cant get mac to boot off of bootable usb

[MrPalmer92]

hi,

i hope that this is the right place to post this.

 

I recently acquired a mac pro from 2008 which came with no hdd installed (meaning it came with no os). i slapped one in and followed a tutorial on how to make a bootable usb drive. While making the mac os drive, i tried a windows boot drive for kicks. I managed to get to the os selection screen thought holding ALT after power up but the machine froze up when selecting windows. After calling that a loss, i tried the same thing with the mac os drive i made, but every time that i hold ALT the screen turns white with a curser that i can move, and thats it. 

 

I have no idea what to do and would like help resolving this. I don't have any access to any other mac machines in case any other trouble shooting steps involved one. Any help with either booting to mac os or windows would be nice. 

 

Thanks

 

P.s

i have no experience with macs (ive been a windows user my whole life) but think that the mac os boot drive doesnt work, so maybe making an actual functional one through windows might work (will need help with that).

I was also trying to install os x el capitan if that changes anything

 

 

[lieder1987]

Since you dont have a mac I am gong to assume it is not a "authorized" version of OSX. Are you sure the 2008 Mac Pro can use El Capitan?

 

also try just plugging it in, and holding option R to put it into recovery. Then if that works it will just download its version of OSX off Apple's site and install.

[Ashley MLP Fangirl]

17 minutes ago, lieder1987 said:

also try just plugging it in, and holding option R to put it into recovery. Then if that works it will just download its version of OSX off Apple's site and install.

Command+R, not Option+R

[YaBoiWill]

Use cmd+r to get into the recovery menu and reinstall from the recovery menu. 

There is a key combo that can be pressed to force a reinstall if you have the folder with a question mark when booting, although I cant find it now but I have used it. 

using a USB is a pretty long way around, apples way is soooo much better then that

[MrPalmer92]

12 minutes ago, lieder1987 said:

Since you dont have a mac I am gong to assume it is not a "authorized" version of OSX. Are you sure the 2008 Mac Pro can use El Capitan?

 

also try just plugging it in, and holding option R to put it into recovery. Then if that works it will just download its version of OSX off Apple's site and install.

I tried holding option (alt) and r at the same time from power up and nothing happened. Just proceeded to the white screen with flashing folder (because I have no os). I also know that the OSX I was using was not licensed but I have no idea what im doing hence why I followed the tutorial which didn't work. 

 

I also have no clue if el capitan is supported or not. From a page I looked at it said it was. Can I get a link and steps on how to properly download and install mac os? As all of the os's I see on the website look like updates. 

 

Thanks for the reply btw : ) 

[YaBoiWill]

@MrPalmer92

"To manually start up from macOS Recovery over the Internet, press and hold Option-Command-R or Shift-Option-Command-R at startup"

Either of those will work to make it download from the internet 

[MrPalmer92]

5 minutes ago, YaBoiWill said:

@MrPalmer92

"To manually start up from macOS Recovery over the Internet, press and hold Option-Command-R or Shift-Option-Command-R at startup"

Either of those will work to make it download from the internet 

So by pressing ALT, windows key and r it should atomatically start downloading the required os on my 2008 mac pro (with Ethernet connection of coarse)?

[MrPalmer92]

Just now, MrPalmer92 said:

So by pressing ALT, windows key and r it should atomatically start downloading the required os (with Ethernet connection of coarse)?

I'm using a standard keyboard btw

 

[YaBoiWill]

4 minutes ago, MrPalmer92 said:

I'm using a standard keyboard btw

 

I would assume so, although I don't know how it handles a different keyboard to its default profile. Try it and see. Ive only don't it on a laptop and used shft alt cmd r

[lieder1987]

2 hours ago, firelighter487 said:

Command+R, not Option+R

Yeah thats what I meant :)

[MrPalmer92]

Alright. Thanks for the replies. Will try these methods. 

[MrPalmer92]

18 hours ago, YaBoiWill said:

I would assume so, although I don't know how it handles a different keyboard to its default profile. Try it and see. Ive only don't it on a laptop and used shft alt cmd r

I tried holding the buttons you suggested and nothing happened. Just progressed to the flashing file screen