iMac A1311 (Mid-2011) won't boot from USB

Abstract: A mid-2011 iMac A1311 with a corrupted macOS 10.12 is experiencing a white screen of death during boot. A bootable macOS 10.13 USB drive was created, but the iMac won't boot from it.

Created: 2025-01-06 by UserComp.com Editors

Title: iMac A1311 (Mid-2011) Won't Boot from USB

Introduction

This article provides a detailed guide on how to troubleshoot and resolve issues with an iMac A1311 (Mid-2011) that won't boot from a USB drive. The macOS version on the corrupted hard drive is 10.12, and a bootable macOS 10.13 USB drive has been created.

Prerequisites

A working Mac computer with macOS 10.13 or later installed.
A USB drive with macOS 10.13 installed.
A USB keyboard and USB mouse (optional but recommended).

Steps to Resolve the Issue

Step 1: Start the iMac in Recovery Mode

Turn off the iMac.
Press and hold the Command + R keys while turning on the iMac.
Release the keys when you see the Apple logo or spinning globe.

Step 2: Choose Disk Utility

From the Utilities menu, select Disk Utility.
In the Disk Utility window, select the corrupted hard drive (usually named Macintosh HD).
Click the Erase button.

Step 3: Format the Hard Drive

In the Erase window, name the hard drive (e.g., Macintosh HD).
Choose the APFS format (if the USB drive is APFS-formatted) or Mac OS Extended (Journaled) format (if the USB drive is HFS+ formatted).
Click Erase.

Step 4: Install macOS on the Hard Drive

Go back to the Utilities menu and select Install macOS.
Agree to the Terms and Conditions.
Select the newly formatted hard drive as the installation destination.
Click Continue and follow the on-screen instructions to complete the installation.

Step 5: Restart the iMac

Once the installation is complete, the iMac will restart automatically.
If it doesn't, manually restart the iMac.

Troubleshooting

If the iMac still won't boot from the USB drive after following the steps above, try the following:

Make sure the USB drive is bootable and contains a valid macOS installation.
Try using a different USB port on the iMac.
Try using a different USB cable.
Try using a USB hub (if available).

References

Apple Support: Boot from a macOS installer or recovery partition on your Mac
Apple Support: Erase a disk or volume
Apple Support: Install macOS on MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, iMac, or Mac Pro
Apple Support Community: iMac A1311 (Mid-2011) won't boot from USB
MacRumors: How to Recover a Mac with a Dead Hard Drive
iFixit: iMac A1311 Teardown

Tags: MacOS Hardware

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