Installing Leopard without DVD drive?

I have an older MacBook that I have replaced with the Air, but now want to use the older one as a music and photo server (given the size of the Air's disk). I want to install Leopard on it, but the DVD drive on the old machine is scrogged. I can think of several ways to do this, but any suggestions as to which of those possibilities works?

Louis Goldstein
wrote:
(1) Use another machine to create disk image of the installation DVD on a bootable firewire drive. Boot the MacBook from the firewire drive.
(2) Attach the MacBook to an iMac via firewire. Boot the MacBook in target mode. Put the Installation DVD in iMac drive. Install onto the MacBook.
For (1), disk images aren't bootable. What you have to do is restore the install disk to a FWHD partition, using Disk Utility. For (2), that'll work as long as the iMac, when booted with the install disk can see the MB's HD.
However, nerowolfe's comment is the germane one: dual-layer DVD readers/writers are available for under $100 US and that'll make your MB totally usable.

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How do I install Tiger without DVD drive?

How do I install Tiger without DVD drive on a Powerbook?
My Powerbook had some problems recently, the HDD and the Superdrive where gone. I replaced the HD but can not get Tiger installed here because the DVD drive isn't working. I boot right now from a FW HD. Any Ideas how to install the OS on the internal drive?
Any ideas would be apreciated.

See Option 2 in
<http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=304129> or Option 1 in
<http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=303028>
It has worked for at least one person:
"Kenichi Watanabe
Posts: 853
Registered: 2-Sep-2003
Re: Using DVD drive in iMac G4 for iMac G3 in Target Disk Mode-->won't read DVD
Posted: 26-Oct-2006 4:37 PM in response to: AJ Nealey
Reply Email
I just tried it between a Power Mac G5 and a PowerBook G3 (Pismo) and it worked. The G5 was Mac in Firewire Target Disk Mode. I started the G5 with the T with no DVD in the drive. I started up the G3, and the G5's hard drive appeared on the G3's desktop. I pushed the eject key (on the G5 keyboard) and the SuperDrive opened. I put in a DVD (the Tiger installation disk) and closed the SuperDrive. The DVD appeared on the G3's desktop. I restarted the G3 with the Option key held down, and the DVD in the G5 appeared as a valid startup choice."

Need help in installing Snow Leopard without DVD drive

Hi,
I have a White Macbook 2008 model with 2.1 ghz processor and 1 GB Ram. The dvd rom is not working in my machine. It spits out the dvd's 99 out of 100 times.
I need to upgrade from 10.5.8 to 10.6. Apple has sent me a single disk to install snow leopard.
I am not willing to invest in new dvd drive either internal or external. Needed help on ways to install snow leopard please apart from using the dvd option.
I do have a Firewire 400 cable but i do not know anybody anymore who has a mac machine with 400 port.
Hence the cable is also useless and i cannot connect to anyother macbook and do the install using their drive.
Please suggest.
Regards,
Rahul

There are no direct options. Find a friend with a Mac that has a working optical drive. Buy an 8GB USB flash drive. Partition and format it for the Mac then clone the mounted DVD to the flash drive. Take it back to your computer and boot from the flash drive.
Boot Using OPTION key:
1. Restart the computer.
2. Immediately after the chime press and hold down the
"OPTION" key.
3. Release the key when the boot manager appears.
4. Select the disk icon for the flash drive.
5. Click on the arrow button below the icon.

Install OS without DVD drive?

I want to updgrade a g4 powerbook from 10.2 to 10.4 (10.5 if possible). The computer doesn't have a DVD drive. Can I book from an external firewire drive and then install from a Leopard disk image?
thanks

*How To: Installing Tiger Using FireWire Target Disk Mode*
http://www.applelinks.com/p5/index.php/more/osx_odyssey_752_how_to_installing_tiger_using_firewire_target_diskmode/
Does the Powerbook meet the Leopard requirements?
*Leopard Technical Requirements*
http://www.apple.com/macosx/techspecs/
You can upgrade directly to Tiger or Leopard without going to intermediate OSs.
 Cheers, Tom

Can I install Tiger without DVD drive?

Hello all!
I need your advice and help!
Today I finally added more RAM to my iMac and proceeded to upgrade to OSX. I bought v10.4.3 Tiger at a retail location. Nothing happens after I inserted the installation DVD. Then I realised that I probably do not have a DVD drive! (I did look at the system requirement page and saw a slot loading iMac there ...)
Is there any way I could install Tiger? All your help is much appreciated!
kris

First, have you installed the firmware update required for your model? You must boot directly into OS 9.1 or higher (but not OS X) to install the firmware update.
Secondly, your hard drive must be formatted Mac OS Extended (Journaled) for Tiger.
If you open your Apple System Profiler it should tell you if you have a DVD drive. It was an option on your model, especially if you have the DV model.
If you don't have a DVD drive, then there are ways to install Tiger without one. One way is to exchange the DVD for a CD set from Apple. Visit the Apple OS X site to find the form needed for the exchange.
The following KB articles present alternatives for installing Tiger without a DVD:
http://www.oreillynet.com/pub/wlg/6976
http://www.applelinks.com/p5/index.php/more/osx_odyssey_752_how_to_installing_tiger_using_firewire_target_diskmode/
You can also use an external Firewire DVD drive provided it is a bootable drive.

How do you install MACOSX without DVD drive?

hey guys,
I have a Powerbook, the DVD drive does not work anymore. I would like to format my Powerbook. I remember hearing that you can install MAC OSX via network?
The Powerbook is my only MAC computer, I have another computer which is a PC running on Windows XP. Is there anyway I can put my original MAC OSX bootup disk on the PC and have it read by the Powerbook via ethernet network?
If there is a more simpler solution, please advise.
PS. I'm aware I can use an external firewire DVD drive, but I do not have access to any at this point, and unfortunately can't spend money on one. I'm broke from school tuition, books and the necessities of life.
Thanks again for your help and support.
Teddy

You can only install OS X over a server running OS X Server. If you don't have access to an Apple server then you cannot install over a network.
If you have access to another Mac with a good DVD drive it is possible to use Target Disk Mode to do what you want.
How To- Installing Tiger Using FireWire Target Disk Mode
How to Use FireWire Target Disk Mode

Installing CS4 without DVD Drive.

I Have Adobe CS4 Web Premium Student Edition and an ultra-portable laptop PC that has no DVD drive, Can I Install it on my Laptop? Will it work if i extract the ISOs on Daemon Tools on a computer with a disk drive, putting the ISOs onto a USB hard drive, and mount them on my laptop an install them using my auhentic product key?

elite_batn wrote:
and adobe will have no problemas with this, as long as i have the real product key and liscence?
Why would they care? You can download the same software from the Adobe website (demo versions) which can be activated at any time with a valid serial number.There's nothing magic about the plastic disks. It's only a delivery medium.
Russell

Help installing Snow Leopard without DVD drive

Hi all,
I've seen this question posted before but the solutions are not working for me.
I have a MacBook Pro running 10.4.11. I bought the 10.6.3 Snow Leopard Install DVD from Apple but my DVD reader just keeps ejecting it, lens must have died.
My roomate has a Windows 7 laptop, and I see here that I can put my DVD into his DVD player, and remote it over our wireless and install it to my laptop.
I've run through the instructions but I can't see Remote Disc under the Mac's finder.
I've made sure to run the following commands in my Mac console too but no luck:
defaults write com.apple.NetworkBrowser EnableODiskBrowsing -bool true
defaults write com.apple.NetworkBrowser ODSSupported -bool true
Is it possible to even do a remote install via one Windows 7 Laptop and my MacBook Pro with no optical drive? Do I have some other kind of options to get this upgrade working?
Any and all help will be appreciated!

xxo wrote:
Hi all,
I've seen this question posted before but the solutions are not working for me.
What solutions have you tried other than the one you already mentioned?
Please detail all you have done to resolve your issue. Need this information so that the users can avoid the "been there, done that" scenario type responses. This is to avoid repeating the troubleshooting you may have already tried. Thank you.
Check out the postings in the "More Like This" section over here------------------->

Need help installing Snow Leopard without DVD drive

Hi all,
I posted this question under MacBook Pro but didn't get much help.
I have a MacBook Pro running 10.4.11. I bought the 10.6.3 Snow Leopard Install DVD from Apple but my DVD reader just keeps ejecting it, optical drive must have died.
My roomate has a Windows 7 laptop, and I see here that I can put my DVD into his DVD player, and remote it over our wireless and install it to my laptop.
I've run through the instructions but I can't see Remote Disc under the Mac's finder.
I found another article with similar instructions that included some console code. I've made sure to run the following commands in my Mac console too but no luck:
defaults write com.apple.NetworkBrowser EnableODiskBrowsing -bool true
defaults write com.apple.NetworkBrowser ODSSupported -bool true
Is it possible to even do a remote install via one Windows 7 Laptop and my MacBook Pro with no optical drive? Do I have some other kind of options to get this upgrade working?
Any and all help will be appreciated!

That's actally a pretty good and cost effective way to do it. I see some from Walmart for like $30, and it's possible to refund them if it doesn't work.
Thank you

HT3910 install leopard without dvd

I need help!!
There's any way to install de leopard 10.5 without a original dvd?
Tanks.

No. Order replacement discs or buy 10.6.3 $30
MacBook Pro
https://discussions.apple.com/community/notebooks/macbook_pro
https://discussions.apple.com/community/mac_os
http://www.apple.com/support/macbookpro

Need help booting from DMG file without DVD drive

okay so i have 6 computers with me right now. i need to use one that has a dvd drive to install it on a comp that doesnt via firewire.
1- macbook with superdrive and os 10.5 (cant even open tiger install because its a new macbook
2-iBook g4 with DVD drive BUT the firewire port is broken
3-iBook g3 (one that needs tiger but only has a cd drive)
4-ibook g3 (without dvd drive)
5-powerbook g4 with dvd drive and firewire (for some reason will not read the tiger discs i just burned, even though ive already used them on the ibook g4
6-mac pro with firewire and dvd drive, but the dvd drive is broken.
so seems to me, every computer i have has a weakness for exactly what i need. what i need to know now is if i can boot the powerbook g4 from a DMG file of tiger install disc 1 and install is to the target ibook through firewire. if you have any suggestions on what i should try with the supplies mentioned above, please inform me. thanks!

what i need to know now is if i can boot the powerbook g4 from a DMG file of tiger install disc 1 and install is to the target ibook through firewire.
You can't unless the PowerBook is running Mac OS X Server, in which case the NetInstall feature can be used.
(38733)

Can I install Windows without optical Driver

Hi!
I have a Macbook pro Early 2008 - MB134LL/A but its optical driver cannot read any disc. Now I want to install Windows via BootCamp but it cannot. Anybody know how can I install Windows without optical Driver? I tried to boot by USBflash, USB DVD Driver but it cannot boot.
I think that does external optical drivers via firewire work?
Thanks alot!

Thank you for your reply, and the information. This is what I came up with:
I added the strings as instructed, however when I went to sign the script in terminal, I was told:
/Applications/Utilities/Boot Camp Assistant.app: replacing existing signature
/Applications/Utilities/Boot Camp Assistant.app: code object is not signed at all
In subcomponent: /Applications/Utilities/Boot Camp Assistant.app/Contents/info.plist
Also, here are screen captures of the lines that I added. Mine are the top string entries:
Thank you for your help, thus far!

Is it possible to install a HD-DVD drive on a Satellite P20

Hi Everyone
Is it possible to install a HD-DVD drive on my P20?
My screen has died, so I'm going to use this machine as a dedicated Media Centre attached to my TV.
If I can install a HD-DVD drive it would help a lot.
Regards
Richard

Well, I dont believe that you will be able to use a new HD drive or blue ray drive on this notebook but who knows everything depends on the master / slave and c-sel settings.
Its possible to change such settings on external desktop drives by switching the jumper but something like that is not possible on slim line internal drivesusually the firmware controls this settings on notebooks drives.
It seems nobody tried upgrade the P20 with such drive that because this is a new technology and at this time you will not find many internal HD or Blue Ray drives on the market.
However, please come back and report if you have more info about the upgrade.

Already i download driver for install the windows, i can get the drivers but i can't install windows, how i can install windows without downloads driver again

already i download driver for install the windows, i can get the drivers but i can't install windows, how i can install windows without download driver again

This seems to be a commercial product. For the best chance at finding a solution I would suggest posting in the forum for HP Business Support!
You can find the Commercial Laserjet board here:
http://h30499.www3.hp.com/t5/Printers-LaserJet/bd-p/bsc-413
Best of Luck!
You can say thanks by clicking the Kudos Star in my post. If my post resolves your problem, please mark it as Accepted Solution so others can benefit too.

How to install Leopard without working DVD-drive?

I have a MacBook Pro 3,1 (A1226) without a working DVD-drive and I would like to replace the existing 80Gb drive with a 320Gb drive. The hardware is no problem, I did that a few times already, but how to get the OS working?
I have an TimeMachine backup on a USB-disk of the 10.5.8 (9L31a) installed system. I do not wish to upgrade because there is some old licensed software on it that does not work with a newer OS.
I also have another MacBook Pro (with 10.7.5) I could hook up with an Ethernet-cable. Theoretically even with a Firewire cable I do not have right now. But when I buy extra things I should perhaps better get an external hard disk enclosure for the 320Gb?
Please advice.

Am gonna solve it in another way. I will just get a so-called "9.5 mm PATA Optical Bay SATA Hard Drive Enclosure" and put the 320Gb drive in that one. Sorry to have distracted you.

Installing Leopard without DVD drive?

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