Can't boot from install disk and I need to reinstall OS X 10.4

I am trying to boot from the install disk by restarting the computer and holding down the c button. It won't start up from the disk. I get a white screen and an icon that is a circle with a line through it. I am having that problem on all my iMacs in my lab and I don't know why. Help Please!!! thanks.

Sorry for all of the posts.. but it could be possible that the firmware is password protected - disabling users in the computer lab from corrupting programs? I found this article and it might help.. (http://www.fif3.com/howto/archives/001983.html) Some of the article is below....
ALSO: if you use open firmware password... you'll need this:
Startup Manager -accessed by pressing the Option key during startup
Enter commands after starting up in Open Firmware -press Command-Option-O-F key combination during startup.
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=106482
How to troubleshoot a computer with Open Firmware Password enabled
If you cannot access the Open Firmware Password application and need to troubleshoot your computer by:
Resetting the PRAM
Starting up in Single-user mode
Starting up in Verbose mode
Starting from CD-ROM
Then follow these steps:
Start up into Open Firmware by pressing and holding the Command-Option-O-F key combination during startup.
At the Open Firmware prompt, type: reset-nvram
Press Return.
When prompted for your password, enter it and press the Return key. It responds OK.
At the Open Firmware prompt, type: reset-all
Press Return.
The computer restarts and you are now be able to reset the PRAM and startup in Single-user mode, Verbose mode, or from CD-ROM.

Similar Messages

Can't boot from install disk, and says no airport card installed, HELP!

I bought a new Macbook Pro a few months ago, which recently had to go in for repair to have the screen changed. It came back with the new screen fitted but they had done a terrible job at aligning the lid, so it went back again. Came back and all looked good, until i booted up and realized that where my wifi icon is at the top of the screen, it wasn't connected. When clicking it to bring down the drop down menu of available wifi spots, all it said was "No Airport Card Installed"....Thinking a repair of disk permissions might be worth trying, I tried to boot from my OSX install disk holding down C, however when holding down C all it does is go on a constant loop of restarting, not even reaching the Apple logo. If I don't hold down C then it simply boots to the desktop, so i'm unable to access disk utility correctly to run a repair.
Being pretty fedup with the whole situation, the laptop has now gone back for a 3rd time, as it never had these two issues before. I was just wondering if anyone had any idea what might have caused this? And how a status of no airport card installed and a drive that wont boot a disk normally can be related?
I'll be getting it back on Tuesday, but i just wanted to know what the heck they might have done to have screwed things up.
Thanks
Phil
Message was edited by: Philip Dexter

Hi Phil,
I can't say for sure, but it sounds to me like they didn't reconnect the WiFi hardware when replacing the screen. To my knowledge, the Airport "hardware" (including the antenna) is located inside the screen hinge. When the screen was replaced (and the hinge not properly aligned) perhaps someone improperly connected the Airport hardware, or forgot to connect it entirely.
The reason the WiFi hardware is located in the hinge is because that is the only plastic area of the entire notebook. Radio signals do not travel well through aluminum, so some area of the computer has to be plastic to allow that signal to get through. The hinge is the only area where that's possible.
As for the reason why the machine wouldn't boot up from the disc, I have no idea. Here's hoping it does when it comes back. If I were you, I'd have a chat with Apple Customer Relations about the situation.
--Travis

I can't boot from instalation disk need help

can anyone tell me why i can't boot from instalation disk
i burn a DVD with verified iso with MD5 with Nero Express

i use burn image , of course and
i have a Sempron +2400 with asus a7s8x mainboard
and i download all 5 file for DVD x86 and then i copy /b all this files.
when computer boot from cd the screen is bleu with Solaris ................ v.20 message and after 1 second message became
Aolaris ..................v.20 and computer remain in this position

Can't boot from Install Disk for Leopard

I purchased the new xeon core dual which only boots in Leopard. I need to put Leopard on an external drive, so I purchased Leopard and tried to install it on an external drive. My computer starts to read the disk but before it even gets to the blue screen, it stops, scrolls down in a dark gray screen and says I need to restart by holding the power button down. The screen kind of looks like a kernal panic with oriental writing under the english.
I have tried by restarting and holding down the "c" key with no luck. I tried again with holding down the "option" key and when the hard drive and disk show up as choices. I chose the disk and still no luck. I disconnected all my external drives and tried again with no luck. I called tech support and they said it may be my optical drive. They set up an appointment with the genius bar at my local apple store. The genius listened to my drive and said there was nothing wrong with the drive and that it probably was a bad disk so they gave me a new one. Went home and tried with the new disk and same problem. Can anyone help?!! Thanks.

I purchased the new xeon core dual which only boots in Leopard.
I need to put Leopard on an external drive, so I purchased Leopard and tried to install it on an external drive.
There's your problem. Macs which ship with Leopard can't boot Leopard retail, unless it is newer than the Mac in question. Check the version of Leopard on the Leopard retail DVD you purchased in the second quote. If it is older than what was installed on your Mac Pro based on the Mac Pro install and restore DVD, then it won't work on your Mac Pro. If you want Leopard of the Mac Pro to be backed up to be an emergency boot volume for the Mac Pro on the external drive, use a cloning software*:
http://www.macmaps.com/backup.html
Or follow these directions to backup your Mac Pro DVD*:
http://www.macmaps.com/bootcd.html
If you need an emergency Leopard volume for another Mac, install it directly from that other Mac. If that other Mac lacks a DVD drive, get a Firewire DVD drive to do it.
- * Links to my pages may give me compensation.

Ibook g4 won't boot from install disks

Got an ibook g4 1.33 ghz combo drive from original owner w/install disks. I want to reinstall original system but it won't boot from install disk 1. Tried starting holding down c but ignores disk. Holding down option just gives me the HD. Install disk shows up on desktop and opens. Tried disk utility from install disk but it doesn't allow me to erase the hd. Is there anything else I can do? Thanks.

OK, so let us suppose that you have the correct disk, the possibilities are:
• the optical drive is not functioning properly. However, since the disk shows up on the desktop the drive is apparently reading it.
• the disk itself is the issue. It could the wrong disk, but let us assume it is not. It could be damaged so that it is no longer bootable, or it could dirty. I would begin by giving the disk a good buffing and see if that will encourage it to boot the computer.
Good luck.
cornelius

Can't boot from hard disk or from windows 7 recovery dvd

I have a 970A-G46 motherboard.
I can't boot from hard disk or from a windows 7 recovery dvd.
If I move the hard drive to another PC, it boots fine.
If I put the DVD in another PC's dvd drive, it can be accessed.
This machine will boot from an Ubuntu dvd and I can then access the HD directories and the recovery dvd.
What do I need to do?
Help and thanks

"I can't boot from hard disk or from a windows 7 recovery dvd."
What is that DVD from? Is it from a previous computer of some kind? Same question for HDD and the OS on it.

Can't Boot From Install Disc 1 ?

Holding down "C" at Start Up isn't working.
Most of the time I can't get Preferences > Start-Up to even "see" my Disc 1.
When I can get it to show up in Start-Up, and Select it, and Lock it ... it Still Won't Start Up from the Install Disc 1 ... and in fact usually ejects the disc.
Sometimes when I re-push in the disc, I get the message that a Blank Disc has been detected, "what do you want to do with it."
But, it shows up in Disc Utility, and when I run Verify Disc, it all looks good?!
The Disc has Mac OS version 10.4.8 on it. I'm running 10.5.7. I'm all up to date with my software.
Yesterday I ran the latest version of Disc Warrior. When I run TechTools 4.0 it seems to get stuck running Files. When I run Repair Permissions from Disc Utilities, it shows a fairly massive amount of issues. Running it over and over again doesn't seem to make any difference.
I WANT to run my Install Disc so I can run Repair Disc from Disc Utility ... because I'm having a number of issues ... and I seem to get the spinning rainbow a lot.
SUGGESTIONS ?! ... thanks ...

Disk Utility that can repair a 10.5.7 permissions is only found on the Leopard installer disc. Tiger can't repair Leopard when it comes to permissions, and may also have difficulty with the directory.
Secondly, if your MacBook Pro was purchased after October 26, 2007, it can't boot from any Tiger disc.
If your MacBook Pro was purchased prior, you can use the disk, but you'll want to follow these directions for hardware diagnostics:
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=303081
Only if your MacBook Pro has Tiger installed, should you use Tiger for the directory or permissions*:
http://www.macmaps.com/directoryfaq.html
Macs can only boot from the operating system that shipped with them, and newer retail operating systems. This means:
1. pre-October 1st, 2007 MacBook Pros can boot off:
- - the discs that shipped with them
- - retail 10.5 discs which look like * that do not say Upgrade, DropIn, or OEM.
2. October 1st through October 25, 2007 can do #1, and also use Upgrade and DropIn discs. Those disks were offered as a limited time mail order Up to date program, some were dropped in the box that came with them.
3. October 26th through November 14, 2007 can boot off the discs that came with them, and retail 10.5.1, 10.5.4, and 10.5.6 discs that do not say Upgrade, DropIn, or OEM, and have a label like the image above.
4. November 15, 2007 through June 29, 2008 can boot off the discs that came with them, and the retail 10.5.4, and 10.5.6 discs that do not say Upgrade, DropIn, or OEM, and have a label like the image above.
5. June 30, 2008 through December 14, 2008 can boot off the discs that came with them, and the retail 10.5.6 discs that do not say Upgrade, DropIn, or OEM, and have a label like the image above.
6. December 15, 2008 and later MacBook Pros can only boot off the discs that came with them.
Presumably when Snow Leopard comes out in September, all of the above will be able to use Snow Leopard because of the specs on http://www.apple.com/macosx/specs.html
- * Links to my pages may give me compensation.
Message was edited by: a brody

Replaced hard drive, now can't boot from install disc to restore backup

Yesterday, my hard drive died (disk warrior informed me, that HD had irrecoverable errors, and my iMac would shut down unless it was booted from the Disk Warriorr disc).
Today, I have a new internal HD professionally installed. And when I brought it home, and installed Snow I got an error at the end of the installation "OS could not be installed, restart or choose start up disk" or something to that effect. However, on licking OK I got the snow music, and welcome movie nd eerything seemed to be working fine.
I can log in normally and have get to my desktop, but on trying to boot from the Snow Leopard disk (10.6), I get to the gray screen with the apple logo and hang. I have tried resetting Pram/firmware and also ran the fdisk command (twice).
It seems too much of a concidence that my hard drive and now my disc drive would die all in span of two days? I can hear the disc noise, but as I mentioned I cant get beyond the gray screen on trying to boot from the disc.
Suggestions?
Late Nov '07 intel iMac. And I did update the OS to 10.6.4. Install disc is 10.4.

Return it to the repair station.

Pismo won't boot from install disks

Hi! I've looked to find the answer elsewhere, but no luck... apologies if this has already been answered.
I have a Powerbook G3 Pismo which I now need to use to run Hypercard. (Yes!)
It has been sitting unused for over a year.
It didn't start up.
I found an article that explained how to remove the PRAM battery. I did so. It starts up fine when connected to power.
I have ordered a new PRAM battery, but it hasn't arrived yet. I decided to go ahead and try to get it to boot.
When I powered up, I got the alternating icon saying it couldn't find an installed system.
I guessed that the hard drive had become corrupt, so I rebooted into Target Disk mode. It worked!
I connected it via FireWire to a MacBook Pro. The Pismo did show up as an external firewire hard drive. Good!
Using OS X Disk Utility, I erased the Pismo drive.
I couldn't decide whether to use OS X Extended, or OS X Extended (Journaled).
I didn't know about any options to install drivers for OS 9, so I probably did the wrong thing. (Pismo can boot into either OS 9 or OS X, I think.)
I tried to fix this later (see below).
I disconnected the Firewire and shut down.
I finally got the Pismo to boot up from a MacWarrior CD (a 3rd-party disk utility that fixes directory problems). I used it to fix the directory.
It still wouldn't boot from the original disks that came with the Pismo. The optical reader whirred away, I got a blank gray screen, it whirred again, I got another blank gray screen, but the cursor never showed up in the upper left corner. After half an hour, it had made no progress.
I reconnected the Pismo to the Macbook Pro using Firewire.
I tried to install Tiger on the Pismo using my officially purchased, large-box Tiger software. The Macbook Pro mounted the disk, but when I ran the installer, it told me I couldn't install Tiger on this machine (the Macbook Pro, duh!) and only gave me the option to quit.I thought that I could use an all-model install disk to install OS X on ANY external hard drive! What gives???!???
I tried to boot from the AppleCare Protection Plan's TechTool Deluxe.
It seemed to be booting fine into 9.1. Yippee!
It halted with a System Error (address error) telling me to restart holding down the Shift key.
I do so. It seemed to be booting fine into 9.1 again, Extensions Off.
But it halted with the same System Error.
I read about OS 9 drivers and went back into Disk Utility using the Macbook Pro.
Using Firewire to access my Pismo hard drive, I re-erased everything and made the partition have an Apple Partition Map.
I did not see any option to check or uncheck that mentioned installing OS 9 drivers. Did I miss it? Was it not there because I'm using a recent version of Disk Utility?
Same problems. Can't boot from the original Pismo "Software Restore" or "Software Install" disks, nor the TechTool Deluxe...
VERY FRUSTRATING! Have I tried everything? Has the hard drive gone bad?
Any help would be appreciated.

My new PRAM battery has been installed. I reset PRAM by doing a command-option-P-R.
The problem remains, but it's getting more consistent, which I guess is progress. With the Pismo connected to AC power (all my batteries are, of course, dead by now), the following has happened:
When I start up with the Tiger installation disk, everything goes smoothly, the gray Apple logo appears, and then, suddenly, a flurry of white text on an irregular black background floods the screen. Darwin says there's a kernel panic and they're in a loop ("we are hanging here").
When I start up with the original Software Restore disk, the blank gray screen blinks, turns a different shade of gray, the cursor arrow shows up in the upper left-hand corner, and it hangs. The cursor arrow doesn't respond to the trackpad; it's frozen.
When I start with the original Software Install disk, the same sequence takes place, but there is no cursor arrow that shows up. It just has the gray screen, a blink with a slightly different shade of gray, then it hangs.
The behavior is exactly the same for all 3 disks (respectively) when I use the MacBook Pro to start up:
Insert Pismo or Tiger disk into MacBook Pro (counterintuitively).
Start up the Pro in Target mode. Connect to Pismo using Firewire cable.
Start up Pismo. Pismo takes awhile to notice the Firewire disk, but eventually does.
Then it tries to use the disk in the Pro, but ends up acting case-by-case as it did when each disk was in the Pismo's drive (kernel panic hanging, gray screen with arrow, gray screen without arrow).
Helllllp!
My last chance will be to take a hard drive from a defunct ice iBook (dual USB) and use it to replace the factory-supplied Pismo drive. That iBook was a G4; the Pismo is a G3 (I believe). If there has developed a deep, difficult problem with the Pismo's hard drive, hopefully this will solve it:
I will try to boot from the iBook-drive-in-the-Pismo. I doubt this will work. If it does, great! If not...
I will try to boot from the Tiger installation disk, and if that works, try to install the Tiger software on it.
If that doesn't work, I will try to boot from the Software Restore and the Software Install disks.
If that doesn't work, I give up!!!! Unless someone here has a better idea.

IBook on 10.4 won't boot from Install Disk

Hi - Somewhere along the line I lost DiskUtility from my iBook running 10.4.11. I thought I could run it from the Install Disc but I find the iBook won't boot from the Disc and DU won't run from the Disc (when I do manage to track it down there).
I have install discs from a G4 Powerbook and a MacBookPro Unibody but I'm concerned about repairing permissions from the wrong version of DU (even if I could get the iBook to boot from those discs). Is a newer disc OK? I want to run or install DiskUtility. What are my options??
How can I get the iBook to boot from its install disc?
TIA your expertise...
j2

The installers are machine-series specific. And the Intel disc won't work
in the PPC Mac, additionally. If you have the correct disc for that iBook,
then you can boot the computer with the disc inside the optical drive
and hold the C key down, until Installer appears on the screen; a second
screen after the initial language screen has a full menu bar and Installer
in the header; options appear in the drop-down menu lists, Disk Utility is
among utility and other features listed in there.
If you do not have an iBook G4 disc or an OS X disc retail version capable
of doing the job, you really should get the correct disc. In a few instances,
another path may work, but is not recommended. And you could lose the
content of the hard drive in the computer you are hoping to save.
However, you may be able to use Pacifist to get Disk Utility from the PB G4
installer disc to be made available on the desktop of the iBook, and use
Pacifist to install that extracted package item from the other PPC install disc.
This does not use the installers on the disc media, so Pacifist is used to do
the process. The iBook ideally needs a replacement disc set, and that may
be available from Apple online store's sales support (see online phone#)
and the product would be matched by serial number. A fee is involved.
The original software disc set would have the correct Apple Hardware Test
and the software kit as included when the computer was new.
If Tiger did not ship with the computer in question, then a full retail disc 10.4
installer could probably be used; since it would be newer than, say 10.3.9.
In natural progression, the newer disc of correct kind & type supported by
the computer is a possible path; however a Leopard disc won't help fix Tiger.
You could also use Disk Utility in one PPC Mac, via FireWire Target Disk
mode, to repair the drive of the iBook. It would only appear as a hard drive.
So, repairing disk permissions would not be possible, on a non-boot volume.
This, only within limits; differences in build versions of OS and custom installs
done to a computer configuration may make doing so very limited. I would
not expect an Intel-Mac's version of the same OS to help a PPC in any way.
Good luck & happy computing!
{ edited 2x }

Can't boot with install disk

I ran out of disk space on the Mac HD and I only have 452 MB left. Before, I had 12 GB. I think trying to connect a router swallowed up the GB.
Anyway, because I ran out of disk space, I had trouble starting the Mac HD.
I can open Bootcamp (XP Professional) and have no problem there.
I attached the dvd drive to the MacBook Air and put the Snow Leopard Install disc inside and tried
1) Option start
2) Pressing C key start
3) Option command shift delete start but none of them work.
I cannot get it to boot with the Snow Leopard install disc.
What can I do?
I was planning to do a clean install but can't boot with the Snow Leopard install disc.
Can I do it from Bootcamp?

I booted with the Snow Leopard Install disk and checked Disk Utility and found that the HD disk was corrupted. This time it showed only 77MB free space even though I freed up 2 GB using 'rm' commands in single-user mode.
The problem was some kind of virus or something that not only ate up free space but corrupted the system.
I had to do a clean install (erasing the Mac HD volume and formatting it) to get the Mac HD operational again.

I can't boot from Install CD

I have a MacBook Pro, and I wanted to install Windows, but Boot Camp said my drive needs repaired. And to do that, I need to boot from the install CD, but when I restart, while holding the C key, it just loads into my desktop. Anyone know how to fix this?

Hello and Welcome to Apple Discussions ...
Go here for detailed information regarding MBPro's: http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=88275 Read it thoroughly... if you still can't boot from the restore disk, then you need to take the Mac in for service.
BTW... MPR's don't ship with CD restore disks. Only DVD. (install/restore DVDs; printed and electronic documentation)
Carolyn

Cannot boot from installed disk on Intel Xserve

I have an Intel Xserve.
I have had it for some months,it has been working fine, it is a standby backup machine to others and is used as a testbed.
I have just installed from the supplied DVD 10.4.8.
The installation goes smoothly, however after the first reboot. The system is trying to install from dvd again.
I have tried installing a known working Intel boot disk, and this just gives a folder with the flashing question mark.
I have tried formatting the disk and partitioning making sure to use GUID partition and it doesn't boot.
I can however boot from a external FW drive with 10.4.10 installed.
I can then go into Startup disk and set the boot disk as on of the installed drives, but this has No effect.
I am currently trying to Clone from the FW drive to an installed drive.
Has anyone seen this behaviour?
Can someone tell me what I can try to resolve this.
All I have read regarding Flashing Question Marks is to ensure disks are using GUID partion and when booting from another disk to set the boot disk in the System Prefences.

Welcome to the forum!
You're missing the first disk which is "Rescue and Recovery", followed by CDs 1-7.
Make sure to re-align the partitions before or after OS installation in order to get the proper utilization of that SSD.
Good luck.
Cheers,
George
In daily use: R60F, R500F, T61, T410
Collecting dust: T60
Enjoying retirement: A31p, T42p,
Non-ThinkPads: Panasonic CF-31 & CF-52, HP 8760W
Starting Thursday, 08/14/2014 I'll be away from the forums until further notice. Please do NOT send private messages since I won't be able to read them. Thank you.

Powerbook G3 Not Booting From Install Disk.

I'm having trouble booting from my OS X install disk and installing OS X 10.4. Any idea why? It a Pismo 500, with 512 MB of RAM

Is your Tiger install DVD a retail version (black with silver X) and not a model specific version (gray) (See Can I use another Mac's system restore disc on my Mac? ).
Does you Pismo's disc drive read DVDs? What happens when you try to boot using the installer? What OS is your Pismo currently running?
 Cheers, Tom

Bad optical drive? Can't boot from install, loss of memory....help!

I seem to have a series of issues which I noticed today with a drop in hard drive memory. I typically hover around 105 GB and for unexplainable reasons dropped to 76 GB.(I'm getting this number from the bottom of a Finder window) I started to do some exploring (ran Disk Inventory (I couldn't make much sense of it), repaired permissions etc.). Nothing jumped out at me. I decided to do a clean install from my Install dvd (leopard) but the disk won't mount. I get stuck on a grey screen w/ an apple but no spinning gear. Eventually, I get a small folder w/ a scolding frowny face and the the disk is spit out.
I did a Safe Boot and restart. Didn't fix the memory issue OR the inability to re-install. I carefully cleaned the Install dvd. No luck.
I reset the pram.
Then, once I was able to get the Install disk to show up on my desk top but when I click "Install" and the computer restarted - back to the grey screen and the frowny folder.
I then took a home movie DVD-R I had created a while back and the computer spits that out also. It does accept an audio CD.
So I guess I have a few issues here....any thoughts on where my memory/hard drive space may have gone? And any thoughts on what's up with not being able to read DVD's? I have a dvd project due on Saturday of this week....UGH.
Thanks in advance.....Karen

when you saying "install" leopard again.. you booted to the disk and on the screen where it asks you to "select a destination" make sure you click options and then choose from there.

Can't boot from install disk and I need to reinstall OS X 10.4

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