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Boot OSX86 from an external USB drive/device


MacWeenie
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I want to access the startup drive on my Hackintosh using an external boot device (USB drive, CD or DVD). How do I create this? My system dual boots Windows XP and OSX86 and I am using XP's boot.ini file (aka the "chain0" method) to select the OS. Thanks for any input!

 

MacWeenie :censored2:

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I want to access the startup drive on my Hackintosh using an external boot device (USB drive, CD or DVD). How do I create this? My system dual boots Windows XP and OSX86 and I am using XP's boot.ini file (aka the "chain0" method) to select the OS. Thanks for any input!

 

MacWeenie :D

 

Update Note: I had what I thought to be an inspiration of brilliance, but it did not work. With the USB drive plugged in I booted up my Dell Dimension 4550 with the Uphuck v1.4ir3 (OSX86 v10.4.9) and installed the OSX86 operating system directly to the USB drive. The installation succeeded. With the system BIOS set to boot from USB devices before internal hard drives, my expectation was that it would boot from the USB drive with the OSX86 installation. It didn't. I got a blank screen with a flashing cursor. I'm still open to suggestions.

 

MW :D

 

If you change the order of boot devices, you will change their hd numbers. This is what the boot loader uses to ID the start up drive. Boot drive is hd0 usually, but if it was installed to when it was hd2 (or whatever) that's what the boot loader will look for.

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I have an answer to this that works for me:

 

The setup: Dell Dimension with 2 internal drives--one boots WinXP, the other boots OSX86 (the volume name is "Mac OSX86").

 

The goal: Boot OSX86 from an external USB drive (called "OSX86USB"). The purpose for doing this is that I want to be able to unmount the internal volume, Mac OSX86, so I can run utilities against it (e.g. iDefrag, TechTool Pro, backup utility).

 

The Steps:

  1. Plug the USB drive into the computer. Boot from the Uphuck v1.4ir3 install DVD. Partition the external USB drive with the volume "OSX86USB" and format it as Mac OS extended journaled. Install OSX86 to the USB drive.
  2. Reboot the system into OSX86 on the internal volume, Mac OSX86.
  3. Start the Terminal application (Applications -> Utilities -> Terminal).
  4. Enter the following command:
    sudo diskutil list

    Enter your password if prompted.

  5. What you will see will resemble the following:
    [font="Courier New"]/dev/disk0
      #:                   type name               size      identifier
      0: FDisk_partition_scheme                    *111.8 GB disk0
      1:              Apple_HFS Mac OSX86          111.8 GB  disk0s1
    /dev/disk1
      #:                   type name               size      identifier
      0: FDisk_partition_scheme                    *149.1 GB disk1
      1:           Windows_NTFS WinXP System       39.1 GB   disk1s1
      2:           Windows_NTFS Downloads (NTFS)   110.0 GB  disk1s5
    /dev/disk2
      #:                   type name               size      identifier
      0: FDisk_partition_scheme                    *37.3 GB  disk2
      1:              Apple_HFS OSX86USB           37.3 GB   disk2s1[/font]


  6. What I'm looking for is on the last line on the far right, disk2s1. It appears on the same line as the volume name, OSX86USB. This is the disk identifier and it tells me the drive from which I want to start OSX86 when Darwin starts up.
  7. Restart OSX86.
  8. When Darwin starts, I am provided with the option to press any key to enter additional startup commands. Press any key.
  9. At the boot: prompt (in Darwin) enter the following:
    mach_kernel rd=disk2s1

    Press return and it will boot from OSX86USB.

  10. If I want to watch the entire boot process, then enter the following:
    mach_kernel -v rd=disk2s1

    The -v puts the boot process into verbose mode.

Enjoy!

 

MacWeenie :(

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  • 2 weeks later...
I have an answer to this that works for me:

 

The setup: Dell Dimension with 2 internal drives--one boots WinXP, the other boots OSX86 (the volume name is "Mac OSX86").

 

The goal: Boot OSX86 from an external USB drive (called "OSX86USB"). The purpose for doing this is that I want to be able to unmount the internal volume, Mac OSX86, so I can run utilities against it (e.g. iDefrag, TechTool Pro, backup utility).

 

The Steps:

  1. Plug the USB drive into the computer. Boot from the Uphuck v1.4ir3 install DVD. Partition the external USB drive with the volume "OSX86USB" and format it as Mac OS extended journaled. Install OSX86 to the USB drive.
  2. Reboot the system into OSX86 on the internal volume, Mac OSX86.
  3. Start the Terminal application (Applications -> Utilities -> Terminal).
  4. Enter the following command:
    sudo diskutil list

    Enter your password if prompted.

  5. What you will see will resemble the following:
    [font="Courier New"]/dev/disk0
      #:                   type name               size      identifier
      0: FDisk_partition_scheme                    *111.8 GB disk0
      1:              Apple_HFS Mac OSX86          111.8 GB  disk0s1
    /dev/disk1
      #:                   type name               size      identifier
      0: FDisk_partition_scheme                    *149.1 GB disk1
      1:           Windows_NTFS WinXP System       39.1 GB   disk1s1
      2:           Windows_NTFS Downloads (NTFS)   110.0 GB  disk1s5
    /dev/disk2
      #:                   type name               size      identifier
      0: FDisk_partition_scheme                    *37.3 GB  disk2
      1:              Apple_HFS OSX86USB           37.3 GB   disk2s1[/font]


  6. What I'm looking for is on the last line on the far right, disk2s1. It appears on the same line as the volume name, OSX86USB. This is the disk identifier and it tells me the drive from which I want to start OSX86 when Darwin starts up.
  7. Restart OSX86.
  8. When Darwin starts, I am provided with the option to press any key to enter additional startup commands. Press any key.
  9. At the boot: prompt (in Darwin) enter the following:
    mach_kernel rd=disk2s1

    Press return and it will boot from OSX86USB.

  10. If I want to watch the entire boot process, then enter the following:
    mach_kernel -v rd=disk2s1

    The -v puts the boot process into verbose mode.

Enjoy!

 

MacWeenie :D

 

thank you for ur solution.

but i'm not boot from external usb drive , i'm boot from another internal hard drive.

send kernel parameter at boot time , work fine,

i can boot from another hd when original osx hd boot , and send parameter to let it change boot device

but i still got problem,

i use superduper to backup my original osx partition

i though if the original one got problem, i can quickly change backup one into my pc

then i can work like normal , without any different.

but i can't boot up backup one directly, only can boot by ur method.

that mean i still need my original hd to boot my backup one <--- ~_~

 

when i remove all hd , and only install the backup one in my pc, it's just can;t boot.

do u know what should i modify ?? like unix like os lilo or grub setting ??

i think maybe mbr's problem, cause on traditional partition type in windows system.

u can't boot without master boot record (mbr)

but i dont know what manage service or files boot on mac

 

ps. i'm new to mac

 

thx.

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  • 5 months later...

New to this forum ...but my search for the meaning of this.....

 

 

FDisk_partition_scheme

 

 

brought me here to this forum and this particular thread.....my inquiry is as follows, in trying to use a USB memory stick the info on it given by my Mac in the first aid program is this....

 

Name : USB 2.0 Media

Type : Disk

 

Disk Identifier : disk2

Media Name : USB 2.0 Media

Media Type : Generic

Connection Bus : USB

Connection Type : External

Partition Type : FDisk_partition_scheme

Writable : Yes

Ejectable : Yes

Mac OS 9 Drivers Installed : No

Location : External

Total Capacity : 31.9 GB (34,288,435,712 Bytes)

S.M.A.R.T. Status : Not Supported

Disk Number : 2

Partitio

 

 

my problem is that it's not able to store information , or it does but when trying to read it the information is not there but the file has the correct amount of data but is unable to display it.....I tried the memory on several of my Mac computers with the same outcome....

 

So that is the relevance of my post with this thread i.e the FDisk_partition_scheme , so can i get some help.....thanks and sorry if I derailed the thread........java

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  • 4 weeks later...

I am a noobie, booting from USB device--a WD 40 Gb HD

 

Used Acronis Disk Director to format HD as FAT16.

then, mounted OSX (10.4.5) Installation

-went thru all licensing & stuff

-WHEN asked for place to install...

---called DISK Util, and partitioned (2 partitions) one for OS X, and one MS-Dos (10 and 30 Gb)

--installed all the goodies....

THEN, when asked to reboot (hung up) - powered off

 

AND using Acronis Disk Director, made the OS partition Active (bootable),

 

removed acronis from drive, and rebooted... went to BIOS and made sure USB device boot was good and USB HD was on the list

 

went on to boot AND......bingo!!! Does it all the time.

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Hi I installed Uphuck 1.4i r3 onto a external USB drive (Freecom 80gb). But it finished and when it rebooted it does not recognise that the OSX is on the External Drive. I have set the external drive, first in the boot menu but when i power on it say, USB: boot sequence not found. When i put in the Install disk for uphuck it keeps on asking me to restart the pc.

 

So i cannot therefore try a reinstall, and i cannot reformat the external drive in windows because it does not recognise a mac formatted drive!!!

 

Has anyone got any suggestions to get this damn thing running??

 

Thanks Jon

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  • 2 months later...
I have an answer to this that works for me:

 

The setup: Dell Dimension with 2 internal drives--one boots WinXP, the other boots OSX86 (the volume name is "Mac OSX86").

 

The goal: Boot OSX86 from an external USB drive (called "OSX86USB"). The purpose for doing this is that I want to be able to unmount the internal volume, Mac OSX86, so I can run utilities against it (e.g. iDefrag, TechTool Pro, backup utility).

 

The Steps:

  1. Plug the USB drive into the computer. Boot from the Uphuck v1.4ir3 install DVD. Partition the external USB drive with the volume "OSX86USB" and format it as Mac OS extended journaled. Install OSX86 to the USB drive.
  2. Reboot the system into OSX86 on the internal volume, Mac OSX86.
  3. Start the Terminal application (Applications -> Utilities -> Terminal).
  4. Enter the following command:
    sudo diskutil list

    Enter your password if prompted.

  5. What you will see will resemble the following:
    [font="Courier New"]/dev/disk0
      #:                   type name               size      identifier
      0: FDisk_partition_scheme                    *111.8 GB disk0
      1:              Apple_HFS Mac OSX86          111.8 GB  disk0s1
    /dev/disk1
      #:                   type name               size      identifier
      0: FDisk_partition_scheme                    *149.1 GB disk1
      1:           Windows_NTFS WinXP System       39.1 GB   disk1s1
      2:           Windows_NTFS Downloads (NTFS)   110.0 GB  disk1s5
    /dev/disk2
      #:                   type name               size      identifier
      0: FDisk_partition_scheme                    *37.3 GB  disk2
      1:              Apple_HFS OSX86USB           37.3 GB   disk2s1[/font]


  6. What I'm looking for is on the last line on the far right, disk2s1. It appears on the same line as the volume name, OSX86USB. This is the disk identifier and it tells me the drive from which I want to start OSX86 when Darwin starts up.
  7. Restart OSX86.
  8. When Darwin starts, I am provided with the option to press any key to enter additional startup commands. Press any key.
  9. At the boot: prompt (in Darwin) enter the following:
    mach_kernel rd=disk2s1

    Press return and it will boot from OSX86USB.

  10. If I want to watch the entire boot process, then enter the following:
    mach_kernel -v rd=disk2s1

    The -v puts the boot process into verbose mode.

Enjoy!

 

MacWeenie :D

 

You're english sounds un peu français ;) i mean it "resemble" a du français, sometimes :)

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