Can't format my macbook pro using the instructions on here or google or youtube. Please Help!!

Question

I'm trying to format my macbook pro using OS X 10.5.8. I've tried all the instructions that I could find, but still no luck.
Instructions examples:
1) Go into disk utility and erase the hard drive.
Problem: when I do that, it doesn't let me because the erase button is in the "greyed", so I can't click on that.
2) Restart the computer and hold down "c" and follow the instrctions...
Problem: I did that, but it just restart normally, it doesn't take me to some special screen.
3) Restart with the Mac OS CD installer and hold down "c" as it reboots.
Problem: same as number 2.
4) Restart and hold down "option" - disk utility - erase HD
Problem: I did that, and the hard drive icon with the arrow pointing up pops up; however, when I click on it, it just boot up as usual, and when I go into disk utility, I had the same problem as number 1.
This is really frustrating!! Please help!!
Thanks all!

Answer 1

Steve_13 wrote:
I'm trying to format my macbook pro using OS X 10.5.8. I've tried all the instructions that I could find, but still no luck.
Instructions examples:
1) Go into disk utility and erase the hard drive.
Problem: when I do that, it doesn't let me because the erase button is in the "greyed", so I can't click on that.
That only works for other drives/partitions, you can't format or erase the boot drive/volume/partition obviously.
2) Restart the computer and hold down "c" and follow the instrctions...
Problem: I did that, but it just restart normally, it doesn't take me to some special screen.
No disk inserted, you need a bootable disk to use the c key at boot.
3) Restart with the Mac OS CD installer and hold down "c" as it reboots.
Problem: same as number 2.
Perhaps you held it too late.
4) Restart and hold down "option" - disk utility - erase HD
Problem: I did that, and the hard drive icon with the arrow pointing up pops up; however, when I click on it, it just boot up as usual, and when I go into disk utility, I had the same problem as number 1.
The option key held at boot gives you Startup Manager, which gives you a choice of bootable options provided the boot cd is inserted obviously.
If you didn't wait for the cd boot option to appear and clicked the hard drive and arrow right away, it's possible you missed the cd boot option as it takes a bit longer to appear on the screen.
If you went all over the above and can't boot from the 10.5 cd, then what likely occured is your operating system was upgraded to a later OS X version like 10.6 or later and the firmware has been updated to ignore booting or recognizing that 10.5 boot disk as that operating system is now obsolete.
Another option is your using the wrong 10.5 disk, like it's from another model of Mac with different hardware drivers, thus can't be used on your machine.
Sometimes the disk is a retail copy, but is only for compatible Mac's that came PRIOR to the release of the retail disk, obviously not for Mac's that came afterwards because of new hardware drivers not on the burned disk.
If your machine is on 10.4, it might not have enough RAM for 10.5.
If your machine is on 10.5 now, then you should be able to boot from the disk that came with the machine, unless it's defective, scratched or dirty.
If your Mac is a Intel processor Mac, then you should be using 10.6 at least now, it's still getting updates to 10.6.8 (not for Safari or Java 6, but you can disable both and use Firefox)
Usually a 10.5 issued Mac is too old for the later OS X versions of 10.7 and later, perhaps the MacPro tower being the rare exceptions.
OS X 10.4/10.5 need to upgrade, 10.6.8 ok still
Also usually a 10.5 era issued Mac is beyond it's end of life stage, likely to die soon and not worth spending great sums of money to upgrade RAM and all software for 10.7 and beyond, your better off buying a new machine for 10.7+ or use it on 10.6.8 max until it drops dead or sell it online.
You didn't state your Mac's model identifier, it can be gleamed from System Profiler or Apple menu > About this Mac > More information.
With the model identifier, current operating system version running and the RAM amount installed, we can look up the machine on our database and recommend a course of action or if you cannot install 10.5 on that machine.