Bunged up DVD drive prevents loading Snow Leopard

My 15" 2007 2.2GHz Intel Core Duo MacBook Pro w 2 Gs of RAM has a bunged up DVD drive. The drive just kicks out any disc put into it. Not sure if it was the fall that bent the housing just a tad or if it was the porter that spilled onto the keyboard 2 years ago. Never the less the machine runs well except I upgraded to Mavericks and now it runs like a brontasaurus because it just doesn't have enough RAM or free disc space. I want to loose Maveriks and go back to 10.6 to speed things up. It's mainly launching apps that take a long time. Once things are running it seems to do ok but I don't need the bells and whistles Mavericks offers and just want my snappy laptop back.
The question is. Can I use my 17" 2007 2.4 GHz intel Core Duo with 4 GB RAM and a working DVD drive to do the deed, if so how do I connect it? Firewire 2? USB 2? or Ethernet cable? How should I tell the Mac's what I'm trying to do? Right now both machines are running Mavericks.

Can I use my 17" 2007 2.4 GHz intel Core Duo with 4 GB RAM and a working DVD drive to do the deed,
I would use target disk mode with a firewire connection. The iMac that needs the OS would be the target, the other the host. Directions are here: http://support.apple.com/kb/ht1661
The hard drive of the target computer will be mounted on the host's desktop. Installing the OS is the same as always; you have to select the correct drive when the installer asks you where to install.

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I can't load Snow Leopard on an empty partition

In February I bought a new Mac Book Pro that came loaded with OS X Lion. I want to run Final Cut Pro on it. I bought FCP on ebay but can't load it because it is a PowerPC app and Lion won't load it.
I added a partition to my hard drive to load Snow Leopard, bought SL online and am trying to install SL.
If I try to run the install app from within Lion I get this message: "You can't use this version of the application install Mac OX X.app with this version of Mac OS X." Then in small print this: "You have Install Mac OS X.app 23.1"
If I try to boot from the SL Install DVD I get this message: "You need to restart your computer. Hold down the Power button until it turns off, then press the Power button again." I do this and it always comes back to this same message.
I tried booting to the Recovery HD but can't get that to allow anything either.
Is there a way to get this running? Or have I wasted a lot of money?
Thanks for any help!
// -- Phil

If you purchased the current model of MacBook Pro, then to the best of my knowledge it cannot boot from Snow Leopard. You would have to run Snow Leopard as a virtual OS under one of the virtualization solutions (Parallals Desktop, VMWare Fusion, or VirtualBox). There's been debate about whether the desktop version of Snow Leopard is licensed for such use, but the developers of the solutions believe that it does not and hence allow installation of Snow Leopard Server, which is licensed for virtualization, only.
Regards.

I had Leopard on may Mac. I upgraded to Mountain Lion using Snow Leopard. I can't use my video with Mountain Lion. Can I load Snow Leopard on an external hard drive so I can use it with my camera?

I had Leopard on may Mac. I upgraded to Mountain Lion using Snow Leopard. I can't use my video with Mountain Lion. Can I load Snow Leopard on an external hard drive so I can use it with my camera?

First, you cannot do this if you have a Boot Camp partition.
Second: Create a new partition.
1. Restart the computer and after the chime press and hold down the COMMAND and R keys until the menu screen appears. Alternatively, restart the computer and after the chime press and hold down the OPTION key until the boot manager screen appears. Select the Recovery HD and click on the downward pointing arrow button.
After the main menu appears select Disk Utility and click on the Continue button. Select the hard drive's main entry then click on the Partition tab in the DU main window.
2. You should see the graphical sizing window showing the existing partitions. A portion may appear as a blue rectangle representing the used space on a partition.
3. In the lower right corner of the sizing rectangle for each partition is a resizing gadget. Select it with the mouse and move the bottom of the rectangle upwards until you have reduced the existing partition enough to create the desired new volume's size. The space below the resized partition will appear gray. Click on the Apply button and wait until the process has completed. (Note: You can only make a partition smaller in order to create new free space.)
4. Click on the [+] button below the sizing window to add a new partition in the gray space you freed up. Give the new volume a name, if you wish, then click on the Apply button. Wait until the process has completed.
You should now have a new volume on the drive.
It would be wise to have a backup of your current system as resizing is not necessarily free of risk for data loss. Your drive must have sufficient contiguous free space for this process to work.
Third: Install Snow Leopard.
Boot from your Snow Leopard DVD. Follow instructions for installation being sure that before you actually install Snow Leopard you have selected the new partition as your target destination.
Booting From An OS X Installer Disc
1. Insert OS X Installer Disc into the optical drive.
2. Restart the computer.
3. Immediately after the chime press and hold down the "C" key.
4. Release the key when the spinning gear below the dark gray Apple logo
appears.
5. Wait for installer to finish loading.

My MacBook running 10.5.8 won't load Snow Leopard. Any advise?

My MacBook running 10.5.8 won't load Snow Leopard. I can hear the disk drive trying, but then it just ejects. I have run the repair disk permissions, no luck still. Any advise?

CD/DVD Loading Problems
CD/DVD Drive - Troubleshooting See troubleshooting section.
CD/DVD Drive - Troubleshooting (2)

How to install (using usb flash drive) os x snow leopard on 10.5?

i have a version 10.5 (leopard), but i would like to install snow leopard (10.6). i tried using bootable usb flash drive using the "utility drive". However, it did not quite work as i expected. Does anyone know how to use bootable usb flash drive to install snow leopard on leopard?

How to Install OS X Updates Successfully
A. Repair the Hard Drive and Permissions:
Boot from your current Leopard installer DVD. After the installer loads select your language and click on the Continue button. Then select Disk Utility from the Utilities menu. 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. Now restart normally.
If DU reports errors it cannot fix, then you will need Disk Warrior (4.0 for Tiger) and/or TechTool Pro (4.5.2 for Tiger) 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.
B. Make a Bootable Backup Using Restore Option of Disk Utility:
Open Disk Utility from the Utilities folder.
Select the destination volume from the left side list.
Click on the Restore tab in the DU main window.
Check the box labeled Erase destination.
Select the destination volume from the left side list and drag it to the Destination entry field.
Select the source volume from the left side list and drag it to the Source entry field.
Double-check you got it right, then click on the Restore button.
Destination means the external backup drive. Source means the internal startup drive.
C. Important: Please read before installing:
If you have a FireWire hard drive connected, disconnect it before installing the update unless you will boot from this drive and install the update on it. Reconnect it and turn it back on after installation is complete and you've restarted.
You may experience unexpected results if you have installed third-party system software modifications, or if you have modified the operating system through other means. (This does not apply to normal application software installation.)
The installation process should not be interrupted. If a power outage or other interruption occurs during installation, use the standalone installer (see below) from Apple Downloads to update. While the installation is in progress do not use the computer.
D. To upgrade:
Insert the USB flash drive.
Restart the computer.
Immediately after the chime press and hold down the "OPTION" key.
Release the key when the boot manager screen appears.
Select the icon of the USB flash drive and click on the arrow button below the icon.
When the installer finishes loading follow the onscreen instructions.

I am currently trying to load Snow Leopard onto my system and it is frozen

I am currently trying to load Snow Leopard onto my laptop, I have the 10.4.11 system, but the process is stuck on 41 minutes remaing and has been for about half an hour, so nothing is budging! Please help, I am too scared to stop it as the guy in the shop said "whatever you do just let it run its course!" Thank you, Kate

Boot from your bootable backup drive - restart the computer and after the chime press and hold down the OPTION key until the boot manager appears. Select the icon for your external drive then click on the downward pointing arrow button.
After the computer starts up do the following:
Drive Preparation
1. Open Disk Utility in your Utilities folder.
2. After DU loads select your internal 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 then click on the OK button. Click on the Partition button and wait until the process has completed.
Leave DU open and do the following:
Clone using Restore Option of Disk Utility
Open Disk Utility from the Utilities folder.
Select the destination volume from the left side list.
Click on the Restore tab in the DU main window.
Check the box labeled Erase destination.
Select the destination volume from the left side list and drag it to the Destination entry field.
Select the source volume from the left side list and drag it to the Source entry field.
Double-check you got it right, then click on the Restore button.
Destination means the internal drive. Source means the external drive.
This will restore your old system so you can continue using the computer.
An alternative to the above is that after formatting the internal drive restart from the Snow Leopard DVD and install Snow Leopard on the freshly formatted internal drive. You can then restore your Home folder and other applications through the Setup Assistant which will provide an option to restore your files from another Mac or hard drive.

I have a iMac 6,1 that I want to reformat the hard drive and reinstall Snow Leopard version 10.6.3 . I don't know how to reformat

I have a iMac 6,1 that I need to reformat the hard drive and reinstall Snow Leopard version 10.6.3 . How do I reformat ?

Boot the ssystem from the OS DVD. Once it is booted run Disk Utiltiy. Select OS Extrended (Journled)
See http://support.apple.com/kb/HT3910?viewlocale=en_US&locale=en_US

My MacBook crashes when loading snow leopard

I'm at long last getting around to updating my OS from Leopard to Snow Leopard so I can continue along to Lion and Mountain Lion, but the installation stalls out after the restart and throws up a massive log of failures in the installation process. What is going on, and how can I fix it? Do I need to visit my local Apple store?

I would suggest you erase your drive, then install Snow Leopard:
Drive Preparation
1. Boot from your Snow Leopard 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. Click on the Options button, set the partition scheme to GUID then click on the OK button. Set the format type to Mac OS Extended (Journaled.) 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 Security 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.
7. When it's finished quit DU and return to the installer. Install Snow Leopard.
8. Update Snow Leopard by downloading and installing the Mac OS X 10.6.8 Update Combo v1.1 so you can access the App Store to purchase and download Mountain Lion.
Upgrading to Mountain Lion
To upgrade to Mountain Lion you must have Snow Leopard 10.6.8 or Lion installed. Purchase and download Mountain Lion from the App Store. Sign in using your Apple ID. Mountain Lion is $19.99 plus tax. The file is quite large, over 4 GBs, so allow some time to download. It would be preferable to use Ethernet because it is nearly four times faster than wireless.
     OS X Mountain Lion - System Requirements
       Macs that can be upgraded to OS X Mountain Lion
         1. iMac (Mid 2007 or newer)
         2. MacBook (Late 2008 Aluminum, or Early 2009 or newer)
         3. MacBook Pro (Mid/Late 2007 or newer)
         4. MacBook Air (Late 2008 or newer)
         5. Mac mini (Early 2009 or newer)
         6. Mac Pro (Early 2008 or newer)
         7. Xserve (Early 2009)
     Are my applications compatible?
         See App Compatibility Table - RoaringApps - App compatibility and feature support for OS X & iOS.

HT1444 mac pro will not successfully load snow leopard

mac pro will not successfully load snow leopard 10.6 ? presently using 10.5

Haha! That's true. Though I've noted many users here calling a Power Mac a Mac Pro and visa versa.
When my Power Mac died and I brought it into the Apple Store to have them look at it, the first Mac Pros hadn't been out that long. Even the staff didn't know the tower Mac they had out on display was a Mac Pro. I pointed out that it had two optical drive bays in front. Only the Mac Pros have two. All Power Macs have only one.

After Loading Snow Leopard, printer sharing no longer works

I have 3 macs in the house. Printer sharing always worked until I loaded Snow Leopard.
Now the 2 remote macs just continually say "looking for printer". The primary iMAC prints fine.
I've doubled and triple check the preferences on all 3 machines.
Please help!

Deleting the printer queues didn't work for me. What did work is deleting the print preferences (anything with "print" or "Printer in the name in user/library/preferences) and deleting anything in the user/library/printers folder on both machines. Then I setup the printer again on both machines. Also, I noticed printer sharing was on on the machine I was trying to share to, so I turned it off, not sure if it matters.

If I purchase a brand new I-mac today do I have to run OS Lion or can I load Snow leopard?

If I purchase a brand new I-mac today do I have to run OS Lion or can I load Snow leopard?

Just faced that question, and the answer should be that you can run SL on the latest iMac.
(Our scenario: Bought 3 iMacs in August. Was surprised -- and relieved! -- to see that they arrived with SL installed on them, and grey system restore disks. One of the machines was DOA. Futzed around with it for 6 weeks trying to get it to work, decided it was dead, drove it 4 hours to the nearest Apple Store. They gave us a new iMac, which when we got it back, turned out to have Lion on it. Popped in one of the three grey restore disks that had come in August, installed SL, it works without any problems.)

Do i have to have a firewire drive to hold snow leopard

i plan on updating to lion. presently i have snow leopard and am using a 250gb firewire drive as my backup. rather than to go thru the partitioning process, i'll probably purchase an additional external drive to serve as backup and keep the drive filled with snow leopard when i want to boot it.
vice versa, i may want to transfer snow leopard to a 1tb usb drive i already have, and boot it when i need snow leopard. thus, i would use the former snow leopard backup firewire drive as the new lion backup drive. whew!
any suggestions as to whether or not usb would be ok?
thanks,

lanny, not quite sure of your question but i believe this answers it: 4 usb 2.0 ports and a firewire 800 port. also have a combination usb/firewire hub.
drives are firewire 400(with adapter cable for 800) and usb 2.

Font not working after loading snow leopard.

My font named Smash is not working after loading snow leopard. Is there any way to fix this?

I suspect you're talking about a free font called Smash. Read Kurt Lang's paper on font management
<http://www.jklstudios.com/misc/osxfonts.html>
and especially his strictures on free Windows fonts. The free Smash is a good example of what his talking about. It's a bad, poorly made font. Trash it ASAP.
If you want to check it with Font Book, use File > Validate File…, then locate smash.ttf and proceed. You cannot use File > Valide Font, because that command works only with installed, 'working' fonts.
For the real font, go to
<http://www.cool-fonts.com/>

Can I reformat and partition a new internal hard drive with the Snow Leopard disk?

I'm planning on installing a new internal hard drive in my 15'' Macbook Pro. Can I format and partition the new drive with the Snow Leopard disk or is it just an upgrade from Leopard? Thanks much.

You should be able to do that.
If you want to change the sizes of existing partitions this may help:
Enlarging a partition

Can't load snow leopard to my mbp it is runing leopard it is saying can't load on this unit?

Can't load snow leopard to mbp. It stops after language selection.

Does you machine meet the system requirements?
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4949
Is this a retail Snow Leopard disc from Apple, (the one with the white cat on it, not a grey one from someone else, if it is a grey one it will not work as most of those were designed to be machine specific.
This what the retail disk looks like and you can get it here: http://store.apple.com/us/search/snow-leopard-10.6.8#!!
If it does take your original install disc 1 power up the mac and push in the disc holding the OPTION key. This will bring up the start up manager and allow you which disc to start from, select the install disc. After if finishes booting, select your language, click continue. On the next page in the menu bar select utilities/disk utility. select)highlight) your volume (default name Macintosh HD, unless you named it something else) from the left column, under the First Aid tab click verify disk, if it comes back with errors (they will be in red font) then run Repair Disk, you may have to do this more than once (untill it comes up with this disk seems ok in green font)
Quit out and eject the disc.
Then power off and power back on holding the C key, select your language and follow the prompts

Bunged up DVD drive prevents loading Snow Leopard

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