
How to Build a Hackintosh with Olarila
A hackintosh is a computer that runs macOS on hardware that is not officially supported by Apple. It can be a fun and rewarding project for enthusiasts who want to enjoy the benefits of macOS on a custom-built machine. However, building a hackintosh can also be challenging and frustrating, especially for beginners who are not familiar with the process and the tools involved.
That’s where Olarila comes in. Olarila is a website that provides various resources and guides for hackintosh users, such as vanilla images, EFI folders, DSDT patches, apps, and more. Olarila aims to make hackintoshing easy, fast, and perfect for everyone, regardless of their hardware or experience level.
In this article, we will show you how to build a hackintosh with Olarila, using their vanilla images and EFI folders. We will also explain some basic concepts and steps involved in hackintoshing, such as BIOS settings, USB creation, installation, post-installation, and fine-tuning. Let’s get started!
What You Need
Before you begin, you will need the following:
- A compatible computer or laptop that can run macOS. You can check the Olarila Buyer’s Guide for some recommended hardware combinations.
- A USB flash drive of at least 16 GB capacity.
- A working internet connection.
- A Windows, Linux, or macOS machine to download and burn the Olarila image.
- The Olarila image for your desired macOS version. You can download it from the Olarila website.
- The correct EFI folder for your hardware and bootloader (Clover or OpenCore). You can download it from the Olarila website as well.
- The Balena Etcher software to burn the Olarila image to the USB flash drive. You can download it from here.
Step 1: BIOS Settings

The first step is to configure your BIOS settings to make your computer compatible with macOS. The exact settings may vary depending on your motherboard model and BIOS version, but here are some general guidelines:
- Set SATA mode to AHCI.
- Disable Secure Boot if needed.
- Disable CSM (Compatibility Support Module) if you have an AMD graphics card.
- Enable XHCI Handoff and EHCI Handoff if available.
- Disable VT-d (Virtualization Technology for Directed I/O) if available.
- Enable Above 4G Decoding if available.
- Disable CFG-Lock if available.
You can also reset your BIOS settings to default and only change the ones that are necessary. Save and exit your BIOS after making the changes.
Step 2: USB Creation

The next step is to create a bootable USB installer with the Olarila image. To do this, you will need to use the Balena Etcher software on your Windows, Linux, or macOS machine. Here are the steps:
- Launch Balena Etcher and click on “Flash from file”.
- Select the Olarila image file that you downloaded earlier.
- Click on “Select target” and choose your USB flash drive. Make sure it is empty or backed up as it will be erased during the process.
- Click on “Flash!” and wait for the process to complete. It may take several minutes depending on your USB speed and image size.
Step 3: EFI Folder

The EFI folder contains the bootloader and the drivers that are needed to boot macOS on your hardware. You will need to copy the correct EFI folder for your hardware and bootloader to the EFI partition of your USB flash drive. To do this, you will need to mount the EFI partition first. Here are the steps:
Mounting EFI Partition on Windows
- Download and install MountEFI from here.
- Run MountEFI as administrator and select your USB flash drive from the list.
- Type “y” and press enter to mount the EFI partition.
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