Every operating system can crash at one time or another. While it's safe to say that macOS is more stable than Windows, it can still be affected by issues that prevent your computer from booting up. In such cases, you might need to boot your Mac from a USB flash drive to fix the problem. This article shows you two ways to boot Mac from external USB stick, as well as some troubleshooting tips in case Mac won't boot from the target USB.
If you've ever wanted to try Linux distros such as Ubuntu, you must have noticed that you can use a USB drive to create a bootable 'Live USB' for it. This basically means that you don't have to install the distro on your system, and you can just boot into it from the Live USB, and test it out. If you select 'USB' and 'Mac' on this download page, it gives a series of command line instructions to make a USB key which the MacBook will boot into Ubuntu from. I've followed them to the letter two or three times on different USB keys, and it doesn't work. There's a very great deal of technical discussion about EFI etc. But this set of instructions seems to suggest it should just work, but. How to: Create an Ubuntu Bootable USB on Mac, Windows or Ubuntu. If the issue is with your Computer or a Laptop you should try using Restoro which can scan the repositories and replace corrupt and missing files. This works in most cases, where the issue is originated due to a system corruption. Boot Mac from USB Option l: Startup Manager. If your Mac won't boot up normally, you can set it to boot from a different drive, such as a USB stick containing macOS installation files in bootable format. The drive will have to contain a version of the OS that is compatible with the Mac. As long as you have the bootable installation USB, you can.
Boot Mac from USB Option l: Startup Manager
If your Mac won't boot up normally, you can set it to boot from a different drive, such as a USB stick containing macOS installation files in bootable format. The drive will have to contain a version of the OS that is compatible with the Mac. As long as you have the bootable installation USB, you can start your Mac from the USB by accessing the Startup Manager. Here are the steps to be followed:
Step 1: Insert the bootable USB into Mac and power it on.
Step 2: As soon as the startup process begins, hold down the Option (alt) key and keep it depressed until you see the Startup Manager on your screen. If there is a firmware password on your Mac, hold down the Option key until you're asked to enter that password.
Step 3: You will now see the various startup disk options, and your USB will be listed there. If you click on the Up arrow right below the icon for the USB, the computer will only startup once using this disk. If you press and hold down the Control key while making your selection, it will be saved, and your computer will boot from the USB every time, as long as it is left in the computer.
At this point, you can also use the Mac installation disk to boot your Mac from. It will appear as EFI Boot, and it works on all computers running macOS 10.9 or higher.
Boot Mac from USB Option 2: Safe Mode/Recovery Mode
As an alternative, you can start your Mac in Safe Mode (Recovery Mode). This will allow the system to automatically detect and repair directory issues. Safe Mode will only allow required kernel extensions to load, preventing login items and startup items to load automatically. It can also help you isolate the issue depending on whether or not the issue goes away in Safe Mode. If the issues you have during normal startup don't show up in safe mode, they are most likely fixed. That means you can reboot normally and your system should be back to normal.
Step 1: Start your Mac and hold down the Shift key. You will see the Apple logo on your screen.
https://ameblo.jp/592taquipe-zelo/entry-12650902311.html. Step 2: When you see the login screen, you can release the Shift key and login to your Mac.
Step 3: To check whether your Mac has booted into Safe Mode, click on the Apple logo on the top left and then on About this Mac. In the window that opens, click on System Report… You should be able to see this:
How to Fix Mac Won't Boot from USB Drive
Sometimes Mac won't boot from USB as expected. If you are unable to select a different startup disk, it's possible that your disk is not showing up in Startup Manager. If you try Method 1 above but don't see your USB drive listed there, it could mean one of the following problems:
Compatibility: It is possible that the version of macOS or Mac OS X that you have on the USB drive is not compatible with the hardware. That means you won't be able to see it in the Startup Manager so, of course, you won't be able to boot from it. In such cases, you may need to burn a compatible macOS version on USB drive in order to be able to boot Mac from it.
Startup Security Utility: In certain cases where your Mac has the Apple T2 Security Chip (2018 and later devices), it may be your Startup Security Utility settings that are preventing you from booting from USB. In this situation, restart your Mac and hold down the Command + R keys when you see the Apple logo. This will put your Mac into Recovery mode. In macOS Utilities, go to Utilities >Startup Security Utility and sign in as admin. Under External Boot, select the second option - Allow Booting from External Media.
Option ROM Firmware: Another known issue is that Option ROM firmware will not load in Startup Manager until you press certain keys manually. To do this, use Method 1 to access Startup Manager. Once you are there, press Option-Shift-Command-Period. You should now be able to see the USB drive. This is not exactly a problem as much as a feature. If the USB contains Option ROM firmware, you will need to press those keys everytime to boot from your pen drive.
These two methods and the troubleshooting tips should allow you to boot from USB or in Safe Mode so you can then isolate the problem that's preventing your Mac from booting up normally.
So, I have this MacBook that is approaching four years old, but I find that I'm not really using it these days. Then I had an idea. Why not take this aging MacBook that is probably already on borrowed time given Apple's strict retirement policies as it pertains to hardware and give it new life with one of my favorite operating systems – Ubuntu Linux.
My goal is to install Ubuntu on a Mac to create a Linux laptop for me to be able to use around my home that I can use easily for both work and play. While I know I won't do too much gaming on it, I should still be able to do everything I want to do, and that is enough.
Then I had another idea. Why not take this opportunity to show all of you how to do this while I'm at it. Linux is a great way to breathe new life into an aging laptop, and especially an aging Apple laptop. After all, you paid a lot of money for that laptop so you want to be able to use it for as long as you possibly can don't you?
Today, let's take a look at how to install Ubuntu on a MacBook Pro so you can see the step by step process for yourself before you start undertaking this type of change on your own. My hope is that you will find this guide helpful and useful to you as you move your Mac to the Linux platform and free it from the walled garden that is Apple's Mac OS X.
1. What You Will Need
Before we get started, you will need a few things to get the job done. Luckily, our needs are pretty basic. So have a look at what you will need and then start gathering it all. I will walk you through how to get the Ubuntu ISO as part of this guide.
- A MacBook Pro (of course)
- Internet Connection
- Ubuntu ISO
- USB Stick with At Least 2 GB of Storage
2. Download Ubuntu
You can grab the Ubuntu ISO straight from their site. I would use the 64-bit version of the latest stable release, but you can choose whichever release you prefer. Once you have downloaded the ISO, make a note of where it is stored on your hard drive.
3. Build Your Bootable USB Stick
While you can create this manually, the easiest way to do it is to install Rufus. Rufus allows you to easily create bootable USB sticks with just a few clicks.
Using a PC
1. Plug in your USB stick.
2. Open Rufus.
3. Change the label to UBUNTU and make sure the scheme is set to 'MBR partition scheme for BIOS or UEFI'.
4. Click the small CD/Hard Drive icon next to where it says 'Create a bootable disk using…' and select your Ubuntu ISO that you downloaded.
5. Click Start.
6. It will then prompt you requesting to download Syslinux. Click Yes.
7. Select 'Write in ISO Image mode (Recommended)' and click OK.
8. Click OK to accept that all data on the USB Stick will be destroyed to create a bootable Ubuntu USB stick.
9. When finished, eject your USB stick.
Using a Mac
Macbook Boot Ubuntu Usb
If you don't have a PC handy, you can always use the Mac OS X operating system you currently have installed to do the job.
Twig 1 2 1 – gather and cultivate your ideas. 1. Insert your USB and go to Applications > Utilities and launch Disk Utility.
2. Click on the USB drive in the left pane, then click the Partition tab and select 1 Partition from the drop down.
3. Create a name for the drive and then change the format to Mac OS Extended (Journaled).
4. Click the Options Button and ensure that GUID Partition Table is selected and then click Ok.
5. Open Terminal and enter the following command replacing the generic path and names to suit your file locations:
6. Find the Device Node for the USB Drive.
7. Unmount the USB by running the following command:
8. Create your bootable USB by running the following command:
4. Install Ubuntu on Your MacBook Pro
Now it is time for the fun part. For this guide, we are completely replacing the existing Mac OS X on the MacBook and going with an Ubuntu only installation, but you can set it up in a dual boot scenario as well if you wish. You will have to forgive me as this is being done on a live Mac, my screenshots will be very few and far between as you can really take them during the process. I hope you understand.
- Insert your USB stick in your Mac.
- Restart your Mac and hold down the Option Key while it reboots.
- When you arrive at the Boot Selection screen, choose 'EFI Boot' to select your bootable USB Stick.
- Select Install Ubuntu from the Grub boot screen.
- Select Your Language and click Continue.
- Click on 'Install third-party software for graphics and Wi-Fi hardware, Flash, MP3 and other media.' Click Continue.
- Choose 'Erase disk and install Ubuntu.' Click Install Now.
- Select Your Time zone and click Continue.
- Choose Your Keyboard Layout and click
- Enter your name, create a username and password and name your computer. Click Continue when finished.
- Wait for the installation to complete.
- Once the installation is complete, click the prompt saying Restart Now.
- Connect an Ethernet cable to your system to gain Internet access if it doesn't find the Wi-Fi drivers.
- Run all Software Updates and restart your computer.
5. Get Wi-Fi Working
Chances are, the Wi-Fi on your Mac won't work out the box. Don't worry, you won't have to go without wireless connectivity on your Mac just because you want to use Ubuntu. Follow the steps below to get Wi-Fi working.
- Make sure you are connected with an Ethernet cable to your network.
- Select the Broadcom driver listed in the Additional Drivers Tab and click Apply Changes.
- When the changes complete, close the app and restart your computer. Be patient, it may take a few minutes to make all the necessary changes.
6. Enjoy Ubuntu
Congratulations! You have now successfully installed Ubuntu onto your MacBook Pro and you can enjoy it and everything it has to offer when it comes to the world of free software right on your Mac. Now it is time to get to work tweaking your new installation of Ubuntu so you can enjoy it the way you want it. That, of course, is a guide for another day.
Although I do recommend you take the time to read a little more about all the freedom you actually have when you use Ubuntu. I think you will be glad you did, as the free world of Linux has so much to offer users from all types of backgrounds.
Conclusion
Western digital mac driver. It wasn't always easy to install Linux on a Mac, however today things are a little different. While there are a few extra steps to get everything working just right, in the end I believe it is worth it and it is a great way to breathe new life into your aging MacBook. As you know, Apple abandons their older tech pretty quickly, which could leave you out in the cold. But with Linux, you can keep using your MacBook or MacBook Pro for many years to come.
What did you think about this guide? Did you find it easy to follow or did you have issues? Let me know if this guide helped you out in the comments below and if you have any questions please feel free to ask and I will do my best to give you a hand. If you are looking for an alternative laptop for Ubuntu or other versions of Linux also feel free to browse our best Linux laptops guide.