3 beeps after replacing HDD

[papatoony]

Okay so I just replaced the factory 320gb HDD in my early 2011 MBP with a 750gb. I went to boot from a Snow Leopard disc Apple sent me (I want to stay with SL) and I got the screen with the apple logo and then one with a little logo for the OSX SL download. When I clicked on that to start installing SL, my MBP beeped three times, then paused, then repeated the three beeps...

So I did some Googling (on another computer that works, obviously) and found that three beeps, for some people, means a RAM issue. Another person said he'd been trying to boot from the wrong version of SL and that once he got the right disc, it worked. So I called Applecare and the woman told me there is only one disc version of SL (10.6) and that three beeps means there's a RAM issue (she said it needs to be re-seated). That doesn't make sense, as I didn't even touch the RAM when I swapped out my HDD.

So I hung up and thought "***** it, I'll re-install the original HDD and see if it fires back up...if it does, it's obviously not a RAM issue." Well sure enough, everything works fine with the original hard drive back in. All I want is a bigger hard drive with Snow Leopard running on it! I can't take it in to an Apple store because I don't live near one, and this honestly shouldn't be that difficult anyway. Any ideas what the issue could be?

The only other idea I have is doing a fresh install of SL on the old 320gb drive, making a Time Machine backup of that, then put the new larger HDD in my MBP and then clone the old Snow Leopard backup from my external HD? Would that maybe work?

 

[Mal]

On the newer machines, 3 beeps can also be because of an incompatible OS. The retail disk you have is likely older than the OS that shipped on the computer. You need the original disks from the computer.

jW

 

[papatoony]

On the newer machines, 3 beeps can also be because of an incompatible OS. The retail disk you have is likely older than the OS that shipped on the computer. You need the original disks from the computer.

jW

Damn it...so you mean it might not be capable of running Snow Leopard at all? I bought the MBP used and the guy I bought it from didn't give me any of the backup discs (assuming it came with any). He'd installed ML on it so I called Apple and asked the lady what my options were for getting SL back on it. She looked up my serial number and told me that it could indeed run SL and she sent me the discs for it. Grrrrr I will be so angry if I can't go back to SL. That's the whole reason I bought a used 2011 MBP!!!

 

[Nermal]

Are your DVDs white or grey? Do they say 13" MacBook Pro on them?

 

[papatoony]

Are your DVDs white or grey? Do they say 13" MacBook Pro on them?

They're white (replacement DVD's) but don't specify that they're for the 13"

 

[Nermal]

I have the 15" Early 2011 and the DVDs are grey and actually say 15" MacBook Pro on them. I don't know whether you'll have any luck without the correct DVDs

 

[papatoony]

I have the 15" Early 2011 and the DVDs are grey and actually say 15" MacBook Pro on them. I don't know whether you'll have any luck without the correct DVDs

Yea, I know the ones that used to ship with the MBP's were gray, but the guy who sold me this thing didn't include them so that's why I got the replacements. Just called Apple again and they're sending me out an earlier version (apparently there ARE different versions of SL on discs...unlike what the first woman told me). We'll see :\

----------

PS Forgot to mention, the second person I talked to at Apple was quite knowledgable and actually got my HDD up and running for me...although it's currently downloading Lion That was the only option it made available to me. So it could be that this MBP cannot run SL. After Lion is done installing I'm going to try the discs again and see if it'll let me revert.

 

[Nermal]

So it could be that this MBP cannot run SL.

It can (assuming that it truly is an Early 2011); you just need the right DVDs.

 

[thefizzle657]

I was reading your thread, and something occurred to me. You said that the previous owner had ML installed on it. Before ML came out, between the 10.7.3 update and 10.7.4 update there was an EFI update for all 2011 MBPs (EFI update 2.7). The update requires at least 10.7.3 be installed, and as a result once that EFI update has been done it is, AFAIK, impossible to downgrade to any OS version (either SL or Lion) lower than 10.7.3 without downgrading the EFI (which isn't officially supported) although I could be wrong about this.

Since you mentioned that the previous owner had ML installed on the computer I'm willing to bet that he installed EFI 2.7 and that that is the reason why you are getting the three beeps (incompatible OS). It could just be that Apple sent you the wrong DVD (it should definitely be a grey disc that says MBP 13" and OS X 10.6.6 on it) but this (the EFI thing) could also be the cause). Is there is an Apple store nearby where you live?

 

[Nermal]

The update requires at least 10.7.3 be installed, and as a result once that EFI update has been done it is impossible to downgrade to any OS version (either SL or Lion) lower than 10.7.3 without downgrading the EFI (which isn't officially supported).

I have that update on mine and I'm pretty sure that I can still run SL. I'll double-check that once I get home.

Edit: The download for that update lists 10.6.8 as a supported OS.

 

[papatoony]

I was reading your thread, and something occurred to me. You said that the previous owner had ML installed on it. Before ML came out, between the 10.7.3 update and 10.7.4 update there was an EFI update for all 2011 MBPs (EFI update 2.7). The update requires at least 10.7.3 be installed, and as a result once that EFI update has been done it is, AFAIK, impossible to downgrade to any OS version (either SL or Lion) lower than 10.7.3 without downgrading the EFI (which isn't officially supported) although I could be wrong about this.

Since you mentioned that the previous owner had ML installed on the computer I'm willing to bet that he installed EFI 2.7 and that that is the reason why you are getting the three beeps (incompatible OS). It could just be that Apple sent you the wrong DVD (it should definitely be a grey disc that says MBP 13" and OS X 10.6.6 on it) but this (the EFI thing) could also be the cause). Is there is an Apple store nearby where you live?

No Apple store near where I live :\ I called an authorized Apple service provider about this today but he assured me none of what I want/need done would be covered under my Applecare warranty. He said Apple doesn't pay to install operating systems. I'm not very tech savvy so I don't really get the whole EFI thing, but it sounds a lot like what the guy from Apple was trying to tell me today. Although he kept thinking maybe the logic board had been replaced on the used mac I purchased and that's why it would only run Lion or ML (not sure why he thought that, but it kind of scared me...I hope I didn't buy a refurbed machine here). I thought this was going to be so much simpler...everyone told me that as long as the MBP was an early 2011 model that it'd run SL!! What a nightmare this has become :\

I think the discs are just white because they're replacement discs, not originals. They even say on them "replacement - not for resale" and all that. The guy is sending me out a different version, but I honestly doubt they're going to work. I think I just stuck myself with ANOTHER Lion/ML running MBP (of which I already own one that I want to get rid of!!!).

 

[Nermal]

I have that update on mine and I'm pretty sure that I can still run SL. I'll double-check that once I get home.

Edit: The download for that update lists 10.6.8 as a supported OS.

Well, I've just successfully booted my EFI 2.7 machine with the original 10.6.6 install DVD so the firmware update definitely doesn't affect compatibility

I think the discs are just white because they're replacement discs, not originals. They even say on them "replacement - not for resale" and all that.

That would explain it! The replacements are probably different but here are the "numbers" from the original DVD:

Mac OS version 10.6.6
Disc version 1.0
2Z691-6806-A

And the second:

AHT version 3A210
Disc version 1.0
2Z691-6747-A

 

[papatoony]

That would explain it! The replacements are probably different but here are the "numbers" from the original DVD:

Mac OS version 10.6.6
Disc version 1.0
2Z691-6806-A

And the second:

AHT version 3A210
Disc version 1.0
2Z691-6747-A

You think that's why they're not working? You think I need the retail version or something? Grrrrrrr, this could all be so easily avoided if Apple would just make their ***** hardware/software backwards compatible! I feel like I'm painted into a corner with this Mountain Lion *****.

 

[Nermal]

You think that's why they're not working? You think I need the retail version or something?

No, you do not want the retail version; that definitely won't work. I've included the part numbers etc. for reference. Do your DVDs have the OS version listed?