MacBook Will Not Boot From USB Installation Image

timmahcheese · 2009-08-21 03:37:32

So I have a fresh install of OS X, fully up to date. I installed rEFIt and it comes up successfully on restart. I downloaded the latest USB netinstall image (archlinux-2009.08-netinstall-i686.img) and put it on my 8GB USB stick with the following commands:

diskutil unmountDisk /dev/disk1
sudo dd if=archlinux-2009.08-netinstall-i686.img of=/dev/disk1 bs=8m
diskutil eject /dev/disk1

However, when I restart my MacBook (either in the rEFIt menu or by holding down alt at startup for the OS X chooser), the USB stick does not show up.

I cannot use the ISO and burn a CD as my SuperDrive is broken. I need to do this with the USB image.

Any ideas?

Daenyth · 2009-08-21 17:21:32

I forget the keycombo, but I think holding option gets you into the boot menu.

Is the computer powerpc or x86?

timmahcheese · 2009-08-22 02:29:56

The disk doesn't show up in the Apple boot menu or in rEFIt boot menu. It is an Intel MacBook.

keen90 · 2010-04-07 07:47:54

You are not the only one with this problem. Basically it is caused by rEFIt not supporting USB-boot at least thats what the devellopers tell on the refit homepage but that does not mean it does not work in general.
I received a white macbook (generation6.1) yesterday and one of the first things I did was plugging in my 8Gb USB-stick containing a bootable crux linux (I did install refit on the internal hard drive first). Anyway the Stick did not show up in the rEFIt menu and this is quite weird, since I can use exactly the same stick very well on my intel macmini (using the same version of rEFIT) and on my desktop pc.
The next thing I tried was using another stick with a different linux and this one did show up immediately. Further attemts with 3 more USB sticks revealed that any usb stick would work, but my own.
This seems to be quite weird. Anyway the only explanation I can imagine now is that for some (maybe hardware resaons) my stick wont work with macbooks. Maybe a specific stick-type, I dont know.

So my suggestion is. Try the same installation on e different stick. Maybe a different manufacturer. This might work.

One more strange thing happened using my own usb stick: i plugged it in the macbook und pressed the "c" button after the starting sound a for a whole while nothing happened at all. After 20 seconds or so I released it again and 10 seconds later refit came back SHOWING my usb stick. But when I selected it I got an error message. (no bootable device)

By the way what mb version do you have? 6.1, too? (you can find it out on the "apple -> about this mac" menu)

keen

lifeafter2am · 2010-04-07 14:05:20

Did you try both USB ports? I remember that my MacBook Pro Unibody would only boot media from the one closest to the power adapter.

keen90 · 2010-04-08 08:29:28

I did. It does not matter which port I use.

I used diskdump from a linux live cd to make a copy of my (on macmini working but on macbook not working) usb stick to a 8gb buffalo stick.

# dd if=/dev/sdc of=/dev/sdb conv=notrunc

That did it. rEFIt is happy with the buffalo stick. It really seems like there is a hardware issue with the usbstick-computer combination I was using.
weird.

Arch Linux

#1 2009-08-21 03:37:32

MacBook Will Not Boot From USB Installation Image

#2 2009-08-21 17:21:32

Re: MacBook Will Not Boot From USB Installation Image

#3 2009-08-22 02:29:56

Re: MacBook Will Not Boot From USB Installation Image

#4 2010-04-07 07:47:54

Re: MacBook Will Not Boot From USB Installation Image

#5 2010-04-07 14:05:20

Re: MacBook Will Not Boot From USB Installation Image

#6 2010-04-08 08:29:28

Re: MacBook Will Not Boot From USB Installation Image

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