Make Mac External HD Bootable
Mac's OSX operating system runs off a hard drive (HD) usually contained in your computer. You can make an external Mac HD "bootable," or able to start your computer and load the operating system, provided OSX has already been installed on it. The procedure is straightforward and does not require any special training or expertise.
Instructions
1. Attach the cord from the external Mac HD to a compatible port on the computer--for example, a USB or Firewire port. Wait for an icon for the external Mac HD to appear on your desktop.
2. Insert the OS X installation disc into the disc drive slot of your Mac. Double click on the icon of the disc when it appears on the desktop. Double click on the installation program icon in the pop-up window.
3. Select the icon of the external Mac HD in the list of choices in the window for installing the Mac OS X operating system on. Click the "Start" button to begin the installation.
4. Follow the menu commands to install the Mac OS X operating system on the external Mac HD. Drag the icon of the OS X installation disc to the Trash when the installation is complete. Remove the disc from the drive.
5. Go to "File" and select "System Preferences" from the drop-down menu at the top of the screen. Click "Startup Disk."
6. Click the padlock icon in the lower left corner of the window that appears. Enter your administration password into the "Password" column. Click "OK."
7. Select the icon for the external HD from the list of choices presented at the top of the window. Click "Restart."
Tags: operating system, icon external, Double click, External Bootable, installation disc
