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Using USB stick as boot drive for a while. Will it work?

C

chssvl1

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Nov 10, 2014
24
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Hi. I am currently using a 2019 i3 iMac running the latest OS for work. However, in a bit over a month I'll have to switch to a mid 2017 13" macbook pro, but only for a couple of weeks.

The problem is that I cannot access or boot from the macbook's HDD, not because it's broken but because I just can't (very long story but involves travel, pandemic, changes of job, delivery logistic problems and quarantines).

My cunning (I hope) plan is therefore to buy a USB 3/USB C memory stick, use super duper! to create a mirror image of the imac and then use this image as the boot drive and working drive for the Macbook for those two weeks.

Is this likely to work? I know it being a flash drive is not going to be lightning fast but I'm hoping being usb 3 it would be fast enough. Also, the work I do is mostly sort of MS office and video calls via slack and google meet so not the most demanding computational tasks out there.

I've heard some stories about flash drives overheating and failing under stress but not sure this would qualify as "stress". I'm also mindful that an external HDD would be more reliable, but not sure it's worth the cost given that I just need it for a couple of weeks - maybe even less if the delivery guys get their act together. Then again, I do need to work and will have limited backup resources those two weeks.

thanks in advance!
 
Would you be able to use a USB stick as a boot drive? Yes.
Would it be fast enough? Probably not.

But most importantly, would you be able to run a 2019 iMac image on a 2017 MBP? I very much doubt it.
 
A flash drive can only read/write as fast as it’s chip will let it. USB 3 counts for little if the SSD chip is slow. Make sure you use the fastest rated chip you can find. Personally I’d use an external SSD. But your biggest concern will be about MacOS compatibility.

Running a newer OS on an older computer might work. But going from a desktop (iMac) to a laptop (MBP) may be a problem. You might not have any of the battery management utilities because the iMac didn’t have a battery. Little things like that can add up to a big pain.

The bottom line answer to your question is “maybe.” You’ll just have to try it and let us know how it turned out.
 
Thanks for the replies. I actually wasn't sure if an image from a different mac would work. I tried searching online but there is surprisingly little. Both machines are running Big Sur at the moment, but mindful that's not everything.

I guess an alternative solution would be to jus do a fresh install of mac os x on the usb using the macbook and then transferring apps and documents...
 
Something else to consider... if the Mac Book is locked down as tightly as you say it may not, probably won’t, allow you to boot from anything other than its internal HD. But again, nothing ventured nothing gained.

Can you boot into Internet Recovery?
 
I think using a flash memory stick as a boot drive will be excruciatingly slow and will greatly affect your productivity. Even the standalone Blu-ray/DVD player connected to my TV sometimes experiences data transfer lags when reading video files from a USB stick.

If you have a Time Machine backup for your iMac, you could try doing a full erase and reinstall of macOS on the MacBook Pro, assuming you can get to Internet Recovery at startup, then transfer your data using Migration Assistant. Before you do this, make sure you feel comfortable with obliterating whatever software and files are currently on the MBP.

And don't forget to securely erase the MBP when you're done with it!
 
Don't use USB sticks. They are just terrible. Get an SSD and a USB enclosure. Sure, it's more expensive, but they are way faster and more reliable.
 
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Thanks. I actually haven't tried to see if the macbook allows for alternative boot. Will give it a try later today.

On the story, I was travelling while changing jobs, i.e. doing last few days of old job while away from home. Original plan was that I was going to be home well before my new job started, giving me enough time to return the laptop to the old job and get the new laptop for the new job (all this remotely given the times we live in). Unfortunately, while away I had a family emergency and had to postpone my return. That meant that I had to start my new job using a relative's imac. Still, this would have been OK as, when I returned, I could have used my imac at home while the new work laptop arrived. Unfortunately, the rules have changed and now I have to quarantine in a hotel straight from the airport and the only computer I will have at hand will be my old work's laptop. I was just trying to see if there was a way of using it without accessing the original system for those days that I'm stuck in a hotel. Also worth noting that the new employer is not willing to ship the laptop overseas, even if I pay for the cost.
 
The only person who can give you definitive answers is the IT guy at your old job who configured the MBP.

Try to boot into Internet Recovery. If it asks for an Admin password before showing the recovery options you’re done. Game over.

I think the only thing we can all agree on is booting from a stick/thumb drive is a bad idea. Get 500mb SSD in a USB 3 enclosure. You won’t be able to tell that you’re booting from an external it will be so speedy (if it lets you boot at all)
 
So, I tried internet recovery mode and I get to a screen where it asks for a user for which I know the password and the options are the admin and my old account. I guess that's it, right?
 
chssvl1 said:
So, I tried internet recovery mode and I get to a screen where it asks for a user for which I know the password and the options are the admin and my old account. I guess that's it, right?
Click to expand...
I’m confused. Is “your old account” the “user for which you know the password?” What happens if you enter those credentials? Is your old account an Admin account or a general user account. Don’t just look at the screen and give up. Keep going until you can’t!
 
Some flash drives are almost as fast as SATA III SSDs. Others can have 1/10th the write speeds of a spinning mechanical hard drive. This will work great if you have a fast flash drive. It will be miserable if you have a slow one.

If you use this:
shop.westerndigital.com

SanDisk Extreme PRO® USB 3.2 Solid State Flash Drive (128 GB - 1 TB) | Western Digital | Western Digital Store

Custom built for people who need to move huge files fast, the SanDisk Extreme PRO® USB 3.2 Flash Drive delivers maximum performance so you can set your own pace.
shop.westerndigital.com shop.westerndigital.com
It will work great as these are fast as can be.

However, if you use one of the lower tier SanDisk flash drives, it's going to be an entirely different story.
 
ght56 said:
Some flash drives are almost as fast as SATA III SSDs. Others can have 1/10th the write speeds of a spinning mechanical hard drive. This will work great if you have a fast flash drive. It will be miserable if you have a slow one.

If you use this:
shop.westerndigital.com

SanDisk Extreme PRO® USB 3.2 Solid State Flash Drive (128 GB - 1 TB) | Western Digital | Western Digital Store

Custom built for people who need to move huge files fast, the SanDisk Extreme PRO® USB 3.2 Flash Drive delivers maximum performance so you can set your own pace.
shop.westerndigital.com shop.westerndigital.com
It will work great as these are fast as can be.

However, if you use one of the lower tier SanDisk flash drives, it's going to be an entirely different story.
Click to expand...
This is even more than expensive than an SSD :D
 
Maybe it would be easier if you just bought a new MacBook for the new job.
Or asked the employer to provide you with one... :cool:
 
biffuz said:
This is even more than expensive than an SSD :D
Click to expand...

Indeed! It has an SSD controller in it and uses very expensive NAND. It is an expensive flash drive, but it's real-world working speeds are astoundingly good. For someone constantly doing large transfers or running an OS who is looking specifically for a flash drive, this is the one to beat!
 
Thanks guys and apologies for the delay replying. So, did try to log in via internet recovery, used my old work account when prompted and got this screen. So, I guess that means that it would work, right? Also, there wouldn't be any log that the computer was used with an external drive or anything, right?

feel really awkward about this but the quarantine hotel thingy really messed up my plans...

D272A862-D86D-4BEC-9970-94BE18556D92.jpeg
 
I believe there should be a “Startup Disk” option in that menu. Since it’s not there I suspect you don’t have permission to start from other disks. Still, you won’t know for sure until you try it. As for logs? Unlikely but possible I suppose.
 
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