A1181 MacBook does not recognize HDD as correct size. Will not Install OS. IO Error

[PCX]

Ok, so this is a first for me. Everything checks out, nothing other than the old HDD pops on the diagnostics. In fact, the HDD does nothing but click.

Anyways, we are replacing the hard drive with a WD and when we go to install the OS, it says that the drive is a 3.6tb hard drive (its a 500gb) and when I try to format it, it gives me an IO error. Thats it, no OS install. I tried this again with another known good working hard drive of a different size and model and still the same issue. Any ideas?

[PaulRome]

Have you tried running the disk utility and reformat?

[PCX]

Yes . . . . I guess I should have mentioned that I used disk utility during this whole process.

[KompuKare]

Haven't done many Macs, but maybe MacOS Disk Utility is having a fit, so have you tried writing a partition table in Linux first?

Intel MacOS uses GUID partitions nowaways (68K and PPC used Apple's own I think).

[PCX]

Originally Posted by KompuKare

Haven't done many Macs, but maybe MacOS Disk Utility is having a fit, so have you tried writing a partition table in Linux first?

Intel MacOS uses GUID partitions nowaways (68K and PPC used Apple's own I think).

Yep, I tried that after I had the problem initially, then tried the install again and still the same problem and Disk Utility still sees the hard drive as a 3.6tb hard drive and still refuses to format the hard drive.

I work on Macs all that time and typically have no issues, but this has baffled me.

[14049752]

Are you using the discs that came with the system, or stand-alone OS X discs?


If the stand-alone discs, try a different version. If the original discs, try a newer version. Snow Leopard, if you're not already trying.


The other option is to remove the drive, install OS X with a firewire or usb adapter on the drive. Install OS X updates... then install the drive back into the system internally.

[PCX]

Originally Posted by 14049752

Are you using the discs that came with the system, or stand-alone OS X discs?


If the stand-alone discs, try a different version. If the original discs, try a newer version. Snow Leopard, if you're not already trying.


The other option is to remove the drive, install OS X with a firewire or usb adapter on the drive. Install OS X updates... then install the drive back into the system internally.

Ok, an update. What you posted gave me a few ideas. I do not have any firewire here, never had a use for it. But I did try and hook up the hard drive via USB and was able to format it using the same disk. I think installed the hard drive once more and then got and error saying that OSX could not be installed on this hard drive because if failed a volumecheck.

Now, I did test this hard drive, so I know its not a hardware issues.

Anyways, I popped in another disk that was for a different Macbook and while I could not use it to install the OS, I was able to once again get into Disk Utility and format the drive again. I Installed the hard drive and again got the same error.

I was going to post to the log, but it didn't even save it to my flash drive like it was supposed to.

Do you thing that it could be bad disks?

[compnet]

Originally Posted by PCX

Do you thing that it could be bad disks?

I haven't seen this problem on a mac, but I'm leaning more towards a bad controller than the drives.

[PCX]

Originally Posted by compnet

I haven't seen this problem on a mac, but I'm leaning more towards a bad controller than the drives.

This was my first thought, but I am just really hoping that is not the issue.

[14049752]

http://mr.tilyard.info/?p=36

Read all the comments... Had to find my source for when I ran into this, or else I would have posted it earlier.

You need to try a newer disk. Snow Leopard. Or use a smaller drive.