How do I install Tiger on an external hard drive?

Question

How do I install Tiger on an external hard drive?

I want to load and run apps from a second external hard drive.

Can anyone tell me or point me in the right direction to get information on how to load tiger 10.4 on a second external hard drive?

Thanks,
Ed

Powerbook 15" 1.67 GHz, Mac OS X (10.4.8), Maxed out!

Posted on Dec 22, 2006 10:10 AM

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Answer 1

Dec 22, 2006 11:02 AM in response to wolf359design

If you intend to boot your Powerbook off the external hard drive, it needs to be firewire and it needs to be bootable. To do the OS installation, just boot your Powerbook from the OS CD, then select the external drive when you are asked which drive to use.

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Answer 2

a brody

Level 10

85,314 points

Dec 22, 2006 11:05 AM in response to wolf359design

If you want to use it with your computer, and your computer came out after April 29, 2005, install Tiger from the original disks that came with your Powerbook. Note, it can only be used with that model Powerbook. An external drive to boot that Powerbook has to be Firewire. USB won't work. For other Macs depending on the age, you may be able to use the retail Tiger installer disks, or their Tiger installer disks.

Is your Powerbook the only machine concerned? And how old is it?

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Answer 3

Dec 22, 2006 2:22 PM in response to a brody

I installed Tiger 10.4.8 on my external fw hard drive without a problem.

Now, how do I switch between hard drives? Is it the same as before I installed the OS, or do I have to re-boot everytime I want to use the other drive?

Basically I am using my external hard drive as a backup but I also want to run apps that I do not have on my laptop drive. Example, I rarely use iDVD so I erased iLife from my laptop hard drive. But by chance I need it, I have it on my external drive.

Is there any chance of me screwing things up and crashing? I am the only user so the permissions should be the same.???

Thanks,

Ed

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Answer 4

a brody

Level 10

85,314 points

Dec 22, 2006 4:33 PM in response to wolf359design

There is always a chance of screwing up and crashing. Always have at least two copies of your data at all times as my FAQ explains:
http://www.macmaps.com/backup.html

As for switching between drives, use the startup manager:

http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=106178

or the Apple menu -> System Preferences -> Startup Disk.

Note you will get a brief flashing question mark folder at startup if the external drive is not attached, and you didn't go back to System Preferences to reset the startup disk to the internal the previous boot.

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Answer 5

Dec 22, 2006 4:49 PM in response to a brody

Yeah I saw that. When I loaded Tiger on the external hard drive, it changed my start up disk. I got the question marked folder. So I switched it back to my internal drive.

Question; Can I move files back and forth normaly, say copy and paste, or do I have to boot drives back and forth?

Thanks,
Ed

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Answer 6

a brody

Level 10

85,314 points

Dec 22, 2006 4:51 PM in response to wolf359design

you can do some back and forthing, but check my backup FAQ's link on safe to move and delete. There are only certain folders where it is safe.

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Answer 7

Mimes

Level 1

0 points

Dec 27, 2006 2:24 PM in response to a brody

Hi people..

I read somewhere that with SuperDuper! you are able to boot from ext hd via usb, just making a "clone" of the boot system.

I have a question too ..I "lost" my Tiger installation dvd ..It's possible to burn it from my hard disk? If I "clone" it on ext HD (partitioned), it will be ALL formatted or just the partition I choose, without loose all the data in the other partitions?

Thank you!

Mimes

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