I think I bricked my MacBook (Late 2008 A1286)

[Merigouldi]

So stupid me tried to push my Late 2008 MBP beyond what I could get with El Capitan and tried to install Sierra even though it's officially unsupported. I got through the installer when it was finished but then it just gave me this notification meaning that the install didn't take.

I went to boot into recovery mode using command+r and it gave me the same notification.

I did option+power button to select disk and when I click on the time machine drive it gives the same notification.

It made a bootable USB, CD and even SD card and none of them are being read by the system.

I'm seriously concerned that I bricked this machine for good. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Newtons Apple]

I am afraid you are right. When Apple said "unsupported", they must have had their reasons.

Likely you will need to start all over and install an approved OS and go from there.

 

[Audit13]

Do you have a usb installer in order to reinstall a fresh os? If not, you'll need access to another Mac to create the installer.

 

[Merigouldi]

Do you have a usb installer in order to reinstall a fresh os? If not, you'll need access to another Mac to create the installer.

I do have another Mac the issue is that I still get the error when I boot the computer. I even tried to create a DVD with Mountain Lion on it and it doesn't even come up in the list of boot sources when I press the power button+option. Command+r doesn't boot me into recovery either.

 

[Ploki]

have you tried booting from an external system? (Have El Cap on external drive and boot, or install partition)

this usually means drive is busted, and Sierra should work on this machine

 

[Merigouldi]

have you tried booting from an external system? (Have El Cap on external drive and boot, or install partition)

this usually means drive is busted, and Sierra should work on this machine

You mean like creating a bootable USB? I tried that. Problem is that when I press the power button+option it doesn't recognize the USB stick.

 

[Audit13]

You press and release the power, then hold down option?

 

[Merigouldi]

I usually hold both until the boot menu comes up.

 

[Audit13]

Don't hold both.

 

[Aea]

Have you tried restarting while holding down Option-Command-R ?

 

[Merigouldi]

Don't hold both.

Nothing happens. A cursor comes up and I can move it around on the trackpad but it's a blank grey screen otherwise.
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Have you tried restarting while holding down Option-Command-R ?

Just tried it. Nothing happened.

 

[Audit13]

Something is definitely wrong because holding down the option key should bring up a list of drives.