10.5 and 10.6 disks won't install

[RyanJoseph]

I'm trying to install 10.5 and 10.6 on an external drive for testing software (on a new 11' MacBook) and found that both the disks are not working. Basically when I try to restart the Mac using either of the disks the Mac hangs on the gray screen or in the case of 10.6 it hangs then gives the notice I need to restart my Mac.

These both worked in the past and the only notable thing I have done since then is installed 10.7 on a partition. I would delete the partition but it gives an error I need a newer version of the OS to do this. Another thread said I could restart on the 10.6 disk to delete the partition but this isn't an option now.

Does anyone have ideas how to troubleshoot this? If anyone thinks it's related to the 10.7 partition I could install it onto an external drive then boot from that to delete the partition but I'm not sure that's even related.

Thanks!

 

[wrldwzrd89]

What version of Mac OS X did the Mac you're trying this with come with? If it came with Lion (10.7) then you cannot install 10.5 or 10.6 on it - even on an external drive.

 

[RyanJoseph]

What version of Mac OS X did the Mac you're trying this with come with? If it came with Lion (10.7) then you cannot install 10.5 or 10.6 on it - even on an external drive.

This is a brand new MacBook (bought last month) running 10.6 so booting off a 10.6 disk I purchased would make sense. Are you kidding Apple won't let us install other versions? That's just silly but inline with Apples recent controlling policies.

I did delete the Lion partition after suspecting it was the problem but both the disks still fail. I feel like something I put on the computer is interfering.

 

[QuarterSwede]

This is a brand new MacBook (bought last month) running 10.6 so booting off a 10.6 disk I purchased would make sense. Are you kidding Apple won't let us install other versions? That's just silly but inline with Apples recent controlling policies.

I did delete the Lion partition after suspecting it was the problem but both the disks still fail. I feel like something I put on the computer is interfering.

Apple has never made it easy (nor supported) installing an older version of OS X on machines not made for it. Why you can't SL to install on a machine that came with it is beyond me.

 

[RyanJoseph]

Apple has never made it easy (nor supported) installing an older version of OS X on machines not made for it. Why you can't SL to install on a machine that came with it is beyond me.

Even if that's true they won't let me install on the actual Mac installing on an external drive like I want to do should be fine. Actually I had 10.5 installed on an external disk and when I tried to boot off it the Mac hung so I assumed the hard disk was broken. I noticed the problem was more serious when even the install disks weren't working for 2 different versions of the OS.

 

[QuarterSwede]

Even if that's true they won't let me install on the actual Mac installing on an external drive like I want to do should be fine. Actually I had 10.5 installed on an external disk and when I tried to boot off it the Mac hung so I assumed the hard disk was broken. I noticed the problem was more serious when even the install disks weren't working for 2 different versions of the OS.

Brand new machine ... possible bad hard drive? Long shot I know.

Make a backup if you don't already have one and wipe it completely (any and all partitions). Then try installing SL again ad restoring from backup.

 

[RyanJoseph]

Brand new machine ... possible bad hard drive? Long shot I know.

Make a backup if you don't already have one and wipe it completely (any and all partitions). Then try installing SL again ad restoring from backup.

The hard disk seems fine I'm not sure what the existing installation/hard disk has to do with the installation disk. That is something I find puzzling about this problem.

Wiping the drive and reinstalling could be a good idea but I'm worried the disks will still fail and I'll be left without a Mac for a while.

 

[wrldwzrd89]

There's another problem I just thought of that may be affecting you:

Let's say your Mac came with 10.6.6 (which most new Macs that predate the introduction of Lion do). You're trying to install a retail SL disc with 10.6.3 on it. Guess what? That's not going to work either.

 

[chrfr]

This is a brand new MacBook (bought last month) running 10.6 so booting off a 10.6 disk I purchased would make sense. Are you kidding Apple won't let us install other versions? That's just silly but inline with Apples recent controlling policies.

There aren't drivers in the older operating systems for your new computer. You cannot install an operating system older than the one shipped on your Macbook Air.

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT2186

 

[QuarterSwede]

There's another problem I just thought of that may be affecting you:

Let's say your Mac came with 10.6.6 (which most new Macs that predate the introduction of Lion do). You're trying to install a retail SL disc with 10.6.3 on it. Guess what? That's not going to work either.

Good point. Didn't think of that.

 

[RyanJoseph]

There's another problem I just thought of that may be affecting you:

Let's say your Mac came with 10.6.6 (which most new Macs that predate the introduction of Lion do). You're trying to install a retail SL disc with 10.6.3 on it. Guess what? That's not going to work either.

Do you mean I can't boot my Mac with ANY version that is older than the OS that came with it?

If that's true then both my disks are older than 10.6.6 (I think it did ship with that version) and I'm screwed for testing my software. I just 2 older Macs also so I'm going to be pretty pissed if Apple is messing with me like this.

 

[RyanJoseph]

Do you mean I can't boot my Mac with ANY version that is older than the OS that came with it?

If that's true then both my disks are older than 10.6.6 (I think it did ship with that version) and I'm screwed for testing my software. I just 2 older Macs also so I'm going to be pretty pissed if Apple is messing with me like this.

I had some other trusted sources tell me I indeed can not boot from older systems because of driver issues. Upsetting but at least I have an answer I can work with. Apparently this has been the case since the first versions of Mac OS as one person remembered he couldn't load 3.2 from his MacPlus onto an SE.

Thanks guys.

 

[wrldwzrd89]

I had some other trusted sources tell me I indeed can not boot from older systems because of driver issues. Upsetting but at least I have an answer I can work with. Apparently this has been the case since the first versions of Mac OS as one person remembered he couldn't load 3.2 from his MacPlus onto an SE.

Thanks guys.

Your trusted sources agree with my own on this... irritating, sure, but there really isn't anything you can do.