Boot with bootable disk

[OnceYouGoMac]

I have a bootable DVD from iDefrag...how do I get Mac to boot from it? Thanks.

 

[Printerman]

System Preferences>Startup Disk

 

[OnceYouGoMac]

ok thanks...unfortunately, the iDefrag disk does not show up as an option. hmm.

 

[chas_m]

Also: holding down the OPTION key at startup, holding down the C key at startup.

It's also possible that the boot system on your disk is too old to boot your present Mac, check with the folks who make iDefrag to get and updated and/or update your present disk.

 

[OnceYouGoMac]

The boot disk I have is supsoed to work with Snow Leopard...I held down Option at startup, a globe came up then disappeared, then normal boot lol

 

[DarkestRitual]

Insert disc. Hold the C key. Keep holding it. DO NOT LET GO until the disc boots. If you boot into regular OS X even though held C the entire time, then your disc is bogus.

 

[OnceYouGoMac]

Ok thanks.

 

[DarkestRitual]

That's what I'm here for.

 

[chscag]

The boot disk I have is supsoed to work with Snow Leopard...I held down Option at startup, a globe came up then disappeared, then normal boot lol

Upgrade to version 2 then you won't need the boot disk.

Regards.

 

[OnceYouGoMac]

Bootup Disk

I need a Bootup DVD that will allow me, once booted, to still access programs that are on my main hard drive. Is this possible? Thanks!

 

[chscag]

Do you want to create an OS X boot DVD and be able to execute programs from the hard drive with it? Or do you just want to be able to access the files that are on the hard drive? Your question is unclear as to which you want to do.

Regards.

 

[OnceYouGoMac]

I want to be able to boot up OS X, then run the programs that are already on my hard drive.

 

[chas_m]

Um, and the reason you can't do this using your hard drive is because ...

 

[OnceYouGoMac]

Ok let me start over. I have iDefrag. I want to run it from a boot disk like it says. I tried one, ut it did not work. All I want is to boot my Mac from something other than the hard drive, and be able to use iDefrag. Without argument or telling me that I should not, simply, is there a way to do this?

 

[chas_m]

iDefrag comes on a bootable disk. If it won't boot, you should contact the makers and arrange for an updated copy that will boot from your Mac.

But whether you do that or not, booting from a DVD is a *painfully slow* way to boot your Mac. A much better method (cheaper as well, minus the cost of the drive) is to have an external drive (which you should have for doing backups anyway) and create a "bootable clone" using a program such as SuperDuper or Carbon Copy Cloner. Then you can boot from the clone and run iDefrag.

I personally prefer the "clone-test-erase boot disk-clone back" method, as it costs me nothing, but since you already have your paid copy of iDefrag you might as well use it.

I hope that answers your question. Sorry if I sounded evasive before, I just couldn't understand what you were getting at. Booting off a disk and trying to run iDefrag from the boot drive wouldn't have worked anyway.

 

[bobtomay]

Note: Merged Duplicate Threads

 

[Slydude]

There used to be a program called BootCD which allowed users to create custom bootable CDs with Terminal, Finder, and a few other troubleshooting apps. That program has not been updated since Panther. It seems that the only real option to do that these days is to boot from another hard drive.