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Installing El Capitan on an Internal Drive Externally

jblagden

jblagden

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Aug 16, 2013
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If I install El Capitan on my Solid State Drive externally, will my MacBook be able to boot from it when I have it in the hard drive bay?

I ask because whenever I try to boot from my hard drive(platter-based*), my MacBook is unable to detect it. And yet, if I connect my Solid State Drive externally, my MacBook detects it without any issues.

Also, is it possible to use TRIM Enabler on an externally connect Solid State Drive or does the Solid State Drive have to be connected internally for it to work?

*I specified platter-based to specify that I’m talking about an actual hard drive and that I’m not using “hard drive” as a catchall term for hard drives and Solid State Drives.
 
simon lefisch

simon lefisch

macrumors 65816
Sep 29, 2014
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jblagden said:
If I install El Capitan on my Solid State Drive externally, will my MacBook be able to boot from it when I have it in the hard drive bay?

I ask because whenever I try to boot from my hard drive(platter-based*), my MacBook is unable to detect it. And yet, if I connect my Solid State Drive externally, my MacBook detects it without any issues.

Also, is it possible to use TRIM Enabler on an externally connect Solid State Drive or does the Solid State Drive have to be connected internally for it to work?

*I specified platter-based to specify that I’m talking about an actual hard drive and that I’m not using “hard drive” as a catchall term for hard drives and Solid State Drives.
Click to expand...
Are trying to do a clean install of El Capitan?
 
Riwam

Riwam

macrumors 65816
Jan 7, 2014
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Basel, Switzerland
jblagden said:
If I install El Capitan on my Solid State Drive externally, will my MacBook be able to boot from it when I have it in the hard drive bay?

I ask because whenever I try to boot from my hard drive(platter-based*), my MacBook is unable to detect it. And yet, if I connect my Solid State Drive externally, my MacBook detects it without any issues.

Also, is it possible to use TRIM Enabler on an externally connect Solid State Drive or does the Solid State Drive have to be connected internally for it to work?

*I specified platter-based to specify that I’m talking about an actual hard drive and that I’m not using “hard drive” as a catchall term for hard drives and Solid State Drives.
Click to expand...
******
Several posts mention that TRIM cannot be enabled in external USB drives.
 
GGERARD

GGERARD

macrumors member
Jun 18, 2015
53
10
France
Bonjour,
to jbladen
I've installed EL CAPITAN on an external SSD without any problem and without using TRIM because my SSD is connected on USB3 plug. ( TRIM doesn't run with USB3 connected SSD).
I'm on Imac end 2013.
My internal HD is now used to save automatically all my datas with CCC ( but I've also a backup with Time Machine).
i'm on EL CAPITAN 10.11.4 ( Beta ).
All is running perfectly , faster than my HDI and without bug.
It was a clean install of course.
GGERARD
 
jblagden

jblagden

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Aug 16, 2013
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simon lefisch said:
Are you going to be using the SSD as your main HD or are you keeping it as an external drive?
Click to expand...
I’m going to be using it as my main drive and I’ll put it in my MacBook’s hard drive bay after I install OS X El Capitan on it.
 
jblagden

jblagden

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Original poster
Aug 16, 2013
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Riwam said:
******
Several posts mention that TRIM cannot be enabled in external USB drives.
Click to expand...
Why does Cindori mention that it can be enabled on enternal USB drives on its TRIM Enabler page? "Any SSD (internal or external) with Trim support should work with Trim Enabler. Please make sure your drive has the necessary firmware version in order to support Trim.” https://www.cindori.org/software/trimenabler/
 
Weaselboy

Weaselboy

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Jan 23, 2005
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jblagden said:
Why does Cindori mention that it can be enabled on enternal USB drives on its TRIM Enabler page? "Any SSD (internal or external) with Trim support should work with Trim Enabler. Please make sure your drive has the necessary firmware version in order to support Trim.” https://www.cindori.org/software/trimenabler/
Click to expand...
He is just being a little unclear (or incomplete) there. TRIM does not work over USB. It will work on an external connected with Thunderbolt or eSATA.
 
jblagden

jblagden

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Weaselboy said:
He is just being a little unclear (or incomplete) there. TRIM does not work over USB. It will work on an external connected with Thunderbolt or eSATA.
Click to expand...
I don’t need it to work on USB. I simply have to be able to enable it on USB and to be able to install OS X over USB. Once I install OS X on it, I’ll put it in my MacBook’s hard drive bay.
 
Weaselboy

Weaselboy

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jblagden said:
I don’t need it to work on USB. I simply have to be able to enable it on USB and to be able to install OS X over USB. Once I install OS X on it, I’ll put it in my MacBook’s hard drive bay.
Click to expand...
You don't need TRIM to do the install. Just install then after you mount the drive internally you can enable TRIM.
 
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GGERARD

GGERARD

macrumors member
Jun 18, 2015
53
10
France
to jblagden
yes you are right, it's 10.11.2 beta 4 ... excuse me
I've installed EL CAPITAN on my external SSD which is now used as my main HD ( MACINTOSH HD ) and the internal HDD is now used for backup of all my datas.
No TRIM ( incompatible with USB plug but possible with thunderbolt connexion if you have the adaptater )
GGERARD
https://forums.macrumors.com/members/jblagden.837945/
 
jblagden

jblagden

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Original poster
Aug 16, 2013
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GGERARD said:
to jblagden
yes you are right, it's 10.11.2 beta 4 ... excuse me
I've installed EL CAPITAN on my external SSD which is now used as my main HD ( MACINTOSH HD ) and the internal HDD is now used for backup of all my datas.
No TRIM ( incompatible with USB plug but possible with thunderbolt connexion if you have the adaptater )
GGERARD
Click to expand...
Are you saying that TRIM can’t even be enabled over USB and that I’ll have to enable it after installing OS X and plugging it in via SATA?
 
GGERARD

GGERARD

macrumors member
Jun 18, 2015
53
10
France
no, I just said that TRIM is not possible with an USB connexion.
With my SSD, I connected it directly on a USB3 plug, I have made a erase and format it and just after I've intalled EL CAPITAN from AppStore. My Main and Starting Disk is now SSD Samsung which an external disk.

upload_2015-11-24_17-47-52.png


GGERARD
 
Fishrrman

Fishrrman

macrumors Penryn
Feb 20, 2009
29,248
13,322
OP asks:
"Also, is it possible to use TRIM Enabler on an externally connect Solid State Drive or does the Solid State Drive have to be connected internally for it to work?"

Depends on what type of enclosure/connection you're using.
With thunderbolt, you will be able to use TRIM.
With USB3, you can't use it. End of story.

But if you just intend to do an "installation" externally, vis-a-vis booting and running that way day-to-day, I don't think it makes any difference at all - NONE.
You can always enable TRIM once the drive has been installed into the MacBook.

RE your other questions:
If you have an external enclosure or USB3/SATA docking station, I think it's a good idea to install and test the new OS onto the SSD "externally" BEFORE you "do the drive swap" to the MacBook.

This way, if you run into any problems, you STILL HAVE A WORKING MACBOOK with the internal drive inside. Makes things easier.

Get the drive "prepped and tested" externally, and then install it into the MacBook.
 
jblagden

jblagden

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Original poster
Aug 16, 2013
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Fishrrman said:
OP asks:
"Also, is it possible to use TRIM Enabler on an externally connect Solid State Drive or does the Solid State Drive have to be connected internally for it to work?"

Depends on what type of enclosure/connection you're using.
With thunderbolt, you will be able to use TRIM.
With USB3, you can't use it. End of story.

But if you just intend to do an "installation" externally, vis-a-vis booting and running that way day-to-day, I don't think it makes any difference at all - NONE.
You can always enable TRIM once the drive has been installed into the MacBook.

RE your other questions:
If you have an external enclosure or USB3/SATA docking station, I think it's a good idea to install and test the new OS onto the SSD "externally" BEFORE you "do the drive swap" to the MacBook.

This way, if you run into any problems, you STILL HAVE A WORKING MACBOOK with the internal drive inside. Makes things easier.

Get the drive "prepped and tested" externally, and then install it into the MacBook.
Click to expand...
Okay, thanks.
 
jblagden

jblagden

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Original poster
Aug 16, 2013
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I loaded OS X on my Solid State Drive. I also used Migration Assistant to migrate my documents. While it was in the process of copying over applications and settings, it quit. For some strange reason, I can plug it in but when I try to boot from it, it stops working. Before I got home, my Solid State Drive was copying applications and settings from my hard drive. Is there a solution to this problem or is it just a bad drive? Or are PNY drives a bad choice for Macs?

I think I’m going to have to exchange it. Fortunately, Best Buy has a 2-week return policy, I’ve only had it a few days, and the drive has a 3-year warranty.
 
Last edited:
Weaselboy

Weaselboy

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Jan 23, 2005
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California
jblagden said:
I loaded OS X on my Solid State Drive. I also used Migration Assistant to migrate my documents. While it was in the process of copying over applications and settings, it quit. For some strange reason, I can plug it in but when I try to boot from it, it stops working. Before I got home, my Solid State Drive was copying applications and settings from my hard drive. Is there a solution to this problem or is it just a bad drive? Or are PNY drives a bad choice for Macs?

I think I’m going to have to exchange it. Fortunately, Best Buy has a 2-week return policy, I’ve only had it a few days, and the drive has a 3-year warranty.
Click to expand...
Nothing wrong with PNY drives on Macs. Just to clarify... where do you now have the SSD attached, internal or external?

If it works externally but not internally, you may have a bad drive cable.
 
jblagden

jblagden

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Aug 16, 2013
1,162
641
Weaselboy said:
Nothing wrong with PNY drives on Macs. Just to clarify... where do you now have the SSD attached, internal or external?

If it works externally but not internally, you may have a bad drive cable.
Click to expand...
I have it attached externally.

It looks like I’m not alone: http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=2255815

I’m just going to return the drive and buy a Sandisk drive. I’ll be better off with a Sandisk drive.
 
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