

You can also change the startup disk from within System Preferences in MacOS. To boot from a connected external volume, connect the boot drive if you haven’t done so already, then hold down the OPTION key during system restart and select it during system start. Exit out of Startup Security Utility and restart the Mac as usualĪt this point, booting from an external drive is the same as it always is.At the Startup Security Utility screen, check the box for “Allow booting from external media.” to enable external drives too boot the Mac.Enter the admin password when requested again.Authenticate with an admin user account, and at the macOS Utilities screen, pull down the “Utilities” menu and choose “Startup Security Utility” from the menu bar options.Turn on or reboot the the Mac and immediately hold down COMMAND + R keys once you see the Apple logo on screen, continue to hold Command+R until the Mac boots into MacOS Recovery mode.

How to Enable & Allow External Drive Booting on Mac with T2 Chip Let’s walk through how you can allow a T2 equipped Mac to boot from external startup drives, whether they’re an external hard drive, external USB flash drive, or any other external disk that you’d like to boot the Mac from.Īgain, this is only necessary on modern Macs with a T2 security chip, including MacBook Pro with Touch Bar, MacBook Air with Touch ID, modern Mac Pro, the latest Mac mini, and latest iMac models.
