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iMac and external, bootable hard drive

Hello,
I use a small Lacie external drive as a bootable drive with Tiger 1.4.6 insalled. When trying to boot my iMac (Intel core duo), from it, it does not show the Tiger OS on it (under preference, startup disc), so I cannot reboot from it.
(I can still reboot my old poerbook G4 from it).
Are the Intel chips not compatible with these external bootable hard drives?
What is the solution for this problem?
Thanks,
Yoram

iMac, 20" Itel core duo, Mac OS X (10.4.6), Powebook G4 17''

Posted on Jun 9, 2006 6:14 AM

Reply
6 replies

Jun 9, 2006 7:03 AM in response to Joram Sawady1

Intel Macs will boot from an external hard drive as long as the operating system installed on the external hard drive of the same Intel Mac model.

If it was a clone made from Intel Mac of the same model and it doesn't boot, perhaps the clone did not occur while "Ignore Privileges" was unchecked. Remaking the clone with that unchecked should fix the issue. See my FAQ:

http://www.macmaps.com/backup.html

Jun 9, 2006 7:46 AM in response to a brody

Thanks for your reply.
Both the intel mac and the external drive have the same os installed (Tiger 1.4.6). Still it will not show it as a bootable drive.
I originally installed the OS on the external drive from the DVD, not by cloning the intel mac. Is this the problem???

Intel Macs will boot from an external hard drive as
long as the operating system installed on the
external hard drive of the same Intel Mac model.

If it was a clone made from Intel Mac of the same
model and it doesn't boot, perhaps the clone did not
occur while "Ignore Privileges" was unchecked.
Remaking the clone with that unchecked should fix
the issue. See my FAQ:

http://www.macmaps.com/backup.html

Jun 9, 2006 8:29 AM in response to Joram Sawady1

Hello,
I use a small Lacie external drive as a bootable
drive with Tiger 1.4.6 insalled. When trying to boot
my iMac (Intel core duo), from it, it does not show
the Tiger OS on it (under preference, startup disc),
so I cannot reboot from it.
(I can still reboot my old poerbook G4 from it).
Are the Intel chips not compatible with these
external bootable hard drives?
What is the solution for this problem?
Thanks,
Yoram



In difference to PPC Macs, Intel Macs boot of external USB 2.0 and Firewire 400 Drives (Macbook Pro 17" Firewire 800, all other current Intel based Macs Firewire 400)

Reason why it doesnt work can be:
1.) A incompatible Chipset in your external HDD Case.
2.) You have the Mac OS X ppc Version installed on your external HDD.

A solution could be to make 2 Partitions on your ext. HDD, then install the Intel Version on the second Partition. I'm not sure it will work, but might worth a try.
In case you try it, make sure you have a Data Backup before.

Jun 9, 2006 8:52 AM in response to Joram Sawady1

We used to use the same system software for every mac, but now it changed. now almost every new mac comes with a particular property that differs it from other macs. and it is most likely the processor types.
the software DVD for each mac is now only installable for what machine it produced for. A G5 Quad's system software can not installed on a G4 or an intel mac.
in the same way, the system software for an intel imac (even the setup process had completed on an other volume) is not capable of booting a non-intel mac.
as far as i know, the motherboards of mac's since imac 400DV's (built in firewire model) uses an architecture called "universal motherboard architecture 2.0" (or smtg like this. this is the technology allous booting from externals, starting a mac in target disk mode etc.

iMac and external, bootable hard drive

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