Can you install snow leopard from usb flash to external harddrive?

[Helpmac24]

Alright I got the reportary sign on boot when trying to install a fresh os.

Relieze thay my sata cable was slightly torn

I already made a bootable usb mac os and would like to know if it is possible to install fresh from the usb flash onto an external hard drive? (usb)

 

[simsaladimbamba]

Yes, I have an installer of Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard on an external USB HDD and could install it onto another external USB HDD.

 

[Helpmac24]

Thanks for the quick response

Sorry I might have not been clear but what I meant was my hard drive is an external 250gb usb harddrive. It has nothing on it. I want to install snow leopard on that usb hdd from a usb flash drive that was made bootable with the retail snow leopard 10.6.3.

Hope this clears up any confusion I am trying to ask

 

[simsaladimbamba]

Thanks for the quick response

Sorry I might have not been clear but what I meant was my hard drive is an external 250gb usb harddrive. It has nothing on it. I want to install snow leopard on that usb hdd from a usb flash drive that was made bootable with the retail snow leopard 10.6.3.

Hope this clears up any confusion I am trying to ask

I understood perfectly, and if the installer on the USB flash memory thumb drive is bootable, it will work.

How to format a new HDD to install Mac OS X onto (or make a bootable copy onto)​

 

[Helpmac24]

Alright we have a problem

I have an external 250gb western digital hard drive. When I plug both the USB flash and usb external HDD it detects the bootable snow leopard on the USB flash. The HDD flashes it's blue light to show the hard drive is on, however when I hold the option button it will only show my SNOW LEOPARD USB FLASH.

When I click on it, it sends me to an apple logo, then it will show a spinning wheel, then after about two minutes, a reportary sign(do not enter sign-like) appears and the wheel keeps spinning.


I don't have any other macs laying around but I do have a windows based PC. Will I have to format this HDD a certain way so it will be recognizable or is this laptop ready for the dump?

Seems like when I click on the USB flash install, it may have kept trying to install on the HDD through the internal sata cable even if I remove it completely

 

[simsaladimbamba]

How to format a new HDD to install Mac OS X onto (or make a bootable copy onto)​

When booted into the Installer use Disk Utility to format the USB HDD correctly. Or did you do that already and it didn't work?
Guide on how to use Disk Utility from the restore / installation DVD.

 

[Helpmac24]

How to format a new HDD to install Mac OS X onto (or make a bootable copy onto)​

When booted into the Installer use Disk Utility to format the USB HDD correctly. Or did you do that already and it didn't work?
Guide on how to use Disk Utility from the restore / installation DVD.

The thing is I can't get past the spinning wheel to get into disk utility

 

[Helpmac24]

Looks like ill never buy another apple product. These things are piece of **** when something happens.

 

[simsaladimbamba]

The thing is I can't get past the spinning wheel to get into disk utility

Maybe the USB flash memory thumb drive is not properly formatted or you didn't copy the installer correctly? How did you do this?

Looks like ill never buy another apple product. These things are piece of **** when something happens.

Not really, I have had various things happen to them and I can be up an running within half an hour, if I need a fresh install.

What it really comes down to, is how you created that installer and what may be wrong with your Mac.

 

[lgwells1]

Looks like ill never buy another apple product. These things are piece of **** when something happens.

really? lol. Sounds like something is wrong with your bootable USB. Once you get that sorted out.

Boot and hold down option.

Boot from USB installer

Select install OSX

Select your HDD you want to install on.

Customize the install settings if you want.

Drink beer.

Boot from new OSX install on external HDD.

 

[Helpmac24]

Thanks for helping

I am almost 100% sure I did it right

I used transmac which was recommended by many users with sucess.
I dont have another mac so I used a windows based pc and formated and restore the mac os snow leopard with transmac.

at first i thought it was the hdd so I went and bought one. No good waste money
I used a 10.6 retail copy then found out this may not work from searching internet. No good waste of money
Searched the web said anything below version 10.6.3 will not work for my mac. Went and bought 10.6.3

now I noticed that before when I was using 10.6 it will give me a kernel error with a please restart your computer. When I used the 10.6.3 it will seem like its loading then it will replace a mac logo with a do not enter like sign.

 

[Helpmac24]

Problem resolved.


Macbook thrown in the dump where it belongs.

Getting a new windows pc today and never going back.

Can close thread now. Thanks for help

 

[simsaladimbamba]

Problem resolved.


Macbook thrown in the dump where it belongs.

Getting a new windows pc today and never going back.

Can close thread now. Thanks for help

Where is that dump located, maybe someone can grab that MB and put it to use?

But anyway, good luck with your future purchase. And remember to backup and use precautions to have a bootable backup, though it is a bit more complicated with Windows and external HDDs.