Universal boot from flash drive - almost

tvalleau · 12-08-2006, 02:46 PM

Hi
I've got the universal boot disk for Drive Genius, and moved it to a FireWire (and also to a USB) flash drive.

Point one: it works. I can boot and then run Drive Genius off the flash drives.

I've also put Disk Utility on it. Here's my current problem: the flash drive shows up as "write disabled" in DU when I've booted from it; but if I boot elsewhere, the same flash drive shows up as "write ENabled" in DU.

My issue is that I want to do an install of TechTool Pro on the flash drive, but can't since the installer only works on the boot drive, and booting from it is write disabled.

SO... the question is obvious: how do I write enable the booted flash drive?

(Mac OS 10.4.8 on MacBook.)

TIA

hayne · 12-08-2006, 03:03 PM

Why does TechTool Pro only install on the boot drive?
Does it install some kernel extension or somewhat?
(I hope not)
Why does it need an installer in any case? What exactly is it installing and where?

If there is no reason for the boot-drive restriction (i.e. their installer is just being stupid) then you could just copy the TechTool files to your flash drive.

tvalleau · 12-08-2006, 04:57 PM

Needless to say, just copying the file to the drive was my first attempt. I get an error message saying that "TTP is improperly installed. Run the installer. We will now quit."

Usually this means some part is missing, but I cannot figure out what part it is. I've zipped the app and unzipped it on the drive (obviously when not booted from it.) I've scrounged my drives for "TTP" "Micromat" and "TechTool" and can find nothing missing (and no, I was not using Spotlight to do the search: FileBuddy 9. I've even uninstalled it on another boot drive, reinstalled it, and then searched for all files created or modified in the past hour.... nada.)

The installer offers no options as to where to install the software. It's the boot drive or nothing at all.

tvalleau · 12-08-2006, 07:19 PM

Well, I did find the partial answer to why I was getting "improperly installed"/quit: it wants the documentation installed.

So I did that (library/documentation/help ...) and that allowed it to run when not the boot disk, but it still won't run when the flash drive is the boot disk. That likely because the dual-boot OS I'm using was from a program that didn't require a RAM disk to temporarily store stuff... whereas it appears that TTP does....

Now I have to find what extension/core service/whatever is missing from the one OS, but present in the other... sigh...

12-08-2006, 02:46 PM	#1
tvalleau Prospect Join Date: Oct 2004 Posts: 5	Universal boot from flash drive - almost Hi I've got the universal boot disk for Drive Genius, and moved it to a FireWire (and also to a USB) flash drive. Point one: it works. I can boot and then run Drive Genius off the flash drives. I've also put Disk Utility on it. Here's my current problem: the flash drive shows up as "write disabled" in DU when I've booted from it; but if I boot elsewhere, the same flash drive shows up as "write ENabled" in DU. My issue is that I want to do an install of TechTool Pro on the flash drive, but can't since the installer only works on the boot drive, and booting from it is write disabled. SO... the question is obvious: how do I write enable the booted flash drive? (Mac OS 10.4.8 on MacBook.) TIA

12-08-2006, 03:03 PM	#2
hayne Site Admin Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Montreal Posts: 31,941	Why does TechTool Pro only install on the boot drive? Does it install some kernel extension or somewhat? (I hope not) Why does it need an installer in any case? What exactly is it installing and where? If there is no reason for the boot-drive restriction (i.e. their installer is just being stupid) then you could just copy the TechTool files to your flash drive. __________________ hayne.net/macosx.html

12-08-2006, 04:57 PM	#3
tvalleau Prospect Join Date: Oct 2004 Posts: 5	Ttp Needless to say, just copying the file to the drive was my first attempt. I get an error message saying that "TTP is improperly installed. Run the installer. We will now quit." Usually this means some part is missing, but I cannot figure out what part it is. I've zipped the app and unzipped it on the drive (obviously when not booted from it.) I've scrounged my drives for "TTP" "Micromat" and "TechTool" and can find nothing missing (and no, I was not using Spotlight to do the search: FileBuddy 9. I've even uninstalled it on another boot drive, reinstalled it, and then searched for all files created or modified in the past hour.... nada.) The installer offers no options as to where to install the software. It's the boot drive or nothing at all.

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12-08-2006, 07:19 PM	#4
tvalleau Prospect Join Date: Oct 2004 Posts: 5	Well, I did find the partial answer to why I was getting "improperly installed"/quit: it wants the documentation installed. So I did that (library/documentation/help ...) and that allowed it to run when not the boot disk, but it still won't run when the flash drive is the boot disk. That likely because the dual-boot OS I'm using was from a program that didn't require a RAM disk to temporarily store stuff... whereas it appears that TTP does.... Now I have to find what extension/core service/whatever is missing from the one OS, but present in the other... sigh...