac restarts several times. If it returns to the start of setup, restart holding Option, choose EFI Boot, then the grey disk named macOS Installer or your disk's name. Repeat until setup finishes.

6. Make the Mac boot without the USB drive

   5 minutes

   Once you reach the desktop, open OpenCore Legacy Patcher (it was installed automatically if you created the USB with the app), choose Build and Install OpenCore, wait for the build, click Install OpenCore and pick the internal disk. Restart holding Option, pick the internal EFI Boot, and press Ctrl+Enter on your macOS disk to make it the default. From now on the Mac starts by itself; you can remove the USB drive.

7. Apply the root patches

   5–15 minutes

   If you made the USB drive with OCLP for this model, root patches install automatically on first boot. Otherwise, or if something is missing (no graphics acceleration, no Wi-Fi, no sound), open the app and choose Post-Install Root Patch. It lists the patches for your hardware; click Start Root Patching and restart.

   

   Some Macs need extra downloads during patching: Apple's Kernel Debug Kit (AMD GCN and Polaris GPUs from Ventura, every Mac on Tahoe for audio) or Dortania's MetallibSupportPkg (Ivy Bridge, Haswell and Kepler on Sequoia). Without internet, OCLP first installs only the Wi-Fi patch so you can connect, then asks you to run root patching again.

#After the first boot: a checklist

• Graphics: the Dock and menu bar are translucent and windows move smoothly. If everything is slow and flat grey, root patches are missing.
• Wi-Fi and Bluetooth work.
• Sound works, including the built-in speakers.
• The Mac starts without the USB drive.
• Spotlight indexing makes a new install slow for a few hours. Let it finish before judging performance (Dortania FAQ).
• Turn off automatic installation of macOS updates in Software Update, so you choose when to update and can re-patch right away. See Updating.

#Settings worth knowing

#Common questions

Something wrong or out of date on this page? Email hello@oclp.dev and we will fix it (see our corrections policy).