Install OSX using External CD

Hi all,
Working on my cousin's MacBook thats a few years old now. We determined that the hard drive failed by attaching it to a usb cable and trying on serveral computers - mac & windows. So we put in a replacement one.
The optical drive on this laptop had failed some time ago so we plugged in an external reader/writer into the USB ports, insterted a OSX disk, rebooted the laptop holding down the Option key.
The laptop doesn't appear to recognize the external CD to install from.
Is there any tricks to allowing me to do this?
Thanks in advance!
Bob

Hey Bob, unfortunately, accessing CD/DVD drive from another Mac is only for MacBook Airs. I don't know why Apple still puts it as an option on all other Macs. But try this, Reboot and immediately hold the C key, which force boots from any CD/DVD drive. Also make sure that the external drive you are using is Mac Compliant and will work with one.

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Failed to install osx on externa WD HD

I was wondering if anyone knows what could be happening here?
My HD failed on me yesterday, So I am trying to install osX on a brand new external HD from WD (my book series).
I have partitioned with the GUID Partition Table and the format is on Mac OS Extended(journaled) so I think everything is how it should be for a boot drive.
After the installer checks 100% of the install disc, it says preparing for installation then it says there was an error, restart.
Anyone knows what could be happening?
Thanks for any help in advance... Im kinda lost here.

Hi himzka,
What kind of error it said when it failed. If it said your HD cannot be used for installation, after you partitioned and format that using disk utility, quit disk utility and restart your macbook, and after that repeat the installation procedure.
Good Luck.

Install OSx on external usb drive.

I have an iMac G5 isight that has unreliable internal hard drive connection. I've swapped out several hard drives that work fine in other computers, but there seems to be an issue with accessing it on this iMac.
So I would like to try and install OSx on an external usb drive. I have alreay found that I can boot from an external usb on this computer, the problem is it won't let me install OSx on to the usb drive when I boot from a disc.
The only other macs I have are Intel based which won't let me put a powerpc installation on to an external.
I'd rather not purchase a firewire external, and I'm not sure that I know of anyone with a working powerpc mac.
Any suggestions??

Use a product such as Carbon Copy Cloner to clone an already existing PowerPC or Universal installation to an external partitioned using the APM table map. The OS used must be at least as new as the iMac and not newer than 10.5.8.
(62109)

Install osx on external hdd (usb)

is it possible to install osx on an external usb disk?
And if so how do i do it?
Thx!

There are some utilities which claim to partition or re-partition on the fly.
DriveGenius seems to be the "Swiss Army Knife" of utilities, including the ability to repartition "on the fly" (A little scary for my tastes). But Prosoft is a trusted software manufacturer. There is also iPartition. and a couple of other utilities.
Myself would be a bit uncomfortable with this.
As for the size of the OS X partition, I would give it at least 10GB, if you can. The system itself will occupy 3-4GB and OS X needs room for VM to operate properly.
-mj
[email protected]

Can't install OSX on external drive...

Hi ----------------------------
A couple of days ago I purchased a Seagate 300gig Firewire/USB drive. I partioned it with Disk Utility and proceeded to install OS 10.4 from the install DVD. No dice. It wouldn't let me get past the window where you indicated a disk/volume on which to install. Phoned Seagate support. They said I couldn't install a system on an external drive. That sounded strange to me as I have a ACOM 60gig external on which I had no problem installing OS 10.2.8.
Anyhow, I then turned to Carbon Copy Cloner and proceeded to try that. after clicking "Make Bootable" on the CCC preference page, I then proceeded to try to make a clone of my system. I failed twice, but the third time was a charm. When I fired up the Startup Disk in System Preferences, there was an icon for my new drive partition staring me right in the face. I choose it as the new startup disk, clicked on it, and my computer started it restart routine.
But, a flashing icon appeared on the screen, alternating between a question mark and a folder icon, and then the computer restarted up in its original disk/volume.
Hey, what gives? What am I doing wrong? I thought when I saw the new system icon in the Startup Disk window, that I was home free. If I'm unable to get a start up system on my new drive, it will become (just like the birdie in Monty Python) and "ex-new drive." It will go right back to Comp USA.
Can anyone help me out here? If so, TIA
Phil (Da Kid)
G4 867 Mac OS X (10.4.6)

FWIW, the 'zero out' option is a waste of time for problems like this. Please understand that even a one volume partitioning scheme puts more than one partition on the drive. Partition number zero contains information about the scheme & the other partitions. (This is the partition Disk Utility's "Info" button reports info about when you select the drive rather than one of its volumes. That should say it is ApplePartitionScheme for a PPC Mac, or a GUID one for an Intel one; otherwise the drive won't boot the Mac in question no matter what else you do.)
This partition is not affected by an erase with zeros option, which only applies to a mountable volume & only overwrites data on that volume with zeros. Aside from the intended use as a security option, the only other value it has is to pre-mark bad blocks on the drive used for storing that volume's data. But since it doesn't affect the other partitions, since the drive already maps out bad blocks wherever it finds them at write time, & since a misread zero is as bad as a misread one wherever it might occur in the partition info, there is just no way the zeros option is going to correct a boot problem.
So, if you want to do something useful, forget this advice to 'zero the drive' & the "Erase" tab in Disk Utility as a means of formatting the drive. You can only format volumes with that tab. To reformat the entire drive, or to check that its partition scheme is the right one for booting your Mac, use the "Partition" tab & its "Options" button.
FWIW #2: the StartUp Disk system preference doesn't do extensive checks on a startup volume, so it sometimes displays startup volumes that won't actually boot your Mac. If you select one of these, you see exactly what you saw: the flashing icon, followed by a startup from a viable volume, if one is present.
Startup Manager, which is enabled by the Option key restart, does much more extensive checks (which is why it takes so long to complete its scan for startup candidates). If a drive doesn't show up in Startup Manager, you can be sure it won't boot the Mac. The same isn't true of the pref.

Problems Installing Win7 using External, USB DVD Drive

I have a mid 2010 15" i7 MBP which I upgraded to from 4GB to 8GB RAM courtesy of OWC. I recently upgraded the 500GB 7200RPM HD with a 240GB OCZ Vertex 3 and using an OWC Data Doubler, I replaced the DVD SuperDrive with the 500GB Hard Drive.
I used an External USB DVD Drive to install OS X SL On the SSD without issues. Also, I got all my updates and software installed and working without any problems.
I've been running great for about 2 weeks now, so I decided to install Windows 7 64bit Ultimate. I ran Boot Camp Assistant and partitioned the 240GB SSD in half 120/120. Everything went fine with creating the partition. I selected to Install from the Win 7 DVD media in the USB DVD drive and rebooted. I got a grey screen. I turned the computer off and turned it back on. Holding down Option, I selected the Install DVD from the Boot Menu. I then got a screen with the Apple Logo flashing intermittently with a Circle/Cross Hatch. So I can't get the Windows Install to start to save my life. I know the External, USB DVD works since I used it to install OS X and I have no problems using it in OS X. I Know the media works because I tried a test install, without activation in a VMWare Fusion VM.
Any suggestions are appreciated?

So here is the answer. The Firmware on the MacBook Pro only supports installation of OS X from External Media and will not install operating systems from 3rd Parties. I tried to install Windows XP, Win7 Ultimate 32 & 64bit, and Ubuntu 11.04 but no success.
Supposedly, the MacBook Air does support installation of 3rd party operating systems from external media, but I have no way to confirm this.
I ended up reinstalling the internal DVD drive installing Win 7 and Ubuntu on the SSD. Using rEFI, I'm able to triple boot all 3 operating systems. Then removed the drive again and reinstalled the 2nd HD. Everything seems to be working fine.
I'm looking for someone who has experience in Mac EFI Hacking to see if there is a way to enable booting 3rd Party OSes from external media. I'm guessing someone could examine the MBA firmware and figure out how to hack that capability into the MBP.

Installing applications using external HDD in OS X 10.5

Hi,
I am trying to install some applications, which are in from of .dmg files in my external HDD and I am trying to install directly from Ext. HDD in OS X 10.5 on MAC G5, I found that when i disconnect my Ext. HDD, I am unable to run the application, because OS X 10.5 is looking for the source.
So, do I need to keep .dmg file in my MAC all the time? otherwise what is the solution?
I really appreciate for your help in advance.
Thanks.

no, You've misunderstood me. I should have made it more clear. let me explain again. say, you have a .dmg on desktop. double-click on it. this will mount this dmg as a drive. you'll see a new finder window popup with the contents of that drive and you'll also have a new drive icon both on your desktop and in the sidebar.
inside that drive there will be the application you want to install. drag THAT (not the dmg itself) to the Applications folder. then eject the drive mounted from the dmg. you can now delete the dmg file or archive it in case you need to reinstall. the application you've installed is now in your Applications folder and you can just use that from now on and forget about the dmg. I hope this makes sense.

Installing Leopard using External Monitor

I recently had an accident with my Macbook Pro, and even though the screen is now totally worthless, EVERYTHING else works. (Talk about a testimony story.) It works fine when I hook up an external monitor.
I need to reinstall Leopard on it, but when I boot from the installation disc to do it, F7 no longer works to toggle over to "mirror" mode, so it's impossible for me to see the installation screen. Any tips?

bazzoonboy wrote:
I recently had an accident with my Macbook Pro, and even though the screen is now totally worthless, EVERYTHING else works. (Talk about a testimony story.) It works fine when I hook up an external monitor.
I need to reinstall Leopard on it, but when I boot from the installation disc to do it, F7 no longer works to toggle over to "mirror" mode, so it's impossible for me to see the installation screen. Any tips?
Welcome to Apple Discussions:
You need another similar computer. Boot yours in the Target disk mode, the other normally and install Leopard from the working computer with the screen. Oh, yes, connect them with a FireWire cable. It's really that simple.
Message was edited by: nerowolfe

I want to re-install OSX using the command with R on restart does not get me to the Mac Utilities page

I have a re-furbished Mac Book 2011. It's version 10.8.5. Processor - 2.4 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo. Memory - 4 GB 1067 MHz DDR3. Startup disk - Mac HD.
I want to do a complete re-install of the operating system.
I have followed the instructions in the online manual to go to the Mac OS X utilities screen so I can do a re-install.
I have held the Command key with the R key when the grey screen comes on during a restart.
The only thing I get is the desktop screen but no Utilities screen.
Help.
Thanks.

That MacBook came with 10.6.7 originally. It should have Snow Leopard install DVD to do what you.
It is too old to have the Recovery Partition on it.
If you did get the DVD when you purchased it you can call Apple and request a replacement. They will charge you a nominal fee for shipping and handling.

Renew; installing OSX on a PRO running only on Windows XP

Back to the drawing board with my older post (see title). I re-formatted the HDD on another PRO and installed a fresh version of OSX on the drive. It boots without issues on that PRO hence no HDD issues. After putting this HDD in my PRO same problem occurs, it runs perfect on Windows XP (including all features) but wont boot past the Apple logo after boot up on the installed OSX (same with newly installed OSX on external drive and disc). Can it be a hardware issue? If yes how can i check this when the PRO only runs on XP?

On the optical disk(s) that came with your Mac, there is a program called Apple Hardware Test. It is accessed by booting this optical disk while holding the D key (instructions are on the disk).
bd

Can't re-install OSX

When I purcahsed this Macbook it was running Snow Leopard then upgraded to Lion and now Mavericks.
Lately I am having problem updating Apps from Itunes, it shows a different Apple ID and I can't change it.
I have tried all and various ways to solve that problem but to no avail. So I decided to re-install OSX using the original DVD provided.
It shows you can't run this version. So I tried using the Disk Utilities but prompted Apple ID and Password.
Frustrastingly, it mentioned this wasn't the password during the purchase of the Maverick. I have all ways but gave up.
Please assist, thanks.

You may need to invest in DiskWarrior. It can sometimes see and repair a hard drive that cannot be seen by Apple's own Disk Utility.

How do I Install OSX to an External Drive Partition?

I have an external FW800 drive that I've made two partitions on. One partition I want to install OSX to, for external booting; the other partition is just for storage. I'm trying to use the SNL install disk but It's not installing, it just stalls out. I must be doing something wrong.
Thanks,
John

Is the external drive prepped correctly?
Drive Preparation
1. Open Disk Utility in your Utilities folder.
2. After DU loads select your hard drive (this is the entry with the mfgr.'s ID and size) from the left side list. Click on the Partition tab in the DU main window.
3. Under the Volume Scheme heading set the number of partitions from the drop down menu to one. Set the format type to Mac OS Extended (Journaled.) Click on the Options button, set the partition scheme to GUID then click on the OK button. Click on the Partition button and wait until the process has completed.
4. Select the volume you just created (this is the sub-entry under the drive entry) from the left side list. Click on the Erase tab in the DU main window.
5. Set the format type to Mac OS Extended (Journaled.) Click on the Options button, check the button for Zero Data and click on OK to return to the Erase window.
6. Click on the Erase button. The format process can take up to several hours depending upon the drive size.
Steps 4-6 are optional but should be used on a drive that has never been formatted before, if the format type is not Mac OS Extended, if the partition scheme has been changed, or if a different operating system (not OS X) has been installed on the drive.
When formatting has completed quit DU and return to the installer. Complete the OS X installation.
Or you can clone your current system to the partition:
Clone using Restore Option of Disk Utility
Open Disk Utility from the Utilities folder.
Select the destination volume from the left side list.
Click on the Restore tab in the DU main window.
Check the box labeled Erase destination.
Select the destination volume from the left side list and drag it to the Destination entry field.
Select the source volume from the left side list and drag it to the Source entry field.
Double-check you got it right, then click on the Restore button.
Destination means the external drive. Source means the internal startup drive.

Installing OSX on an External Drive

Hi,
My harddrive on my iMac recently died and I am unable to afford to replace it, but I do have the use of an external USB harddrive which I hoped to install OSX onto. However once it was formated properly and I ran the instalation DVD it said that I could install it onto that drive. Please is there anything I can do to get osx installed and bootable from the external hard drive as my work is tied up in the use of that computer and without it I can't do any work and therefore can't get any income.
Regards,
John Curwood

John, I am sorry to say that a USB drive is not able to boot a G5 iMac, only a firewire drive can do that. You can install OS X onto the drive, but it will not be able to boot your machine. The only thing I can think of is to take the drive out of the USB enclosure, and if it's a 3 1/2" SATA drive, replace your current hard drive with it.

Can't install OSX Mountain Lion, on the disk selection screen i cant select the Macintosh HD to install OSX giving a message (This disk cannot be used to start up your computer).only have one disk to select and my partition map scheme is GUID partition

just bough OSX Mountain Lion, my laptop operating with v10.6.8. Can't install OSX Mountain Lion, on the disk selection screen i cant select the Macintosh HD to install OSX giving a message (This disk cannot be used to start up your computer).only have one disk to select and my partition map scheme is GUID partition table. 24.44gb disk available.

Verify your computer can run Mountain Lion:
Upgrading to Mountain Lion
To upgrade to Mountain Lion you must have Snow Leopard 10.6.8 or Lion installed. Purchase and download Mountain Lion from the App Store. Sign in using your Apple ID. Mountain Lion is $19.99 plus tax. The file is quite large, over 4 GBs, so allow some time to download. It would be preferable to use Ethernet because it is nearly four times faster than wireless.
     OS X Mountain Lion - System Requirements
       Macs that can be upgraded to OS X Mountain Lion
         1. iMac (Mid 2007 or newer) - Model Identifier 7,1 or later
         2. MacBook (Late 2008 Aluminum, or Early 2009 or newer) - Model Identifier 5,1 or later
         3. MacBook Pro (Mid/Late 2007 or newer) - Model Identifier 3,1 or later
         4. MacBook Air (Late 2008 or newer) - Model Identifier 2,1 or later
         5. Mac mini (Early 2009 or newer) - Model Identifier 3,1 or later
         6. Mac Pro (Early 2008 or newer) - Model Identifier 3,1 or later
         7. Xserve (Early 2009) - Model Identifier 3,1 or later
To find the model identifier open System Profiler in the Utilities folder. It's displayed in the panel on the right.
Open Disk Utility and verify the drive is partitioned using GUID and formatted Mac OS Extended, Journaled. If it is then do this:
Repair the Hard Drive and Permissions
Boot from your Snow Leopard Installer disc. After the installer loads select your language and click on the Continue button. When the menu bar appears select Disk Utility from the Utilities menu. After DU loads select your hard drive entry (mfgr.'s ID and drive size) from the the left side list. In the DU status area you will see an entry for the S.M.A.R.T. status of the hard drive. If it does not say "Verified" then the hard drive is failing or failed. (SMART status is not reported on external Firewire or USB drives.) If the drive is "Verified" then select your OS X volume from the list on the left (sub-entry below the drive entry,) click on the First Aid tab, then click on the Repair Disk button. If DU reports any errors that have been fixed, then re-run Repair Disk until no errors are reported. If no errors are reported click on the Repair Permissions button. Wait until the operation completes, then quit DU and return to the installer.
If DU reports errors it cannot fix, then you will need Disk Warrior and/or Tech Tool Pro to repair the drive. If you don't have either of them or if neither of them can fix the drive, then you will need to reformat the drive and reinstall OS X.
Now try installing Mountain Lion.

I have a late 2009 iMac. I installed OSX 10.8.4 and want to go back to Snow Leopard. I have a 1.5TB external HD. Are there any issues I need to know about or tips I need to know before doing this? Thanks.

I have a late 2009 iMac. I installed OSX 10.8.4 and want to go back to Snow Leopard. I have a 3TB external HD. Are there any issues I need to know about or tips I need to know before doing this? Thanks.

Downgrade Lion/Mountain Lion to Snow Leopard
1. Boot from your Snow Leopard Installer Disc. After the installer
      loads select your language and click on the Continue
      button. When the menu bar appears select Disk Utility from the
      Utilities menu.
2. After DU loads select your hard drive (this is the entry with the
      mfgr.'s ID and size) from the left side list. Note the SMART status
      of the drive in DU's status area. If it does not say "Verified" then
      the drive is failing or has failed and will need replacing. SMART
      info will not be reported on external drives. Otherwise, click on
      the Partition tab in the DU main window.
3. Under the Volume Scheme heading set the number of partitions
      from the drop down menu to one. Set the format type to Mac OS
      Extended (Journaled.) Click on the Options button, set the
      partition scheme to GUID then click on the OK button. Click on
      the Partition button and wait until the process has completed.
4. Quit DU and return to the installer. Install Snow Leopard.
This will erase the whole drive so be sure to backup your files if you don't have a backup already. If you have performed a TM backup using Lion be aware that you cannot restore from that backup in Snow Leopard (see below.) I suggest you make a separate backup using Carbon Copy Cloner.
If you have Snow Leopard Time Machine backups made while on Snow Leopard, then you may do a full system restore per #14 in Time Machine - Frequently Asked Questions. If you have subsequent backups from Lion, you can restore newer items selectively, via the "Star Wars" display, per #15 there, but be careful; some Snow Leopard apps may not work with the Lion/Mountain Lion files.

Install OSX using External CD

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