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Help - New to Mac - Need help in system restore

G

GSUMayo

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Jun 27, 2010
8
0
I recently bought a used Macbook and tried to do a system restore with the OS CD's. Apparently I've deleted or moved something that aids in the start up process. When the system goes to start up nothing happens. Only the Apple icon and the gray pinwheel show up. And the computer never fully starts up, it just sits in that screen....forever.
If anybody knows how to fix this or anyway to help, I would greatly appreciate!
Thx
 
GSUMayo said:
I recently bought a used Macbook and tried to do a system restore with the OS CD's. Apparently I've deleted or moved something that aids in the start up process. When the system goes to start up nothing happens. Only the Apple icon and the gray pinwheel show up. And the computer never fully starts up, it just sits in that screen....forever.
If anybody knows how to fix this or anyway to help, I would greatly appreciate!
Thx
Click to expand...


Is it a PPC or Intel? are you using the original system disks or a retail OSX disk? are you trying to do a "archive and install" or a clean reinstall?

If so, try booting from your OS X disk: insert the disk, go to system preferences> startup disk> choose the OS X drive... then follow the instructions...

Normally, if you're making a clean OS X install, there is nothing is the current OS X that would prevent you to do so if you start from the OS X install disk directly.


cheers!
 
???

I believe it's an Intel from the information that I received from the guy at the Apple Store.
-I would like to do a clean install and have tried to boot from the OS cd. The first time it worked and the computer went through its processes. Then the computer prompted me to restart and it did so but never started up again. That's when it went to the gray screen with the circling pinwheel and never started up again. I tried to start up from the cd and go through the process again and this time it would not start up from the OS cd this time.
-Also, I am not using any grey cd's that came with the computer. I bought the computer from someone else and have no idea how to get my hands on those cd's.
However, I am using the cd's I bought that are black and supposed to install the OS Panter. (Yes I know that it is extremely outdated but the computer will not support anything newer than Tiger.
Thx
 
GSUMayo said:
I believe it's an Intel from the information that I received from the guy at the Apple Store.
...
However, I am using the cd's I bought that are black and supposed to install the OS Panter. (Yes I know that it is extremely outdated but the computer will not support anything newer than Tiger.
Thx
Click to expand...

If it doesn't support anything newer than Tiger, then it's not an Intel CPU.

You can't install Panther on an Intel machine.

If you got as far as being able to install Panther (even if it doesn't boot afterwards), then you have a PPC Mac. The Mac won't let you continue if it doesn't support the version of OS X you're trying to install.
 
Soo?

So basically you are telling me I won't be able to run anything but Tiger?
 
If the computer originally came with Panther (10.3) then you'll probably need the grey CDs, or a retail Tiger (10.4) DVD. If it originally came with Leopard (10.2) then the retail Panther CDs should work.

Can you find any model numbers anywhere on the system? Is it a PowerBook or an iBook? There should be a sticker in the battery compartment listing some of the system specs.
 
Ok

So I'm pretty sure that it came with Tiger and I do not have any of the original cd's that came with the computer.
I do know that the computer is an iBook and the model numbers I find on the battery are as such:
Model #:A1008
There is a bar code on the back of the battery with the serial number HQ3321GKP6JC
And the serial number on the inside of the computer in the battery compartment is: UV3320XNPBM
Is there any other possible information that I can help you out with?
And, can I purchase cd's for Tiger online somewhere?
 
I've looked up the serial number and you should have no trouble with running Panther on that machine (it most likely came with Jaguar).

Put CD 1 back in and reboot while holding the Option key at the chime. You should get a screen where you can click the CD and then press the arrow to boot from it. Hopefully that'll take you to the installer.
 
!

Booting with the option key worked. I'm currently reinstalling the first disk. Hopefully it will allow me to proceed to the second cd and get everything back in order.
I will let you know how it goes and I sincerely appreciate your help! =D
 
ok, so...

I reinstalled the first cd and it prompted me to restart and has been sitting on the grey screen with the pinwheel for about 10 mins now. It's not doing anything, loading or anything.
Any ideas?
 
Reboot while holding Command (the key with an Apple logo) and V at the chime. The system should go into "verbose" mode and list what's actually happening (you can release the keys once that happens). At that point it's probably easiest to take a photo of the screen once it's stopped scrolling.
 
Ok I know how to start is verbose mode, but I have no idea what I am reading. I have taken a pic of what came up.
Attached.
mail
 
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