[Edited to include working link to NBI file] [04/19/13]
This guide will show you how to create a bootable OS X installation USB flash drive using your PC. (For use with Dell Mini 10v, and Dell Mini 9.)

If you are new to Hackintosh, check out this thread before you install: http://www.mydellmini.com/forum/gene...osh-101-a.html

(Note: USB Preparation is somewhat easier if you have access to a Mac running Snow Leopard. For that method follow this guide: http://www.mydellmini.com/forum/gene...tml#post180217)

~~~

You will need:

OS X 10.6.3 Retail DVD
PC with DVD drive
16 gig USB flash drive (in my trials an 8 Gig drive DID NOT WORK)
a second, small flash drive (1 gig is more than enough. I actually used an old 128MB SD card, which works fine on the 10v--not on the Mini 9 as far as I know).

Download:

NBI 0.8.4 RC1 -- NBI
This will download a zipped folder. Open it, and drag the file contained in it to your desktop for easy access.

Download and install the following two programs:

CloneCD -- CloneCD from Download.com

Transmac -- Transmac from Download.com


Now we can get started.

Insert OS X DVD into your PC's DVD drive.

Open CloneCD, select the first option "Read to Image file"



that will bring up this window:



Click next:



Browse: to select a where to save your file



Name the file something appropriate, and choose Image, in the "save as type" field.

Save:



this will take about half an hour.

Once CloneCD is done, it will eject the DVD, and give you a musical prompt.



Click OK, and close CloneCD.

CloneCD creates two files. One will be a .iso file-- that's the one that matters. The other one is a .DVD file, which we're not concerned with here.


Now, find your 16 gig flash drive, and insert it into your PC's USB port.

Open Transmac.

You will see your USB Flash drive listed on the left side.

Right click it, scroll to Format Disk, scroll to Format with Disk Image:



in the following dialog box, locate and select the .iso file you created in CloneCD:



click Open. Transmac will now write OS X Install DVD to your flash drive. this will take about an hour or so, time for another break.



You will not be prompted when writing is complete. The progress bar dialog will simply close. Once that happens, remove the 16 gig drive, insert the small flash drive and repeat the process with the NBI file you placed on your desktop above. Note: if you don't see the file right away, change the "Files of type" field to "all file types," and you'll then see the .img file.

The NBI will write in a few minutes.

You're done.

**Now you can Take these two Flash Drives, connect them to your Mini, and run the install.

If you want to continue using Windows on your Mini, consider Dual Booting.
Here's a guide for that: http://www.mydellmini.com/forum/dual...dual-boot.html

It's best to boot your Mini with just the smaller flash drive first so it will recognize the bootloader-- let it run until you see the Windows NTFS hard drive image.
Turn it off, and boot with both Flash Drives. Now the OS X install drive will be recognized as well.
(For some reason, this process isn't consistent, and it may take a few tries before the boot USB is recognized.)

**Remember, you may need to use F12 to change the boot order to start up from USB**

Cheers.

O.

thanks to Jamesbarnhill for pointing me in the right direction in another post, and to Mechdrew as this guide is loosely based on his; only with updated info for 10.6.3

~~~

addendum:
*****************INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS:*****************


I had previously omitted the actual install process because it’s pretty straight forward. I’ve done it so many times I take it for granted. However, here it is:

This Guide assumes you will be using Mac OS X as your only OS. You will be formatting your drive, so back up anything you want to keep. If you wish to continue using your current OS, follow a Dual Boot guide instead. For Windows users wishing to Dual Boot, follow this guide: http://www.mydellmini.com/forum/dual...dual-boot.html

~~~

First you will have to make a few changes to your Mini’s BIOS. Turn it on, and get into the BIOS settings. (On the Mini 10v press F2).



In the Advanced tab,



USB Legacy Support and Bluetooth should be enabled. USB Wake Support should be disabled. Use the arrow keys to highlight, use F5/F6 to toggle ‘enable/disable’. Press (F10) to save the settings and Exit BIOS. Turn off the Mini.

With the Boot USB connected to one of the Mini’s ports, power it up. Press F12 to select the boot order in BIOS.



Highlight USB Storage and hit enter. If the boot-loader on the USB drive is recognized, you will see an icon representing your Mini’s hard-drive in the center of the screen. Shut down. If the boot-loader is not recognized, your computer will boot normally. Shut it down and retry to start up to the Boot USB, it may take you a few tries.

When you see the boot screen, your Boot USB has been recognized. This screen will show your Mini's partitions (including your OS, recovery, and any other partitions you may have created yourself).



Shut down.
Leaving the Boot USB connected, also connect the OS X Install USB and power up. Press F12 to get into the BIOS boot screen again, choose USB, press enter. Now you will see the Install USB as a startup option, as well as the your Mini’s internal drive. Use the arrow keys to select the Install USB, press enter.



The installer will take a few minutes to load. Once it loads click through the first three screens; a language selection screen, an information screen, and a license agreement screen. After that, you will see a drive selection screen.


This screen will show your available drives.

From the task bar, choose Utilities/ Disk Utility.



Select your internal hard-drive. From the right, click the erase tab. Select Mac OS Extended (Journaled) as the format. Click erase. A warning dialog pops up, click erase to confirm. This will make your Mini’s drive available to install OS X to. When formatting completes, quit Disk Utility, and select the newly formatted drive to install to.



Click install. Note that you can customize your installation.
Installation will take about an hour, so take a break. When it completes, your mini will restart and boot you into Mac OS X.

Post installation:
You may have issues with sound, wifi, and bluetooth not working properly. Usually running NBI again will solve this. There should be a copy of it in your applications folder.

Most users will also want to upgrade. For that you will need a different version of NBI; NBI...351 aka NBI special. Download it here:
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/863180/Netbo...212351.app.zip

The usual update path is : run NBI / do the update / Run NBI again.

If you have persistent issues with sleep, bluetooth, or sound, read the respective threads.

Also read the update threads carefully as the update experience varies for different users, ranging from painless success, to frustrating failures leading to non-booting machines. Back up before attempting updates. I wish you much success.

Enjoy.

[xenago]

Nice tut. Can you show how to dual boot xp and 10.6? thanx!

[Oscar]

Here you go:

http://www.mydellmini.com/forum/gene...dual-boot.html

[STAFFN]

Does this work on a mini9 atom processor?
I think I read that 10.6.2 broke support for atom processors, does this method work around that?
I have a 10.6.3 Retail Disc
and a thumb drive with a retail 10.6.0 on it?
Any help is appreciated.

[Oscar]

i'm using a mini 10v, also with atom processor. so i'd imagine this will work for you as well. I hope someone else can verify that.

but if you've already got a 10.6 thumb drive, that may be all you need. i tested that install myself just yesterday (maybe the day before) to see if i could jump from 10.6, straight to 10.6.6

(again, I'm on a 10v so the following may not work for you, and even other 10v users have had difficulties doing it this way)

here's what i did:
Installed 10.6 (custom. I unchecked everything except the core OS in the customize tab) My install USB was prepped with NBI 0.8.4 RC1, so, if yours is not, you may want to fint that NBI, run it and reboot.
After setting up the initial bootup, and getting to the desktop, i downloaded and ran this version of NBI: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/863180/Netbo...212351.app.zip

without rebooting, I ran Software Update, and ran only the OS Update; no itunes no security update, or anything like that.

The update went through fine, rebooted, and came up with the NBI screen... after some minutes, i was back to the desktop.. i then proceeded with the other updates in Software Update,

everything worked just fine.

but you can follow the update threads if this fails for you. you could go from 10.6 to 10.6.2 to 10.6.3 and so forth...

cheers.

[ipblythe]

Hi Oscar did you find an img file for NBI? if so please could you email me a copy my ID at gmail dot com

[STAFFN]

ok thanks. I just realized the 10.6 on the thumb drive is a DMG file, so I guess I gotta figure out how to convert to iso or try the disk but if I don't need the disc I can take it back and get my $40 back

---------- Post added at 07:28 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:25 PM ----------

actually just expanded the DMG in transmac and once I did that it allowed me to write the image to the thumb drive. it's processing now and I'll update the thread with the results
thanks for the help

[STAFFN]

Installed!!!!
Just getting the updates now! Guess I'll hold off on the MacBook

---------- Post added at 11:21 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:25 PM ----------

when I tried updating to 10.6.6 it downloaded, installed but on reboot it kept telling me to turn it off the on (error of some sort)
in the background I could see processor not supported amongst a bunch of other text
so back to the start and just go to 10.1.1 (last compatable I think)

[Oscar]

Ok, so i thought you had a copy of 10.6, from which you had prepped the drive already.

So here's where i tell you go ahead and keep the retail copy 10.6.3

Be legit.

[majhaar]

awesome, after weeks of trying ive finally got 10.6.3 running on my ice blue 10v

got "unable to patch 64 bit kernel" error to start with so plugged in the 16gb usb stick rebooted and everything worked fine.

now what to do with it now its installed.