This tutorial shows you how to put your Snow Leopard installation DVD onto a USB thumb drive. When the drive is plugged in, it will run just as if you put the DVD inside your superdrive! This is a great way to digitize and archive your installation disks!

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Categories: Mac


25 Responses to “Snow Leopard installation DVD on a USB thumb drive / external hard drive”

  1. microtease says:

    Hi Steve I followed the steps to backup Leopard to thumb drive but, when I attempt to use the thumb drive to install holding down the options key, I get the option to install leopard but it just continues to reboot. It will not go to the install screen.

  2. kcnm2609 says:

    will this work with leopard not snow leopard

  3. kcnm2609 says:

    @ny1fanta What was the solution to these problem because i am having the same problem with leopard

  4. cfiore88 says:

    Mine keeps saying ‘input/output error” when I try to convert it to a dmg.

  5. eduardecarvalho says:

    incredible explanation. congrats!!!

  6. ny1fanta says:

    I have done everything you said, but when I plug my usb drive into my macbook air, it does detect the driver and snow loepard install does appear, but when I double click on install, it says “The application “install Mac OS X” cannot be used from this volume. why is it happening like that.

  7. garygarygary122 says:

    wen i start up my mac with the USB in and hold option to select the install disc from the usb it doent show the USb just my hard drive PLease help Thanks

  8. SHAD0WPH0X says:

    this is very well done… i’ve been trying to figure this out all day and your video solved my problems in 9 minutes, thanks!

  9. ddust says:

    AMAZING STEVE!! Thanks alot! (^_^)

  10. fh1mahfanzai says:

    awesome, the reason I do this because I got a new hard drive for macbook air (which the HD is empty) can I install s.l with usb like what you just did? than you

  11. foulmouthc1 says:

    @MrNando5556 me too i think apple stops you from coping their stuff

  12. MrNando5556 says:

    did this with tiger so i could boot it on my imac g3 yet wen i boot it does not detect it? any help!!

  13. onarpos says:

    aha sorted. although my usb thumb drive was recognized on my mac it still needed to be formatted

  14. onarpos says:

    hello i followed your instructions but after setting the mac os x install dvd as the source it will not allow me to drag my usb over as the destination. it is a 8gb. any ideas?

  15. kajlool says:

    actually i figured it out! i had to partition the usb into two partitions and then installed leopard on first partition then office on the second partition. thanks brother.

  16. kajlool says:

    thanks for the helpful tutorial. i installed the dvd on my 16gb usb drive, now is there a way for me to also install Microsoft office on the same usb, since i have 10gb more space on it available? will be glad if you explain/show me how. thanks :)

  17. RandomDoomsday15 says:

    get one that has more than 100 GB.

  18. kajlool says:

    you are awesome dude! thanks for the helpful tutorial :)

  19. diesaldave says:

    what kind of external hard drive do you have. or recommend cuzzz i’m thinkingg about getting one.

  20. nandor690 says:

    Update: you don’t have to convert the DVD to an image. Simpley erase your 8g thumb drive then restore the DVD to the thumb drive. This will save you 10 minutes.

  21. abohelalHQ says:

    Thank you very much,
    Yesterday, I did what you said and I successfully have installed the Snow Leopard on my Tiger White MacBook.
    This MacBook cannot read a DVD ( its DVD Driver is not in a good condition) So I copied the OS using another MacBook and install it in my MacBook using USB thumb drive 16GB

    Thank you again :)

  22. TFDgohan says:

    does this work the same way with the SD Card ??

  23. djuniqo says:

    hey bro you just forgot to make a partition for usb but this tutorial helped a lot thanks. you think you can make a dvd copy instead of the usb ?

  24. METR0D0ME says:

    I have a 1TB external hard drive and I was wondering; it is possible to use a partition on the hard drive to do this?

  25. bassplayer77 says:

    Hey, nice video.
    Questions:
    What are you using for screen capturing? and how do you split the screen in three like that, can you tell me the names of all the soft you use?
    thanx. 1-13-10

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