Boot Mac Via Usb



If your USB thumb drive, USB external disk or flash storage contains a usable operating system or a macOS installer, you can select it at boot time using macOS’ built-in feature called Startup Manager, which can be invoked via a simple keystroke. Hi faiz, can I use a memory card or dvd instead of Pendrive to boot mac. Mukhtar Jafari Post author August 15, 2017 at 6:34 PM Reply. Are you want to install macOS via Memory Card? AV July 14, 2017 at 12:57 AM Reply. UPDATE: I redid the USB boot then used the OPTIONboot worked! Faiz Orz July 14, 2017 at 4:27 PM. Boot Camp and Boot Camp Assistant allow you to install Windows on your Mac. It’s a nice capability that lets you select – at boot time – which operating system you wish to use: macOS or Windows. One of the downsides to Boot Camp and the Windows installer is that it restricts you to only installing Windows on your Mac’s internal drive. Boot from a USB Flash Drive in VirtualBox (Mac OS X) Download and install VirtualBox for OS X Hosts via the.dmg file. Open a Terminal and type diskutil list. Diskutil list (make note of which disk is your USB drive I.E. /dev/disk#) Replacing # with the disk number of your USB drive, type. Diskutil unmountDisk /dev/disk #.

Dec 21, 2020 • Filed to: Windows Computer Solutions • Proven solutions

Alternatively, you can set your computer to always check for a bootable CD or USB drive and change the boot order. That way, when you have an external disc inserted, your machine will boot from it.

Gone are the days when Windows systems can only be booted from a CD/DVD. Now, users can simply create a bootable partition on their USB flash drive and use it at the time of needs. If your system has been crashed or is not able to boot in an ideal way, then you can simply change its booting source to a USB drive. In this way, you can easily boot your Windows PC from the attached USB flash drive. Read on and learn how to do the same in two different ways.

Method 1. Set the computer to boot from USB drive via BIOS

This is the most common way to boot a Windows system from a connected USB drive. Every system has a BIOS (Basic Input Output System) option that users can access. In this way, they can customize the BIOS settings and set the attached USB drive as a primary source for booting. You can access the BIOS options by pressing the BIOS Entry key when the system is turning on. The key can be different from one system to another. Here we can press F12 to enter PhoenixBIOS.

  1. Firstly, you need to turn on your computer. If it is already switched on, then you can just restart it.
  2. As it would turn on, you need to press the designated BIOS entry key on the keyboard. You might have to press the key a few times to access the BIOS options. Additionally, you can simply view the key on the booting screen as well.
  1. Shortly, the BIOS options will appear on the screen. Since your mouse won’t work on the interface, you can have to navigate using the allocated keys. Usually, the arrow keys are used to navigate, ENTER to make a selection, and ESC to exit. You can also view the shortcut keys and their allocated jobs at the bottom of the screen.
  1. As you can see, the interface has different tabs. Using the arrow keys (left and right), you need to navigate to the 'Boot' section.
  1. From here, you can see the priority of the sources used by the BIOS. Now, using the + (add) and the – (minus) key, you can set the priority of the Removable Devices at the top.
Boot mac to usb drive
  1. After setting the USB device as the primary booting source, you can save your changes by pressing the F10 key.
  1. Just accept the changes and exit the interface by pressing the ESC key. Connect a bootable USB drive to the system and let it be used as a primary source by BIOS.

While the approach is the same, the overall interface and the keys can be different from one model to another. Nevertheless, by following these simple steps, you would be able to boot your computer from a USB drive without any trouble.

ManufacturerModelBIOS Entry key
HPHP and Compaq Desktop PCs (Built-in 2006 or later (came with Vista or Windows 7))F10
HPHP and Compaq Desktop PCs (Built before 2006 (XP or earlier) )F1
HPHP Notebook PCsF10
DELLDell Inspiron, Dell Dimension, Dell Precision, Dell Optiplex, Dell Vostro Dell XPSF2
DELLDell LatitudeFn+F1
AcerAspire, Power, Veriton, Extensa, Ferrari, TravelMate, AltosDEL or F2
GatewayDX, FX, One, GM, GT, GX, Profile, AstroF1
GatewayOlder modelF2
LenovoLenovoF2
Fujitsu, NEC, SharpFujitsu, NEC, SharpF2
ToshibaPortégé, Satellite, Tecra, EquiumF1 or ESC
ToshibaToshiba EquiumF12
ShuttleGlamor G-Series, Do, Prima P2-Series, Workstation, X Mini XPC, SurveillanceF1 or DEL
PhoenixPhoenix BIOSF2
AMD® (Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.)AMD® (Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.) BIOSF1
AwardAward BIOSDEL
AMI (American Megatrends, Inc.)AMI (American Megatrends, Inc.) BIOSDEL

Method 2. Set computer to boot from USB drive via Boot Option Menu

Besides accessing the BIOS user interface, users can directly go to the Boot Options Menu as well. Just like a BIOS Entry Key, most of the systems also have a Boot menu key that can be used to select the primary booting device. Though, before you proceed, you need to ensure your system follows legacy support for booting. Additionally, you should also be familiar with the Boot menu key on your computer. Here are some popular options:

  1. Insert the bootable USB drive to the computer and restart the computer.
  2. As soon as you will see the company logo on the screen, start pressing the Boot menu key.
  3. This will open the Boot menu on the screen. It will display a list of all the devices your system can consider as a booting source. Just select your connected USB and let your computer boot from it.

By following these simple solutions, you can easily learn how to boot a computer from a USB drive. You can try either of these options and set the desired booting source for your computer. Go ahead and give it a try. If you face any problem, let us know about it in the comments below.

ManufacturerLaptopDesktop computer
HPF9 or EscF12
DELLF12Esc
AcerF12F12
LenovoF12F12
ThinkpadF12F12
AsusEscF8
GIGABYTEF12F12
MSIF11F11
SamsungF12F12
Microsoft Surface Provolume-volume-
SonyEscEsc
ToshibaF12F12
FujitsuF12F12
GatewayF12F12
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What you need to install Windows 10 on Mac

  • MacBook introduced in 2015 or later
  • MacBook Air introduced in 2012 or later
  • MacBook Pro introduced in 2012 or later
  • Mac mini introduced in 2012 or later
  • iMac introduced in 2012 or later1
  • iMac Pro (all models)
  • Mac Pro introduced in 2013 or later
Mac

The latest macOS updates, which can include updates to Boot Camp Assistant. You will use Boot Camp Assistant to install Windows 10.

64GB or more free storage space on your Mac startup disk:

Booting Mac To Usb

  • Your Mac can have as little as 64GB of free storage space, but at least 128GB of free storage space provides the best experience. Automatic Windows updates require that much space or more.
  • If you have an iMac Pro or Mac Pro with 128GB of memory (RAM) or more, your startup disk needs at least as much free storage space as your Mac has memory.2

An external USB flash drive with a storage capacity of 16GB or more, unless you're using a Mac that doesn't need a flash drive to install Windows.

A 64-bit version of Windows 10 Home or Windows 10 Pro on a disk image (ISO) or other installation media. If installing Windows on your Mac for the first time, this must be a full version of Windows, not an upgrade.

  • If your copy of Windows came on a USB flash drive, or you have a Windows product key and no installation disc, download a Windows 10 disk image from Microsoft.
  • If your copy of Windows came on a DVD, you might need to create a disk image of that DVD.

How to install Windows 10 on Mac

To install Windows, use Boot Camp Assistant, which is included with your Mac.

1. Check your Secure Boot setting

Learn how to check your Secure Boot setting. The default Secure Boot setting is Full Security. If you changed it to No Security, change it back to Full Security before installing Windows. After installing Windows, you can use any Secure Boot setting without affecting your ability to start up from Windows.

2. Use Boot Camp Assistant to create a Windows partition

Open Boot Camp Assistant, which is in the Utilities folder of your Applications folder. Follow the onscreen instructions.

  • If you're asked to insert a USB drive, plug your USB flash drive into your Mac. Boot Camp Assistant will use it to create a bootable USB drive for Windows installation.
  • When Boot Camp Assistant asks you to set the size of the Windows partition, remember the minimum storage-space requirements in the previous section. Set a partition size that meets your needs, because you can't change its size later.

3. Format the Windows (BOOTCAMP) partition

When Boot Camp Assistant finishes, your Mac restarts to the Windows installer. If the installer asks where to install Windows, select the BOOTCAMP partition and click Format. In most cases, the installer selects and formats the BOOTCAMP partition automatically.

4. Install Windows

Unplug any external devices that aren't necessary during installation. Then click Next and follow the onscreen instructions to begin installing Windows.

5. Use the Boot Camp installer in Windows

Boot

After Windows installation completes, your Mac starts up in Windows and opens a ”Welcome to the Boot Camp installer” window. Follow the onscreen instructions to install Boot Camp and Windows support software (drivers). You will be asked to restart when done.

  • If the Boot Camp installer never opens, open the Boot Camp installer manually and use it to complete Boot Camp installation.
  • If you have an external display connected to a Thunderbolt 3 port on your Mac, the display will be blank (black, gray, or blue) for up to 2 minutes during installation.

How to switch between Windows and macOS

Restart, then press and hold the Option (or Alt) ⌥ key during startup to switch between Windows and macOS.

Learn more

If you have one of these Intel-based Mac models using OS X El Capitan or later, you don't need a USB flash drive to install Windows:

  • MacBook introduced in 2015 or later
  • MacBook Air introduced in 2017 or later3
  • MacBook Pro introduced in 2015 or later3
  • iMac introduced in 2015 or later
  • iMac Pro (all models)
  • Mac Pro introduced in late 2013 or later

Boot Mac To Usb Thumb Drive

To remove Windows from your Mac, use Boot Camp Assistant, not any other utility.

For more information about using Windows on your Mac, open Boot Camp Assistant and click the Open Boot Camp Help button.

Start mac via usb

1. If you're using an iMac (Retina 5K, 27-inch, Late 2014) or iMac (27-inch, Late 2013) or iMac (27-inch, Late 2012) with a 3TB hard drive and macOS Mojave or later, learn about an alert you might see during installation.

Boot Mac To Usb Drive

2. For example, if your Mac has 128GB of memory, its startup disk must have at least 128GB of storage space available for Windows. To see how much memory your Mac has, choose Apple menu  > About This Mac. To see how much storage space is available, click the Storage tab in the same window.

Start Mac Via Usb

3. These Mac models were offered with 128GB hard drives as an option. Apple recommends 256GB or larger hard drives so that you can create a Boot Camp partition of at least 128GB.