Installing macOS on a hard drive other than the one that came with your Mac is possible, but it requires some planning and effort. The main factors to consider are hardware compatibility, preparation of the target drive, and acquiring the macOS installer.
Quick Answers
– Yes, you can install macOS on any compatible hard drive, but Apple only officially supports installing it on Apple hardware.
– The target hard drive needs to be formatted correctly and partitioned using a GUID partition map before installing macOS.
– You’ll need access to the macOS installer from the Mac App Store or an existing installer file to install macOS on the new hard drive.
– Apple’s T2 security chip in newer Macs complicates installation on non-Apple drives. Workarounds exist but can be tricky.
– With some effort, it’s possible to install macOS on an internal hard drive, external drive or even a virtual drive using virtualization software.
Hardware Compatibility Factors
The main compatibility factor is that the hard drive must be designed for use with Apple Mac computers. This means it should use one of the following interfaces:
- SATA – Used for internal hard drives in older Macs
- PCIe / NVMe – Used for internal SSDs in newer Macs
- Thunderbolt – Used for external drives connecting via Thunderbolt ports
- USB – Used for external drives connecting via USB ports
Furthermore, the hard drive itself must be formatted correctly to be compatible with macOS installation. We’ll cover drive preparation further on.
In general, Apple does not support installing macOS on non-Apple hardware. But with compatible drives prepared correctly, you can often succeed in installing macOS.
T2 Security Chip Complications
In 2018, Apple introduced the T2 security chip to newer Mac models. This added complications to installing macOS on non-Apple drives.
The T2 chip integrates security functionality directly into the Mac hardware. This includes managing disk encryption and controlling boot capabilities.
By default, the T2 chip will only permit booting from Apple-installed internal SSDs. Booting macOS from an external drive is blocked even if it contains a valid installation.
Workarounds exist such as turning off Secure Boot, but they reduce security. Non-Apple drives also lack functionality like hardware encryption.
Preparing the Target Hard Drive
Before installing macOS, the target drive needs to be formatted properly and partitioned using a GUID Partition Map:
- Format the drive using macOS Extended (HFS+) or APFS formatting.
- Open Disk Utility and initialize with a GUID Partition Table (GPT).
- Create a single macOS partition on the drive.
This prepares the drive with a compatible format and partition method for macOS.
Suggested Partitioning Scheme
For a bootable macOS installation, a simple single partition is recommended. However, if you intend to use the drive for data storage too, consider a partition scheme like:
- 200-500GB partition formatted as APFS for macOS
- Remainder of drive as HFS+ formatted data partition
This dedicates space for the OS installation while also making storage space available.
Acquiring the macOS Installer
To install macOS, you’ll need access to the macOS installer application:
- From Mac App Store – Download directly to supported Mac
- Existing installer file – From USB drive or other media
- Apple developer account – Download installer components
The easiest method is downloading the installer directly from the Mac App Store using a compatible Mac.
If you have access to an existing macOS installer file or USB drive, you can also use that. An Apple developer account lets you download installer files too.
Latest macOS Version
At the time of writing, the latest public macOS version is macOS Ventura. It requires a Mac with an Apple silicon chip or Intel-based Mac from 2017 onward.
For a compatible Mac, you can download the macOS Ventura installer from the Mac App Store using the App Store app.
Installing macOS on an Internal Drive
With compatible hardware, a prepared drive, and the macOS installer ready, you can install macOS on an internal drive:
- Mount the target internal drive into the Mac if not already installed.
- Boot the Mac into macOS Recovery mode by holding Command-R on boot.
- Open Disk Utility and format/partition the target drive.
- Run the macOS installer application and select the target drive.
- Follow the install process until completion.
Installing on an internal drive allows macOS to be booted directly on the hardware. But T2 chip Macs add complexity as covered earlier.
Dual-Booting macOS
It’s also possible to configure a dual-boot setup by installing macOS on a separate internal drive, while keeping the original macOS on the Apple-installed drive.
This allows selecting between the two macOS installations at boot time. However, it requires partitions both drives correctly beforehand.
Installing macOS on an External Drive
Installing macOS on an external drive connected via Thunderbolt or USB is similar:
- Connect the prepared external drive to the Mac.
- Boot into macOS Recovery mode.
- Format the external drive via Disk Utility if needed.
- Run macOS installer, selecting external drive.
- Follow install process until finished.
This allows that external drive to be booted on any Mac with compatible hardware. T2 chip models may still restrict external boot.
Portable macOS Installations
Having a portable external macOS installation can be useful for tasks like:
- Booting multiple Macs from the same installation
- Booting unsupported older Macs from newer macOS
- Troubleshooting and disk repair
- Privacy/security – no usage tracking on your main macOS
Large capacity external SSD drives are a good choice for robust performance.
Installing macOS on a Virtual Drive
Using virtualization software like VMware, Parallels or VirtualBox – macOS can be installed to a virtual drive file.
This allows macOS to run as a virtual machine inside host operating systems including Windows, Linux, and even macOS itself.
The process involves:
- Creating a new virtual machine in the virtualization software.
- Configuring the VM to use macOS and allocating drive space.
- Attaching the macOS installer ISO file to the VM.
- Booting the VM and selecting the installer to begin the process.
Virtualization allows stable macOS usage, but performance is limited compared to bare metal installations.
Troubleshooting macOS Installation Issues
Some common installation issues and solutions include:
Stuck on installer screen
If the installer screen seems frozen, try:
- Using a wired Internet connection instead of WiFi
- Leaving it for up to 15-20 minutes in case it is still working
- Forcing power off then restarting installation
- Using a different installer source like a USB stick
Installation freazing near end
Issues when progress bar reaches 100% may be fixed by:
- Allowing extra time for hidden post-install processes
- Trying safe mode installation with minimal drivers
- Increasing drive partition size if it filled up
Booting issues after install
If Mac doesn’t boot correctly into new installation, try:
- Checking drive formatting and partitions again
- Resetting NVRAM/PRAM by holding Command-Option-P-R on boot
- Repairing disk permissions and boot volume in Recovery mode
See Apple’s support docs for more detailed troubleshooting tips.
Conclusion
Although Apple doesn’t make the process seamless or straightforward, installing macOS on non-Apple hard drives is achievable with careful drive preparation, compatible hardware, and acquisition of the installer.
Internal hard drive replacements are the most convenient approach for older Macs. Using external drives works well for more portable macOS installations.
Virtual drives can run macOS in a virtual machine too. Overall there are various options available for installing macOS on alternate hard drives with some effort involved.