Anyway to install OSX without a DVD drive?

[JamesWilson]

Hello! I have a MacBook with a broken superdrive, it does not like dual layer disks.


The MacBook does not have a OS on it, I'm trying to put leopard.

Is there anyway to install it without a dvd drive or firewire?

I have a windows computer, and a 8gb thumbdrive.

I can put the MacBook's harddrive into my windows computer, is there anyway I can copy the disk onto that?

Thanks for any help

 

[SnowLeopard2008]

You could possibly install the OS onto the HD using your Windows computer. I'm really not sure...

 

[ian.maffett]

You can't put a HFS+ (Mac formatted) drive into a PC - it won't even know that it's there. Your best bet is to use an external DVD ROM drive via USB and hold C to boot to it. That's pretty much your only viable option - one of your friends has to have an external drive...

 

[Ttownbeast]

if you got a friend with a mac and fire wire available you can install it that way

 

[JediMeister]

I read sometime back that you can enable remote disk (a formerly MacBook Air-unique feature) using the following Terminal commands:

defaults write com.apple.NetworkBrowser EnableODiskBrowsing -bool true
defaults write com.apple.NetworkBrowser ODSSupported -bool true

You'd of course have to install the DVDCDSharingSetup.exe in the DVDCDSharing folder on the gray Mac OS X Install Disc onto a Windows system or just make certain the Migration and DVD and CD Sharing Update is installed on your MacBook and on the Mac you would attempt to remote disk from.

terminal commands referenced from this site: http://www.itechster.com/2009/01/11/mac-remote-disc-dvd-cd-sharing/

 

[LouisBlack]

I read sometime back that you can enable remote disk (a formerly MacBook Air-unique feature) using the following Terminal commands:

defaults write com.apple.NetworkBrowser EnableODiskBrowsing -bool true
defaults write com.apple.NetworkBrowser ODSSupported -bool true

The Macbook has no OS on it so this would be impossible.

If you have a USB key of 8GB or more you can rip the Leopard image and burn it to that. I'm pretty sure you can't do that with a Windows PC though. You would have to find someone with a Mac and use disk utility.

Then again, if you know someone with an Intel Mac it would be easier to use target disk mode.