Trying to Boot via USB (Hard Drive and DVD)

[dmw16]

UPDATE

I am now starting to wonder if something is wrong with my computer. I have burned 2 copies of Windows7 to DVD and tried to boot via the OWC SuperSlim SuperDrive enclosure and no dice. It seems similar to when I tried to boot from my USB hard drive into OSX Install. It basically just hangs.

In the case of the Windows install attempt the gray screen flashes between the Apple and a Circle with a line through it.

I am trying to create another bootable USB hard drive with OSX to validate the issue, but if USB drive comes back intact and good and it still won't boot then I am getting suspicious of my USB ports.

What's odd is I've used the external SuperDrive to install software with no issue, it is only when I attempt to boot from it.

Any ideas?

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I bought an Intel 320 Series 120GB SSD to replace the 500GB drive that came in my MBP. I also bought an OWC data doubler.

So I installed the SSD where the original system drive was and the 500GB into the data doubler. I boot up the computer and everything boots fine from the 500GB drive.

Then I go into disk utility and format the SSD (OSX Journaled, GUID partition).

After that I put the Snow Leopard Install DVD into my external superdrive (I bought an OWC enclosure and put my super drive in it). The install started, but when it gets to the point of the reboot it just hangs at the gray screen with the apple logo.

So after I wait a few minutes I do a hard restart and hold down the option key and the only boot options are the DVD or my original 500GB hard drive.

I boot off of my 500GB drive and I can see my SSD on my desktop and I can open it and see that there are OS X install files copied to it. However when I go to my startup disks (in system preferences) the SSD doesn't show.

I also setup an external hard drive as the OSX "dvd" to remove possible issues with the DVD, drive, or enclosure as a possible source but I experience the same results.

Am I missing something?

EDIT: I was able to get everything working with Carbon Copy Cloner, but I still wonder why I wasn't able to do a clean install from the DVD?

 

[Emulex]

dude there's an error console, set that to maximum verbose and full screen it
you'll probably see an error like couldn't find file/crash or bad checksum.

prob bad osx dvd or dvd-rip.

you can use disk utility to clean the sectors (all) and if it fails the drive is bad.

wtf is an OWC DATA Doubler? sounds like the old ram compression util.

 

[Tsavo]

wtf is an OWC DATA Doubler? sounds like the old ram compression util.

HDD cage for the optical bay.

 

[dmw16]

dude there's an error console, set that to maximum verbose and full screen it
you'll probably see an error like couldn't find file/crash or bad checksum.

prob bad osx dvd or dvd-rip.

you can use disk utility to clean the sectors (all) and if it fails the drive is bad.

wtf is an OWC DATA Doubler? sounds like the old ram compression util.

Thanks, I was thinking the same thing since the disk looked scratched to sh!t when I looked at it - no idea how that happened.

Yes, the OWC data doubler is an aluminum piece that allows for putting a hard drive in place of the optical drive. It's nice since the SSD is only 120GB.

 

[Emulex]

yeah make sure you get the program to stop indexing the optical drive bay otherwise you will hose your battery.

btw use a usb stick to boot your install media?

 

[dmw16]

yeah make sure you get the program to stop indexing the optical drive bay otherwise you will hose your battery.

btw use a usb stick to boot your install media?

Used a hard drive, same difference.

How do I do a sector scan on the disk? I did a verify disk and it came back clean.

 

[Emulex]

you have disk utility write to the whole drive (1 pass) and if it fails will show p in dmesg