USB Booting/installing on MacBook

[Front 424]

I know this isn't OS 9 related, but pre-OS X 10.6 seems pretty "classic" to me at this point.. 
Figured someone here could help so...
My old MacBook ('06 CoreDuo) was getting kinda sluggish and was mostly unused for the last few years.  Decided to freshen it up with a new SSD and clean install of 10.5. 
The dilemma is that the optical drive is virtually useless and on top of that my install disc 1 is damaged, so making a USB installer from a disc image seemed the way to go.
It seemed the way to go but it aint going well.. 
Followed the instructions on making a bootable flash drive. Proper formatting (GUID) and all. Simple enough. 
The main problem seems to be that although it shows up as an OS X disc in the control panel and you can select it as the startup disc, restarting defaults to the internal disc, and the "Option" at startup to select a boot disc only displays the internal.  USB isn't showing up ever.  Tried the same with the SSD in external Firewire drive.  Both show up as a bootable OS x in the control panel, but neither actually function as one after restarting! 

Anyone think of something i'm missing or doing wrong? 
Trying to breathe new life into that MacBook that used to run quite well in its day. 

Any help is greatly appreciated!

[GorfTheChosen]

Tried Command -Option-P-R ?

[FBz]

Open firmware boot?

http://ben-collins.blogspot.com/2010/08/booting-your-ibook-g4-from-usb-stick.html

[Front 424]

Tried Command -Option-P-R ?

Thank you for the suggestion and input!

Alas, I did try that. I honestly was so used to doing startup key combos occasionally with PPC but not with my Intel MacBook.  So I looked up the subject.  A lot of them stayed the same, but a few were different.
It didn't improve the situation unfortunately.
At the very least you sparked my interest in those startup keys! 

 

Open firmware boot?

http://ben-collins.blogspot.com/2010/08/booting-your-ibook-g4-from-usb-stick.html

Thanks as well for your reply!  Unfortunately, I don't believe that Open Firmware applies to Intel Macs, only PPC.  I think this MacBook is one of the earliest Intel Macs released.

Tried 3 different images and multiple times to get it to boot from USB.  My results are clearly not as successful as those of the several authors who wrote various articles that I've read detailing how to boot or reinstall/restore (OS X) from a USB drive.  I also notice that in the comment sections, there are instances of people having the same situation as myself.  Rarely did those people ever get responses.. 
Seems hit and miss for whatever reason. 
The closest I got to somewhere was burning a single-layer DVD version of one of the install images.  It actually WAS recognized at startup from an external DVD drive, but after selecting it as a startup disk it churned and spun a bit, then displayed the crossed out circle symbol!    Hooray!!!

Anyone have experience with this?  I know the focus here is on PPC/OS 9 but since I'm kinda a participating member, somewhat, at sometime, and yall are collectively pretty smart, I figured this might be a good place to present this dilemma.

I was hoping to at least have the alternative boot drive be detectable before i went ahead with opening the machine and installing the SSD.  It somehow doesn't seem worth the effort if I can't even get the basic recognition of an external installation drive.
Replacing the DVD drive is doable, I suppose..

[Front 424]

I should probably clarify that this is a Core2Duo 1.83 Ghz MacBook running OSX 10.4.11. 
Wasn't sure what subforum was even appropriate for this question, so this is where it ended up, mainly because a much older thread on USB booting was here..
Feel free to move if desired!

[FBz]

Unfortunately, I don't believe that Open Firmware applies to Intel Macs, only PPC.

Shows just how unfamiliar I am with the Core2Duo’s.
I have booted and restored this 2009 iMac (a Core2Duo)
from a USB stick before… long ago & don’t remember the approach.

(Most certainly it’s different than a 1.83 Ghz MacBook running OSX 10.4.11.)

But time permitting, I’ve a couple of early Core2Duo Mac Minis that might be
similar enough to attempt this process. I’ll post back if and when I can try.
In the meantime, perhaps someone else might contribute / offer insight?

Replacing the DVD drive is doable, I suppose..

Yes and perhaps a new set of OS install discs (dl&b) might be
the best route - if you can’t borrow a set nearby.
Good luck.

And of course, do share process if you find success. Thanks.

*Can you boot that MacBook into Target Disk Mode?

[alexfree]

Tried Command -Option-P-R ?

Thank you for the suggestion and input!

Alas, I did try that. I honestly was so used to doing startup key combos occasionally with PPC but not with my Intel MacBook.  So I looked up the subject.  A lot of them stayed the same, but a few were different.
It didn't improve the situation unfortunately.
At the very least you sparked my interest in those startup keys! 

 

Open firmware boot?

http://ben-collins.blogspot.com/2010/08/booting-your-ibook-g4-from-usb-stick.html

Thanks as well for your reply!  Unfortunately, I don't believe that Open Firmware applies to Intel Macs, only PPC.  I think this MacBook is one of the earliest Intel Macs released.

Tried 3 different images and multiple times to get it to boot from USB.  My results are clearly not as successful as those of the several authors who wrote various articles that I've read detailing how to boot or reinstall/restore (OS X) from a USB drive.  I also notice that in the comment sections, there are instances of people having the same situation as myself.  Rarely did those people ever get responses.. 
Seems hit and miss for whatever reason. 
The closest I got to somewhere was burning a single-layer DVD version of one of the install images.  It actually WAS recognized at startup from an external DVD drive, but after selecting it as a startup disk it churned and spun a bit, then displayed the crossed out circle symbol!    Hooray!!!

Anyone have experience with this?  I know the focus here is on PPC/OS 9 but since I'm kinda a participating member, somewhat, at sometime, and yall are collectively pretty smart, I figured this might be a good place to present this dilemma.

I was hoping to at least have the alternative boot drive be detectable before i went ahead with opening the machine and installing the SSD.  It somehow doesn't seem worth the effort if I can't even get the basic recognition of an external installation drive.
Replacing the DVD drive is doable, I suppose..

Make sure the dmg is read only before restore, and the USB is GUID. Also, you can restore it to a 10GB partition which probably has a better chance of working.

[Greystash]

Make sure the dmg is read only before restore, and the USB is GUID. Also, you can restore it to a 10GB partition which probably has a better chance of working.

Definitely try what alexfree mentioned. When USB has failed me I've always had success restoring an OS install image to an external HDD, or another partition on the machine's drive.

[Front 424]

Yes and perhaps a new set of OS install discs (dl&b) might be
the best route - if you can’t borrow a set nearby.
Good luck.

And of course, do share process if you find success. Thanks.

*Can you boot that MacBook into Target Disk Mode?

Thank you and yes I will share any outcomes I come across.  I am committed to this undertaking.
If I can't do the USB/Firewire thing (and I am feeling like that route is becoming exhausted) discs might be the next option.  BTW what is "dl&b"

As far as Target Disk, only other Mac I have is my G4/OS9 Silverback (ok, it's a Quicksilver).  Not sure how or if Target mode even works across that gap.. You see, this is why I belong to this forum! 

[Front 424]

Make sure the dmg is read only before restore, and the USB is GUID. Also, you can restore it to a 10GB partition which probably has a better chance of working.

Thanks for the responses, to you and all, I feel slightly less lonely!

Well, perhaps I should summarize what I've tried so far?

Under os 10.4
Weeded-out but took note of USB booting and installing guides that were either PPC or much too recent as far as OSX versions go..
Basic gist was format the USB flash drive in GUID.  I've used 3 different ones!
Did the single partition but also tried multi-partition.  All HFS/HFS+ (journaled?) 
Used Disk Utility for all of this as was described.  Used the restore option to create a bootable install partition.
As source image, I used DMG as well as ISO that created it (I believe at least one source said this was acceptable!).  They all created an end product that at least looked the same.
As my main install disc that came with the MacBook is apparently damaged beyond readable, I was using 3 different images, mostly from MacGarden.   10.5 to be exact.

Also was using the Firewire and created a similar partition on that.  I've tried multiple formats with different images and none of them want to show up or work as an installer.  They do show up in the Start Disk utility as OSX 10.5.x but that's as far as that goes.

It looks so damn simple in all the illustrations but all to no effect.  I have spent hours trying different approaches.   I can't quite grasp what I am doing wrong! 

This video confuses me even more! ---->> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DN4z_1z4j6M
So the flash drive is GUID, but the install partition is Apple Partition?!? 
Mind you he's talking about Lion I believe.

I can honestly say that the "micro" differences between some of these OS versions and the hardware and file systems get confusing! 
Especially it seems in that transition period between PPC/Intel, it looks like a mish mash.

[Front 424]

Make sure the dmg is read only before restore, and the USB is GUID. Also, you can restore it to a 10GB partition which probably has a better chance of working.

Definitely try what alexfree mentioned. When USB has failed me I've always had success restoring an OS install image to an external HDD, or another partition on the machine's drive.

Thanks Greystash for the reply!  Care to detail your own process?
This seems to be finicky for some people, and it varies so much by model and OS. 

[Front 424]

Since at least one person requested that I do so, I will finally report success with the MacBook! 

I lost interest temporarily after spending so much time trying to boot and install via USB/Firewire.  So after several weeks I decided to just make a boot partition on the SSD I was going to install anyway and put that in the laptop.  Started up fine, installed correctly, and now it is quiet and it boots up and operates almost scary fast compared to what it was. 

Funny that both my Macs got SSD's in the last month. 

[FBz]

Thanks for the success report!

[Front 424]

Thanks for the success report!

Thank you for your interest and encouragement!  I don't exactly know why, but USB installation was way easier to read about than to actually do. 
Making a boot partition on the SSD and just putting that in the MacBook worked wonders.   I will guess that it happened for similar reasons to why people have issues with older Macs and booting from drives and whether they are master or slave or whatever size and which model and etc etc!!!

[Front 424]

Clarify somewhat, I wonder if the USB stick would've actually worked with the unformatted new SSD in it, rather than the old drive?  I was trying to see if it would get to the installation process after restarting, which the OS X installer requires a restart, but it never did, it would just default to the old drive as if nothing had happened. 
Perhaps the old drive with previous install had some weird hold on the computer that prevented anything from going ahead, or is that normal?
 So many intricacies and so many different reported results over so many different models kinda makes a person confused.