2006/2007 White Macbook Erase Difficulties

Hey,
I was hoping to give away my macbook and chose to do a 7-pass erase before doing so. The computer had reached the 5th pass out of 7, when I made a huge mistake. I've been using the computer without its battery, solely on the charging cable, due to the battery failing. For some reason I blanked and unplugged the computer from the wall, killing it in the process. Now, all I get when I turn it back on is the grayish blue screen that usually comes on before booting. And that's all I get. The computer sounds like it's processing something, but it sounds like a repetetive process (like when a computer can't properly read a disc but tries over and over again). Is there anyway to fix this?
Thanks a ton for any possible assistance,
Paul

Prepare Your Mac for Sale
Boot from the OS X Installer Disc One that came with the computer. After the installer loads select your language and click on the Continue button. When the menu bar appears select Disk Utility from the Utilities menu. After DU loads select the startup volume from the left side list then click on the Erase tab. Set the format type to Mac OS Extended (Journaled) then click on the Options button. Select the one pass Zero Data option and click on the OK button. Then click on the Erase button.
Note: You can skip the Zero Data option if you are not concerned about removing sensitive personal data from the hard drive. If you choose to skip this part of the process then it is possible for others to recover data from the hard drive. The Zero Data procedure will prevent others from getting access to your personal information.
This process will take 30 minutes to several hours depending upon the size of the hard drive. After formatting has completed quit DU and return to the installer. Now complete the OS X installation. At the completion of the installation do not restart the computer. Instead just shut it off. The next user will be presented with the Setup Assistant when they turn on the computer just as it would if new out of the box.
Do not bother with multi-pass zeroing. One pass is quite sufficient and takes much less time.

Similar Messages

Replacing a failed hard drive on a mid-2007 white macbook

Replacing a SECOND failed hard drive on a mid-2007 white macbook (Intel core duo 2.16GHz), this time on my own
Need to purchase a serial ATA drive, but I keep reading that trying to format and/or partition the drive for use with the original Tiger install disk is unsuccessful and that I would have to update to a newer OS before I can do that.
I have Leopard as the current OS, and that is in my backup files from Time Machine, but I do not have a disk with Leopard.
Wondering the best course of action and/or if someone had success wit ha particular Serial ATA using the Tiger disks
Thanks!

All Intel Macs have always use SATA drives, so all Intel versions of OS X support them including Tiger. I don't know what you've been reading. However, since you have Leopard I don't see what the problem would be because you don't need to install Tiger unless your Leopard disk is strictly an updater disc.
How to replace or upgrade a drive in a laptop
Step One: Repair the Hard Drive and Permissions
Boot from your OS X Installer disc. After the installer loads select your language and click on the Continue button. When the menu bar appears select Disk Utility from the Installer menu (Utilities menu for Tiger, Leopard or Snow Leopard.) After DU loads select your hard drive entry (mfgr.'s ID and drive size) from the the left side list. In the DU status area you will see an entry for the S.M.A.R.T. status of the hard drive. If it does not say "Verified" then the hard drive is failing or failed. (SMART status is not reported on external Firewire or USB drives.) If the drive is "Verified" then select your OS X volume from the list on the left (sub-entry below the drive entry,) click on the First Aid tab, then click on the Repair Disk button. If DU reports any errors that have been fixed, then re-run Repair Disk until no errors are reported. If no errors are reported click on the Repair Permissions button. Wait until the operation completes, then quit DU and return to the installer.
If DU reports errors it cannot fix, then you will need Disk Warrior and/or Tech Tool Pro to repair the drive. If you don't have either of them or if neither of them can fix the drive, then you will need to reformat the drive and reinstall OS X.
Step Two: Remove the old drive and install the new drive. Place the old drive in an external USB enclosure. You can buy one at OWC who is also a good vendor for drives.
Step Three: Boot from the external drive. Restart the computer and after the chime press and hold down the OPTION key until the boot manager appears. Select the icon for the external drive then click on the downward pointing arrow button.
Step Four: New Hard Drive Preparation
1. Open Disk Utility in your Utilities folder.
2. After DU loads select your new hard drive (this is the entry with the mfgr.'s ID and size) from the left side list. Note the SMART status of the drive in DU's status area. If it does not say "Verified" then the drive is failing or has failed and will need replacing. Otherwise, click on the Partition tab in the DU main window.
3. Under the Volume Scheme heading set the number of partitions from the drop down menu to one. Set the format type to Mac OS Extended (Journaled.) Click on the Options button, set the partition scheme to GUID then click on the OK button. Click on the Partition button and wait until the process has completed.
4. Select the volume you just created (this is the sub-entry under the drive entry) from the left side list. Click on the Erase tab in the DU main window.
5. Set the format type to Mac OS Extended (Journaled.) Click on the Options button, check the button for Zero Data and click on OK to return to the Erase window.
6. Click on the Erase button. The format process can take up to several hours depending upon the drive size.
Step Five: Clone the old drive to the new drive
1. Open Disk Utility from the Utilities folder.
2. Select the destination volume from the left side list.
3. Click on the Restore tab in the DU main window.
4. Check the box labeled Erase destination.
5. Select the destination volume from the left side list and drag it to the Destination entry field.
6. Select the source volume from the left side list and drag it to the Source entry field.
7. Double-check you got it right, then click on the Restore button.
Destination means the new internal drive. Source means the old external drive.
Step Six: Open the Startup Disk preferences and select the new internal volume. Click on the Restart button. You should boot from the new drive. Eject the external drive and disconnect it from the computer.

I own a mid 2007 white macbook. it currently runs os x 10.5.8. Can i go any higher with the poerating system

Can i upgrade from 10.5.8 to a giher operating software on my Mid 20077 Macbook?

The computer would need to be upgraded to Snow Leopard 10.6
by use of retail DVD from Apple, then updated by use of the
downloaded Combo update 10.6.8 v.1.1 for Snow Leopard 10.6.8.
After that, you'd run software update in the computer so it could
look online at the Apple servers for any additional newer parts,
then you could see about going to the Mac App Store, the App
Store, the iTunes Store and other online upgrade or software
update options to include later OS X versions suited to you Mac.
According to several information databases, your older white MB
13-inch mid 2007 model can run as new a system as Lion 10.7.5.
This would be a purchase from the Mac App Store and a code
would be sent to your email to be able to download the Upgrade.
Any older software from the earlier era of PPC that had been able
to run in your OS X 10.5.8 Leopard system may not work after this.
Some old earlier Intel-based MacBooks do best when upgraded to
Snow Leopard 10.6.8 and their memory (RAM) chips upgraded as
well, to the maximum allowed by the computer architecture.
The maximum RAM appears to be 3GB, so that could be a combination
of one- 1GB chip and one- 2GB chip; or two- 2GB chips and you don't
see much use of that additional capacity of 1GB over the 3GB max.
Based on MacBook 13-inch Mid 2007 model spec RAM upgrade:
Maximum Memory
3.0 GB (Actual) 2.0 GB (Apple)
Memory Slots
2 - 200-pin PC2-5300 (667MHz) DDR2 SO-DIMM
{information from http://mactracker.ca database application}
The upgrade of a computer needs to take additional hardware upgrades
into account, usually before a system software upgrade to a new level.
Hopefully this helps.
Good luck & happy computing!

Yellow gunk inside mid-2007 60W Macbook charger

My mid-2007 white Macbook's charger has stopped working.
I carefully prised it open to see if perhaps a repair might be a simple matter of replacing an obviously worn-out component on the circuit board.
Inside the plastic case and its aluminium (I think) liner, I found the PCB and components wrapped in a triple layer of copper foil, held in place with pale yellow adhesive tape. Once I had carefully peeled back the tape and removed the folded copper foil sheets, I could see the PCB and components. Or at least, I sort of could.
The reason I can't see them clearly is that they are partly covered with even more pale yellow adhesive tape, and also with a large quantity of pale yellow rigid gunk that looks and feels a lot like used, dried chewing gum. I'd estimate that more than half of the volume inside the charger not occupied by components was occupied by this gunk.
I've seen PCBs before that have been "potted" with potting compound (resin), and I've seen PCBs that have had larger components supported with blobs of hot glue or similar in order to reduce stress on the solder joints. This doesn't look like either. I wonder whether perhaps it is some kind of cement designed to give mechanical support, but that the person or machine responsible for applying it got a bit trigger happy! Unless it's some kind of miracle heat transfer compound, then I imagine this gunk might have causd a good deal of overheating within the case of the PSU by preventing convection currents from forming in what would otherwise have been airspace between components.
As for the extra adhesive tape, it seems to have been positioned so as to reduce the risk of metal-topped components (e.g. capacitors, coils) shorting out against the copper foil. If so, only some of the pieces - not all - have been installed correctly: there are a couple of small patches where the copper might have been able to touch a corners of a couple of metal-topped components.
Anyhow, my question: has anyone else found their charger to be full of gunk like this, or is mine abnormal?

Sorry for the long delay. Here is a photo of the charger, and one of the first layer of insulation and shielding (showing the inside). I note that the first layer of insulation/shielding has a scorch mark at the spot that had been closest to the component bolted to the heatsink near the top right of the circuit board (see arrows). That component seems to have three legs, so I guess it might be some kind of power transistor or voltage regulator.
And here are some photos showing the hardened gunk more clearly:
As you can see, it's a lot of gunk! Any ideas/explanations/suggestions gratefully received...

Case Cracks White MacBook (2006)

I have observed cracks on my white macbook (Late 2006 model) case (both insde & out side). Everytime I take an appointment with the Genius, they say that they are so busy to replace the case and they might need at least 3-5 business days. Since I did not have an alternate computer, I have delayed a bit. Now that I recently got a iMac, I would like to turn in my macbook for repair. Not sure if apple has spares to repair the cracked outer shells. Any idea how long and how much it costs to get it fixed ? Or can I return my laptop to get some store credit and buy a new Macbook ??

sparu wrote:
Not sure if apple has spares to repair the cracked outer shells. Any idea how long and how much it costs to get it fixed ? Or can I return my laptop to get some store credit and buy a new Macbook ??
Only Apple would know that. Also, ask Apple. Not going to happen. You can't return a 6 year old mac and expect to get a store credit. Since the repair volume of the store seems to be high, get an estimate and leave it there for repair if you find the price of repair to be acceptable.

White Macbook late 2006 crashes heaps and generally acting nuts

Hello all,
Macbook, white, late-06 model. It's freezing more and more often and more and more unpredictably. First it wouldn't wake from sleep - it would be totally frozen with the spinning wheel. Nothing responding, not force quit window, nothing. I would stop the machine with the power button and restart. Got the file symbol with the blinking question mark. Restart with Applejack and it went nuts in the repair permissions part, it must have repaired thousands of files, they just kept scrolling past for ages. Other times there wouldnt be much repair during Applejack. Later I discovered that if I waited several minutes before restart, it would often in fact find the system and restart normally. Now it's freezing randomly, not just from sleep, sometimes not finding the system, often it does. 3 - 10 times a day.
I have used applejack a lot of times and disk warrior on it several times - no help. I reinstalled the system and updated with the combo. No help. Disk warrior indicates the drive is normal. Time Machine - I've had this hooked up for backup for a long time, yesterday it decided to backup the entire drive (350GB), seems it couldn't couple to TimeMachine properly. It's always been a loud machine, you can hear its fan through the whole house, but now it seems it spins up for anything.
Other info - the battery is new because the old one swelled and made the trackpad unusable. The diskdrive is only about 2 months old (fourth diskdrive in 4 years), istat says cpu temp is 56°C - about 66°C in normal operation. White Macbook, late 06, 2.0GHz, 2GB RAM, 500GB disk with 150GB free space, coupled to external monitor and a time machine disk (usb) and a inkjet printer. Using wireless network (airport express). The cover was not closed when I put the machine to sleep. Snow Leopard cache cleaner says the RAM is OK.
I hope some of this points in a particular direction, before I have to take it to the repair shop. Grateful for help and suggestions.
Thanks, Dave

I would consider running the hardware diagnostics:
How to run hardware diagnostics for an Intel Mac
Boot from your original OS X Installer Disc One that came with your computer. After the chime press and hold down the "D" key until the diagnostic screen appears. Run the extended tests for a minimum of two or three hours. If any error messages appear note them down as you will need to report them to the service tech when you take the computer in for repair.
Some "common" error indicators:
SNS - sensor error
MEM - memory error
HDD - hard disk drive error
MOT - fan error
Such problems may be due to marginal RAM. If the problems persist even with a freshly installed OS (not third-party software) then RAM is often the cause if it's not some other hardware problem.
If the problems did not occur until you replaced the hard drive, then it's possible the drive was not prepped correctly before use.
Drive Preparation
1. Open Disk Utility in your Utilities folder. If you need to reformat your startup volume, then you must boot from your OS X Installer Disc. After the installer loads select your language and click on the Continue button. When the menu bar appears select Disk Utility from the Utilities menu.
2. After DU loads select your hard drive (this is the entry with the mfgr.'s ID and size) from the left side list. Note the SMART status of the drive in DU's status area. If it does not say "Verified" then the drive is failing or has failed and will need replacing. SMART info will not be reported on external drives. Otherwise, click on the Partition tab in the DU main window.
3. Under the Volume Scheme heading set the number of partitions from the drop down menu to one. Set the format type to Mac OS Extended (Journaled.) Click on the Options button, set the partition scheme to GUID (for Intel Macs) or APM (for PPC Macs) then click on the OK button. Click on the Partition button and wait until the process has completed.
4. Select the volume you just created (this is the sub-entry under the drive entry) from the left side list. Click on the Erase tab in the DU main window.
5. Set the format type to Mac OS Extended (Journaled.) Click on the Options button, check the button for Zero Data and click on OK to return to the Erase window.
6. Click on the Erase button. The format process can take up to several hours depending upon the drive size.

White Macbook (Mid 2006) Trackpad problem

I have a white Macbook from Mid 2006 and it has been functioning fine all these years. However just yesterday, it developed a trackpad problem.
I am still able to move the cursor but nothing happens when I click the trackpad button.
I then bought an external mouse. However the problem did not go away entirely. The external mouse would work just fine (I would be able to click with it) if I did not touch the trackpad. However on the few occasions where I accidentally touched the trackpad, the external mouse would suddenly suffer the same fate as the trackpad, i.e. I was still able to move the cursor but I could not click with the external mouse.
I managed to alleviate the problem by checking the "Ignore trackpad when mouse is present" option in my System Preferences, thereby preventing any accidental touches of the trackpad from affecting the external mouse. However I hope to get to the root of this sudden and mysterious problem, rather than sweeping it under a "Ignore trackpad when mouse is present" option.
I have tried resetting the PRAM and it did not solve the problem.

Might want to check: Apple->System Preferences->Universal Access , click on the Mouse & Trackpad Tab, then Make sure "Mouse Keys" are off , make sure "press the option key five times .. etc" is unchecked, make "ignore trackpad when mouse keys is on" is unchecked. Check That 1st, because it does sound like a preference problem .. If I think of another one I'll ring in ... Good Luck

2006 White Macbook Issues?

I have a late 2006 white macbook with a 2.0 ghz core 2 duo (Lion), and I also have a mid 2006 white macbook with a 1.83ghz core duo processor (Snow Leopard). I recently bought a 3rd party battery for the late 06 version. The battery had good reviews but once I installed it into the macbook the battery indicator icon said "service battery" and battery life went rapidly downwards. Out of curiosity I put the defective battery in the 1.83ghz macbook and everything appeared fine. I got 4.5-5 hrs of battery life with no "service battery" message. What could be causing that?
Also The 2.0ghz one has been having heat issues since I bought it (~1.5 months ago). Not overheating issues, just very loud fans and a very warm case. I don't do very intensive things on either laptop either. Just a single tab of web browsing. The 1.83ghz Macbook runs whisper quiet and is considerably cooler on the outer case. I cleaned both of dust recently and I re-applied thermal paste on both also. Could the 2 issues be correlated somehow? How can i fix them?
Thanks,
camtechguy98

Well first try what Mike suggests:
"Try resetting the SMC Intel-based Macs: Resetting the System Management Controller (SMC)"
If that doesn't work refer to my post about cleaning the fans above your post. Any decent service tech will be able to do that.
Apple store for sure.
This article addresses most of the issues I've seen:
http://apple.stackexchange.com/questions/120177/macbook-fans-are-running-high-ev en-under-normal-load
"get the fan serviced before I decide to ditch it."
Oh no! Please don't ditch it. I repair Macs and donate them. If it comes to that email me first.

2006 white macbook hdd

i have a 2006 white macbook and was wonting to upgread my HDD do i need to buy a (ATA) or a (SATA)

For a new hard drive try Newegg.com http://www.newegg.com/Store/SubCategory.aspx?SubCategory=380&name=Laptop-Hard-Dr ives&Order=PRICE
Or OWC http://eshop.macsales.com/shop/hard-drives/2.5-Notebook/
Here are instructions on replacing the hard drive in a MacBook with a removable battery. http://creativemac.digitalmedianet.com/articles/viewarticle.jsp?id=45088
If you don’t have the tools to open up the MacBook OWC has a set for $5
http://eshop.macsales.com/item/OWC/TOOLKITMHD/

White Macbook 2006 random shutdown solved removed cpu heatsink and more

I picked up a cheap macbook from a secondhand retailer for $300 and it regularly shutdown, froze, restarted as well as the grey kernel panic screen completely random no real pattern. I set about trying to solve the problem swapping ram and hard drive with my identical 2006 macbook (which I had similar problems with last year, fixed that one with a new battery connector cable). The ram and hard drive made no difference so I downloaded istat menus to see if any combination of cpu voltage, current and temperature were causing the random shutdowns. It seemed when the temperature reached certain values the computer would shutdown or freeze(around 30 to 50 degrees). I'd read on other forums about faulty cpu temperature diodes so I reapplied heatsink compound to the cpu heatsink and checked all the wiring for shorts but nothing seemed to solve the problem. I was ready to retire the computer and use it for spares for my other macbook when needed but I pulled the keyboard off one more time and tried something completely radical. This fix requires some forward planning and software installation but it has completely solved my Random shutdowns completely.
for instructions see my next post *Fix for random shutdowns white macbook*

Ok this is not for the non technical person but it is quite a simple process with the right instructions.
This first step is very important install the software coolbook($10) and fan control (Free)( not smc fan control). Set up coolbook to operate the cpu at the lowest speed and voltage for both power adapter and battery(1002MHz and .95Volts). Remove the keyboard to access the computer logic board (instructions can be found at iFixit). Remove the four screws and two connectors holding the heatsink to the logicboard and gently lift the heatsink out (very important that you leave the fan screwed in and connected). Close the computer back up if you wish to test just gently connect the keyboard and loosly sit the keyboard back in. Restart and reset the pram immediately. Let the computer boot up and then open system preferences and configure Fan Control to your liking. So far no random shutdowns for over a week (was getting many a day previously.

I have a 2007 13" Macbook White. Is there any way to upgrade my OS from 10.6.8 to anything above 10.7?

I have a 2007 13" Macbook White. Is there any way to upgrade my OS from 10.6.8 to anything above 10.7? I keep getting an error message when I try to download 10.8.3 because Apple didn't make it compatible with my machine, but I really only need 10.7. So is there ANY possible way to do this with my current Macbook? Thanks for the help guys.

I have a 2007 13" Macbook White. Is there any way to upgrade my OS from 10.6.8 to anything above 10.7
According to these system requirements, no, there is no way to go higher than Lion (10.7), as Mountain Lion (10.8) will not be compatible.
http://www.apple.com/osx/specs/
Also note that both Lion and Mountain Lion are memory hogs and the realistic minimum RAM should be 4 GB; you can run it with 2 GB, but depending on how you use your machine, you may not be happy with its performance.

I have a white Macbook 2009 on OSX Lion. It came with the OSX Snow Leopard CD, I erased the HDD and am trying to install the OSX from disc but am getting "cannot install OSX from disc" message. What can I do?

I have a white Macbook 2009 on OSX Lion. It came with the OSX Snow Leopard CD, I erased the HDD and am trying to install the OSX from disc but am getting "cannot install OSX from disc" message. What can I do?
I got the macbook from a friend a few years ago and it already had OSX Lion installed. Whenever it boots from the Snow Leopard disc it says it cannot install from disc. Is there anythingI can do or should I take it to an Apple store to get them to boot OSX Lion for me?

Insert your Snow Leopard disc and restart, press and hold the C key as soon as you hearthe startup chime, hold C until you see the Apple Logo. When your computer starts up you'll be at the first install screen, choose your language and click the arrow to go to the next screen. This screen has a menu bar, from the Utilities menu select Disk Utility, select your hard drive, this is the one with the manufacturers name or numbers, click the partition tab and then delete any existing partitions by selecting them and clicking the minus. In the drop down box select one partition and click apply. Name your hard drive and click erase. When it's done quit DU and go back to the installer, install Snow Leopard. When the installer is done and the computer is back up and running run Software Update to get to 10.6.8

I have a MacBook running Mac OS X Version 10.4.11 which I purchased in 2006/2007. Is it time for me to purchase a new computer to stay "up-to-date"?

I have a MacBook running Mac OS X Version 10.4.11 which I purchased in 2006/2007.
Should I purchase a new computer?
I'm planning on purchasing Adobe Creative Suite 4 or 5 and overall I want to make sure my computer (Internet, etc.) is up-to-date.

Snow Leopard requires 1gb of RAM too. It sounds like you already have the minimum.
What model of Mac Book do you have? Go to the "Apple" in the upper left hand corner and select "About This Mac". Then click "More Info" and check "Model Identifier" in "System Profiler" is it a 1,1, or 2,1?
You can upgrade the RAM to 2gb in either one for about $40 http://eshop.macsales.com/shop/memory/MacBook/DDR2/
If you like the MacBook I would stick with it. I'm running an older MacBook with CS3 on it and it runs fine for me.
The iMac is a desktop computer not a laptop. With it you get a bigger screen and the ability to hold more RAM and a bigger hard drive. It wouldn't be that much better for running software than a new MacBook or MacBook Pro would be.

I have 2 white macbooks to erase them, HOW please

I have 2 white macbooks. lets call them M1 and M2
so I have M1 and disk for it and have M2 and NO disk for it.
I took disk1 and put it in M2 to erase it, restart - installer, I chose machintosh main harddrive and erased it, then I tried to reinstall the OSX and it gives me an error(MAC OS X cannot be installed on this computer) WHY? plus I cannot understand how the fck I get the disk out of this computer now. I am trying upper right button eject and it won't eject. I did try command + E and no luck either.
So my question is, how to take out the CD and how to install any OS on this macbook so I can sell it. and then I need to do the same thing with the second one too.
and there also option to start from network and it just restarts and thats it, not asking any question and doing nothing
PLEASE HELP! first time mac user =(

Because M2 must have a different version of OS X that the M1 disk installs. Typically, that would be interpreted to mean the OS X on the M1 disk is an earlier version than required by M2.
Five ways to eject a stuck CD or DVD from the optical drive
Ejecting the stuck disc can usually be done in one of the following ways:
1. Restart the computer and after the chime press and hold down the
      left mouse button until the disc ejects.
2. Press the Eject button on your keyboard.
3. Click on the Eject button in the menubar.
4. Press COMMAND-E.
5. If none of the above work try this: Open the Terminal application in
      your Utilities folder. At the prompt enter or paste the following:
        /usr/bin/drutil eject
If this fails then try this:
Boot the computer into Single-user Mode. At the prompt enter the same command as used above. To restart the computer enter "reboot" at the prompt without quotes.

My MacBook Pro Core Duo from 2006 shuts down randomly requiring frequent reboots to the point I had to abandon doing any project or anything on this MacBook Pro. Same thing occurs with the iMac dual core from 2007. MacBook battery replaced.

My MacBook Pro Core Duo from 2006 shuts down randomly requiring frequent reboots to the point I had to abandon doing any project or anything on this MacBook Pro. Same thing occurs with the iMac dual core from 2007. MacBook battery replaced. Is it internal battery for both, new logic board required, bad hard drive, or bad RAM?
Help.

Run an Apple Hardware Test using the original installation disk that has the AHT instructions on it.
Try SMC and PRAM resets:
http://support.apple.com/kb/ht3964
http://support.apple.com/kb/ht1379
It is possible that you may need a new PRAM battery.
Ciao.

2006/2007 White Macbook Erase Difficulties

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