# Unable to flash image **URL:** \ **Category:** Support and Troubleshooting\ **Created:** [September 25, 2026, 5:44pm UTC](https://community.umbrel.com/t/unable-to-flash-image/25522 "2026-09-25T17:44:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Crussader87](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dec6dc/32.png) [@Crussader87](https://community.umbrel.com/u/Crussader87)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2026, 5:44pm UTC](https://community.umbrel.com/t/unable-to-flash-image/25522/1 "2026-09-25T17:44:04Z")
Hello, I’m trying to flash the bootable Image but I keep getting the same error. I’m using MacOs 26.7, I downloaded the Intel&AMD version for internal storage to install it on a miniPC. I’m using the latest version of balenaEtcher, I downloaded everything 2 times, reset the macbook, but nothing, I keep getting: _Something went wrong while opening / Users/alvaroaliagalillo/Downloads/ umbrelos-amd64-usb-installer.iso. Error: (0, h.requestMetadata) is not a function_ ![Captura de pantalla 2026-09-25 a las 19.28.40](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/uploads/getumbrel/original/2X/1/1194b18eec2f294d492cc4bb4c7e268001ae3660.png) ---
**Author:** ![Abyo](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/community.umbrel.com/abyo/32/8337_2.png) [@Abyo](https://community.umbrel.com/u/Abyo)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2026, 12:51am UTC](https://community.umbrel.com/t/unable-to-flash-image/25522/2 "2026-09-26T00:51:57Z")
same error, i solved it by changing the Flash USB to a larger Flash USB, and used RUFUS ---
**Author:** ![Crussader87](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dec6dc/32.png) [@Crussader87](https://community.umbrel.com/u/Crussader87)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2026, 6:36pm UTC](https://community.umbrel.com/t/unable-to-flash-image/25522/3 "2026-09-26T18:36:44Z")
thanks but there is no RUFUS on MacOS ---
**Author:** ![aidencole](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ce73a5/32.png) [@aidencole](https://community.umbrel.com/u/aidencole)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2026, 6:52pm UTC](https://community.umbrel.com/t/unable-to-flash-image/25522/4 "2026-09-26T18:52:45Z")
hey, that looks like an Etcher error rather than an issue with your download. Could you try [Raspberry Pi Imager](https://www.raspberrypi.com/software/) instead? Despite the name, you can use it to flash the installer for your mini PC too. Choose “Use custom” under the OS selection, pick the umbrelOS `.iso` you already downloaded, then select your USB drive and write it. Just double-check you’ve selected the right drive, since it’ll erase whatever’s on it. ---
**Author:** ![Crussader87](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dec6dc/32.png) [@Crussader87](https://community.umbrel.com/u/Crussader87)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2026, 7:13pm UTC](https://community.umbrel.com/t/unable-to-flash-image/25522/5 "2026-09-26T19:13:51Z")
Hey, I tried Raspberry Pi imager, also MacUSB, they both flashes supposedly the file but after it finished the system doesn’t even recognize the usb anymore… ---
**Author:** ![aidencole](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ce73a5/32.png) [@aidencole](https://community.umbrel.com/u/aidencole)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2026, 7:32pm UTC](https://community.umbrel.com/t/unable-to-flash-image/25522/6 "2026-09-26T19:32:08Z")
hey, macOS not recognizing the USB after flashing can be normal. It may not be able to read the partitions on it, even if the flash worked. If it asks you to initialize the drive, just click Ignore. Have you tried booting your mini PC from it yet? Plug it in, open the boot menu when powering on, and select the USB drive. If it doesn’t show up or won’t boot, what mini PC are you using, and what do you see on screen? ---
**Author:** ![delay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a8b319/32.png) [@delay](https://community.umbrel.com/u/delay)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2026, 10:48pm UTC](https://community.umbrel.com/t/unable-to-flash-image/25522/7 "2026-09-26T22:48:30Z")
I was also getting a corruption error on validation. I unzipped the .xz file on the mac. reflashed it with balena etcher and it then completed the flash. (right click file, select open with and select archive utility to unzip it.) ---
**Author:** ![Ash](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@Ash](https://community.umbrel.com/u/Ash)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2026, 11:36am UTC](https://community.umbrel.com/t/unable-to-flash-image/25522/8 "2026-09-30T11:36:47Z")
This happened to me and it was because I had my USB plugged into a USB dock station. It did it on windows and Linux. I had to reformat within Linux. I then tried on another notebook with the USB directly plugged into the computer and then worked. Are you plugging the USB directly into the Mac or is a USB dock. ---
**Author:** ![awraynor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c5a1d2/32.png) [@awraynor](https://community.umbrel.com/u/awraynor)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2026, 7:39pm UTC](https://community.umbrel.com/t/unable-to-flash-image/25522/9 "2026-09-30T19:39:58Z")
Like others have said. It’s 100% Balena. Luckily I have Parallels and used Rufus. Worked perfectly. Any chance could use the free UTM or VMWare fusion to use another program? Balena used to work so well. ---
**Author:** ![Crussader87](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dec6dc/32.png) [@Crussader87](https://community.umbrel.com/u/Crussader87)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2026, 10:48am UTC](https://community.umbrel.com/t/unable-to-flash-image/25522/10 "2026-10-02T10:48:57Z")
SOLVED! First of all, thank to all your responses, this is what happened. I was trying to flash from a Macbook Air using a dongle, I tried with Utility Disks, BalenaEtcher, Raspberry Imager, and it just didn’t work. Then I tried with Rufus on a miniPC with windows, without dongle, It managed to flash the image but It was giving me problems with the installation of the OS, so I changed the USBdrive, flash it with Rufus first on Windows and then flash it again with Balena on the Macbook and it worked. So it was a combination of all the above, but for sure that BalenaEtcher is giving a lot of problems to everybody. Thanks again