Boot Camp from External HDD

I need to use boot camp so i can learn MSSQL for work, the problem is that I only have about 15G left on my hard drive.
How do I use boot camp to set it up on the external hard drive, when i start boot camp assistant, it does not give me the option to select the external HDD,
Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.
Cheers

How do I use boot camp to set it up on the external hard drive, when i start boot camp assistant, it does not give me the option to select the external HDD
You basically can't. This is Microsoft's fault, not Apple's.
Format the external drive as Mac OS Extended (Journaled), move data such as the iTunes or iPhoto libraries to it, launch those applications with the Option key held down, point them there, and then delete them from the hard drive. If there are items in the /Library/Printers/ folder you don't use, those can be deleted, and Monolingual can be run to free up more space.
(47325)

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Can't boot Arch from external HDD

Hi, well first off this is not my first Arch Linux installation, I'm using Arch for a little over a year now (coming from slack). But this is my first attempt to have Arch on an external HDD.
Alrighty, the situation is as follows: A rather new computer (supports booting from USB devices and the bios is set to boot from removable devices first) with a built in HDD and an external HDD that's connected to that computer via USB.
What I did: I connected the external HDD to the computer and booted off a 2008.6 Overlord core-CD.
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I partitioned the external HDD using cfdisk and ran mkfs.ext3 on it (I didn't use any switches with that).
I started the installer, set my mount points (I should mention I'm not gonna use a swap partition here), installed the packages, well just went through the installation routine and installed grub in the MBR of sdb (the external HDD).
Then I rebooted. And this is what doesn't work: When I boot that computer with the external HDD connected the computer completely hangs right before grub would come up. It freezes completely, ctrl+alt+del doesn't work, I need to use the powerswitch to reboot the computer.
So I put the Arch-CD back in the CD drive trying to boot into my Arch System on the external HDD. So I started typing:
root (hd1,0)
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When I try to boot off that grub tells me that there is no such device as hd1,0. The funny thing is, that the auto copmletion in grub works for the kernel /boot/vmlinuz26 but it doesn't for the device /dev/sdb1, in fact even root=/de<tab> returns a "unrecognized string" message.
So this is what I did and I can't boot off my external HDD, neither can I boot into my system on the external hdd from the cdrom.
What am I missing here?

The harddrive you boot from is in my experience always hd0. Could this mean your external disc is hd2?
Have you tried chainloading from the installer cd to your external disc?

Troubles booting eMac from external HDD over firewire

I have an MBP that had to be taken into the shop recently and will unfortunately be there for a week or more. Before I took it, however, I used SuperDuper to do a full backup to a partition on an external HDD (a WD "My Book Pro" 500GB drive with two partitions -- one for full backups and one for extra storage). For the time being, I have an eMac (PPC G4 700Mhz w/OS X 10.4.11) that I was hoping to use to boot from the FW drive.
Unfortunately, I can't seem to get it fly. I have the drive connected via FW and when I hold down option at boot it only shows the internal drive (I've also waited a few minutes and tried numerous refreshes -- no dice). When I look at Startup Disk in Systems Preferences it does show the FW drive as an available boot device. When I select it and reboot, however, I get a the system folder question mark icon for about two seconds and then the eMac boots from the internal.
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Hey Dema,
Well the builds for Intel vs PPC Macs are very different. However this can be done as here:
http://www.macosxhints.com/article.php?story=2006061610374449
and they talk about the earlier method using two partitions. They figured a way to do it without the partitioning.
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Message was edited by: spudnuty

Problems with Boot camp and External HDD's

Hi, I recently installed windows XP using Boot Camp, and everything worked fine, until yesterday when I tried to reboot into MAC from WINDOWS. It restarts back into windows everytime, and now I can't get back to mac! (using leopard, not snow leopard) Whats wrong?
Another thing, I have a 500gb Lacie ext HDD, and I can use it fine with mac, but when I tried to access it with windows, it won't work. It will appear in My Computer but when I log in it won't access the data. What can I do?
Im using the HDD for backups with time machine, is this why windows cant access it?
Thanks in advance

FAT32 will accessible from both Windows and OS X
If you don't want to reformat your ext drive you need something like http://www.paragon-software.com/home/hfs-windows/ or http://www.mediafour.com/products/macdrive/

Running boot camp from a HDD in optical bay and OS X from an SSD in hard drive

Hi, I was wondering if it is possible to boot windows from the optical bay location on a macbook pro as I am looking in to moving my current 500GB hard drive to the optical bay and installing a 256GB SSD to where the current HDD is and using this to boot Mac OS X.
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yes.

How to run Boot Camp on External Hard Drive?

I use my mid-2012 11" MacBook Air for gaming and school work. My hard drive is filling up fast, and I was hoping I could use an external hard drive and Boot Camp to run Windows for my games, thus freeing up most of my hard drive.
My questions are:
1) Is this possible?
2) What equipment would I need to do it?
3) What would I be looking for in an external hard drive for this purpose?
4) If I did this, would I be able to unplug and replug my external hard drive without causing a problem?
5) What version of Windows should I use?
The program I will be using for my games is Steam.

For the MacBook Pro Retina and Windows 8.1 the setup procedure was the following:
Step -1: Make sure your Thunderbot drive works, stable and reliable.
Step 0. Make sure you have a complete Time Machine backup of you Mac OS hard drive. Seriously. Very easy to mess things up completely.
Step 1. Get a Windows 8.1 64 bit iso. You might want to try it out first before committing money to it. For that you can download an official 90 day Windows 8.1 Enterprise evaluation from Microsoft. It's somewhat hidden from mainstream experience, but search engines help you there.
It is important to use 64 bit, as 32 bit will not work.
Step 2. Get a USB flash drive. 8 GB USB flash drive worked fine for me.
Step 3. On Window box or from virtualized Windows machine make a bootable setup USB. I have used Rufus for that. Make sure you have selected "GTP partition scheme for UEFI computer" and FAT32.
I've tried MBR partition scheme, but it hasn't worked for me.
Step 4. Once bootable setup USB is created, shutdown everything. Plugin your external thunderbolt drive and bootable setup USB flash drive. Hold ALT (Option key) to choose from what thing to boot.
Step 5. If you are lucky you will see yellow "EFI Boot". Yellow usually meens 'external'. That meens you are going to boot into setup from USB flash drive. Go for it.
Step 6. In 5-10 minutes you should get into Window setup. Whenever you are asked, always choose "Custom" or so, till you get to the hard drive selection screen. You should see list of many partitions coming from 2 drives - one internal and one external.
WARNING: Be super careful here!!!!!
Step 7. Convince Windows to install itself on the drive that is external. You might have to delete all of the partitions of the external drive and leave it completely unpartitioned. This will make Windows autoconvert it's partition scheme to GTP.
WARNING: Think twice before deleting any partitions; do not delete any partitions on your internal drive.
Step 8. Let Windows install itself. I recommend turning off windows autoupdate for now, especially drivers part of it, since Windows 8.1 autoudate seams to be pushing buggy drivers at the moment.
Step 9. If you are SUPER lucky after reboot (and holding ALT/Option) you should see gray "EFI boot" that will boot Windows from external drive.
Step 10. Download and install Apple latest bootcamp drivers, things should work normally once those drivers are installed.
Step 11. Enjoy!

Lightroom 5 do not recognise catalog from external HDD

I am using Lightroom 5 now. In the earlier version, I was able to create catalog & save them in external HDD. Similarly I could open any catalog from external HDD with the lrcat file extension.
However, in the current version, it does not allow me to create catalog nor retrieve catalog from external HDD.
This means that I have to either transfer all the raw files to the HDD from the external HDD and then create the catalog in the laptop. After finishing all the editing, then copy and transfer everything back to the external HDD.
I cannot imagine if whenever I have to edit something, I have to keep doing transfer between the laptop HDD & external HDD.
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I am using LR 5.2 and I do not have this problem. My Raw files are on an external hard drive and my catalog together with its previews and Smart Previews and the CR Cache folder are all on a USB 3.0, 64 GB memory stick. The only thing on the laptop's (Windows 7) internal drive is the LR application. I turn on the external only when importing or exporting/printing and editing is done through the Smart Previews. This setup works smooth as silk for me, so I think you also should be able to work from the external.
When you write "it does not allow me to create catalog nor retrieve catalog from external HDD," what do you mean? If you go to File/New Catalog, does the external not appear on the system navigation window that opens? If you go to File/Open Catalog, does the external not appear on the system navigation window that opens? If, with LR closed, you use Explorer or Finder to go to an .lrcat file on the external and double-click it, does this launch LR?

How can i send the music, photos and films from extern hdd to time capsule?

how can i send the music, photos and films from extern hdd to time capsule?

Hi Niel, i open Time Mchine, starts a new screen where i can see all Data (program etc.), my macbook and my extern hdd. there i have musik, films and picture...when i click them, where i have to set them?
Sorry, i got the last 20 years a pc, this is my first macbook pro and from today my first 2TB air port time cap.

Booting from external hdd

booting from an external hdd through the usb port - can it be done on my g3 imac indigo?

For the FireWire port, it's not a theory; it will work. However, I do not know of any adapter that will allow a USB 2.0 drive to connect to the FireWire port.
You should buy a good quality external drive enclosure and transplant the drive. You can often find cheap ones by looking on dealmac.com
http://dealmac.com/categories/Computer/Storage/Drive-Enclosures/Fire-Wire-Drive- Enclosures/369.html
However, I prefer better quality enclosures even if they cost a bit more. OWC (www.macsales.com) sells some good enclosures with no drive. I have a Macally aluminum (fanless) case that I got from Amazon; it has been reliable with several different drives inside.

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I'm interested in upgrading my 2010 iMac to one of the new 2012 models, specifically for their USB 3 and Thunderbolt port offerings.
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But I've read different accounts in other forums about the reliability of using USB as your primary external boot source, namely since it relies on the CPU and you'll get slightly diminsihed performance and/or errors over time. Maybe Thunderbolt is the way to go? Any advice on this?
I see posts like this one (http://fortysomethinggeek.blogspot.ca/2012/10/blacx-5g-usb-30-update-fastest-usb -30.html) and it gives me hope, but I don't want to have to deal with random crashes attributable solely to my use of an external drive as my primary boot source. Is anyone else using this kind of external-only setup, and can you please let me know your thoughts and experiences thus far?
Thanks!

First and foremost: Are you using OPTION to try to select the USB-DVD to boot from?
The MacBook Air has to, and has to place a set of Apple supplied drivers on USB I think or has USB DVD support.
http://www.apple.com/support/bootcamp
one feature Boot Camp Assistant has been broken never worked part of 10.6.6, to download drivers to put on CD/USB. So that is 5 months status: broken and unacknowledged officially.
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4407
A nice normal walk-thru install, what I think most expect -
http://www.simplehelp.net/2009/01/15/using-boot-camp-to-install-windows-7-on-you r-mac-the-complete-walkthrough/

Boot Camp: Seagate External Drive not Recognized in Windows Explorer -- PLEASE HELP!

I'm running in Boot Camp and using a Seagate Free Agent GoFlex external drive as both a Time Machine backup on the Mac OS, as well as a storage unit to exchange files. However, whenever I plug my external drive into my computer while running Windows, it does not show up in the Computer tab under "Devices With Removable Storage", like it should. It does show up on the "Safely Remove Hardware and Eject Media" button in the bottom right hand corner, and it appears as a "Startup Disk" in the Boot Camp Control Panel, so I know that it isn't a cable or USB input issue. Please help me get it to appear as a Device in the Windows Explorer. I need to exchange files from my Mac OS to my Windows OS. Thank you in advance for the help.

I did it but i could not install tool from the dvd. As i said, i can still boot up windows xp i just needs to re-install the service tool.
The drivers are working properly.

Using Boot Camp on External Drive

Can I use Boot Camp to install Windows on an external drive, instead of partitioning the main internal one? I have an eSATA drive so I know Windows Vista will work on the external drive.

Can I use Boot Camp to install Windows on an external drive, instead of partitioning the main internal one?
Yes. Don't use the Boot Camp Assistant; instead, restart from the Windows Vista installation disk and insert the computer's original disk when the computer is started up into Windows.
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HT201468 Boot Camp on external drive?

Is it possible to install and run Boot Camp (Windows XP) from an external drive?
I originally had Boot Camp on a separate partition on my iMac HD, but the partition filled pretty quickly. I want to install Boot Camp on an external drive to avoid repartitioning in the future. (Kudos to Time Machine - restoring files was unbelievably easy.)

I've been messing with different MacBooks (haven't tried iMac unfortunately, but I think it'll be similar) and it's definitely possible to install Windows on an external drive. I haven't tried this with Windows XP (I think you'll have to give up on that), I used only Windows 7 / Windows 8. There're at least two options:
1. BIOS emulation mode. Use this guide as a reference: http://bleeptobleep.blogspot.ca/2013/02/mac-install-windows-7-or-8-on-external.h tml
This one will make it work even on a USB 2.0/3.0 drive (although it worked for me with one USB3.0 enclosure but refused to boot from another). I also assume it'll work with FireWire as long as necessary drivers are installed.
2. native EFI mode. Use my last post as a reference: http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=1414769
This method most likely won't work with USB or FireWire, only Thunderbolt which your iMac doesn't have.
It's definitely not supported by Apple so officials won't help you here Another way to do it is cloning partitions from one disk to another, which I never tried. I also read about crazy things that involved VMWare Fusion etc.

MBP Late 2010, How can I install Win7 Boot Camp using External Optical Driv

Hello:
I have a new MBP purchased in February. It's not the 2011 model. I replaced the Optical drive with an SSD drive and put the optical drive in an external enclosure. The Optical drive works great, reads, writes, etc. My Windows 7, Pro 64bit DVD works also, tested on a PC.
I use the Boot Camp assistant to create a partition. It them reboots and never starts up from the optical drive. I get an Apple logo alternating with a stop sign.
I have got back to OS X by starting with the Option key and choosing my OS X volume.
I tried booting to the DVD by using the option key, that did not work. I then choose the EFI option which allowed me to hit any key and appeared to boot from the external optical drive. Windows setup screen came up and I hit enter to start the file loading process. It eventually stopped when the progress bar was all the way across the screen. Then nothing.
Questions {Please give definitive answers, not guesses, thanks :)}
1) Is it possible to setup a boot camp Windows installation without an internal optical drive? Yes/No.
2) If yes, how?
3) I see the rEFIt utility has helped some but I read mixed reports. Will this help me boot and run Windows setup from an external optical drive? I don't want to install it if it's not known to be a certain fix.
4) Is my only options to reinstall the optical drive?
I chatted to OWC the vendor that sells the bracket. They had no idea how to install a Windows BC partition without an internal drive.
I am seriously discouraged by what seems to be Apple wanting to control everything. I had a Mac Pro and Air book in my future but now, it's on hold.
Thanks in advance,
Kevin

I tried what you are doing with a 2007 MBP, and could not get any Windows CD s to boot from an external optical drive, firewire or USB.
I think this is fundamental to Windows which won't boot from an external USB drive either even on a Windows machine (although I believe there may be complex ways of achieving this). I don't think this is Apple trying to control the world.
I ended up taking the MCE Optibay out and putting the original optical drive back in.
Just possible that something has changed between a 2007 MBP and 2010 MBP, but I doubt it.
If you want the second internal HD, you have two options:-
1. Put the Apple optical back in, install Windows, then take out the optical and refit the SSD. The external optical will still be able to install windows apps and data etc, just not boot any windows install CDs or utilities (like Paragon rescue disks). You will not be able to do a Windows repair install without refitting the optical.
2. Parallels, which has come a long way in the last two years. I am 99% certain that Parallels will install from an external optical.
Message was edited by: Mike Boreham
Message was edited by: Mike Boreham
Message was edited by: Mike Boreham

Am I able to install Windows 7 in Boot Camp with this HDD partition setup?

I recently upgraded from Snow Leopard to Lion, and my Boot Camp partition was obliterated beyond recognition. Fortunately I have backups, but I'm having issues re-installing Windows 7. This is what my disk looks like:
Mac OSX - Current Lion partition
Untitled - Where Boot Camp / Windows 7 used to live...
Shared - 1TB of shared data... Media/Documents/etc
This is the error I get when trying to install Windows 7 with Boot Camp Assistant...
From what I can tell, this means I won't be able to do it without wiping the Shared partition? Or is there a workaround I can use? I'd really hate to have to move all of it over to an external hard drive, since I don't have one with 750GB of free space handy...
And would this probably happen again once Mountain Lion comes out? I'll be getting that pretty much on launch, so should I hold off on messing around with this if I'll likely have to do it all again in a few weeks?
Thanks in advance to anyone who can help!
- Mark

Why don't you invest in a 1.5TB drive and case? And add to that a TimeMachine drive (and a small 40GB or even less "Emergency OS X" partition on it... a must - could even have clone of Lion and Lion Recovery on it, AND TimeMachine partition.
If you don't have a backup, it almost always will "rain" on the parade.
If you try booting from Windows 7 DVD and aim it at the parittion, what happens? tried?
To use BCA yes it is one partition and one way only.
You could remove " - " the UNTITLED volume and then expand Mac OS volume to fill that area, or plan for and setup Lion Recovery space too.
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4718
People have managed. Usually planning ahead up front for a setup like this.
CLONE OS X and ~ or install Lion on an external drive and create a Lion Recovery partition.
http://www.bombich.com/software/ccc.html
http://macperformanceguide.com/Mac-HowToClone-backup.html
http://macperformanceguide.com/Mac-HowToClone.html

Boot Camp from External HDD

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