My older i7 core iMac refuses to boot off install DVD

Can't seem to reboot off install discs. Stripped & reformatted couple year old i7 Core iMac 27" for Wifey at Christmas, and no iphoto, and finally noticed no way to download. spits out install discs like chewing tobacco.
OS 10.6.8, 2.8GHz i7 core, 12gb ram.
What on earth is going on???
Anyone got any clues?

The first thing to try is a drive cleaning disk. A dirty optical drive can cause that symptom. The dry type with fine brushes works best for me.
As these cost only US$5-15, they are an ecomonical first step that may revice the drive.
A friend had a Mac doing what your is and was told by a certified Apple tech that his drive was dead and required replacing--about US$150 for his model. I loaned him my cleaning disk and that was sufficient to restore the drive to 100 percent function.

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Mac Mini (PPC) won't boot off install DVD

I'm having a major issue with my 1.24GHZ G4 Mac Mini. What I want to do is reformat the HD and reinstall OSX. But for some bizarre reason the machine refuses to boot off any OSX install DVD I throw at. I've tried Jaguar and Panther as well. If I hold down the C key during reboot and wait for the Apple logo to come up, I get that but it goes no farther. I can hear the drive being accessed (and I know it's not fault because it works fine under OSX) and yet I end up getting stuck at that logo screen. I can reboot the system normally into OSX Tiger.
I also strangely cannot partition the hard drive from within Disk Utility.
Can anyone give advice?

Possible options/questions...
a) Have you tried using the original Install DVD that came with it?
b) Have you tried booting into Single user mode and checked the drive? (Hold down Apple-S until it boots into text mode and when you finally get the prompt type 'fsck -fy' without the quotes).
c) Also, you may wish to try resetting the PRAM immediately before booting from CD. Let it reset THREE times (hold down Apple-Option-P-R or WinKey-Alt-P-R until it has chimed 4 times) and then hold down the C key to boot from your Install DVD.

How do I get my imac (10.6.8) to boot off install dvd using BT keyboard

Due to an unfortunate error while setting a new admin password, I don't have an admin password.
Looks like using the install dvd is the way to go to reset the admin passwd.
However, none of the keyboard options to restart using the install disc seem to work - they all go to the normal boot.
I've tried reading and following various options, including powering up the keyboard just before rebooting.
Any new ideas?

None, until you tell us the various options you tried. Please detail what you have done so far in the way of troubleshooting? Need this info to avoid the "been there done that" scenarios.

New iMAC. TRIED TO INSTALL LEOPARD. EJECTS CD. WON'T BOOT OFF INSTALL CD

WHAT A NIGHTMARE!New iMac came today-- with antique software. Tiger installed from factory-- and way out of date. Leopard DVD included in box-- tried to install- just keeps ejecting the CD when trying to do the reboot. 2.5 hours on the phone with overseas Apple support (ha!)-- machine will not boot from install CD's (either Leopard or Tiger). Keeps ejecting the cd.
What crap. ANybody else have this problem? I bought a mac because I didn't want to fight sw issues. Boy was this a mistake.
Any advice appreciated, or I'm sending the POS back to Apple get a refund and buy a Dell.

l8_apexer wrote:
what would you think of ordering a machine based on seeing it demoed with Leopard-- only to have it shipped from the factory in China with Tiger-- and first thing it does is look for softwre updates-- and find over 150MB of updates it wants to install-- -within its first 15 minutes of being powered up????
If that's not shipping a machine with old software- I don't know what is.
What's the fuss about apple anyway? Shipping machines that don't have current sw loaded, won't boot from install DVDs, and then tell the customer that it will take two weeks to replace the unit-- or I can drive to an APple store (with gas at 3.25 a gallon which is an hour away) and maybe they can fix it, but not sure if the parts are available?
Has anybody else had this problem?
I would ask for a new machine with Leopard pre-installed which is what you expected to get and paid for. I can only assume it's an older machine since the new ones do come with Leopard installed.
My opinion, for what it's worth is to return it and ask for the new Leopard version.

IMac refuses to boot properly - hardware problem?

Hi all, I'm having some problems with my iMac (purchased last October) and was hoping some kind soul could shed some light.
Here's where I'm at now.
- The iMac doesn't boot. When I press the power button, it chimes, but then nothing happens and I just see the white/grey screen.
- I have disconnected all 3rd party peripherals, and only have original keyboard and mouse attached.
- No matter what keyboard combo I try, nothing happens either. I managed to eject the disc once by pressing the mouse button, but no other key combos work.
- I must have rebooted about 30 times now, and only twice did something happen:
1. Once it sat on the white screen for a bit, and then displayed a grey folder with a questionmark in it, but then nothing else happened.
1. Once I did get it to boot from the CD, and I got to the installation screen. At this stage I tried a couple of different things. First I tried Disk Utility, and the HD is indeed listed in the sidebar (although it's listed as 'disk0s2' rather than 'Macintosh HD'. When I picked the First Aid tab, both Repaid Disk Permissions and Verify Disk Permissions are greyed out (i.e. I can't press them). When I went to press Repair, I got the following error message.
+Verify and Repair disk 'disk0s2'+
+Checking HFS Plus Volume+
+Invalid node structure+
+Invalid record count+
+Catalog file entry not found for extent+
+Volume check failed+
+Error: The underlying task reported failure on exit+
+1 HFS volume checked+
+1 volume could not be repaired because of an error+
So, I could do nothing in Disk Utility. I then thought "well, I'll just surrender then and reinstall OS X", but when I went back to the Install screen and proceeded, and it asked me where to install the OS, there was nothing to choose from. Usually 'Macintosh HD' is listed along with any other disks. Not this time. So, I shut down the computer again, and now I can't back to the screen (i.e. it refuses to boot from the CD again and instead just spits out the disc).
So then I phoned Apple. But because I don't have their service plan (and the free one only lasts 90 days after purchase), he couldn't help much. He did say though that if it spits out the disc, it could be hardware problem, and my warranty would cover it.
So, should I just give up, realise my HD is screwed and my data is gone, and hand it in for service? Or can anyone here shed some more light on my situation?
Even a "yes, you're screwed, hand it in" would suffice, if that's indeed where I am.
Thanks,
Hanna
Edited for spelling by Nunis

Thank you, dwb. I did just manage to boot from the DVD again, but again I'm seeing the same problems.
Screencaps:
http://nunis.net/misc/screencaps/boot.jpg
http://nunis.net/misc/screencaps/boot2.jpg
And I have been backing up, but I just got back from vacation, so my last backup is 2 weeks old and the things I was worried about saving was the work I did on my vacation photos and video. Also, you'd be kicking a girl when she's down, which would be even worse.
I think I'll definitely hand it in now, and ask the tech to rescue whatever data he can. I don't care if it costs me a bit, if it means rescuing my vacation photos.
Thanks again, you've been most helpful.

Can older dual core iMac be external monitor to new (lion) imac

If yes, how do they need to be connected and configured?

Thanks, classic II for the reply. You are right--I should consider configuring my old Mac to be a wireless device if/when I get a new iMac, however I still would need my flash drive to have embroidery designs on it in order to get the designs into xp under bootcamp.
It was painful for me to get my dual core iMac upgraded to 1 meg for snow leopard. I could drive 50 miles to an authorized apple person, leave my iMac and he would order and install the 2 gig memory and in addition charge me $300 to fix the cd drive that was barely off warranty or do what I did. Local apple store would install a half Meg of memory but couldn't do the ordering. So I ordered 500 meg memory from on line apple store, had it shipped to my house, and then had apple store install it--to get me to 1 Gig, so I could install snow leopard--I think the apple store installed it for no charge since I ordered the memory from on line apple store, and didn't have to drive 50 miles, one way--twice.
What I have is working for me, so I guess I'll just watch what happens with lion and icloudI and apple tv (and bernina v6 software which only runs under windows7 on macs) and move on to new iMac when things are settled.

Hi guys I'm really in need of some help. I have an IMac I3 for a while now I've been having a problem of my machine refusing it shut down , it goes to a blue screen with a spinning wheel but doesn't shut down. And now won't boot from install DvD

Please some one help me ...
A) my mac won't shut down with external HD connected (if it's been used)
B) there are disk permissions that can't be fixed SUID stuff ..
C) I have now verified the Mac HD and it tells me it's corrupt in bold red writing and to start up from install DVD
D) it won't boot from DVD so I cannot run the repair , initially the machine was spitting it out on start up , now it appears to be attempting to boot off DVD , well it sounds like it is .... BUT it's hanging with the Mac Logo and a wheel ... For um .... 30min now...
E) weirdly when OSX is booted off the hard drive , it won't recognise the Install DvD or the applications one... It just spits them out....
I had an old PPC 17" and it was a beaut .... Never had a single problem with it ...
I bought this one December 2010 and it's been nothing but issues for a computer in excess of £1000 I'm extremely disappointed ... And weirdly the shutting down issue started when it was a week out of warrantee ... I feel conned and am almost at the point of throwing it at a wall and buying a PC

Ok so I've done what you said and this is what it's come back ....
I don't know that these are the errors , but they're the things which don't look right ...
Throughout the shut down there is a recurring line ;
It says ;
Com.apple.launchd 1 0x100600e70.anonymous.unmount 301 PID still valid
Then there are 2 more which I think are related ;
Com.apple.securityd 29 PID job has I overstayed its welcome , forcing removal.
Then the same with fseventd 48 and diskarbitrationd 13
Oh and on Launchd1 : System : stray anonymous job at shut down : PID 301 PPID13 PGID 13 unmount...
Then the last process says "about to call: reboot (RB_AUTOBOOT).
Continuing...
And stops ...
Hope this means something to you ... Thanks again for your help so far :-)

IMac won't boot to install disk, normally or in safe mode! Please help

Hi everyone,
I'm using my iPhone so please excuse any spelling or grammatical errors.
I have a 27" quad-core iMac bought about a year ago.
Today I went to reformat the harddrive as I'm selling the machine to a friend. First the iMac would not boot to the install disk - it just gets stuck on the apple logo screen, but with no spinning wheel - now it won't even start up normally! I've attempted to start up in safe-mode but again it gets stuck on the apple screen and there's a strange clicking noise, which sounded like it was coming from the cd drive area.
It's a shame this happened today, right before I was supposed to give the computer to it's new owner. I really don't want them to think I was trying to sell them a computer with problems.
I've tried a basic hardware test and it came back with no problems.
Can anyone help?

Try using the original Install Disc that came with the machine, do not try any other DVD. Put it in the SuperDrive, while holding down the power button also hold down the Option button on the keyboard. It should start and give you the option of starting from either the internal HD or the Install Disc. Choose the Install Disc, select the language, choose the Utilities Menu, Disk Utility, then select the internal HD, select the Erase tab and set it to Mac OS Extended (Journaled) and click erase. Then exit Disk Utility and continue with the install process to reload OS X.
Roger

IMac i7 not booting from Replacement DVD

After having displaced the installation DVDs for my Quad-Core iMac i7 I needed to order a replacement kit from Apple when I all of a sudden found myself wanting to reinstall SL.
After a couple of days I received "Mac OS X Snow Leopard Install DVD - Replacement DVD 2Z691-6558-A" in the mail.
Problem is, when trying to boot from this DVD the computer halts at the Apple logo. No spinning wheel, it just sits there showing the logo ad infinitum (leaving it overnight - no progress).
The install DVD works fine in my Macbook, and I can boot a Windows 7 install DVD in my iMac.
Wouldn't this indicate that the Replacement DVD I have received is not suitable for my specific iMac model?
Message was edited by: vibber

Brilliant. Turned out (as I suspected, but was assured not to be the case) that Apple support had sent (and charged me $30 for) the wrong Replacement DVD.
My model needs 2Z691-6590, -6591 or -6608, not 2Z691-6558-A, according to the repair guys. Guess it's too much to ask that the iMac could display a proper error message stating this fact, yesno?
To add insult to injury I will of course be charged a further $100 for the diagnostics (I have no time and energy to even attempt arguing myself out of that one).
What I probably should do is put my iMac up for sale, and use the funds to get a Wintel box. At my age I need to feel at least a little bit in control of my computer.

IMac won't boot from install disc

My iMac has been running a little slow the past two days and so I ran Disk Utility. DU reported that I had the incorrect number of thread records and an invalid volume count. It instructed me to repair the disk by booting from the install disc. The problem is that when I try to boot from the install disc (after I choose the disc from the options), I just get a gray screen with the apple logo on it. Nothing else happens, no disc activity, nothing.
Anyone have any ideas as to how to get my iMac to boot from the disc and, ultimately, to get Repair Disc running from DU?
Thanks,
Rich

It should only take a minute or so at most to boot from the DVD.
If your sure you have the correct Install Disk for that iMac, I'd start over. Then if it still doesn't work then perhaps a trip to your Local Apple Service Provider with the Disk or Disk and iMac is in order.
http://www.apple.com/buy/locator/service/
Alternately using the correct Disk as per the following article, see if you can run the Apple Hardware Test? > http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1509

IMac refuses to allow OS install --trying to reset iMac

I want to reset an iMac back to the original state before it was used.
Things I have tried include :
At startup pressing C and booting of the DVD Installation
Result: screen freezes with Apple logo waited 15 min before restart
Changed boot sequence using the DVD Install Utility program to boot the CD
Result: Apple logo with 'moving gear' then choose Utility, then OS reset got one of two messages
- nice format stating A new OS could not be installed or
- a bugfix dump requesting a hard reboot...
MACs are new to me but I thought I could wipe out an existing HD and reload the OS. So far no luck,

I got it, here are some articles that will help you on how to prepare a Mac for sale.
Prepare a Mac For Sale & Preparing your Mac for sale.

Won't boot from install DVDs

I have an iMac here that refuses to boot from the install DVDs, no matter what.
I tried booting using the alt key, the C key, using the DVD in the Finder and restarting and via the startup disk in the System prefs. I always get one of the two following results: - either the DVD seems to startup, but then puts itself into a loop where it doesn't get to the installer and restarts the computer, - or it simply bypasses the DVD altogether and boots from the the internal hard disk...
I tried using various (full and legit) OS10.5 installation DVDs with the same results as above...
I've performed these operations many times in the past without problem, and It's actually the first I see a Mac that refuses to boot from an install DVD...
I thought maybe if firmware password protection enabled somehow... Would that do that?

You need an installation DVD to turn firmware protection off, ironically.
I doubt it is the issue here, though. If it was enabled, it would show a grey lock when you try to hold down option while booting up.
Is the iMac you are trying to boot from the DVD Leopard compatible as far as processor and RAM? My brother's iMac w/ 256 MB RAM cannot boot Leopard at all.
Message was edited by: Mac OS 9000

Wiped macbook pro will not boot from install DVD

I recently purchased an older MacBook Pro that came with the OS system wiped but it did have the original Install DVDs. The computer will not boot from the DVD. I have booted holding down the C key and nothing happens. I have booted holding down the Option key and it shows the Install DVD and I select this and nothing happens.
How do I get it to open up the Utilities from the DVD to install the operating system?

It could be a problem with the optical drive, but also may be due to the DVD's being for a different model.
Exactly which MBP do you have, and what serial numbers are on the discs ?.

Powermac G5 won't boot from install dvd.

The hard drive in my Powermac G5 quit, so I put in a new one that was formatted. I put the install DVD (OSX Server 10.4) in and booted. Every time I try I get a kernel panic. Everything else in the computer works. I have tried putting it into target disk mode and installing the OS using another computer, but it won't let me because the computer doesn't run tiger. I have also tried putting the functioning Mac into TDM with the install disk in it, then booting it from that but I still get a kernel panic. The computer was functioning normally before the hard drive crashed.

OK, that's a Late 2005 G5...
http://www.everymac.com/systems/apple/powermac_g5/specs/powermac_g5_dual_2.3.htm l
Pre-Installed MacOS:
X 10.4.2 (8E90)
Maximum MacOS:
X 10.5.8
So, If that Install Disc is in fact 10.4.0 as I suspect, then it won't work for your G5... no drivers.
I can only see a couple of options at this point...
1. A newer Install Disc.
2. An older Mac & a Firewire drive to install it to, update to 10.4.11, move FW drive to G5.

Booting Windows Install DVD

I had always split my iMac in to two partitions. One for OSX, one for Windows via Boot Camp and then used that sometimes via Boot Camp and others via VM Ware Fusion. Recently whenever I tried to boot to Windows the computer would hang, and I've have to reset and instead load OSX. All the while I was able to load the Boot Camp partition through VM Ware Fusion.
Having played around a bit I couldn't find an easy solution so I decided to just reformat the HDD as I'd been intending to increase the Windows partition size for a while anyway. So I backed up my OSX install with Super Duper, reformatted, and was able to restore the clone of my HDD to it's new smaller partition easily.
I've been able to load Boot Camp Assistant and have partitioned the drive to my liking and have got to the stage where I insert my Windows Install DVD, which it seems to recognise, the computer restarts and ... nothing.
I've tried;
- * Setting the DVD Drive as the Startup Disk
- * Holding down alt/option at boot and selecting the DVD
- * Plugging in an external and booting from that
- * 4 different versions of Windows DVDs (it should be noted that I can install all of these versions of Windows using VM Ware)
- * Burning my Windows DVD in Disk Utility rather than Toast (not that this is the issue anyway, as the boot loader does recognise a bootable DVD named 'Windows' it just hangs after I select it)
- * Installing rEFIt
- * Repairing the HDD using Disk Utility on the Leopard Install DVD
It's tempting to say the problem must be with my computer not being able to boot from DVDs, but it can boot the Leopard Install DVD.
Any ideas?

In my initial post I had tried 2 versions of Windows XP including one with SP3 integrated, Windows Vista Ultimate, and Windows Server 2008.
I settled on installing Windows XP with SP3 and that is the one that currently won't boot. As with the first time I had a problem however, I can still load up the boot camp partition in VMWare.
Another thing that might be worth mentioning is that usually if I select to boot 'OSX' I can hear fans start spinning etc. but the reverse is true when I select 'Windows' and it hangs - the computer noticeably quietens almost immediately.

My older i7 core iMac refuses to boot off install DVD

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