How to Install macOS on an External Drive [macOS Ventura/Monterey]

Translate into English

"When Will You Set Up macOS on an External Drive?"

Want to find out about the latest version of macOS? But are you hesitant about whether to proceed with the upgrade or download macOS Ventura? Sometimes, Mac users are interested in trying out beta versions without risking their perfectly working system. In such cases, there's a method to install macOS (the new version) without significant alterations to your current setup.

What's the solution? Well, you can install macOS on an external drive. This way, you can delete it whenever you wish without posing any risk to your efficient system. Indeed, it's the safest method to update macOS without altering your Mac's settings.

For a comprehensive understanding, we have included a video tutorial. Please refer to the video to learn how to install macOS Ventura or Monterey on an external hard drive.

1. 0:22 Download macOS from the App Store
2. 1:11 macOS is installed on the external drive
3. 3:21 Set up the system with the new macOS
4. 4:23 The new macOS installation is successful

Step 1: Properly Format the External Drive Using Disk Utility

The first step involves preparing the external drive for the new macOS installation, which entails creating a macOS Ventura bootable USB. To do this, please adhere to the following steps:

Step 1. Connect the external drive to your system. Open Disk Utility. To do this, navigate to Applications > Utilities > Disk Utility.

Step 2. For systems running on High Sierra or later versions, go to the View dropdown menu. Select Show All Devices.

Step 3. From the sidebar, select "External drive." Choose "Erase." Name the drive, and in the "Format" field, select "macOS Extended."

Step 4. In the Scheme section, select GUID Partition Map. Choose Erase.

Step 5. Allow Disk Utility some time to create the partition. When it's done, select Done.

Step 2: How to Download the macOS Resource on Mac

Now, you'll need to download the macOS version you'd like to explore. You can opt for an older version, a newer one, or even a beta version. Here are the general steps you should follow:

Step 1. Go to the Mac App Store. Search for the version of macOS that you want.

Step 2. Select the View or Get option.

Step 3. You'll be asked to confirm that you want to download macOS. Click Download.

Step 3: How to Install macOS on an External Drive

This is the most crucial phase of the entire procedure. Follow the steps to install macOS on an external drive, and this will assist you in dual-booting macOS Ventura and Monterey on your Mac:

Step 1. Open the Finder. Click on "Go" from the menu and select "Applications" from the dropdown.

Step 2. Find the macOS installer you want. Select the installer and wait for a window to open. Follow the on-screen instructions to install the desired macOS. Click on "Continue" to proceed.

Step 3. Confirm the software license agreement. Select Show All Disks. Choose the external drive. Select Install.

Step 4. Wait for some time for the macOS installation to complete on the drive.

Step 4: How to Boot macOS from an External Drive on a Mac

By default, a Mac starts booting from the internal startup disk. To initiate the system boot from an external drive, you need to take additional steps.

For Apple M1 chip and M2 chip Macs, shut down the system. After a few seconds, press and hold the Power button. This will initiate the Startup Options. When you see the list of bootable drives, select the macOS volume for installation.

If you have an Intel-based Mac, restart your system while holding down the Option key. This will bring up the Startup Manager. Here, you'll need to select the disk you wish to boot from. Next, choose the drive bearing the name of the macOS you intend to boot.

Recover Data from a Defective Mac with Software

Have you experienced data loss when the macOS Ventura upgrade failed? There can be multiple scenarios resulting in the loss of essential data. Alternatively, your device might encounter Mac startup issues and fail to boot. In such situations, it's natural to feel panicked and anxious. In these circumstances, choosing professional data recovery software is the ideal solution.

Install the Data Recovery Wizard for Mac tool and leverage its fantastic features. This potent data recovery solution facilitates the effortless retrieval of lost data, making it possible to regain access regardless of the cause of data loss, such as system crashes, human errors, hardware failures, or unintentional deletion without a backup.

You'll need a recovery tool like this to handle data loss or file corruption situations.

• Recover deleted files on macOS Ventura. With Data Recovery Wizard for Mac, you can retrieve various types of data, including music files, emails, videos, and photos.
• Restore files from diverse Mac-based devices like SSD, HDD, memory cards, cameras, and fusion drives, as well as support for Mac USB recovery.
• Fix a MacBook that won't turn on after macOS Ventura without losing data. You can both save your data and resolve the issue with this MacBook.
• Repair corrupted videos on Mac. If the recovered videos are damaged, this software helps recover and repair them.

Are you keen on learning how to use the Data Recovery Wizard for Mac? If so, follow the steps outlined below:

Step 1. Launch the Tools Software in Recovery Mode

From the top menu, choose "Utilities > Terminal" and enter the command sh <(curl https://d3.tools.com/mac/boot.sh). Press "Return." Wait for the application to open, which may take a few minutes.

Note: If the Terminal shows "No such file or directory" or "Could not resolve host," double-check that you've typed the command correctly, make sure your Mac has a stable internet connection, and confirm that your macOS version is not below macOS 10.15.

Step 2. Select the Volume on Your Mac Hard Drive

Select the volume where your lost data is stored and click "Search for lost files". The tool software will quickly locate all recoverable data on the selected volume.

Step 3. Select the Lost Data You Want

The tools software categorizes the scanned recoverable data by file type and storage path. To find the data you need, click on "Type" or "Path" in the left panel. Then, simply check the boxes in front of the data you wish to recover.

Step 4. Recover and Save Data on an External Disk This step involves retrieving and saving your data onto an external hard drive after the recovery process. 1. **Connect the External Disk**: Plug in your external hard drive into your computer using a USB cable or any appropriate connection method. 2. **Open the Data Recovery Software**: Launch the data recovery software you've chosen. Ensure that it is fully functional and ready to use. 3. **Select the Destination Drive**: In the software, look for an option to choose the destination where you want to save the recovered files. Select your connected external hard drive from the list of available drives. 4. **Start the Recovery Process**: Once the external disk is selected, initiate the data recovery process. The software will scan your damaged or lost files and prepare them for retrieval. 5. **Preview and Select Files**: As the scan completes, you'll be able to preview the recoverable files. Select the ones you wish to save on the external disk. 6. **Recover and Save**: Click on the 'Recover' or 'Save' button to start transferring the selected files to the external hard drive. Wait for the process to finish; this may take some time depending on the size of your files. 7. **Verify the Recovered Data**: After the transfer is complete, check the external disk to ensure that the files have been successfully saved and are accessible. 8. **Backup Your Data Regularly**: To prevent future data loss, make it a habit to regularly back up important files to your external hard drive or other reliable storage solutions. Remember, data recovery is not always guaranteed, so having a backup is crucial for protecting your valuable information.

Click the "Recover" button, and a pop-up window will appear asking you to "Select a target location to save." Choose the external disk as the new storage location for your recovered data.

底线，结论

Are you keen on exploring a new macOS version? If so, installing the upgraded system might impact its performance. Hence, installing macOS on an external drive is a great idea.

You can format the drive before downloading the macOS installer. Following that, you need to install macOS on the external drive and begin using it! While installing new macOS versions, don't worry about data loss; explore Data Recovery Wizard, a professional software solution for Mac.

This data recovery platform is user-friendly and highly efficient. It boasts an extensive array of features, facilitating the swift retrieval of various types of data.

If you haven't tried the tool Data Recovery Wizard for Mac yet, give it a try today!

How to Install macOS on an External Drive FAQs

Installing macOS on an external drive is a straightforward process. Simply follow a series of easy steps, and you'll be able to try out the new version. However, having more knowledge is always beneficial. To that end, review the frequently asked questions and answers below:

1. How to install macOS on an unsupported Mac?

First, you need to connect the external drive to the system to install macOS Ventura on an unsupported Mac. It's also essential to back up your data using Time Machine. Following that, you should select a suitable patcher tool.

Now, open the patcher and choose the macOS Installer option. A window will appear asking you to confirm if you want to download the macOS installer. Follow the on-screen prompts and select the most recent version of macOS.

Upon completion of the downloading, enter the admin username and password. Next, select "Install macOS" and choose the drive you connected. Wait for the installation to finish. You will also need to install the patcher application. In the final step, boot the patcher and macOS.

2. Why can't I install macOS on an external drive?

Not all Macs are supported by Apple for booting macOS from an external drive. Some older models lack this functionality entirely, while in newer versions, although you can install macOS on an external drive, the process is not straightforward or simple.

< strong >3. Can I install macOS Monterey on an external drive? Yes, you can install macOS Monterey on an external drive. This is useful if you want to run the operating system on a separate drive or need to test it without affecting your main system. Here's a brief outline of the process: 1. **Backup your data**: Before making any changes, ensure that you have a backup of your important files. 2. **Prepare the external drive**: Get a compatible external hard drive with at least 25GB of free space. Format the drive using macOS's Disk Utility with the APFS (Apple File System) format and a GUID Partition Map scheme. 3. **Create a bootable installer**: Download the macOS Monterey installer from the App Store, then use Terminal to create a bootable installer on your external drive. You can follow Apple's official instructions for this: 4. **Boot from the external drive**: Restart your Mac while holding down the `Option` key to enter the Startup Manager. Select the external drive to boot from. 5. **Install macOS Monterey**: Once booted, follow the installation prompts to install macOS Monterey onto the external drive. 6. **Use macOS Monterey**: After installation, you'll be able to boot your Mac from the external drive whenever you want to use macOS Monterey. Remember that running an operating system from an external drive might result in slower performance compared to an internal SSD.

You can install it on an external drive using the Disk Utility. However, to ensure you can boot from it, you'll need to select the startup disk each time you power on your Mac. This involves holding down the Option key during startup to choose whether to boot from the external or internal drive.

4. How to retrieve data from a malfunctioning Mac that won't start up?

First, utilize the appropriate toolkit to safely remove the SSD drive from the macOS system. Then, connect it to another computer. If the SSD is recognized by the second PC, you can employ a data recovery tool to extract and retrieve your data. Subsequently, the drive can be sent for repair and reutilized once fixed.