Can't boot from OS CD/DVD - ejects disc with no message

I just bought a PowerPC Mac mini on eBay to use at home, and the old user did not clear his data. I want to do a fresh install of OS X and start from scratch.
If I try to boot from either the mac mini 10.3 disc or the 10.4 upgrade disc, and I hold down "c", the system just ejects the disc everytime during bootup.
I can pop in the disc while the system is running, and see the contents, and it will let me double click the "Install" icon. I enter the administrator password (which the previous owner gave me) to allow the install package to reboot the machine, but it still ejects the disk when it is rebooting.
Can someome help me to just get this machine back to square one?
It looks like the root account was enabled in the NetInfo Manager, so I don't know if the previous owner did some kind of security hack to keep the machine from booting to discs.
I can post a pdf of the receipt or link to the ebay auction so people don't think this unit is stolen, if necessary.
Mac mini PPC Mac OS X (10.4)

I solved this problem. It was being caused by the Belkin USB keyboard I had attached. If the keyboard was connected, it would eject disks on bootup. If I removed the keyboard, it would work perfectly.
The keyboard must have been sending some weird input to the machine.

Similar Messages

Weird screen pattern freezes iMac, can't boot from HD or DVD

I woke up today to find the screen of my iMac black with a sparse pattern of bright pixels on it. I wasn't able to power down holding the Power buton so I unplugged it and left it for a bit before plugging back in. I was then able reboot without any problems. Then a few hours latter a weird pattern appeared across my screen, kind of rolling, animated in spots as seen here:
I powered down, started it up and the screen had this pattern on it:
It froze during startup at the point shown in the photo with the Apple logo. I powered down, unplugged, plugged back in and then tried booting up from my Snow Leopard install disc. It also froze on the logo screen. Another attempt brought up the "You need to restart your computer…" message in different languages shown here:
I figured it was having a kernel panic so I did some searching around and followed instructions on The X Lab - Resolving Kernel Panics page and Apple's Kernel Panic Troubleshooting page. I unplugged everything but my mouse (wireless keyboard) and tried booting into Safe Mode. The screen still had the same pattern but it froze again during startup, the grey progress bar having disappeared.
I can't boot from my hard drive or from a DVD and the pattern is always on screen when I turn the iMac back on. I can't run Apple Hardware Test. I'm stuck but I'm wondering if anyone knows what the cause might be or has any suggestions on how to fix it or even get it to boot up somehow.
I have TechTool Pro and a large flash drive. I'm going to try creating a bootable USB drive with Snow Leopard on it from this backup computer and try to get TechTool Pro on it as well. I'll report back but I'd really appreciate any feedback on this problem.

Some things to report. First, the night before any of this happened, I noticed the fan was running when there wasn't really any reason for it. The computer was idle, no major tasks running. I'm wondering if perhaps the videocard overheated and is causing problems. Perhaps the temperature sensors are screwed up?
Today I got a USB keyboard hooked up and reset the PRAM. Still unable to boot but the pattern on the screen did change from the mess of b&w squigglies above to vertical bars as shown here:
Trying to boot normally or in Safe Mode both result in the spinning wheel freezing and halting startup.
I found powering down then gets weird. It's like it tries to turn on again but can't after a second. Or sometimes it will and the mouse lights up, I can hear the optical drive but the screen stays dark. At that point I need to unplug and try again.
I tried booting from Snow Leopard install DVD during one of these weird cycles and could hear it trying to access the optical drive but I don't believe it even got to the chime stage.
I attempted booting from the install DVD again after unplugging. No luck there but instead of a frozen spinning wheel, it brings up the "You need to restart message…". Other methods don't do this.
Still at a loss to find a reason for this but it appears to be a hardware problem, no doubt the video card based on the screen issues. Does any of this shed any light on what the problem is or (even better) how to fix it?

128gb ssd on macbook pro can't boot from any win dvd

Like in title, installed 128gb ssd on macbook pro and can't boot from any windows based dvd.
I’m try just everything... First I was put new ssd disk in laptop, boot and than choose windows boot cd disk for startup device. CD/DVD working 10-20 sec and after that nothing happened for 3-4 min… I can just turn off computer. I was try to boot with win7, vista, xp and other boot dvd-s for partition management… Every attemp simply freeze machine.
Then I was try to install mac os (snow leopard) from install dvd and installation was done smooth without any problem… Really don’t know why I can install osx and can’t install or boot any type of windows cd/dvd.
After installing snow leopard I was try to make new partition and install windows trough apple bootcamp 3.0 but again same problem. When machine reset and try to boot from cd it simply freeze.
Falcon 128gb SSD attached over USB workin fine eaven osx booting from external ssd. SO, next what I wish to try is to clone old 320gb with two partitions to new 120gb ssd. I'm just try eaven this and when ssd attach to laptop it says that there is no bootable device... so, they don't see ssd like bootable...
Configuration:
Macbook pro 15 (late 2008 i think)model 3.1
128gb gskill falcon ssd
Mac firmware 1.3 (i think, how I can make upgrade and check fw ver under windows)
hdd firmware (1571)
Regards,
Benis

p.s. any sugestion for some other ssd that will work on this machine?

Can't boot from cd or dvd

i have a imac with isight 20 inch, when startup i get a grey screen with a folder that blinks with a question mark and the two faces symbol, when i leave it like this for a minut, fan starts blowing at full speed.
i run leopard with all the updates untill januari 7 2009
I have a iomega timemachine disk from this imac
i can not boot from a cd that came with this imac neither from the leopard dvd
how can i find out what is wrong? why can i not boot from cd (all threads i read say you should do this but it just won't go) i noticed my dvd drive often rejected cd's lately but after several trys i would eventually....
can i boot from a timemachine set up hdd from this broken imac to find out what hardware failed ?

If your hard drive fails, Time Machine cannot boot your computer. A bootable clone, which is an exact copy of your system and its contents, can be used to boot your machine, or, if you install a new drive, to reverse clone (or make the new drive exactly like to old one).
Time Machine can restore your system to the state it was in on any given day, but you must have a working hard drive with the OS installed on it. I use both TM and a clone that I automatically make with SuperDuper!, so that if I want to restore a file, I can use TM, if I want to exactly duplicate my HDD, I use my SD! clone and am up and running with an exact copy of my machine before the hard drive died.
You will be able to restore from TM once you have initialized the new drive and put an OS on it.

Can't Boot from bootable CD/DVD or USB.

I'm trying to install a new OS from a bootable DVD that I created. However, my T530 will not boot up from the DVD. I checked the boot order in the BIOS settings, and even explicitly tried to force to boot from my DVDROM usint the F12 boot menu. I've been able to boot from this DVD on my other computer.
Any way to diagnose whether my DVDROM is faulty, or is there perhaps some BIOS setting to fix this? I am able to read the disc from Windows, just can't boot from it. The laptop is brand new, just opened it up today, so I don't know why something as simple as this wouldn't just work.
Solved!
Go to Solution.

ThorsHammer wrote:
dreachem wrote:
I took a DVD drive from another Thinkpad and swapped that in. I still could not boot from the disc.
Next, I copied the ISO image to a USB stick and tried to boot from that instead. But it hung. I was able to boot from the same USB stick on another laptop.
All the signs seems to suggest the laptop is simply defective, which is extremely disappointing considering it is brand new and I waited for about a month to receive it. Is there anything else I can/should try (some diagnostic utility, perhaps?), or do I just send it in for a replacement?
Is you used the tool at http://www.microsoftstore.com/store/msstore/html/pbPage.Help_Win7_usbdvd_dwnTool to take the .ISO file and create the USB stick, I'd say you are right and have an issue with the system.
Did the system ship with Windows 8 and is safe boot turned on?
Yes, it is Windows 8 with Secure Boot on by default. I tried it both with it enabled and disabled, and it didn't work either way.

Hard disk errors, but can't boot from the install DVD

My mini reports disk errors when I run the Disk Utility Verify on the main boot hard drive. However, I have not been able to boot the computer from the install DVD. I try restarting while holding down the C key, and still it boots from the internal drive. I've tried option-restart, and do not get the opportunity to select a boot disk. An external USB drive, on which I periodically clone the main disk, now does not mount. Disk Utility says it too has errors, and it is unable to repair them. A third external USB drive appears to be OK.
The computer is still operating, apparently normally, otherwise. This computer should still be under warranty. I bought it in April, as I recall.
Any help will be much appreciated.

<sigh>
I've attempted most of these things.
The drive on which I had the system clone died at essentially the same time as the problem came up with the errors on the main drive. I suspect this was due to the same root cause, or a related problem, just because of the timing. I'd cloned the main drive approximately a week previously with apparently no problem.
I also have been unable to boot from the install DVD.
The other external drive, the one that still works, is one I use mostly for rolling backups of my documents, photo and music folders. It is not big enough to hold a clone of the main drive. In any case, I'm assuming that if I attempted to clone it now, it would either not work, or I'd simply copy the errors to the clone.
I haven't used the Time Machine, since I didn't feel I had an external drive large enough to make it useful.
What 3rd party software do you recommend? Keep in mind, as I also mentioned earlier, that the computer is still under warranty, and I'm loath to do anything that could be construed as voiding the warranty.
I'm also on a pretty restricted budget, due to recent car repairs.

How can I boot from my recovery dvd to reach the system recovery C: on a extern hard disc

I think a have a virus in my notebook Pavilion 15 and want to restore my C partition with a system back up. I made this system back up a month ago and it is stored on a extern hard disc. I have also made a recovery dvd. How can I boot my notebook from my dvd to start the procedure? I have 2 partions on my notebook. The second partition contains My Documents.
Thanks in advance.
Tineke

It is unlikely that the back-up of the system recovery, that you have stored on an external drive, will be useful in recovering your computer. Please see HP PCs - Performing an HP System Recovery (Windows 8), for instructions on using the HP Recovery Disc set your created earlier. Typically, the disc set is 4 to 6 DVDs.
If you have any further questions, please don't hesitate to ask.
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Can't Boot from OSX Install DVD

my problem is identical to this one and i can't find solution. so i don't unerstand what's wrong. i try Tiger and Leopard dist on CD and DVD media without success. if i restore distributive disk on partition on hard disk my mini is boot ok from it. DVD-drive seems to be ok coz i'm boot from that drive on Ubuntu or MorphOS without any trouble.
Message was edited by: hooddy
Message was edited by: hooddy

no it doesn't. and now i know that i need disk which complected my mini or retail box. thanx.

K410: Can't boot from Windows 8 DVD

I managed to screw up the partitions on my new K410 and when I tried to use the inbuilt recovery software I got the message "Lenovo service partition has been destroyed". Not to worry I thought. I'd only just setup the computer and had pretty much reached the conclusion that I'd like to do a clean build using an OEM Windows 8 DVD.
I obtained an OEM DVD but I cannot boot from it or any other bootable media despite trying pretty much every BIOS setting. The computer continues to load the Lenovo recovery environment and display the "Lenovo service partition..." message. I also can't bring up the one-time boot menu (F12) which is odd as I made a Windows recovery DVD when I first got the PC and was able to boot from it at that time.
I've performed a clean install of Windows on every computer I've ever owned and the fact that I'm having trouble with this computer is driving me nuts. Can anyone help?
Solved!
Go to Solution.

Hi Solid_Cruver,
Thanks, for your reply.
I tried following the steps laid out in the linked post but they did not resolve my problem. I was beginning to get a little frustrated with the computer booting from the recovery partition so I decided to see if the computer would boot from a DVD if there was no hard disk plugged in!
I opened the case up and unplugged the SATA lead from the HD. The computer booted from the DVD first time. I changed all the BIOS settings back to out of the box settings (i.e. UEFI, Secure boot, etc. enabled) and tried again. Same result!
I then connected the hard drive to my laptop using a USB to SATA cable and deleted all the partitions on the drive using DISKPART and the "CLEAN" command (FOR ANYONE READING THIS THREAD, PLEASE TAKE CARE WHEN USING DISKPART!). I then reconnected the SATA and HD power lead back into the drive and put the side back on the case.
At this point I started the computer up with a Windows 8 DVD in the DVD drive. The computer booted from the DVD and I installed Windows 8 without any issues. It even picked up the OEM key from the BIOS so that I didn't need to use the license that came with the DVD.
I hope this thread may help others in the future.

Can't boot from Windows 8 DVD to repair

I used this disc to install Windows 8 fine (download from Microsoft and burned on DVD). My install is corrupted (something about a corrupted file) and I can't boot. When I attempt to use the DVD (booting via pressing "C" or booting via the GUI) it asks me to press a key to boot from the disc, but it seems as if the computer is booting from the HD, ignoring the DVD. Help?

Hi Solid_Cruver,
Thanks, for your reply.
I tried following the steps laid out in the linked post but they did not resolve my problem. I was beginning to get a little frustrated with the computer booting from the recovery partition so I decided to see if the computer would boot from a DVD if there was no hard disk plugged in!
I opened the case up and unplugged the SATA lead from the HD. The computer booted from the DVD first time. I changed all the BIOS settings back to out of the box settings (i.e. UEFI, Secure boot, etc. enabled) and tried again. Same result!
I then connected the hard drive to my laptop using a USB to SATA cable and deleted all the partitions on the drive using DISKPART and the "CLEAN" command (FOR ANYONE READING THIS THREAD, PLEASE TAKE CARE WHEN USING DISKPART!). I then reconnected the SATA and HD power lead back into the drive and put the side back on the case.
At this point I started the computer up with a Windows 8 DVD in the DVD drive. The computer booted from the DVD and I installed Windows 8 without any issues. It even picked up the OEM key from the BIOS so that I didn't need to use the license that came with the DVD.
I hope this thread may help others in the future.

First PC Build: MSI P67A-G43 - Can't Boot From Windows 7 DVD

MB: MSI P67A-G43
HD: Seagate 1TB
DVD: HP 1260
CPU: Intel i5 2500K
I just built my first PC. In the BIOS I had it set to boot first from my DVD drive that has a 64-bit version of Windows 7 loaded. No matter what I tried, I received the message: "Reboot and Select Proper Boot Device"
So I have been on the phone with technical support, and they suggested I download a driver update, which I found HERE.
I have tried installing both the driver and the BIOS updates, but every time it says that the boot from the pen drive failed and to check the USB drive and ROM.
I've looked for answers all over the web, but the only ones I find assume that you've previously had Windows installed. This is a first boot though, and I really don't know what to do next. Can anyone help with this?
thanks!

If anyone would like to take a look at these OC settings that are default with my board as to a reason why it wouldn't be booting from the DVD drive or accepting the RAM, I would appreciate it.
urrent CPU Frequency: 100.00 x 33 MHz
Current DRAM Frequency: 1600 MHz
CPU Base Frequency [10kHz]: 10000
Adjust CPU Ratio: [33]
Adjusted CPU Frequency: 3300 MHz
Adjust CPU Ratio in OS: Disabled
Internal PLL Overvoltage: Auto
EIST: Enabled
Intel Turbo Boost: Enabled
OC Genie Button Operation: Disabled
DRAM Frequency: Auto
X.M.P. Disabled
Adjusted DRAM Frequency: 1600 MHz
DRAM Timing Mode: Auto
Spread Spectrum: Enabled
VDroop Control: Auto
CPU Core Voltage: Auto
DRAM Voltage: Auto
PCH 1.05 Auto
Then under CPU Features:
Active Processor Cores: All
Limit CPUID Maximum: Disabled
Execute Disable Bit: Enabled
Intel Virtualization Tech: Disabled
Intel VT-D Tech: Disabled
Power Technology: Custom
C1E Support: Disabled
Overspeed Protection: Enabled
Intel C-State: Enabled
Package C State Limit: Auto
Long duration power limit (w): 95
Long duration maintained (ms): 1000
Short duration power limit (w): 0
1-core ratio limit: 37
2-core ratio limit: 36
3-core ratio limit: 35
4-core ratio limit: 34

Can't boot from external USB DVD reader

Hi! I have a Lenovo IdeaPad S400 and a Samsung external DVD reader. Once, I've installed Windows 7 from that reader. Now I've got Ubuntu 12.10 and want to instal iATKOS ML2 and it just doesn't boot from that reader. It's not just that DVD. I've tried with the same Windows 7 and other Ubuntu disc but it doesn't show up neither.
I'm pretty sure that's something to do with the BIOS, but I can't figure out what!
Hope you can help me. Thanks!
Solved!
Go to Solution.

hi Tiiiincho,
Welcome to the Lenovo Forums.
Can you try to:
1. Press the One Key Recovery button on the left side of the PC and access the BIOS setup utility
2. On the BIOS, navigate to the Boot Tab and set UEFI Mode to Disabled.
3. Insert your iATKOS ML2 or any bootable installation disc and press F10 to save and exit BIOS.
4. During boot-up, hold the Fn key and continuously tap F12 and select the ODD drive on the boot manager.
Your iATKOS ML2 or any bootable installation disc should now start.
Hope this helps.
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Can't boot from USB or DVD. HP Pavilion g6-2257sr

My new notebook HP Pavilion g6-2257sr don't let me to boot from USB device.
When notebook's booting, I pressed ESC and F10. Then I set up UFEI boot order - USB-device / DVD / OS selector.
I use official Windows 7 disk, and several own USB devices with bootable images.
But rebboting use hard drive's OS all the same.
Please help. I want to delete current OS from my notebbok.
This question was solved.
View Solution.

Hi:
I would make a set of recovery disks first before proceeding.
To boot the PC you need to go into the BIOS and enable legacy mode.
Then you should be able to boot from another device.

Can not boot from Mac OS X Install Disc 1, G5, Snow Leopard

I have version 10.6.8 installed. Compter is a 2 x 2.66 GHz Dual-Core Intel Xeon. 6GB memory
I want to run Disk Utility and startup from the install CD that came with the computer (the grey one, disc 1, or even the retail disc Mac OS X Snow leopard, the whit one) but I CAN NOT DO IT. So frustrating.
I restart, hold down the "C" key, before the chime, after the chime, every which way, and my Mac always acts as if I am simply restarting, goes right to the login screen everytime. I tried holding down OPTION on restart to choose which to startup from, but only saw the hard drive as an option. I open System Preferences, Startup Disk and the install CD does not even show up as a choice to start from, yet the install CD shows up in the finder.
What am I doing wrong?
Thanks

OK.
According to the knowledge base that model should have shipped with Tiger, 10.4.7.
Going to need some thought here, though. I was going to suggest a possible problem with the optical drive, but you say the DVD mounts on the desktop as a normal DVD would?
Nevertheless, do you have access to another Mac or an external HD with a bootable OS X on it (later than the Tiger version your Mac Pro shipped with)?
If so, try booting from the external, or from the other Mac using Firewire Target Disk mode, and using DU from one of those sources to repair the MP's internal HD, then try the disc(s) again.

Upgraded MBPro hard drive, can't boot from hdd or dvd

Hey all,
I got my mid-2010 15" Macbook Pro back from the Apple store a few days ago (they had replaced a faulty logic board). As the repair forced me to back up my data, I decided it was a good time to upgrade the size of my hard drive.
I slapped a blank WD 1TB in there but when I went to boot off the Snow Leopard DVD, nothing happened--my computer froze on the gray screen with the Apple logo (curiously no spinning wheel populated). It was evident the DVD would eventually spin down as well. I then tried booting off a properly formatted 10.6.3 USB--same results (mind you, my iMac booted the USB with no problem).
After resetting the PRAM (nothing), I booted my MacBook into target disk mode and then used my iMac to install Snow Leopard on the (now initialized) 1TB drive. No issues. iMac was able to boot off my MacBook's hard drive just fine. But when I try booting my MacBook, it hangs at the same grey screen with the Apple logo (even if I hold Option to select the hdd).
To be sure, I cracked my MacBook open again then tried booting with the old 320GB drive--the machine's working just fine, thankfully I didn't seem to screw it up. In fact, I'm writing this from my MacBook that's booted off of my iMac's hard drive through target disk mode.
This is an odd problem if I've ever seen one. It's as if the mere presence of a foreign hard drive has thrown my laptop into a lockdown. I've effectively ruled out a defective hdd and a defective laptop, yet I can't get the two to play nice. The conspiracist inside of me wonders if the new logic board has any "safety" mechanisms to blame...
Thoughts? Ideas? Thanks in advance for your help.
Anthony

S.U. -- Thanks for your help!
I actually got to the bottom of the problem, and it was a much simpler fix than I anticipated. The Snow Leopard DVD I was using was an older version than the one that shipped with my MacBook. As I don't know where that DVD is, I used target disk mode to install Snow Leopard on my MacBook, updated it, and am typing on it right now.
DrBurke--I hope your problem is as simple to solve as mine was.

Can't boot from OS CD/DVD - ejects disc with no message

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