Thinkpads Forum

Is it possible to install OSX on a hard drive in a 2nd HDD Ultrabay Adapter?

Yes, i think you can.

On startup you can press F12, so you get the bootmenu. If you choose the UltraBay HDD, your ThinkPad boots OSX86. If you don't press F12 it boots your default OS on the main HDD.

You can change the boot order in the BIOS configuration, in a way that your ThinkPad boots OSX86 default, and that you have to press F12 to boot the OS on your main HDD.

Its your choice


Best regards,
Frank

Harryc wrote:Is it possible to install OSX on a hard drive in a 2nd HDD Ultrabay Adapter?

Not just possible, but it's my preferred way to restore backups. Also, it's great for increasing hard disk capacity. In my T60, I have a 100GB SATA as HDD0 and a 160GB PATA in the ultrabay.

FON

Thanks for the replies. This notion of installing OSX on a 2nd HDD seems to be the most logical answer to a difficult at best boot manager alternative. Not to mention it does not disturb the MBR or access to the R&R partition on the primary drive.

i have osx on the ultrabay and it works perfect!
i would've had it on the main hdd but my x40 when it starts on battery its pretty slow, and giving the fact that the battery lasts waay much less in osx (not its fault though), stop it from being the main os!

This is the main reason that a thinkpad still Rules as a primary laptop.

Yes! I recently just installed OSX 10.4.8 on my T43 ultrabay hard drive.

What I have been doing is having the bios boot to the Ultrabay when it is in the computer (listed first in bios, right after USB CD), and when I pull it out and put in the ultrabay CD drive, it automaticly boots to the main drive with Windows XP. Works great!

One thing I was not sure about when I installed the OSX on the Ultrabay HD was if the main HD with windows OS would show up in OSX. IT DOES! So, you can swap files when on OSX. Cool!!

I have not tried to switch boot sequence yet to see if OSX will show up on Windows.

As of now, I do not have WIFI or sleep mode running on my T43 OSX yet. But, I hope to get this problem resolved soon. I guess I will post the question and see if anyone knows what to do.

Best wishes on your install.

Update on OSX in ultrabay HD.

I have changed boot order to see if the OSX on the ultrabay HD shows up on my main HD with XP. It is not showing up. So, at the moment, (unless you guys may know a way of finding it on XP) looks like file transfers between the two HDs are only possible when running OSX.

hoosierdaddy wrote:Update on OSX in ultrabay HD.

I have changed boot order to see if the OSX on the ultrabay HD shows up on my main HD with XP. It is not showing up. So, at the moment, (unless you guys may know a way of finding it on XP) looks like file transfers between the two HDs are only possible when running OSX.

Create a small fat32 partition for file transfers. Both HFS+ and NTFS can see and use that fat32 partition.

If you do this you can also run OSX from VMware Workstation quite easily from within vista You then have the option of booting natively or virtually and if you go the extra step, you can get VMware Fusion working under OSX and boot windows either natively or virtually--I haven't done this last step, but have read posts about it working.

This may sound dumb, but how did you install OS X on the ultrabay hd? If i have the installation dvd, where would i put it if the ultrabay hd is in the bay instead of the disk drive?


Can i install Jas 10.4.8 through a usb flash drive? If not, would a disk drive connected via usb work? or perhaps using the advanced dock? Or is it something more complex.....

Any tips would be great! Thanks!!!!!!

kindaslowjohnny wrote:This may sound dumb, but how did you install OS X on the ultrabay hd? If i have the installation dvd, where would i put it if the ultrabay hd is in the bay instead of the disk drive?

Remove the internal disk (just one screw) and insert the other disk in the internal bay (this has the additional advantage that you will prevent Mac OS X installer from messing up your main disk).

Then proceed to installation booting from CD (in the ultrabay).

When you are done, swap again disks and, upon booting, press F12 to choose the startup disk:

Main bay HD -> Win
Ultrabay HD -> Mac OS

Regards

You don't need to change boot order with F12.

Just add a line in boot.ini that says
C:\chain0="Mac OS X"

Copy the chain0 file from the install DVD to C:

If you want, make it the default boot ...

This will find the OSX partition on the ultrabay HDD and boot from it.
done.

Pippo.