iMac bad sectors, need OS install advice

[dusterdust]

I'm attempting to fix a friend's iMac 10,1. It currently has OS 10.6.8 installed on it. I'm not all that good with macs, (usually a PC guy).

Anyhow, his OS HDD has bad sectors and presumably is on the verge of a head crash. Mavericks had downloaded, but would not let him install due to SMART monitoring detecting the bad sectors.

He has no physical copies of any version of Mac OS X.

I've been able to get ahold of a 2TB seagate 3.5 drive to throw in it, but I'm not sure exactly how to go about restoring his old OS or installing Mavericks or El Capitan, or whatever.

I'm currently downloading El Capitan and was going to throw it on a mac bootable USB thumbdrive using a walkthrough I found online...and then I was going to use his time machine backed up files to restore his programs...

Is there a way to get/create a bootable disc? Or can I just use the bootable El Capitan usb no issue?

I've not much experience with apple OS's...only familiar with MS OS's (key's/licences, etc...).

Thanks in advance

 

[Samuelsan2001]

Yep the bootable USB is probably your best, diskmaker X is the software I used to create mine.

 

[Raavi1]

Hi, The best thing to do now is to take it Apple Store and Have the HDD replaced or you can connect an external drive and install mac os and use it. Have the HDD backed up for the data before it crashes. Check the below link from Apple to help you further. Make sure to take data backup before the HDD goes unusable.

https://support.apple.com/en-in/HT202796

Regards,
Rg.

 

[markfc]

I'm attempting to fix a friend's iMac 10,1. It currently has OS 10.6.8 installed on it. I'm not all that good with macs, (usually a PC guy).

Anyhow, his OS HDD has bad sectors and presumably is on the verge of a head crash. Mavericks had downloaded, but would not let him install due to SMART monitoring detecting the bad sectors.

He has no physical copies of any version of Mac OS X.

I've been able to get ahold of a 2TB seagate 3.5 drive to throw in it, but I'm not sure exactly how to go about restoring his old OS or installing Mavericks or El Capitan, or whatever.

I'm currently downloading El Capitan and was going to throw it on a mac bootable USB thumbdrive using a walkthrough I found online...and then I was going to use his time machine backed up files to restore his programs...

Is there a way to get/create a bootable disc? Or can I just use the bootable El Capitan usb no issue?

I've not much experience with apple OS's...only familiar with MS OS's (key's/licences, etc...).

Thanks in advance

Hmmm, not so sure you need help to be honest. You seem to have answered your own questions. ;-)