Created a bootable USB but the USB gives me a circle with a a line through it when I boot to it. Stuck at gray screen. Anyone have any ideas? Tried on two systems. Mid 2010 21.5" iMac and a 2011 27" iMac.
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
When booting from USB, I get Circle with Line through it
- Thread starter Macboy Pro
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
I'd like to know this as well. I created a bootable usb flash drive, and to test out i tried it on my macbook 2,1 macbook which i know isn't supported. I got the circle with the line through it, but i figured it was just because its not supported. But if you're getting it too, i wonder what the deal is.
Hey there,
I had this problem too! I tried to make a bootable USB drive with ML. I had some problems using Disk Utility. It was saying something like "Disk Failed: Resource Busy" Not exactly those words but it was something like that. I managed to copy the installer onto USB but when it finished I got another error.
I tried booting from the USB and got the ø symbol. I don't know how to fix it. I only managed to install ML after I put my new SSD in an enclosure and installed ML on it.
I had this problem too! I tried to make a bootable USB drive with ML. I had some problems using Disk Utility. It was saying something like "Disk Failed: Resource Busy" Not exactly those words but it was something like that. I managed to copy the installer onto USB but when it finished I got another error.
I tried booting from the USB and got the ø symbol. I don't know how to fix it. I only managed to install ML after I put my new SSD in an enclosure and installed ML on it.
I had all those problems creating the USB but finally I was able to create it clean and I am able to install from it but just not able to install from booting from it. When I boot holding the Alt key, then select the USB, it tries to boot then just hangs at the gray screen. After a minute or two, it displays the circle with a line through it.
I have now tried the USB on a 27" 2011 iMac, 21.5" 2010 iMac, and a 13" Late 2011 Macbook Pro.
Very frustrating and I am surprised that others are not having this problem. Is there something in the bootable image that only allows it to install on 2012 Macbook Pros?
I have now tried the USB on a 27" 2011 iMac, 21.5" 2010 iMac, and a 13" Late 2011 Macbook Pro.
Very frustrating and I am surprised that others are not having this problem. Is there something in the bootable image that only allows it to install on 2012 Macbook Pros?
I had the same issue yesterday and it took me a while to figure out - it's because your USB drive does not have a GUID partition table. Something is happening in Disk Utility when creating the bootable image because I formatted my USB drive with a GUID partition but after the process was completed Disk Utility reported that no bootable partition was available. Each time I tried to boot from the image I would get the circle with line through it.
I resolved it by using Carbon Copy Cloner (they have a free trial) as no matter what I did I couldn't produce a bootable image from Disk Utility (although this method worked from me when Lion first came out)
@krspkbl - the reason you are getting "Disk Failed: Resource Busy" is because your USB drive has a mounted partition under it. If you look at your USB drive in disk utility and right click on the partition under it and unmount the process will continue.
I resolved it by using Carbon Copy Cloner (they have a free trial) as no matter what I did I couldn't produce a bootable image from Disk Utility (although this method worked from me when Lion first came out)
@krspkbl - the reason you are getting "Disk Failed: Resource Busy" is because your USB drive has a mounted partition under it. If you look at your USB drive in disk utility and right click on the partition under it and unmount the process will continue.
Thanks for your info. How did you accomplish it so the whole image was on the USB using Carbon Copy Cloner? What were the steps if you don't mind... I don't want just the recovery partition. I would like to be able to install without internet sometimes.
Thanks again.
Thanks again.
I used Dan Frakes excellent article over at MacWorld. If you scroll down he gives you step by step instructions for both Disk Utility & Carbon Copy Cloner but as I mentioned previously I couldn't get the Disk Utility route to work, even after ensuring I had the steps correct by referring to his guide.
The CCC route worked first time.
Cheers
The CCC route worked first time.
Cheers
I am facing the same problem as Macboy Pro. I made a bootable USB drive using Lion Disk Maker. Every time I try to boot using the USB drive I get the grey circle with the slash through it and a spinning wheel and it just sits there doing nothing, even 15, 20 mins later. Sometimes the thumb drive's read light is on, sometimes it isn't.
After reading this thread I re-did the USB thumb drive using Carbon Copy Cloner, but it's the same story. Grey circle with a slash through it, spinning wheel, nothing else happens. Both times I made sure I had a GUID partition. My existing Mountain Lion partition on the SSD is FileVault encrypted. Does that have something to do with it?
I just want to install a clean Mountain Lion install on my new rMBP because I originally migrated from my older MBP and there's just too much junk on my new system, which has drastically worsened my start-up and shut down times and just makes the system not "feel as new", so I want to do a fresh install and only put the stuff I really need on this MBP.
Any suggestions?
After reading this thread I re-did the USB thumb drive using Carbon Copy Cloner, but it's the same story. Grey circle with a slash through it, spinning wheel, nothing else happens. Both times I made sure I had a GUID partition. My existing Mountain Lion partition on the SSD is FileVault encrypted. Does that have something to do with it?
I just want to install a clean Mountain Lion install on my new rMBP because I originally migrated from my older MBP and there's just too much junk on my new system, which has drastically worsened my start-up and shut down times and just makes the system not "feel as new", so I want to do a fresh install and only put the stuff I really need on this MBP.
Any suggestions?
My 10.8.2 USB thumbdrive boots and works fine on a 2011 MBP, but try as I may, I can't get it to work on my 2012 rMBP, I keep getting the grey screen with the circle and slash. I think I'll just wipe the SSD clean and do an Internet Recovery. I've wasted enough time already. 
My 10.8.2 USB thumbdrive boots and works fine on a 2011 MBP, but try as I may, I can't get it to work on my 2012 rMBP, I keep getting the grey screen with the circle and slash. I think I'll just wipe the SSD clean and do an Internet Recovery. I've wasted enough time already.
This is likely because the rMBP uses a special build of Mountain Lion, even though it is still 10.8.2. You will need to DL the rMBP build through recovery.
I'm using 'Transmac' on the Windows 7 platform to format the USB drive with an image of Snow Leopard.
Again on boot up and pressing 'Alt' the circle appears prohibiting install.
Is there any way to create a bootable USB with Mac OS X using 'Transmac' without getting the circle appearing?
I would use 'Disk Utility / CCC' but I don't have the Mac OS X installed what so ever.
Thanks for reading.
Again on boot up and pressing 'Alt' the circle appears prohibiting install.
Is there any way to create a bootable USB with Mac OS X using 'Transmac' without getting the circle appearing?
I would use 'Disk Utility / CCC' but I don't have the Mac OS X installed what so ever.
Thanks for reading.
Attachments
hi guys, i recently fitted a new hdd and installed mt. lion via mem card, all was fine till i transferd the hdd back to my macbook when i got the corcle with the line through it, tried the recover partition, tried isb boot but still get the line, please help, thanks
yeah bud, formatted to guid the lot, wondering if its because my bro installed mt lion on my macbook pro then put the hdd in to a macbook, but the usb stick still wont boot either
Sure can, as long as the proper OS version is installed on the external. Just hold the option key when booting and select the external as the boot drive.
RE: djcotter1 - Dec 28, 2012 03:41 PM
You mention you formatted a HD in one machine, took it out and replaced in another machine...?
If the host machine was newer than the donor machine then thats your answer.
Some OLDER machines will not take the NEWER operating system / firmware !
The 'circle with the slash' through it means.......the operating system / firmware you are trying to install is NOT the correct firmware / operating system state at the correct level !
Example....my MBP 17" i7 2011 will ONLY let me install the minimum operating system it was shipped with.....MAC OS X 10.6.6
I tried constantly to install MAC OS X 10.6 .......wouldn't have it..
Anything lower and I'd get the 'circle with slash' through it !
Check the SPEC of your machine to see what it was shipped with originally
http://www.everymac.com/
You mention you formatted a HD in one machine, took it out and replaced in another machine...?
If the host machine was newer than the donor machine then thats your answer.
Some OLDER machines will not take the NEWER operating system / firmware !
The 'circle with the slash' through it means.......the operating system / firmware you are trying to install is NOT the correct firmware / operating system state at the correct level !
Example....my MBP 17" i7 2011 will ONLY let me install the minimum operating system it was shipped with.....MAC OS X 10.6.6
I tried constantly to install MAC OS X 10.6 .......wouldn't have it..
Anything lower and I'd get the 'circle with slash' through it !
Check the SPEC of your machine to see what it was shipped with originally
http://www.everymac.com/
For all those people who have these kinds of problems, startup in Verbose mode and look where it hangs, if the system is not supported it will say 'CPU not supported".
Hello,
I have an early 2011 2.2 i7 MBP. I have successfully used a USB to boot from Lion on many computers before.
I recently obtained a new Samung 840 SSD. Before putting the new drive into my computer, I wanted to be sure my bootable ML USB worked. I also suffered from the circle with a lion through it. I tried both the manual method and using Lion diskmaker, both with the same effects.
I noticed the USB light does not seem to be on during boot. I am going to try using another USB, and if that fails, try the same thing via Firewire drive hopefully.
If the circle persists, what are my options? I have both a time machine back-up and a super duper clone on an external hard drive. My original plan was to put the new SSD in my laptop, boot from the USB, format the drive, install ML, and then restore from time machine.
Do I also have the option to hold "option" during start up and format/install ML over the internet on the new SSD if all else fails, or is this option limited to newer laptop models?
Thanks for the help.
I have an early 2011 2.2 i7 MBP. I have successfully used a USB to boot from Lion on many computers before.
I recently obtained a new Samung 840 SSD. Before putting the new drive into my computer, I wanted to be sure my bootable ML USB worked. I also suffered from the circle with a lion through it. I tried both the manual method and using Lion diskmaker, both with the same effects.
I noticed the USB light does not seem to be on during boot. I am going to try using another USB, and if that fails, try the same thing via Firewire drive hopefully.
If the circle persists, what are my options? I have both a time machine back-up and a super duper clone on an external hard drive. My original plan was to put the new SSD in my laptop, boot from the USB, format the drive, install ML, and then restore from time machine.
Do I also have the option to hold "option" during start up and format/install ML over the internet on the new SSD if all else fails, or is this option limited to newer laptop models?
Thanks for the help.
Solution found
I found a solution to my problem above. Instead of making the bootable USB myself, I downloaded the application from Apple's website to try that instead:
http://support.apple.com/kb/dl1433
I also changed the USB drive I used to a different one, so it is entirely possible that the USB was to blame. However, if anyone still has the circle with a line through it, I would try using Apple's application instead of manually making the USB or using Lion Diskmaker.
I found a solution to my problem above. Instead of making the bootable USB myself, I downloaded the application from Apple's website to try that instead:
http://support.apple.com/kb/dl1433
I also changed the USB drive I used to a different one, so it is entirely possible that the USB was to blame. However, if anyone still has the circle with a line through it, I would try using Apple's application instead of manually making the USB or using Lion Diskmaker.
Not the same thing though. People are using Lion Diskmaker to create a full installer. The Apple tool you linked is useful, but it is just a recovery tool. It does not contain the full OS install. With the Apple tool, it just boots you to a recovery screen so you can DL the OS over the Internet.
If you have a 2010+ Mac there really is no need for the Apple tool as the same functionality is built into the machine firmware.
So let me get this straight, and please anyone jump in and answer this. Since I own a 2014 Retina iMac which came with yosemite, and I wanted to downgrade to Mavericks since to me its more stable and faster than yosemite.... are you telling me that since it came with my new iMac in the first place that I am stuck with Yosemite? As I have made about 4 different usb bootable drives and they all seem to boot up using the option key method, but when I click on it to boot to it, It immediately gives me the circle slash symbol which is frustrating as hell. Is there any hope for me to be able to downgrade to mavericks anyway, any method? Please say there is a way and if so, reply here so it can help others.
Thanks in advance.