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User profile for user: mmicallef11
mmicallef11 Author
User level: Level 1
9 points

Enabling USB booting for iMac 8,1 (2008)

Hello,


At my organisation, we have a lot of old 8,1 iMacs (2008). Due to Chrome and other apps dropping support for older versions of MacOS, I am starting to BootCamp these machines with Windows 7 as it runs much better than recent versions of MacOS and still supports these programs.


The problem is a lot of these machines have not fully functioning SuperDrives, so I can't install Windows 7 for some. These machines also don't support booting from USB drives. Is it possible to load something onto a CD that allows booting from the USB? For example, Hirens BootCD has PLOP installed on it, but it does not let me use the keyboard to navigate the Hirens menu.


Is there any other software or trick that will allow me to boot from a USB just temporarily?


Thanks,

Posted on May 21, 2018 6:25 PM

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User profile for user: Encryptor5000
Encryptor5000
User level: Level 5
7,502 points

Posted on May 21, 2018 7:53 PM

Hi mmicallef11,


Startup Manager is a built-in firmware tool that permits you to boot a different startup disk immediately after power-on. To launch Startup Manager, connect your bootable CD, DVD or USB drive, then hold down the Option key while you turn on or restart your Mac. Release the key when you see a selection of startup disks. Use the arrow keys, trackpad or mouse to select a startup disk to boot, then do one of the following:


  • To boot this device once, hit Enter (Return).
  • To set this device as the default startup disk, hold down the Control key while you press Enter (Return). Keep in mind that if you do this for an external device or drive, your Mac will show the following screen if the device is not connected at boot time and you didn't invoke Startup Manager immediately after power-on:

User uploaded file


Take note that if a firmware password (different than a login password) is set on your Mac, you will see the screen below if you invoke Startup Manager or attempt to boot Recovery Mode on your Mac. Enter the firmware password to continue.

User uploaded file


Hope this helps!

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User profile for user: Encryptor5000
Encryptor5000
User level: Level 5
7,502 points

May 21, 2018 7:53 PM in response to mmicallef11

Hi mmicallef11,


Startup Manager is a built-in firmware tool that permits you to boot a different startup disk immediately after power-on. To launch Startup Manager, connect your bootable CD, DVD or USB drive, then hold down the Option key while you turn on or restart your Mac. Release the key when you see a selection of startup disks. Use the arrow keys, trackpad or mouse to select a startup disk to boot, then do one of the following:


  • To boot this device once, hit Enter (Return).
  • To set this device as the default startup disk, hold down the Control key while you press Enter (Return). Keep in mind that if you do this for an external device or drive, your Mac will show the following screen if the device is not connected at boot time and you didn't invoke Startup Manager immediately after power-on:

User uploaded file


Take note that if a firmware password (different than a login password) is set on your Mac, you will see the screen below if you invoke Startup Manager or attempt to boot Recovery Mode on your Mac. Enter the firmware password to continue.

User uploaded file


Hope this helps!

Reply

Enabling USB booting for iMac 8,1 (2008)

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