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Booting from external USB on Intel Mac

  • 24-11-2007 5:32pm
    #1
    Breezer
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,230 ✭✭✭


    Hi folks,

    With all the threads on backup software and Time Machine floating around here, I did some thinking and decided that having a bootable clone on an external drive would be a hell of a lot more useful than a non-bootable one. I went and wiped my backup USB drive, and reformatted as Mac OS X Extended with a GUID partition table. Cloned my internal back onto the external, and I'm able to browse through all the files on my external in the Finder. So far, so good.

    To test that I could boot from it, I went into the Startup Disk pref pane and sure enough, the external drive was listed as bootable. I selected this drive and hit restart.

    Unfortunately, after the startup tone, the USB drive powered up and then the process hung on the grey screen. No drive icons, no Apple icon, just grey. I waited about 5 minutes, after which my external drive went to sleep, and the MacBook booted from the internal drive. Once I logged in, there was the external drive mounted on the desktop, working perfectly (browsing in Finder, launching apps).

    I'm running Tiger 10.4.11 on a Core Duo 1.83GHz MacBook. The external drive is a Freecom 400GB USB 2.0 drive.

    Anyone got any ideas? :confused:


Comments

  • #2
    kevmac
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 243 ✭✭kevmac


    There's always a debate about bootable USB drives.

    Firewire has always worked for me but USB has been hit and miss.

    My personal highlight was installing 10.4 onto an iPod and then using Disk Utility to install it on a 1999 iBook.

    She clunks along and I don't use her much but she has 10.4.11 running.

    Now where is that Leopard disk?


  • #3
    Thephantomsmask
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,369 ✭✭✭Thephantomsmask


    Have you tried holding the option key while booting with the drive plugged in? It should give a screen asking you to choose between the hdd and the external volume to boot from.


  • #4
    Breezer
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,230 ✭✭✭Breezer


    Yes, tried that too. Same result except I also have a tired finger afterwards :p


  • #5
    Thephantomsmask
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,369 ✭✭✭Thephantomsmask


    Strange, maybe there's an issue with directly accessing the drive from start up? Is it powered externally or plug in? l use an external usb drive for backup with CCC and holding option until the screen appears has always worked with it.


  • #6
    Breezer
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,230 ✭✭✭Breezer


    It's powered externally. I had a quick look at the Freecom forums, their Mac support seems woeful (as is the website in general), but I did come across one or two people with what seemed to be a similar issue. No solution though.

    Does anyone on here have any experience with Freecom drives?


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  • #7
    jpfahy
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,039 ✭✭✭jpfahy


    Does the Freecom case house an IDE drive? If so go down to marx computers and get one of their icy box external firewire/usb enclosures (54 euro). Take the drive out of the freecom case and put it into the icy box. Try it then using firewire and you won't have a problem. Drive will be faster too and very quiet.


  • #8
    Breezer
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,230 ✭✭✭Breezer


    No, it's a SATA drive. I can get a Firewire/USB 2.0 case for €34 off Komplett if needs be. The trouble is I don't think this case was designed to be opened. There's no screws, in fact looking at it reminds me of larger version of the old iPod Mini. I know it probably can be opened, but I think it's more hassle than it's worth. Thanks for the tip though!

    If anyone does have a software-based solution I'm all ears though :)


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