Help me!!! I feel like I have ruined my MAC!!! I tried boot camping MAC to a pc but accidentally downloaded Windows xp in the same partition as my OS x..... so then I went oninto the Windows setup and formatted the hard drive.... then I tries reinstalling my OS x with the original discs that came with the computer on the blank hard drive and when it goes to the MAC installation it tells me "MAC OS x cannot be installed on this computer" I need advice... I formatted it in disc utility and even re partitioned the hard drive in guid but still get the same error message... any advice?
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- Thread starter kingtlolo
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you need to go to disk utility click partition click options and click guid partition. it should be the top option. windows uses master boot record apple does not.
I have already made a new partition in GUID and rebooted my macbook and still got the "Mac OS X can't be downloaded to this computer" error message.
These are the steps i took to end up here.
1. Partitioned 50gb of 250gb in boot camp.
2. without clicking "Go to windows setup" in Bootcamp i reseted my computer and held 'option' and click my windows XP install disc....
3. it asked which partition i wanted to download windows on... it only had one option and didnt show any others so i thought that was the 50gb partition.
4.Without reading the warning signs saying "There is already an operating system downloaded to this partition and downloading 2 on the same partition could make the operating systems function inproperly" i agreed to download...
5. after succecfully downloading xp i rebooted the computer to find that there were no operating systems on my mac that i could access (blank white screen on powering on. held 'option' and no options came up)
6. i realized that I could not go into the operating systems because i effed it up by downloading it to the wrong partition.
7. i fooled around with it for a while with no success then found that the only way i could do ANYTHING was to put in the Windows XP setup disc and go into the setup where it gives me the option to select which partition (it also gives me an option to delete all the data off of the partition)
8. I cleared the partition that had both my mac and Windows Operating systems.
9. Now with a totally whiped hard drive and no partitions made, I put in my original Mac OS X 10.5 install disc and it opens up and ask which language I would like to setup my mac in... I select english and it opens a box and says its downloading and a blue loading bar is up but seconds in the install it says "Mac OS x cann't be intalled on this computer" then gives the options to go to Time Machine or reboot my computer...
10. I got to Time Machine and it says I have no restores.
11. I go to disc utilities and and see I have no partitions made then make a new one in GUID for 249gb...
12. reboot... and the same error comes up...
13. Go back to disc utilities and reformat and reboot and same error... make new GUID partition and reboot and same error!!! PLEASE HELP!!!
Is that the only Mac you have? If not try attaching it via USB or FireWire formatting/partioning it that way. I haven't used boot-camp yet, or even performed a fresh OS X install. Does it give you the option to write zeros to the drive when you format it? If you have a WinPC try to hook it up external and use a free formatting utility on the HDD to prep for install of OS X. I remember reading something that one of the OSes (Win or Mac) is dependent on partition 1 (or partition 0) and will not install anywhere else.
Personally I would write zeros and then go from there (i.e. create your two partitions either before or after writing zeros, etc.).
Personally I would write zeros and then go from there (i.e. create your two partitions either before or after writing zeros, etc.).
You need to boot from your OS X disc (CD or DVD) by holding down the "C" key while it starts up and go to Disk Utility and reformat your hard drive as Mac OS Extended (Journaled) with a GUID partition map and then you should be able to install OS X.
No
I only have one mac and do not know anyone with a mac. And what exactly do you mean by writing zeros... could you maybe refer me to a link with instructions on doing so...
Are you sure they are the original discs for your mac? Install discs, unless they are retail boxed, are specific to the machine they came with.
If booting from the DVD and doing a complete clean reinstall doesn't work, go to an Apple store and explain your problem. You may have a bad DVD; although my guess is a clean reinstall will do the trick.
Writing zeros won't accomplish anything that a complete reformat wouldn't when trying to install an OS. If he can't do a clean boot and reformat there is something else wrong with the system / drive / install disk.
BLARGGG... if I took it to the mac store do you think they would fix it? and what would the charge be usually for something like this?
And yes I'm sure that it is the original install discs and have made a partition and GUID and still no success... I just wanna give up and take it to the mac store.
And yes I'm sure that it is the original install discs and have made a partition and GUID and still no success... I just wanna give up and take it to the mac store.
BLARGGG... if I took it to the mac store do you think they would fix it? and what would the charge be usually for something like this?
And yes I'm sure that it is the original install discs and have made a partition and GUID and still no success... I just wanna give up and take it to the mac store.
Yes, they would fix it.
Unless you managed to break something physically, it should be free.
If it's a HDD failure and you're under warranty it will be free as well.