Stuck on Apple logo when trying to boot from osx10.6 disc

[Benchtech]

Purchased an 27" iMac from Eastern Michigan University student with no OSX discs. They still have all their info on the pc and I'd like to nuke and pave it.

My issue is if i insert my osx 10.6 disc while on the desktop it loads up with the option to install. It starts the install restarts and stops at the apple logo and never continues.

Tried resetting the smc
resetting the PRAM
rebooting holding "C"
Holding option and selecting the disk

All the same result.

 

[PCX]

Did you run a diagnostics . . . . .

 

[14049752]

How new is the system? Perhaps it's too new for the retail discs?

 

[Benchtech]

Did you run a diagnostics . . . . .

I did not because the computer boots fine without anything in the drive and loads the disk from within the os

 

[PCX]

I did not because the computer boots fine without anything in the drive and loads the disk from within the os

Got it, I miss understood the OP. It either sounds like the disks or the Super Drive. Those drivers constantly go out. In any case, I would still run a diagnostics to be sure that you are in inheriting someone else's problems.

 

[Benchtech]

How new is the system? Perhaps it's too new for the retail discs?

A1312 emc2390 core i5 3.6ghz

 

[14049752]

A1312 emc2390 core i5 3.6ghz

I'm almost certain that's too new for the retail 10.6 disc. You'd either need to use a Lion disc, or get the original discs that shipped with it.


One thing I have done in the past; You can try installing from the disc using an older machine using target disk mode, continue using the older system with the iMac's drive and update it completely, then boot the imac off the install/updated drive. Your mileage may vary, though it's almost always worked for me.

 

[Benchtech]

I'm almost certain that's too new for the retail 10.6 disc. You'd either need to use a Lion disc, or get the original discs that shipped with it.


One thing I have done in the past; You can try installing from the disc using an older machine using target disk mode, continue using the older system with the iMac's drive and update it completely, then boot the imac off the install/updated drive. Your mileage may vary, though it's almost always worked for me.

Hmm so even though it has 10.6 installed on it already 10.6 retail is to new?

 

[PCX]

Hmm so even though it has 10.6 installed on it already 10.6 retail is to new?

DVDSuperDrive? You can always take it apart and hook up another drive and try that. They do not take much. Pull the glass panel, unscrew the screen and hook up another DVD drive.

 

[Benchtech]

DVDSuperDrive? You can always take it apart and hook up another drive and try that. They do not take much. Pull the glass panel, unscrew the screen and hook up another DVD drive.

Standard laptop sata ?

 

[14049752]

Hmm so even though it has 10.6 installed on it already 10.6 retail is to new?

No, the other way around.

The machine is too new for the build on the retail disc. Usually what happens is this: Mac OS X 10.(whatever) is released, then newer machines are released after the retail disc build. Newer builds of 10.(whatever) are shipped with the newer machines and the machine is unable to boot from the older retail disc.
So, almost always if you buy 10.(whatever) and then you get a machine that was released after the retail discs came out, the retail discs will not work on that machine at all.

Lion discs WILL work, but you need a newer build of Snow Leopard to install on it..and a new enough build of the retail disc likely does not exist (Although, there are two...an original release and a mid-2010 release...)
So...if you have a machine older you could install and update and have it work, if not...buy Lion and use that.

 

[Benchtech]

No, the other way around.

The machine is too new for the build on the retail disc. Usually what happens is this: Mac OS X 10.(whatever) is released, then newer machines are released after the retail disc build. Newer builds of 10.(whatever) are shipped with the newer machines and the machine is unable to boot from the older retail disc.
So, almost always if you buy 10.(whatever) and then you get a machine that was released after the retail discs came out, the retail discs will not work on that machine at all.

Lion discs WILL work, but you need a newer build of Snow Leopard to install on it..and a new enough build of the retail disc likely does not exist (Although, there are two...an original release and a mid-2010 release...)
So...if you have a machine older you could install and update and have it work, if not...buy Lion and use that.

I see so since the build installed is 10.6.5 and my retail disk is 10.6.0 its to old.

 

[14049752]

I see so since the build installed is 10.6.5 and my retail disk is 10.6.0 its to old.

Your disc is definitely too old. The machine shipped with 10.6.3 and that's the minimum OS version it can run.


You have a first release retail disc, released August 2009. There was a newer retail disc, released sometime in 2010 that MAY work (it is build 10.6.3), but I wouldn't count on it...and wouldn't even bother.

Your three options are: Try my work-around method with another, older machine. Buy lion. Buy the original discs.
Buying Lion would be, by far, the easiest.

 

[Benchtech]

Your disc is definitely too old. The machine shipped with 10.6.3 and that's the minimum OS version it can run.


You have a first release retail disc, released August 2009. There was a newer retail disc, released sometime in 2010 that MAY work (it is build 10.6.3), but I wouldn't count on it...and wouldn't even bother.

Your three options are: Try my work-around method with another, older machine. Buy lion. Buy the original discs.
Buying Lion would be, by far, the easiest.

Haven't checked yet but can lion be purchased via tne app store/itunes and ran from with the desktop asnclean install. Or option B burned to dvd or usb for reload?

 

[14049752]

Haven't checked yet but can lion be purchased via tne app store/itunes and ran from with the desktop asnclean install. Or option B burned to dvd or usb for reload?

Yes, Lion can be purchased through the app store.
You can definitely create a disc/usb installer (though I have not done it.) I think you can do clean install, too. Lion creates a recovery option on the boot menu (when you hold option), and I assume it'll do a clean install. AMT is probably the one to ask about any Lion questions as I don't even have a machine that can run it....

 

[anonymous Mac Tech]

Your disc is definitely too old. The machine shipped with 10.6.3 and that's the minimum OS version it can run.

If I had a dime for each time I've seen this issue. Especially from University IT folks that insist their machines are imaged with the same (old) version and installed fine.

 

[kevinjhaag]

Just as PCX mentioned...I also think their is an issue with your superdrive. Try an external portable one and try booting from it.

 

[anonymous Mac Tech]

Just as PCX mentioned...I also think their is an issue with your superdrive. Try an external portable one and try booting from it.

If it was an issue with the superdrive it would just spit out the disk most of the time. But if you really want to know there are a variety of ways besides an external drive to tell.

 

[PCX]

Well, I learned something new. Thanks for your responses guys (even though I am not the OP).

 

[kevinjhaag]

If it was an issue with the superdrive it would just spit out the disk most of the time. But if you really want to know there are a variety of ways besides an external drive to tell.

Sorry, but from my experience over the years, it does not eject the disk out if there is an issue with the drive itself. It will eject the disk sometimes if their is something wrong with media. And I do know there are various ways to find out and I gave him one. I run into bad superdrives very often on old Macs.