Sep 28, 2020 • Filed to: Solve Mac Problems • Proven solutions
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A Universal Serial Bus or USB Drive, also known as a flash drive is a portable data storage device that includes a memory which includes a USB interface. It is typically removable and much smaller than an optical disc. Any sort of data can be stored in this device. The drives are available in various sizes and as of to date, the 2TB(Tera-Byte) flash drives in terms of storage capacity are the largest ones available in the market.
Today, these drives are one of the most consumed used devices in the world. Thanks to their portable nature, affordability, and compatibility, USB drives are being used to send and receive endless information across a surplus of networks and platforms all around the globe. This small tool has opened the world to a stream of limitless options with respect to storing, transferring, copying data, and much more. One of them includes Booting the Mac from such a device.
Part 1. Reasons for Mac Boot from USB
Booting the Mac from USB in a way gives the power back to the user. The likeliest of the reason for choosing the boot from the USB method is that your Mac won't start which denies the user access to the computer. Using an external source like the USB drive helps the user get around the problem. It provides the user access to the contents of the internal drive, assuming the data is safe and not corrupted. It also helps to repair the Mac disk with Disk Utility and other tools. Here are the top reasons why the user should choose to Boot Mac from USB:
- Allows the user to install a different version of macOS.
- It allows the user to test a new version before you make the decision to upgrade.
- Allows risk-free testing of the Beta version.
- Faster and efficient.
- By installing older versions through USB, it permits certain Apps to run which are not compatible with the latest macOS.
Part 2. Preparations for Booting Mac from USB
To ensure a risk-free procedure certain measure should be taken:
Make sure your Mac is connected to the external storage device (for example, using a USB cable or over a network). Click the Finder icon in the Dock to open a Finder window, then do one of the following to move your files. Move files to the storage device: Select one or more files on the desktop or in a folder, then drag them to the storage device, listed below Locations in the Finder sidebar.
- The user should buy a name-brand flash drive.
- The USB should contain 16-32GB of free space.
- The user should scan the flash drive with some reputable Anti-Virus software.
- The user should check to see what size of ports they have on the Mac. A 12' Mac only contains a single C-Type port.
- Make sure to purchase the C port flash drive to avoid any inconvenience.
- It is advised that the user should go with a USB 3.0 supported drive, with a size of 16GB to ensure a swift transfer of data.
- The USB drive should be formatted with a supported GUID partition.
- It should contain an OS X installer or a usable operating system to work with.
Part 3. How to Create Bootable USB on Mac
There are a few general guidelines that can help get your machine started which are mentioned above, regardless of the OS the user prefers. Here are the methods to create a bootable USB drive on Mac.
Creating a Bootable USB Using Terminal
The terminal is the default gateway to the command line on a Mac. It is just like the Command Prompt feature works for MS Windows. The Terminal feature ensures a hassle-free experience for the Mac user without the conventional pointing and clicking, the user just has to type the commands and the computer does the rest. The user can find Terminal in the Applications > Utility folder or it can be checked in the finder utility.
Using the Terminal feature is the most simple way to create the bootable USB drive. The user just needs to follow one easy step which is renaming the MyVolume portion of the command with the name of the drive. The name of the drive can be changed using the Disk Utility of Mac. Here are the steps required after opening the Terminal feature to create a bootable USB drive.
- Copy and paste the command which is suited for the version of the operating system into the Terminal window.
- The command for MacOS Mojave is as follows:
sudo/Applications/InstallmacOSMojave.app/Contents/Resources/createinstallmedia --volume/Volumes/MyVolume - Press the Return key.
- Enter the password.
- Confirm to erase the USB drive by typing Y followed by the Return key.
- The terminal will erase all the data inside the drive and create the bootable USB drive.
If there is a need to install a different version of the operating system then the user just has to replace the above-underlined command with their desired version of OS. For example, if the user wants to install Mac OS Sierra instead of Mojave then they would have to replace 'Mojave.app' with 'Sierra.app' inside the command line.
Part 4. How to Boot Mac from USB Media
After creating a bootable USB drive, the user simply needs to plug the created drive into the open port on the Mac. Here are the steps to boot Mac from the USB flash drive:
- Power on the system.
- Press and hold the Option (Alt) key on the keyboard when the computer starts.
- Select the USB drive as a startup disk when the option appears.
- The system will start the boot process off the USB drive.
- Install the operating system from the macOS utilities.
- Data can be restored by using the Time-Machine backup option.
Video Tutorial on How to Boot Mac into Recovery Mode
Part 5. How to Recover Data from Unbootable Mac
The Mac becomes unbootable when the BIOS which is a firmware that is used to perform hardware initialization during the booting process fails to recognize the startup process. It usually happens when there is a failed system update, system crash, damaged MBR, or when the drive becomes corrupt.
Recoverit Mac Data Recovery software is the most efficient option to recover all the lost data when Mac becomes unbootable. Developed by Wondershare, Recoverit is one of the most preferred recovery tools in the world. The tool provides an instant preview of what is recovered after a detailed scan. It allows us to connect almost every type of portable device and recover data from them. Data can be restored by performing the recovery and repair process. The process involves the installation of the Recoverit software that offers users the chance to get back the important data that they had lost.
Step 1. Create a Bootable Media
To recover data from an unbootable Mac, you need to create a bootable media first.
- Installation: Please Install Recoverit by clicking on the icon.
- Select an option: For your crashed Mac, please choose the 'Computer Crash Recovery' option.
- Initiate Recovery Process: Click on 'Start' for the recovery process to launch.
- Create Bootable Drive: Select the 'Create USB bootable drive' option and click on 'Create'.
- A pop-up dialogue will appear that will prompt the user to format the USB drive.
- Format the Drive: Click on 'Format' Now.
- Recoverit will show you the process of formatting the USB drive and creating a bootable drive.
- After a while, the bootable drive will be built up. And please follow the guides which Recoverit shows you.
Step 2. Recover Data from Crashed Mac
Here are the following steps required to recover data from an unbootable computer.
1. Select the Location
When you launch Recoverit, you can select a location to scan. In this case, we will be performing data recovery on Mac's internal hard drive (Macintosh HD) instead of any other connected source.
2. Scan the Location
As soon as you would click on the 'Start' button, Recoverit will take the needed steps for data extraction. If you want positive results, then try not to close the application in between.
3. Preview and Recover
When the data recovery process is completed, the application will display the results on the interface. You can go to any category of your choice from here and preview the retrieved content. Make the needed selection and click on the 'Recover' button to save your files to a secure location.
All hope gets lost when the computer becomes unbootable and the data gets deleted. Recoverit recovery software is the most convenient program when it comes to retrieving lost data from the computer.
Installing the macOS from a USB flash drive gives the user an instant solution when the Mac installer due to some reason refused to work. The method to create a bootable drive is easier than it sounds. Now, you know what to do whenever you want to upgrade your macOS from a bootable external source by following different methods to ensure a safe and hassle-free process. If you lose valuable data when the Mac becomes unbootable then you can easily recover the lost files by using the Recoverit recovery software. Recoverit guarantees data recovery in no time.
What's Wrong with Mac
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External Usb Port For Mac
Information about these and other types of Mac ports is in the specifications for your Mac: Choose Apple menu > About This Mac, click Support, then click Specifications. Or check your Mac user guide.
Thunderbolt 3
Use Thunderbolt 3 with displays and other devices that connect using either a Thunderbolt 3 cable or USB-C cable. You can also connect a USB-C power adapter and cable to charge your notebook computer. If you have a device that doesn't connect to this port, you might be able to use an adapter to connect it.
These Mac models have Thunderbolt 3 ports:
- MacBook Pro introduced in 2016 or later
- MacBook Air introduced in 2018 or later
- iMac introduced in 2017 or later
- iMac Pro (all models)
- Mac mini introduced in 2018
- Mac Pro introduced in 2019
If your Mac notebook or desktop computer has more than one port like this, each port supports ThunderBolt 3 and USB-C.
USB-C
Use USB-C with displays and other devices that connect using a USB-C cable. You can also connect a USB-C power adapter and cable to charge your notebook computer. If you have a device that doesn't connect to this port, you might be able to use an adapter to connect it.
MacBook models introduced in 2015 or later have a single USB-C port. This port doesn't support Thunderbolt devices.
If your Mac has only one port like this, it's a MacBook that supports USB-C but not Thunderbolt.
Thunderbolt
Use Thunderbolt or Thunderbolt 2 with displays and other devices that connect using a Thunderbolt cable.
These Mac models have Thunderbolt or Thunderbolt 2 ports:
Plug in your USB Adapter, with a live ethernet cable. Open System Preferences, and go to the Network Pane. Hit the + button in the bottom right, select the 'USB 2.0 10/100M Ethernet Adapter', and hit add. Your adapter works! Apologize to the people you care about for the things you've said over the past few hours. Device model: Ugreen USB 3.0 gigabit 10/100/1000Mbps ethernet network adapter enables you to add a network interface to your computer via USB. Plug and Play only for Chrome OS, Windows 10/8.1/8. Driver needed for Windows 7, Windows XP, Windows Vista, Mac OS and Linux systems. Reboot your PC after driver installation,then connect. Here is a fix to get a generic USB to Ethernet adapter to work on a Mac. Here is a fix to get a generic USB to Ethernet adapter to work on a Mac. Usb adapter for mac air.
- MacBook Pro introduced in 2011 through 2015
- MacBook Air introduced in 2011 through 2017
- Mac mini introduced in 2011 through 2014
- iMac introduced in 2011 through 2015
- Mac Pro introduced in 2013
Thunderbolt and Thunderbolt 2 are not the same as Mini DisplayPort . They have the same shape, but use different symbols on the cable and port. However, this port does support Mini DisplayPort for video output, so you can use a Mini DisplayPort cable to connect a Mini DisplayPort display.
Mini DisplayPort
Use Mini DisplayPort with displays that connect using a Mini DisplayPort cable.
These Mac models have Mini DisplayPort:
- MacBook Pro introduced in late 2008 through 2010
- MacBook Air introduced in late 2008 through 2010
- Mac mini introduced in 2009 and 2010
- iMac introduced in 2009 and 2010
- Mac Pro introduced in 2009 through 2012
Usb To Serial For Mac
Mini DisplayPort is not the same as Thunderbolt or Thunderbolt 2 . They have the same shape, but use different symbols on the cable and port.
USB-A
Use USB-A with devices that connect using a USB cable. USB ports are sometimes known by the USB specification of the port, such as USB 2 or USB 3.
Left to right: power, two Thunderbolt, USB-A, and Audio-Out.
HDMI
Use HDMI with displays and TVs that connect using an HDMI cable.
Ethernet
Mac Usb Ports Not Working
Use Ethernet with networks and devices that connect using an Ethernet (RJ45) cable.
FireWire
Use FireWire with devices that connect using a FireWire 400 or FireWire 800 cable.
SD card
Use the SD card slot with SD, SDHC, SDXC, MMC, and UHS-II media cards, such as those used by digital cameras.
Audio
Use Audio-Out — or — with headphones, speakers, and other audio-output devices that connect using an audio cable that has a 3.5 mm (1/8 inch) audio jack.
Use Audio-In with a microphone or other audio-input device that connects using an audio cable that has a 3.5 mm (1/8 inch) audio jack.
Enable Usb Devices Mac
Power
Use the power port , if available, to connect your computer to AC power using a MagSafe cable or adapter. This port isn't available on newer Mac notebook computers, which use Thunderbolt 3 or USB-C for power and charging. Learn more about power adapters and cables for Mac notebook computers.
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