Problems with Booting from the Snow Leopard Install Disc

I need to do a reformat of my iMac drive and reinsall Snow Leopard.  Then I want to run System Migration and move the contents of my Mac Pro (running Snow Leopard) over to the iMac.
I placed the retail Snow Leopard installation disc and held the "C" key down during restart.  My optical drive make a bit of random noise and eventually ejects the SL disc.  I've tried a CD, movie dvd and another software program installation disc and none of them seem to be able to be read.  I've sold the Mac Pro and am in a bit of a bind as I need to get this done and shipped out.  I'm also going to have to wipe the Mac Pro drives clean and do a reinstall of Snow Leopard.
Can anyone help?
Thanks,
John

Do you have the original install discs that came with the computer?
If you do, try powering up the mac pushing in the disc and hold the OPTION key, which will bring up the start up manager, select the insrall disc to boot from.
After booting, select the language, on the next page go to the menu bar and select Utilities/disk utilities, select your volume (default name is Macintosh HD, or what ever you ma have named it) First aid tab, run verify disk.
If it comes up with errors (they will be in red font) click repair disk. Rerun this till it it comes up with "this disk seems OK i(n green font)
Then quit the installer and eject the disk.
Try the Snow Leopard disk using the same proceedure (power up, push in disk, holding the OPTION key) to boot to the start up manager, and select the SL disk, and do a clean install.
Make sure that you have a retail install disk (white SL on it)
You can try this from the retail SL disc, if you do not have the Original disc(s) you should include all of them to the person you seel/give it to.
After install, follow these instructions.
http://www.thesafemac.com/how-to-prepare-your-mac-for-sale/
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT5189?viewlocale=en_US&locale=en_US
Hope this helps

Similar Messages

  • TS3243 My Desktop Mac won't startup, it turns on to the grey screen flashing question file. I have been able to startup from the snow leopard install cd but once I try to repair within DU the disk never appears in the side panel. The only thing there is "

    My Desktop Mac won't startup, it turns on to the grey screen flashing question file. I have been able to startup from the snow leopard install cd but once I try to repair within DU the disk never appears in the side panel. The only thing there is "Media"... What can I do? Help!

    If Disk Utility cannot see your drive it doesn't look good.
    You could try DiskWarrior. It is expensive but can often fix directory structures where DU cannot.
    Replacing the drive is also a strong likelihood. If you don't have a fairly recent backup, then it might be worth buying DiskWarrior
    additonal notes;
    Gray screen appears during startup

  • My iMac stayed with grey screen after power on. It repeatedly booting when I try to boot from the Mac OX install Disc.

    After I run bootcamp and try to install WinXP.
    I can't boot up from any system.

    Reboot and hold the option key down, choose OS X on your boot drive and set the System Preferences > Startup disk to OS X.
    You can't install XP on a Mac, Apple only supports Windnows 7
    Read the Bootcamp manual
    https://www.apple.com/support/bootcamp/
    https://discussions.apple.com/community/notebooks/macbook_pro?view=documents

  • Mac will not boot from hard drive or install disc

    Hello All
    In dire need of advise...my intel Mac will not boot, even tried booting to the Snow Leopard install disc and all I'm getting is the white screen, apple logo and the wheel.
    Just before this happened there was a buzzing sound like the fan was about to fail but that is only a guess on my part. Is there a keyboard shortcut to boot to a terminal window or similar to force the computer to boot from the install disc.
    Thanks in advance for any help offered.
    Warren

    Hi Warren
    Try holding the Option key and see if it will boot into Startup Manager, where you should be able to choose from a good Drive or your install Disk.
    http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1533
    or the D key and run the Apple Hardware Test.
    http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1509
    Also note: key commands may require a USB Keyboard if your using a wireless and it has become unpaired.
    Dennis

  • My MACBOOK Pro turned out to be Snow Leopard, and later upgraded to LION. And update the EFI, I would like to replace the Snow Leopard, EFI can not boot, how do? How to use the Snow Leopard install disk to reduce EFI?

    My MACBOOK Pro turned out to be Snow Leopard, and later upgraded toLION. And update the EFI, I would like to replace the Snow Leopard, EFIcan not boot, how do? How to use the Snow Leopard install disk to reduce EFI?

    Do you mean some of your software does not work in Lion? Do you want to return to using Snow Leopard? If so, then do this:
    Downgrade Lion to Snow Leopard
    1.  Boot from your Snow Leopard Installer Disc. After the installer loads select your language and click on the Continue button.  When the menu bar appears select Disk Utility from the Utilities menu.
    2. After DU loads select your hard drive (this is the entry with the mfgr.'s ID and size) from the left side list. Note the SMART status of the drive in DU's status area.  If it does not say "Verified" then the drive is failing or has failed and will need replacing.  SMART info will not be reported  on external drives. Otherwise, click on the Partition tab in the DU main window.
    3. Under the Volume Scheme heading set the number of partitions from the drop down menu to one. Set the format type to Mac OS Extended (Journaled.) Click on the Options button, set the partition scheme to GUID then click on the OK button. Click on the Partition button and wait until the process has completed.
    4. Quit DU and return to the installer. Install Snow Leopard.
    This will erase the whole drive so be sure to backup your files if you don't have a backup already. If you have performed a TM backup using Lion be aware that you cannot restore from that backup in Snow Leopard (see below.) I suggest you make a separate backup using Carbon Copy Cloner 3.4.1.
    If you have Snow Leopard Time Machine backups, do a full system restore per #14 in Time Machine - Frequently Asked Questions.  If you have subsequent backups from Lion, you can restore newer items selectively, via the "Star Wars" display, per #15 there, but be careful; some Snow Leopard apps may not work with the Lion files.

  • Can I wipe my hardrive before upgrading my Macbook to OS X 10.6 by using the Snow Leopard install CD?

    Can I wipe my hardrive before upgrading my Macbook to OS X 10.6 by using the Snow Leopard install CD?  Or do I need I need to wipe my computer from the OS X 10.5 CD that came with the laptop?
    In other words.  If I purchase the Snow Leopard Software for $29, can I wipe my hard drive first before installing it?  Or do I need to wipe my hard drive, reinstall OS X 10.5, and then continue to upgrade to Snow Leopard?

    If you want to wipe the drive in Leopard, do it from the install disk. Otherwise do it from you Snow Leopard install disc.

  • How do I reinstall my operating system after hard drive upgrade on MacBook pro?  I have Snow Leopard install disc

    How do I reinstall my operating system (Snow Leopard) after a hard drive upgrade. I did a Time Machine backup before the new hard drive was installed. I put in the Snow Leopard install disc and don't get the icon I'm supposed to double click to install Snow Leopard and then the backup.
    HELP PLEASE!!

    Is the new HHD in the MBP?
    Is the new HDD formatted Mac OS Extended (Journaled)?
    Where is the old HDD? In an enclosure?  What is on the old HDD, your user data?  Is the Snow Leopard System on it?
    Do you have a separate Time Machine Disk with your user data?
    Answers to these questions should give an exact status of your situation so that one can proceed in the right direction.
    Ciao.

  • MacBook Pro will not read Snow Leopard install disc.

    Trying to install Snow Leopard on daughter's MacBook Pro, which is still on 10.5.8 so that she can install Lion. Her computer refuses to read the Snow Leopard install disc and keeps kicking out the disc.

    Are you using a retail 10.6 disk that looks like this?
    and not the gray install disks that look like this? The Gray Disks are machine specific and only have the drivers for the Mac that they shipped with.

  • I used utilities to source my 10.6 snow leopard install disc to my main hardrive, and now when I turn on my computer the apple with the spinning wheel stays on the screen and stuck like that. How do I fix it Help please. I already tried all the commands

    I used utilities to source my 10.6 snow leopard install disc to my main hardrive, and now when I turn on my computer the apple with the spinning wheel stays on the screen and stuck like that. How do I fix it Help please. I already tried all the commands such as Command R, Holding down the Option key, C and holding down shift at the start up but nothing happens.
    initialy All I was trying to do was downgrade 10.7 to 10.6 .

    You have to consider the possibility the hard drive may be dying.    If your data isn't backed up, try one of the tools below:
    https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-1689
    Once you are sure your data is backed up, we can examine other possibilities.  In the meantime call AppleCare for your original installation DVDs.  You may need them.

  • Installing xcode from the snow leopard dvd

    Hi all
    i am a new mac user and want to learn as much as i can,i want to install xcode from the snow leopard dvd but want to make sure i do it correctly ( i know there are boxes to click and i dont want to make mistakes ).
    i am hoping that someone can give me a step by step guide on how to do this.

    See if this helps any:
    http://thomas1111.wordpress.com/2010/01/18/installing-xcode-and-using-gcc-on-mac /

  • Installing Windows 7 on my bootcamp partition (mid-2009 mac book pro with mountain lion) My computer won't boot from the Windows 7 Install DVD.

    Hello,
    I have been trying to install Windows 7 on my macbook pro (mid 2009, MBP53). I have successfully created a bootcamp partition using the assistant. When the computer tries to boot from the windows 7 install dvd, the screen is just black. The dvd spins for a bit, then stops and the computer is just black (no blinking cursor).
    Any advice would be very appreciated.
    Thanks.

    What kind of an install DVD are you using for Windows?
    You can use any DVDs that are hardware specific. Only the full non-hardware soecific DVDs work on the Mac.
    Allan

  • Booting from a Snow Leopard Retail dvd

    I have a 2009 iMac that came with Leopard installed.  I later purchase the retail Snow Leopard disc with I believe 10.6.3. 
    I want to reformat my iMac HD and reinstall a fresh copy of Snow Leopard so I can move my Mac Pro data over to it, but it doesn't load the Snow Leopard disc when I reboot and hold the Option key.
    I've upgraded to 10.6.8 and was wondering if that was the problem.  I have used the original Leopard Install discs to check the drive and corrected a few errors with one pass.  Should the iMac be able to boot from the SL disc?  Not being able to read the dvd, I can't even attempt a .dmg image to mount, even if I knew how.  I've read numerous posts with other users not being able to boot from the SL retail disc.
    Would I have the same issues if I purchase a new Snow Leopard Install dvd?

    Unlike Windows, the DVD or CD versions of the Mac OS (Snow Leopard or earlier) have no serial number, or even keep track of how many times you've installed it. It's all on the honor system of following the license you have, which as mende1 noted, is either a single computer license, or five in one household (not shared with friends or relatives).
    Lion and Mountain Lion are a bit different. Macs that came with either OS have a machine specific version (for the necessary hardware drivers) and cannot be shared, other than with a 100% identical Mac. The App Store versions are intended for Macs that were released before the respective OS's, and contain only the hardware drivers for the Mac models they are listed to support.

  • 2011 27" iMac cannot boot from a slow leopard install DVD

    I just got a new iMac 27". It came with Lion preinstalled. I wanted to install Snow Leopard on the 2nd hard drive and it wont let me boot from the DVD or run the Snow Leopard install from the DVD when running under lion. When I try to boot from the DVD I get a kernel panic. I am also having problems with computer not waking from sleep. I think I should return this computer as defective. Anyone else have this kernel panic problem?

    As stated, you can't use SL on the Mac, so the kernel panics should subside if you're not trying to boot from SL. However, there are plenty of other posts re. freezing/not waking after sleep.
    So, if you do want to run SL, you could try to find one that still has SL installed (and you'd get the free upgrade to Lion) - there are quite a few refurbished units at the Apple Store. If you're within the 14 days and purchased it at an Apple store, you can return it and could order a refurb with SL (or find a new one at a reseller who bought up the left over stock). That's what I've usually done.

  • Is it possible to use the snow leopard install disk for bootcamp setup?

    I'm going to be installing a windows 7 partition through bootcamp on my macbook, but I can no longer find the two original install disks that it came with. So my question was whether or not its possible to go through the bootcamp process with the snow leopard install disk?

    Do you mean a "Retail OSX Snow Leopard Install DVD for USD 29" ?
    If so, then yes. use it.
    Sounds to me like the Original Install Discs you refer to are OSX 10.5 Leopard ones, right ?
    These won't work with Windows 7 since Windows 7 requires OSX Snow Leopard DVD at minimum for the Driver Installation and BootCamp Assistant version 3.x as well, which is also only avaiable in OSX Snow Leopard.
    http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1899
    Stefan

  • 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.

Maybe you are looking for

  • How to apply Adobe Reader updates in correct sequence

    I have read the update article listed below. http://kb2.adobe.com/cps/837/cpsid_83709/attachments/Reader_Update_QuickKey9.x.pdf I find it confusing. I currently have the latest MSI of Adobe Reader 9.4 installed view group policy. I want to apply the

  • Display default Group space for users in a Role  upon login

    Is it possible to configure the role/group space so that the users in that role will see the group space as default page after logging into webcenter. Scenario: Group Space : G_SPACE1 Role: W_ROLE1 Uers with W_ROLE1: user1, user2, etc Requirement: Wh

  • Newbie:Problems with SCSI root disk

    Hello I have periodic problems with no matter what disk I put in my root partition. My Sun has several disks, so I can take another disk not being used and configure it as my new root disk, installing Solaris root on it. But when, this way, I replace

  • Outlook Email Send problems

    I have an email address on my website and I have used outlook express to view and send emails.  Recently I cannot send email any longer but instead receive the outlook error The connection to the server has failed. Account: 'mail.storksnmore.net', Se

  • Add field to MM01, MM02, MM03

    Hi guru, I need to add some fields in MM01,MM02 & MM03  in BASIC DATA 1 tab. I want to do this using BAdI. The data will go to MARA table. Expecting a better solution in brief from U. With Thanks Sohel