How to Install OS Tiger on USB Drive

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Level 1

62 points

How to Install OS Tiger on USB Drive

Hi,

I tried to install Mac OS X Tiger on the newly purchased USB HDD. When I try to run the install from within Leopard, the setup will prompt me with destination hard drive. It doesn't allow me to select the USB drive and says "It cannot install on external drive because it cannot boot from this volume".
How can I install on the external drive?

Thanks, Pj

iMac, Mac OS X (10.5.1)

Posted on Mar 29, 2008 12:47 AM

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Answer 1

Mar 29, 2008 1:04 AM in response to ParagJ_11

USB drives with the proper formatting (GUID partition) are supposed to be bootable on Intel Macs. You did not state which processor your iMac has. If it is PowerPC you can only boot from Firewire drives.

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Answer 2

ParagJ_11 Author

Level 1

62 points

Mar 29, 2008 2:07 AM in response to TripleChime

Hi,

Its an Intel Mac. The New 20 in aluminum ones.
Novice user, will need bit more help. How can I properly format and assign GUID Partition so that the drive is identified as Bootable volume.

Thanks Again, Pj

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Answer 3

Barney-15E

Level 10

122,240 points

Mar 29, 2008 4:29 AM in response to ParagJ_11

From Disk Utility help,

If you’ll be using a volume as a Mac OS X startup disk, click Options, and choose the appropriate partition scheme. To use a volume to start up an Intel-based Mac, choose the GUID partition scheme. To use a volume to start up a PowerPC-based Mac, choose the Apple partition scheme.

Open Disk Utility and set up the partition (which can be the whole drive) as you'd like, then follow the instructions above to make it bootable.

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Answer 4

ParagJ_11 Author

Level 1

62 points

Mar 29, 2008 4:30 PM in response to Barney-15E

Very Helpful Indeed.
However, I've already created the partition map with 2 partitions. 1 partition is totally free but have moved some amount of data to another partition. Is there a way, i can assign GUID without erasing the data on the drive.

Partition Info :
Total Size : 250 GB
Partition 1 : Mac OS Extended 160 GB (Currently Empty)
Partition 2 : FAT32(This volume has data in it)

Hope the information I've provided helps.

Thanks, Pj

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Answer 5

ParagJ_11 Author

Level 1

62 points

Mar 29, 2008 11:02 PM in response to ParagJ_11

Well, I got this working...
Either way it was only 30 GB of data that I'd moved. So I copied the same on iMac's internal drive and then repartitioned with GUID's. Installed Tiger on the USB Drive and it works pretty cool now.

Another question? Do we get the Dual Boot Options like we have in Windows system? I mean when I start the mac, it should ask me which volume to boot from ??
I know I can press the Option key while booting, but can this be as a menu option by default ??

Thanks to all, Problem Solved.
-Pj

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Answer 6

Jun 1, 2008 7:00 PM in response to Barney-15E

I need some help. I backed up my wife's iMac to an external USB drive using Superduper. It said it created a bootable clone. However, when I go to startup disk in the Preferences, the disk does not show up.

I see people talking about whether it's GUID, and I don't believe I set it up as that. Didn't know I needed to. I can't believe you simply can't boot from a USB 2.0 external like a Firewire.

Anyway, there's very little space left on this external, and I need it to be bootable. Can anyone help?

Message was edited by: Journeyguy

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Answer 7

Kurt Lang

Level 9

68,596 points

Jun 1, 2008 7:11 PM in response to Journeyguy

I can't believe you simply can't boot from a USB 2.0 external like a Firewire.

You can, but as been explained above, the partition map must be GUID to be bootable on an Intel based Mac. The only way to do that is repartition the drive.

You'll have to copy everything off that isn't part of the SuperDuper! clone before repartitioning the drive. If everything is part of the clone, then you can just repartition and then redo the clone.

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Answer 8

Mar 29, 2008 12:51 AM in response to ParagJ_11

OS X only supports booting off an external firewire drive for now. USB drives are not supported for booting.

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Answer 9

Barney-15E

Level 10

122,240 points

Mar 29, 2008 4:48 PM in response to ParagJ_11

Disk utility has some new features that let you partition the free space without affecting the other data, but I'm not sure how that works. Sounds like it could be possible, but I don't know.

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Answer 10

Barney-15E

Level 10

122,240 points

Mar 30, 2008 3:33 AM in response to ParagJ_11

I don't think there is a another option besides option.

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Answer 11

Jun 1, 2008 7:25 PM in response to Kurt Lang

Well, I don't have anywhere for the info to "go" right now. It's all on the external USB.

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