NEED SERIOUS HELP: How to boot MacOS from external USB SSD?

[BeautifulWoman_1984]

Hey guys,

My Mac Mini mid2011's HDD is dying and so I want to boot MacOS and be able to install macOS on an external USB SSD.

I just bought a USB Samsung 1TB SSD so I'm ready to go.

What’s the best way for me to install macOS from my Mac Mini’s mid2011 dying 500GB internal onto the new USB Samsung 1TB SSD?

I know USB 2.0 is slow, but I just want to do basic things like use my internet browsers once I've got macOS running on the USB Samsung 1TB SSD.

Thank you for any advice!

 

[MarkC426]

You could just clone your old drive onto the new ssd, then reboot to external.
Use superduper or carbon copy cloner (both free).

You will also get all your data backed up at the same time, if your drive is iffy.

 

[BeautifulWoman_1984]

You could just clone your old drive onto the new ssd, then reboot to external.
Use superduper or carbon copy cloner (both free).

You will also get all your data backed up at the same time, if your drive is iffy.

Thank you for your reply MarkC426.

I forgot to mention I’ve got a Time Machine drive stored on a separated external USB HDD, but the data stored on the Mac Mini’s mid2011 dying 500GB internal HDD isn’t fully backed up to the Time Machine external HDD. In other words, the Time Machine backup does not have the newest files on the Mac Mini mid2011's dying 500GB HDD.

 

[MarkC426]

I would do a Time Machine backup to update everything, then clone to the SSD, unless your having problems with the current install, then maybe do a fresh install to SSD and restore your data from your Time Machine.

 

[Fishrrman]

If the drive in the 2011 Mini is still working, do this:

Download either CarbonCopyCloner or SuperDuper.
Both are FREE to download and use for 30 days, this will cost you nothing.
I like CCC.
Get CCC here:

Download CCC | Bombich Software

www.bombich.com

Note: You didn't tell us WHICH VERSION OF THE OS is on the MacBook.
You want to download the correct version of CCC for the OS you're using.

When you get the Samsung SSD in your hands, do this:
1. Boot the Mini
2. Connect the SSD
3. Open disk utility
4. IMPORTANT -- check to see if the version of disk utility you have has a "view" menu.
IF it has the view menu, choose "show all devices".
(If there isn't a view menu, just skip this and go to next step)
5. You need to erase the SSD to get it ready for CCC
6. IF you're using High Sierra or earlier, erase to "Mac OS extended with journaling enabled, GUID partition format".
IF you're using Mojave or later, erase to "APFS, GUID partition format".

When the erase is done, quit disk utility and open CCC.

Accept all the CCC defaults for now.
You will see "three boxes" in the main CCC window.
You can turn off the "tips" if they're bothering you.

In the leftmost box (the "source" drive), click and select your INTERNAL drive (on the Mini).

In the center box (the "target" drive), click and select your SSD.

You can IGNORE the rightmost box -- scheduling not necessary.

Now click the "clone" button.
CCC may ask if you wish to clone the recovery partition as well.
YES, go ahead and do this if it asks.

The cloning should take a little while, be patient.
When done, quit CCC.

Open the "startup disk" preference pane.
Do you now see the SSD as a bootable drive choice?
If so, click the lock icon (if there is one).
Enter your password.
Select the icon for the SSD to make it the boot drive.
Close the startup disk pref pane.

Now, REBOOT the Mini.
Does it boot from the SSD?
You should know right away because the boot process may go more quickly.
Check the "About this Mac" choice (Apple Menu) to be sure.

If you print out and follow these instructions step by step, this should get you where you need to be...

 

[MarkC426]

You can always rely on @Fishrrman to post a step by step.....?
It's what makes this forum so helpful

 

[Boyd01]

I think an external USB SSD will only be about 30-35 MB/sec on the 2011 Mini. Not sure if that will even be usable for "basic things" (the internal hard drive is probably around 100 MB/sec).

 

[BeautifulWoman_1984]

You can always rely on @Fishrrman to post a step by step.....?
It's what makes this forum so helpful

I think an external USB SSD will only be about 30-35 MB/sec on the 2011 Mini. Not sure if that will even be usable for "basic things" (the internal hard drive is probably around 100 MB/sec).

If the drive in the 2011 Mini is still working, do this:

Download either CarbonCopyCloner or SuperDuper.
Both are FREE to download and use for 30 days, this will cost you nothing.
I like CCC.
Get CCC here:

Download CCC | Bombich Software

www.bombich.com

Note: You didn't tell us WHICH VERSION OF THE OS is on the MacBook.
You want to download the correct version of CCC for the OS you're using.

When you get the Samsung SSD in your hands, do this:
1. Boot the Mini
2. Connect the SSD
3. Open disk utility
4. IMPORTANT -- check to see if the version of disk utility you have has a "view" menu.
IF it has the view menu, choose "show all devices".
(If there isn't a view menu, just skip this and go to next step)
5. You need to erase the SSD to get it ready for CCC
6. IF you're using High Sierra or earlier, erase to "Mac OS extended with journaling enabled, GUID partition format".
IF you're using Mojave or later, erase to "APFS, GUID partition format".

When the erase is done, quit disk utility and open CCC.

Accept all the CCC defaults for now.
You will see "three boxes" in the main CCC window.
You can turn off the "tips" if they're bothering you.

In the leftmost box (the "source" drive), click and select your INTERNAL drive (on the Mini).

In the center box (the "target" drive), click and select your SSD.

You can IGNORE the rightmost box -- scheduling not necessary.

Now click the "clone" button.
CCC may ask if you wish to clone the recovery partition as well.
YES, go ahead and do this if it asks.

The cloning should take a little while, be patient.
When done, quit CCC.

Open the "startup disk" preference pane.
Do you now see the SSD as a bootable drive choice?
If so, click the lock icon (if there is one).
Enter your password.
Select the icon for the SSD to make it the boot drive.
Close the startup disk pref pane.

Now, REBOOT the Mini.
Does it boot from the SSD?
You should know right away because the boot process may go more quickly.
Check the "About this Mac" choice (Apple Menu) to be sure.

If you print out and follow these instructions step by step, this should get you where you need to be...

Thank you for your replies!

I just had a new idea: Since I only need to use a web browser(Firefox) on this Mac Mini mid2011, I was thinking of downloading MacOS High Sierra and installing MacOS High Sierra by itself to the new 1TB USB SSD. What do you guys think?

Fishrman, the Mac Mini mid2011 is currently running the most recent version of Yosemite.

I'm just worried that copying the files from the dying internal 500GB HDD inside the Mac Mini mid2011 to the USB 1TB SSD will take too much time...?

 

[DeltaMac]

If you don't need or care about the files or apps from the old hard drive, then, yes, that simplifies the process.
Then you would just need to download the High Sierra installer app, use that to make a bootable USB installer.
Boot to that USB drive. Install High Sierra. Download FireFox.
And, that's pretty much it... BEST way, is to replace the internal hard drive with an SATA SSD, as the USB bus will restrict the performance, and will be much better results with an internal SSD (but you probably know that already, and the external USB boot will certainly work, just not as nice as an internal boot. And, replacing the spinning hard drive with internal SSD will be noticeably more responsive with everything you do. The external - not so much.

 

[BeautifulWoman_1984]

If you don't need or care about the files or apps from the old hard drive, then, yes, that simplifies the process.
Then you would just need to download the High Sierra installer app, use that to make a bootable USB installer.
Boot to that USB drive. Install High Sierra. Download FireFox.
And, that's pretty much it... BEST way, is to replace the internal hard drive with an SATA SSD, as the USB bus will restrict the performance, and will be much better results with an internal SSD (but you probably know that already, and the external USB boot will certainly work, just not as nice as an internal boot. And, replacing the spinning hard drive with internal SSD will be noticeably more responsive with everything you do. The external - not so much.

Thank you for your reply DeltaMac!

I have the USB SSD 1TB with me, but I haven't plugged it into the Mac Mini mid2011 yet. I'll do this now and hopefully it'll work!

Just so it's clear for me for installing MacOS High Sierra to the new 1TB USB SSD I need to do these steps?:

1. Use Mac Mini mid2011 to access Mac App Store and download MacOS High Sierra to the internal and failing Mac Mini mid2011 500GB
2. Open MacOS High Sierra and choose the USB SSD 1TB as the location to where MacOS High Sierra needs to be installed.
3. Reboot Mac Mini mid2011 and choose USB SSD 1TB to boot from.

Since Disk Utility in the Mac Mini mid2011 says that the internal HDD is "failing", I'm worried that the MacOS High Sierra 4GB download will be corrupted after it's downloaded. Is this possible?

 

[DeltaMac]

I think you should modify your steps a little.
1. I don't know if the OS X installers from the App Store are available at the moment, as they were not before and during this past weekend. There's other methods that don't involve the App Store to gain access to system downloads on Apple's servers. Best for you will probably be the High Sierra patcher app from dosdude. http://dosdude1.com/highsierra/
There's a download link under "Things you'll need:"
Choose Download macOS High Sierra from the Tools menu in that patcher app. (Note: you won't need the patcher part of that app, but you DO want the macOS installer app. The patcher app does that very nicely, without needing to get to the App Store. )
THEN, make a bootable USB installer. There's several methods to do that successfully. Terminal commands are what Apple provides, or you can use one of several third-party apps that can do that. Dosdude has a "USB Drive Creator" in the Apps downloads
Use that bootable USB installer.
When you complete the install on your external SSD, it will automatically have your SSD selected as the boot drive - but it's always a good idea to check that the external is showing as selected in your System Preferences/Startup Disk pref pane.
And your final question: if you only get 4GB download, then it's not a correct download - too small!
High Sierra installer app should be near 5.25GB.

 

[Fishrrman]

OP:

Why don't you try the advice I offered in reply 5 above?
Just TRY it.... ok....?

 

[circatee]

Curious, what is the latest on this @BeautifulWoman_1984 ? Thanks...