Clean install failed

[GuitARTistic]

Hi all, I've been around since i bought my iMac 21.5 some months ago.
It has been working perfecty, just a very light yellow tinge but it's so small that i can live with it.

Now, i updated to Safari 5, it was a bit slow but didn't have any other problems like the ones i've seen here, just a bit slow.
Yesterday i was updating to osx 10.6.4, restarted and when it was intalling it prompt a "error" window. I tried again but same results.
I decided to do a clean install, (erase and install). So did everything and restarted. When installing it prompt this message "Failed to install, the installer could not copy the necessary support files" Tried i few more times but failed. Right now the iMac is booted with the installer. Can't do anything else.
I'm very worried wondering what it is.
Can you guys help me. i'll appreciate

Thanks a alot in advance,

 

[Gregg2]

What disc did you use to do the clean install?
That is, where did it come from?

 

[GuitARTistic]

The disc says untitled.
Sorry im not to much into computers.

 

[bluskale]

lets get this straight...

1) you tried to install the 10.6.4 update, but on reboot you got an error message (what was the message anyway?)

2) you tried installing the 10.6.4 update again somehow

3) you eventually decide to reinstall your entire system with a clean install, but during installation, you get an error saying there was a failure to copy some files over.

4) computer now boots only from the install DVD.

//////
so what was the very first error message?

I'd wonder if either your install disc or your hard drive is scratched or malfunctioning (respectively). You could try reformatting the hard drive if you have everything backed up. First though, I'd eject the dvd, and see if it has any damage (reboot and hold down the mouse button... the dvd should eject).

also, to get at the question of the previous poster, are you using the DVD that came with your iMac to do the clean install?

 

[GuitARTistic]

lets get this straight...

1) you tried to install the 10.6.4 update, but on reboot you got an error message (what was the message anyway?)

2) you tried installing the 10.6.4 update again somehow

3) you eventually decide to reinstall your entire system with a clean install, but during installation, you get an error saying there was a failure to copy some files over.

4) computer now boots only from the install DVD.

//////
so what was the very first error message?


I'd wonder if either your install disc or your hard drive is scratched or malfunctioning (respectively). You could try reformatting the hard drive if you have everything backed up. First though, I'd eject the dvd, and see if it has any damage (reboot and hold down the mouse button... the dvd should eject).

also, to get at the question of the previous poster, are you using the DVD that came with your iMac to do the clean install?

1. Yes. I really don't remember the error message.
2. Yes. Same results.
3. Yes.
4. On the error saying that could not copy necessary support files theres a restart. I restarted and now is on the choose a lenguage to start over again. Can't shut down or anything.

Yes the install DVD is the one that came with the iMac.

 

[InfoSecmgr]

The disc says untitled.
Sorry im not to much into computers.

The disc says untitled? Disc as in optical media or disk as in hard disk?

 

[GuitARTistic]

The disc says untitled? Disc as in optical media or disk as in hard disk?

Hard disk.

 

[GuitARTistic]

1. Yes. I really don't remember the error message.
2. Yes. Same results.
3. Yes.
4. On the error saying that could not copy necessary support files theres a restart. I restarted and now is on the choose a lenguage to start over again. Can't shut down or anything.

Yes the install DVD is the one that came with the iMac.

I eject the DVD as you told me and it looks completly new, no damage.
Now the computer is in the white screen but it has a question mark blinking (?) instead of the Apple ( ) . What should i do?

Thanks a lot for your help!

 

[GuitARTistic]

Anyone know what should i do now?
Is there a way to shut down the computer?
Should i just take it to where i bought it?

 

[Gregg2]

What disc did you use to do the clean install?
That is, where did it come from?

The disc says untitled.
Sorry im not to much into computers.

Ok, I meant the CD/DVD (spelled "disc") not the hard drive (spelled "disk") and you didn't answer the second question... perhaps that's because you were thinking disk instead of disc.

I eject the DVD as you told me and it looks completly new, no damage.
Now the computer is in the white screen but it has a question mark blinking (?) instead of the Apple ( ) . What should i do?

Yeah, that one! Where did you get it? What color is it, actual physical color that is, of the disc.

Blinking question mark, of course! It can't find a valid System to start up with.

 

[GuitARTistic]

Ok, I meant the CD/DVD (spelled "disc") not the hard drive (spelled "disk") and you didn't answer the second question... perhaps that's because you were thinking disk instead of disc.


Yeah, that one! Where did you get it? What color is it, actual physical color that is, of the disc.

Blinking question mark, of course! It can't find a valid System to start up with.

Thanks Gregg2. The disc is the one that came with the iMac. Color is grey. It says iMac, Mac OS X install DVD, Mac OS version 10.6.1, Disc version 1.0

 

[Gregg2]

Ok, since it came with that Mac, at least we know the problem is not that you're using an incompatible disc. But, that means I don't know what else to tell you. Unless someone else has a brilliant idea, it might be time to take it to an authorized service center.

 

[bluskale]

Despite the lack of obvious damage, it could still be that the install DVD is damaged in some way (which would give you the copying error) or else that there are major issues with the hard drive (which would also give the error). I tend to agree with the previous poster... it might be easiest for you to bring the computer in for a look, presuming an apple store is easily accessible. If you tell them that you were reinstalling the system and there is an error copying over files, they will most likely try the install with a new dvd.

Otherwise, if you want to screw around some more, you can see if the error during installation occurs consistently at teh same point in the install (most likely indicating a DVD issue) or if the error just seems to occur whenever at different points (indicating that the issue is most likely with actually writing the data from the dvd to the hard drive).

Its not clear to me whether you have already reformatted the hard drive, but this next suggestion will completely erase everything on it. Only do this if you have backups of the data on the iMac. Another way to try the hard drive would be to go to disk utility (move the mouse up to the top of the first install screen, if I recall). Go to reformat your hard drive, and when setting this up, click the security options button, choose the "write zeros" option, then start the reformat (this will take 1-2 hours). If there are critical issues writing to the hard drive, these should cause the reformat to fail. This would indicate that the hard drive failed (which they do, with some randomness).