Computers & Electronics

(SOLVED) Trying to create a Mac is install (bootable USB) drive in windows...

  • Last Updated:
  • Jul 10th, 2021 8:22 pm
Tags:
SCORE
-1
0
1
Reply to ThreadReply
Jul 3rd, 2021 11:08 pm
XtremeModder [OP]
Deal Guru
Aug 14, 2007
12330 posts
3316 upvotes
--

Jul 3rd, 2021 11:08 pm

(SOLVED) Trying to create a Mac is install (bootable USB) drive in windows...

SOLVED: Ended up buying a used MacBook Air off someone local, made a bootable drive and got the MacBook Pro going using a patched Catalina image.

Of course it doesn't work.

It's an A1278 if im not mistaken but quite old. Trying to get into the repair side of MacBook computers.

Regardless, I put a 1TB drive into it that I had laying around and when I put the usb stick in and hold option it boots to the boot selection screen but the only thing that shows is EFI, if I select EFI it boots into a Windows repair utility (weirdly enough).

Any ideas? The program I used to create it was transmac, with the image being El Capitan.

I'm guessing this is one of those things where the boot drive needs to be created using a Mac?

When discussing with another rfd member he stated I would likely need a bootable drive made on a Mac which I understand so I'm guessing Im somewhat out of luck for any other option.
Last edited by XtremeModder on Jul 10th, 2021 10:22 pm, edited 2 times in total.
11 replies
Jul 4th, 2021 9:33 am
audit13
Deal Expert
User avatar
Feb 24, 2003
20144 posts
7706 upvotes
Toronto

Jul 4th, 2021 9:33 am

XtremeModder wrote: ↑ Not available on this model
What about downloading the ISO, burning it to a DVD, and installing the OS from the DVD?
Jul 4th, 2021 10:08 am
batcave
Deal Fanatic
User avatar
Nov 14, 2003
6028 posts
4597 upvotes
LaLaLand

Jul 4th, 2021 10:08 am

Where is the hard drive from the A1278 that you replaced the new drive with? You could reinstall that and create the install disk with that hard drive.
Jul 4th, 2021 10:15 am
chrishch
Member
Oct 12, 2005
382 posts
174 upvotes
Markham, ON

Jul 4th, 2021 10:15 am

How long ago did you download the El Capitan image? Even if you manage to get it onto a USB flash drive, it may not install as Apple signs their OS images and once the certificate expires, they can no longer be used to install. I came across that last year when I had a Mojave image on my NAS, and it wouldn't install and gave me a message saying the image was damaged. You can read about it here

Also, the drive may not boot if it's not formatted correctly with GPT. If the drive was formatted in Windows, it would have been formatted as a drive with Master Boot Record instead.

You can take a look at this and see if it helps.
Jul 4th, 2021 10:20 am
XtremeModder [OP]
Deal Guru
Aug 14, 2007
12330 posts
3316 upvotes
--

Jul 4th, 2021 10:20 am

chrishch wrote: ↑ How long ago did you download the El Capitan image? Even if you manage to get it onto a USB flash drive, it may not install as Apple signs their OS images and once the certificate expires, they can no longer be used to install. I came across that last year when I had a Mojave image on my NAS, and it wouldn't install and gave me a message saying the image was damaged. You can read about it here

Also, the drive may not boot if it's not formatted correctly with GPT. If the drive was formatted in Windows, it would have been formatted as a drive with Master Boot Record instead.

You can take a look at this and see if it helps.
All the images can be found on the apple site.

Will see what I can do with that HDD later tonight.
Jul 4th, 2021 10:20 am
XtremeModder [OP]
Deal Guru
Aug 14, 2007
12330 posts
3316 upvotes
--

Jul 4th, 2021 10:20 am

batcave wrote: ↑ Where is the hard drive from the A1278 that you replaced the new drive with? You could reinstall that and create the install disk with that hard drive.
Didn't come with it
Jul 5th, 2021 3:56 pm
kramer1
Deal Addict
Apr 29, 2018
2563 posts
1917 upvotes
Vancouver

Jul 5th, 2021 3:56 pm

I don't remember anything off the top of my head for this, however, Hackintosh sites may have something for this. They have a lot more non-Mac tooling than most other sites.
Can't Stop. Won't Stop. Game Stop
Jul 10th, 2021 8:18 pm
hystavito
Deal Addict
Dec 24, 2008
4055 posts
1482 upvotes
Belle River

Jul 10th, 2021 8:18 pm

kramer1 wrote: ↑ I don't remember anything off the top of my head for this, however, Hackintosh sites may have something for this. They have a lot more non-Mac tooling than most other sites.
Yeah that might be a good place to look, I just made a macOS installation USB from Windows recently using this guide:
https://dortania.github.io/OpenCore-Ins ... ding-macos

It was an "online" installer, so it's just a small image that uses internet to get the rest. Not sure how far back versions will work with that method, or if it will work for you. Oh maybe that's the same as "Internet Recovery" that someone else suggested and will not work for you.
EDIT: According to that install guide internet recovery (online installer) does work for El Capitain. If you cannot get connected to the internet from that system though, I will keep looking into creating an offline installer.

Or maybe someone with an existing installation can make something for you and then turn it into some image format you can write from Windows with etcher or Win32DiskImager etc. I'll see if I can get as old as El Capitain.
Last edited by hystavito on Jul 10th, 2021 8:29 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Jul 10th, 2021 8:22 pm
kramer1
Deal Addict
Apr 29, 2018
2563 posts
1917 upvotes
Vancouver

Jul 10th, 2021 8:22 pm

Actually, you don't need to do any of this. Goto an Apple store, use their macs and create your own boot stick, lol.
Can't Stop. Won't Stop. Game Stop
+2

Reply to Thread
Back to top
Top

Thread Information

There is currently 1 user viewing this thread. (0 members and 1 guest)

Trending Hot Deals