Memoire

Q: Making External Boot Drive

My MacBook 2010 with OS 10.6.8 had a HD crash, and I have a Time Machine Backup.

 

Can I make an external boot HD with OS 10.6.8 through the new computer that is running OS 10.11.6?

 

I would like to use an external boot drive on the MacBook 2010 until I can get a new internal HD for it.

 

There are some programs I would like to use on the Time Machine Backup OS 10.6.8

 

Would welcome any ideas. Thank you.

MacBook Pro with Retina display, MacBook 2010 and original iPad

Posted on Aug 8, 2016 9:16 AM

Close

Q: Making External Boot Drive

  • All replies
  • Helpful answers

Page 1 Next
  • by dialabrain,

    dialabrain dialabrain Aug 8, 2016 9:23 AM in response to Memoire
    Level 5 (6,178 points)
    Mac App Store
    Aug 8, 2016 9:23 AM in response to Memoire

    The short answer is no.

  • by Lanny,

    Lanny Lanny Aug 8, 2016 10:08 AM in response to Memoire
    Level 5 (7,935 points)
    Desktops
    Aug 8, 2016 10:08 AM in response to Memoire

    I would like to use an external boot drive on the MacBook 2010 until I can get a new internal HD for it.

    One of the main advantages of using a clone for your backup instead of Time Machine.

  • by macjack,

    macjack macjack Aug 8, 2016 10:16 AM in response to Memoire
    Level 9 (55,694 points)
    Mac OS X
    Aug 8, 2016 10:16 AM in response to Memoire

    .

  • by Memoire,

    Memoire Memoire Aug 8, 2016 10:54 AM in response to Lanny
    Level 1 (14 points)
    Mac OS X
    Aug 8, 2016 10:54 AM in response to Lanny

    Thank you for the idea Lanny. Is a Clone where a system is copied and pasted or dragged onto an external drive?

     

    Basically, I wanted to make an external boot drive for the MacBook 2010, so I could use it until I get an replacement internal HD.

     

    The installation disk that came with that computer is OS 10.6, so that wouldn't work as an external book system, it installed but wouldn't run.

     

    I was wondering about the potential to use the MacBook Pro with OS 10.11.6 to make an external boot drive, but not sure how to do that with EL Captain.

     

    Any ideas or potential solutions would be most welcome.

  • by Lanny,Solvedanswer

    Lanny Lanny Aug 8, 2016 12:31 PM in response to Memoire
    Level 5 (7,935 points)
    Desktops
    Aug 8, 2016 12:31 PM in response to Memoire

    Is a Clone where a system is copied and pasted or dragged onto an external drive?

    No, it requires the use of Disk Utitlity or a 3rd party software, i.e., Carbon Copy Cloner or SuperDuper.

     

    You can boot off of your Snow Leopard install DVD and then install it on an external drive.

  • by Memoire,

    Memoire Memoire Aug 8, 2016 2:29 PM in response to Lanny
    Level 1 (14 points)
    Mac OS X
    Aug 8, 2016 2:29 PM in response to Lanny

    Thank you for the reply Lanny.

     

    Yes that is what I originally tried. But the System that was installed on the external HD from the DVD wouldn't boot the computer, even after 1 hour the screen was still grey. I tried a few times yesterday without success.

     

    After a lot of tries, I have just managed to install a system on the internal HD, and it will boot. I made a small partition of 60 Gb and installed the system to that, rather than the 250 gb no partition drive. The issue now is when trying to do anything, like update software, apply network setting after a connection to the internet is achieved, trying to start Safari, the rainbow wheel spins continually under any conditions for 30 minutes or so without any result.

     

    It could be the system installation is corrupted due to a hard drive firmware issue?

     

    I would really like to get the computer running temporarily on an external drive though.

  • by Lanny,Helpful

    Lanny Lanny Aug 10, 2016 1:51 AM in response to Memoire
    Level 5 (7,935 points)
    Desktops
    Aug 10, 2016 1:51 AM in response to Memoire

    Verify that your external drive is formatted properly, HFS+ GUID. You should be able to install a working copy of SL on it by using your SL DVD.

     

    How many external drives do you have? What drive are you using for Time Machine?

     

    If your internal drive is failing, it's not surprising that your new 60 GB partition is not performing.

  • by Memoire,

    Memoire Memoire Aug 8, 2016 3:37 PM in response to Lanny
    Level 1 (14 points)
    Mac OS X
    Aug 8, 2016 3:37 PM in response to Lanny

    Thank you for the kind support Lanny.

     

    Yes the external drive I tried to install the system on was formatted as you mentioned.

     

    I have three externals, a 3 Tb for the MacBook Pro and also this for Time Machine on the MacBook Pro. Also, a 1 Tb drive for files from the various computers I have owned in the past.

     

    I tried to install OS 10.6 onto an external 100 gb disk that was originally an internal drive I took from a previous Mac I owned and put into an external case.

     

    With the internal drive in the Macbook I tried unsuccessfully to install onto the 250 gb original space, I tried approx. 125 gb X 2 partitions and that didn't work. So finally I ended up making one partition 60 gb and the installation worked. Just that if I try to do anything the endless spinning rainbow becomes the only result.

     

    While Disk Utility showed no errors and that the preferences where all right, my only guess is there must be some firmware issues with the MacBook 2010 Drive, as that is what possibly caused the original system crash.

  • by Lanny,

    Lanny Lanny Aug 8, 2016 3:42 PM in response to Memoire
    Level 5 (7,935 points)
    Desktops
    Aug 8, 2016 3:42 PM in response to Memoire

    Disk Utility is no a good indicator for drive failure. If the drive internal drive is failing, it won't be useful as boot drive. You need to install SL on an external drive partition that is large enough to replicate your internal drive's boot partition.

  • by Lanny,

    Lanny Lanny Aug 8, 2016 3:50 PM in response to Memoire
    Level 5 (7,935 points)
    Desktops
    Aug 8, 2016 3:50 PM in response to Memoire

    I tried to install OS 10.6 onto an external 100 gb disk that was originally an internal drive I took from a previous Mac I owned and put into an external case.

    Note: If that previous Mac you owned was pre-Intel, i.e. a G4 or G3, the drive wouldn't have been formatted as a GUID. It has to be GUID to boot to an Intel CPU Mac.

  • by Memoire,

    Memoire Memoire Aug 10, 2016 1:51 AM in response to Lanny
    Level 1 (14 points)
    Mac OS X
    Aug 10, 2016 1:51 AM in response to Lanny

    Thank you for the support and ideas Lanny.

     

    I could install on the old mac recovered drive that is now an external drive, but it seemed unstable, I guess because of the connection.

     

    I continued to try and install on the internal drive and got success, but again the system is unstable, seems to hang when trying to update from OS 10.6 to OS 10.6.8. I am beginning to have concerns about the motherboard. The computer did overheat before the HD crash and high pitched tone from the HD.

     

    I am keen to figure out how to make an external boot drive using the new computer running OS 10.11.6.

  • by Memoire,

    Memoire Memoire Aug 15, 2016 8:18 AM in response to Lanny
    Level 1 (14 points)
    Mac OS X
    Aug 15, 2016 8:18 AM in response to Lanny

    Hi Lanny,

     

    I managed to install a OS10.6.6 from the DVD onto the MacBook. I made one small partition A, then a larger one B, then installed the system onto Partition B.

     

    I now want to use my backup to see if I can recreate the previous system and see if it will run normally; basically to check if the issue was a disk or motherboard or both.

     

    Using disk utility I tried to restore the system using disk utilities restore, but it did't give me the option of clicking open for any of the target files from the backup. I don't want to switch on Time machine as I assume that will just backup the  system backup that I already have.

     

    Any ideas how to do this would be welcome, I search the community, but couldn't find any clean instructions.

  • by Lanny,

    Lanny Lanny Aug 15, 2016 10:34 AM in response to Memoire
    Level 5 (7,935 points)
    Desktops
    Aug 15, 2016 10:34 AM in response to Memoire

    IMHO, installing SL on a partition of a potentially failing hard drive is just a waste of time and an unnecessary risk.

  • by Memoire,

    Memoire Memoire Aug 15, 2016 2:15 PM in response to Lanny
    Level 1 (14 points)
    Mac OS X
    Aug 15, 2016 2:15 PM in response to Lanny

    Thank you for the input Lanny.

     

    I am only using my new MacBook Pro, which is backup with my files.

     

    But for the MacBook with OS10.6.8 I want to run the backup I had made of OS  10.6.8 it was running before the crash, to see if the motherboard has any issues. If the computer performs - as the OS10.6.8 installed from the DVD onto Partition B is running well - then I will get a new HD installed.

Page 1 Next