Step 1

Download latest OpenCore Legacy Patcher (OpenCore-Patcher-GUI.app.zip) from here and run it.

 

Step 2

Click Open button to run OpenCore Legacy Patcher.

 

Step 3

Click Create macOS Installer button to start creating bootable macOS installer USB stick.

 

Step 4

Click Download macOS Installer button.

 

Step 5

Click the latest macOS 14 installer button.

 

Step 6

Click Download Anyways button.

 

Step 7

macOS Sonoma DMG image will be downloaded directly from Apple servers. It may take some time on slower Internet connection speeds.

 

Step 8

Type your user password and click OK button to move downloaded DMG installer image to Applications folder.

 

Step 9

Click Yes button to create macOS installer.

 

Step 10

Click Install macOS Sonoma button.

 

Step 11

Click a button with your USB stick name.

 

Step 12

Click Yes button to erase your USB stick.

 

Step 13

Type your user password and click OK button to start creating bootable USB stick with macOS Sonoma.

 

Step 14

Creating a USB stick might take up to 30 minutes on a USB sticks with slow write speeds via standard USB 2.0 hub.

 

Step 15

Click Yes button to start building OpenCore installation.

 

Step 16

Click Install to disk button to install OpenCore to your disk. You must install OpenCore either on your harddisk or USB stick (but it will always needs to be inserted to run Sonoma).

 

Step 17

You can click your main harddisk button or your USB stick button. If OpenCore Legacy Patcher is installed on a USB stick, it will have to be always inserted when running macOS Sonoma.

 

Step 18

Click EFI partition.

 

Step 19

Enter your user password again and click OK button to install OpenCore Legacy Patcher to chosen disk drive.

 

Step 20

Click Reboot button to restart your computer.

 

Step 21

Press and hold Option key (or ALT key) on boot until you see standard grey boot picker and click an arrow under EFI boot.

 

Step 22

Click an arrow under Install macOS Sonoma on another boot picker.

 

Step 23

If you don't have a partition or volume for macOS Sonoma yet click Disk Utility to create one. If you already have one just skip to step 27.

 

Step 24

Choose one of the existing partitions on the left, then click Partition icon on the top bar.

 

Step 25

Click + symbol to add a new partition or volume for macOS Sonoma.

 

Step 26

Click Add Volume button to add another volume to existing APFS container. New partition would also work if you have a blank drive.

 

Step 27

Type any name in Name field e.g. SONOMA.

 

Leave a format as APFS and click Add button.

 

Step 28

Volume will be added to existing APFS container. Now just click Done button.

 

Step 29

Close Disk Utility and go back to main installer screen. Click Install macOS Sonoma to start the installation.

 

Step 30

Click Continue button on installer splash screen.

 

Step 31

Click Agree button on software licence agreement screen.

 

Step 32

Click Agree button.

 

Step 33

Choose your new SONOMA volume and click Continue button to continue the installation. The system will be rebooted automatically several times. It might take about an hour to fully install macOS Sonoma.

 

Step 34

When installation is ready you will be presented with Migration Assistant. Leave the default radio button as is and just click Continue button.

 

Step 35

Now you can move data from your old macOS installation. Click your previous macOS drive and then Continue button.

 

As soon your data is moved you will see macOS Sonoma desktop. Make sure to always boot macOS Sonoma from a second OpenCore boot picker (set by default). To see it just click EFI boot on a default boot picker.

 

Please note that default boot picker might also change it's background from grey to black, but its functionality remains.

Step 36

Your desktop would have white background, GPU acceleration won't work as well as Bluetooth and Wi-Fi modules. To bring them back to full functionality you need to redownload OpenCore Legacy Patcher (see step 1) and click Post-Install Root Patch.

Step 37

Click Start Root Patching button.

Step 38

Click Yes button to relaunch as root.

Step 39

Enter your users name and password and click OK button.

Step 40

Click Reboot button to reboot the system. Post reboot your system will be fully working and wallpaper will be normal.

 

If you switched your graphics card to another model and there is no acceleration again you need to rerun post-install patches (steps 36-40). Enjoy!