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Aug 24, 2015 A startup disk is a partition of a drive or a volume that contains a usable operating system. Your startup disk doesn’t have to contain macOS. For example, your Mac can boot directly into Windows if you’re using Boot Camp. It can also boot into Ubuntu or any other operating system supported by your Mac’s hardware. Here are the steps to boot Mac from the USB flash drive: Power on the system. Press and hold the Option (Alt) key on the keyboard when the computer starts. Select the USB drive as a.
by Jenefey AaronUpdated on 2020-01-10 / Update for OS X
You may need to boot up your Mac using an external drive or boot volume once in a while, rather than using a start up disk. Booting with an external disk has a lot of significance. Maybe you want to troubleshoot some problems, repair the disk, do partitions, format the entire disk, update, and install OS X etc. All these are executed perfectly when you use an external boot volume to boot up your Mac. In this article, we are here with the detailed step by step guide on how to boot Mac from external hard drive easily. So, let's get started…
Part 1: How to Boot Mac from USB Drive/CD/DVD
Actually, it is possible to boot Mac from external drive or a hard drive, but there are a few specific requirements needed for your Mac to become eligible for that process.
- First, you have to have an Intel-Based Mac.
- Second, the CD or DVD you are using to boot must contain Apple’s Super Drive or if you are using a USB drive then it should be formatted with GUID Partition, and you are also required to install OS X installer. Apple is against booting Mac from an external storage device, because you may install an older version of OS X than the one you were using.
Boot from CD or DVD:
If you want to boot your MacBook/Air/Pro/iMac from an optical media like CD or DVD you need to follow the steps below:
1. Open your Mac or restart the device if you were already using it.
2. When the startup music is playing press and hold the “C” key from the keyboard.
Boot Disk Mac Os Sierra
3. This will start the OS X installer from the CD/DVD on your Mac.
So, it is not too complicated to Mac boot from CD/DVD. You can easily burn a bootable image of OS X on a DVD by using Disk Utility.
Boot from External USB:
Using your USB drive to boot Mac is not as simple as you think. You need to prepare your USB drive beforehand for this specific purpose. You have to format the USB drive and insert the proper Operating System, which is OS X.
1. Turn on your Mac.
2. As soon as the startup music begins you need to press and keep holding the 'Option' key.
3. After that release that key, the Startup manager will be launched.
4. Startup Manager will begin scanning your device and you will be provided with a list of devices that are connected to your Mac.
5. Now, select the drive you want to use with your mouse.
6. Finally, press 'Return' key on the selected option to boot Mac.
This way you can boot your Mac with an external USB drive, but the most critical part is to prepare the USB drive. If you have multiple USB drives connected, then the Startup Manager shall list the drives with the bootable OS. So, this is how to boot Mac from USB drive.
Part 2: Common Problems and Fixes When Boot Mac from External Drive
You may face several issues during MacBook Pro Boot from USB or any external drive. So, a few FAQs are mentioned below which may help you when you are facing any difficulties.
- 1. Have you tried connecting to a different USB port?
- 2. Have you formatted the USB drive with GUID partition?
- 3. Is your Mac shutting down after connecting the disk?
- 4. Is your Disk needs repair?
- 5. Have you connected the USB drive properly?
If you are unable to startup the installer after connecting the USB drive to your Mac, then first you should try connecting it to a different USB port. It may fix the problem.
If you are having problems with your USB storage device then you need to make sure that if you have properly formatted the drive with GUID partition. You have to do it properly otherwise the Intel-Based Mac won't start.
Actually, the MacBook contains a preventive measure and because of that computer shuts down automatically when a damaged USB drive is connected or if the USB port itself is damaged.
If your Mac fails to boot from an external drive even though you have properly installed the OS X installer, then maybe your disk is damaged. You should open Disk Utility and ask permission to repair disk.
There are two types of Apple keyboards, Wired and Wireless. There are also some keyboards with inbuilt USB ports but they may not have enough power to run the drive.
So, this is how to startup Mac from external drive. Follow the frequently asked questions to clear any doubts that you have while booting from external hard drive Mac.
In case, you want to recover any lost or deleted Mac files after a boot, we highly recommend you to go for Tenorshare Any Data Recovery for Mac. It is a utility data recovery tool capable of recovering any type of data from Mac with ease. Go for it!
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Jul 10, 2020 • Filed to: Solve Mac Problems • Proven solutions
Creating a bootable drive for your Mac certainly seems to be a wise decision to make. Even though MacOS recovery partition can take care of all your recovery requirements in times of need, it’s still worthwhile to have a bootable installer.
Why Do You Need to Create A Bootable Drive For Your Mac?
- The Mac installer gets deleted as soon as you download it and use it by installing the Mac operating system. Once the installer gets deleted, it means that you can no longer use it to install the MacOS on another Mac device. You will have to again download the installer on the latter Mac to install the MacOS. This can take a lot of time and become inefficient if you have multiple Macs.
- Clean installs can be performed by installers which are very helpful in overwriting your start-up drive. You can also use this function for other troubleshooting issues as well.
- When you have a bootable installer, it ensures that you are well guarded in an emergency scenario by making use of some of its helpful utilities.
- A bootable installer can allow you to install an earlier version of MacOS and also let you temporarily boot into the previous version of the MacOS.
What Do You Need Before Creating Your Bootable Drive?
Before you begin the process, you will need the following:
- USB Stick / External Hard Drive: If you are planning to use a USB for downloading the bootable version of the installer, make sure that it is 8GB in size or larger than that. In the case of Sierra, 12GB is recommended as the minimum requirement. Ideally, 32GB to 64GB is a good size to have as it is not only cost-effective but also gives a better performance. In the case of an external drive, you can use any spare one that you are not going to use for any other work.
- Download MacOS High Sierra Installer: It is important to note that once you have downloaded the installer, it will begin with the installation process on its own. You can close the installer just like you quit any Mac app. In the case of the macOS version being older than the current one, you can click on ‘ok’ once the message flashes that the version is too old to install. You can find the old installer file in your ‘Application Folder’. Don’t forget to take a backup of your Mac to be on a safe side.
Part 1. How to Create a Bootable Drive Using Terminal
There are two ways of creating a bootable copy of the installer. You can either use Terminal or get the job done through a free software like Recoverit to do it for you. First, let us look at how to create a bootable drive using Terminal.
Steps to create a MacOS Siera beta boot disk:
- The first step in the process is to connect your external hard drive to your Mac. You need to name your external drive ‘untitled’ for the Terminal command to work.
- Launch Terminal. You can find this in the 'Utilities' folder of your Applications folder.
- Copy the following instructions now:
- In this step, you have to paste the copied instruction on the screen by going back to the Terminal.
- You will be required to feed in your user password now and then hit ‘Return’.
- Now, the Terminal will ask for your permission to erase the drive. To continue, type ‘Y’ and again hit return.
- After the Terminal has erased your drive, your Mac will prompt you if you wish to use the drive for Time Machine. Click ‘Don’t Use’.
- Next, the installer file will be copied by the Terminal to your drive. This might take some time, so be patient.
- Once the copying is completed, a ‘Copy complete’ message will be displayed on your screen. You can now quit the Terminal and use your drive.
sudo /Applications/Install macOS Sierra.app/Contents/Resources/createinstallmedia --volume /Volumes/Untitled --applicationpath /Applications/Install macOS Sierra.app
Part 2. How to Create Bootable Media for Mac with Recoverit Mac Data Recovery
Recoverit Mac data recovery software is one of the most impressive and easy-to-use data recovery software in the market, and it has lots to offer with its varied utilities and functions. With Recoverit to create bootable media, you can access your system easily without the need to reinstall the MacOS to recover your lost data.
Step 1 Launch Recoverit and get to select 'Computer Crash Recovery'. Click 'Start'.
Step 2 Choose your connected external hard drive as the bootable media, and click 'Start'. You will receive a requirement of formatting the device. Before the formatting, remember to back your drive data up.
Step 3 Wait for a while, and Recoverit will format your drive and start creating the bootable media.
Apple Os Boot Disk
Step 4 Once it finishes, follow the next steps to restore data back.
Part 3. How to Set the Computer Boot from the Bootable Media
Step 1 Connect your external drive to your unbootable Mac.
Step 2 Press down on the ‘Option’ key after restarting your Mac.
Step 3 Once the booting has finished, your Mac will display the Startup Manager to show you the available boot drives. Select your external hard drive and hit ‘Return’.
Step 4 If you want to install Sierra but keep your data untouched, you can select 'Install OS X'. However, if you wish to delete all your data, then you can select Disk Utility to format the entire drive and wipe away all your data to reformat the internal drive first and then install MacOS Sierra.
You now have a bootable copy of the MacOS Sierra installer, and you can use it on multiple Macs to install the Mac OS. If you are familiar with the command line, you can opt to create a bootable drive using Terminal. For others, you can simply opt for reliable Mac hard drive recovery software like Recoverit and assist you in recovering your data as well from crashed systems in case of emergencies.
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