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Zadine

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Jan 5, 2011
5
0
This is my first Mac and I'm mainly A window user. I have a MacBook Pro (I think its a mid 2010 Model because it has i5 Processor), I also have a Mac OS X Snow Leopard Install DVD (Version 10.6.3) and a blank Western Digital harddrive.
I wanted a clean install, on the orginal harddrive. The last screen i saw at the installation, was when It says there's only 45 min left for installation. Before it restarted and freeze at the gray apple screen, which I left it on for 1 hour. Then I forced restarted the mac off, with the Mac Install DVD in the DVD rom. Everytime I start the mac, I get the grey apple screen without the spinning pinwheel. I didn't know what to do. So I deceided to take the harddrive out and connect it to my window and manually deleted the Mac partation. Once I reconnected it back to the Mac, I had the same problem.

Once I got the Install DVD out, I started getting a flashing folder with a question mark. I've realised that this might be because I've deleted the partation. I tried to figer out how to get it formated but so far now I'm only getting format guides for a mac. When I open the Startup manger (the ALT Key at thet start up) I don't see any harddrives and if I inset the Mac Install DVD, that's all I can see. I can detect the harddrive on my window machine.

I just want a clean install, I don't mind if I can install it on the old or the new harddrive.

It would be much appreciated if someone can help me.
 

MacDawg

Moderator emeritus
Mar 20, 2004
19,823
4,503
"Between the Hedges"
Boot from your SL DVD and run Disk Utililty from from the menu to see if it recognizes your HDD

You should be able to use Disk Utility to erase the disk and format it for your Mac

Once it is formatted, you should be able to run the SL Installer
 

Zadine

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Jan 5, 2011
5
0
I'm new to the Mac. By SL DVD, do you mean the retail Mac OS X Snow Leopard Install DVD.

I've tried both, holding C while starting up and holding Option (is that the ALT Key?) and chossing the DVD, which both freezes on that grey apple screen.
 

tjb1

macrumors 68000
Aug 26, 2010
1,999
0
Pennsylvania, USA
I'm new to the Mac. By SL DVD, do you mean the retail Mac OS X Snow Leopard Install DVD.

I've tried both, holding C while starting up and holding Option (is that the ALT Key?) and chossing the DVD, which both freezes on that grey apple screen.

The Install DVD that came with your computer, put it in and hold C or Option/Alt and pick the DVD...it takes a while to load so give it time.
 

tjb1

macrumors 68000
Aug 26, 2010
1,999
0
Pennsylvania, USA
I've lost my install DVD, which came with my Mac.

The $30 SL DVD should work also, another thing if the drive is formatted NTFS it might not work. You can try formatting it to fat32 first then try to boot from DVD. After that you should be able to boot from the DVD, choose Disk Utility from the menu and format to HFS+ then install Snow Leopard.
 

Dark Dragoon

macrumors 6502a
Jul 28, 2006
844
3
UK
The $30 SL DVD should work also

It will only work if the version of OSX on the install disk is newer than the version which originally shipped with the Mac.

So for a mid 2010 model I think it's 10.6.3. So an older OSX 10.6 install disk wouldn't work.
 

tjb1

macrumors 68000
Aug 26, 2010
1,999
0
Pennsylvania, USA
It will only work if the version of OSX on the install disk is newer than the version which originally shipped with the Mac.

So for a mid 2010 model I think it's 10.6.3. So an older OSX 10.6 install disk wouldn't work.

Yes, my machine dvd installs 10.6.3. Didnt know about that though, thanks for sharing.
 

hypervish89

macrumors regular
Apr 6, 2010
143
10
As someone previously mentioned the format may be to blame. When you connected to windows it formated it to ntfs, which isn't usable on osx. You need to format it again to fat 32, or leave it as unallocated space...
 

Zadine

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Jan 5, 2011
5
0
I've tryied a FAT32 Drive and unallocated space but still getting the same problem.

The $30/£26 Mac OS X SL Install DVD is version 10.6.3.
 

sydenham

macrumors 6502
Dec 23, 2010
263
20
You think it may be a 2010 model? You lost the disc that came with the computer? hmmmmmmm
 

PinkyMacGodess

Suspended
Mar 7, 2007
10,271
6,226
Midwest America.
Um, click Tools, click Disk Utility, click the drive, click Partition, Click '1 Partition', click OK (or apply, can't remember which), let it format, close Disk Utility, (I've done this so much I can't remember...) Click something to restart the install, the 'new' drive will be seen as a choice. Install as usual...
 

PinkyMacGodess

Suspended
Mar 7, 2007
10,271
6,226
Midwest America.
As someone previously mentioned the format may be to blame. When you connected to windows it formatted it to ntfs, which isn't usable on osx. You need to format it again to fat 32, or leave it as unallocated space...

You need to 'repartition' the drive. It removes the NTFS partition (if it's there) and sets up the Mac OS X Journaled partition you need (formats it).

(Occasionally I have needed to actually zero fill a drive to get the Disk Utility to see that it is 'virgin' and/or usable. If you need to do that you will know because the partition won't 'stick' and/or it will be flaky like not starting up on it, etc. Go to the manufacturer and download their utility and see if they have a 'Zero-Fill' option. Otherwise you can download 'Kill Disk' and 'kill the disk' from a Windows system.)
 

tjb1

macrumors 68000
Aug 26, 2010
1,999
0
Pennsylvania, USA
Um, click Tools, click Disk Utility, click the drive, click Partition, Click '1 Partition', click OK (or apply, can't remember which), let it format, close Disk Utility, (I've done this so much I can't remember...) Click something to restart the install, the 'new' drive will be seen as a choice. Install as usual...

The OP cant boot the cd...you really need to read the whole thread.
 

PinkyMacGodess

Suspended
Mar 7, 2007
10,271
6,226
Midwest America.
Take it to a Genius at your local Apple Store for help.

I've only done that as a very last resort. If the zero-fill doesn't 'kill' the drive enough, then either take it somewhere (Apple Store under warranty) or if it's a newish drive, get a warranty swap. My experience is that the Geniuses at the Apple Store usually don't have the time to walk through this kind of thing. At least at the local Apple Store that I go to. They want (usually it seems) to get the quick stuff at the bar and either take the hard/long stuff in for service to be done later or they politely or not, blow you off.

If you can't get the partition to 'stick' with disk utility then do try the zero-fill/Kill Disk method first because it literally wipes everything off the drive. I've had to do it a time or two because I have moved some mondo-huge drives to my Mac Pro and now wipe them automatically before the move to avoid the hassle. It does take a while, depending on the size, but it's generally what the drive needs to be welcomed to the 'good side'. Think of it as a purging of the 'dark side'... ;-)
 

PinkyMacGodess

Suspended
Mar 7, 2007
10,271
6,226
Midwest America.
The OP cant boot the cd...you really need to read the whole thread.

Opps... Sorry. It's the wine. Long day in Windows Town...

Get a CD first... (Anyone else seen that Best Buy seems to only stock the Family Pack of OS X? Or is it just my nearest stores that are doing this.)
 

Zadine

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Jan 5, 2011
5
0
I've just tried Zero-Fill/Kill Disk method and still not working.

I know both hard drives work but the Mac will not recognise them for some reason. If I press ALT with the Mac Install DVD inside, at the start. Once I get to that select screen (Not sure what its called) all I can see is the Mac OS X Install DVD. Is there anymore advice?
 

Celeron

macrumors 6502a
Mar 11, 2004
705
9
You need to install it with the DVDs that came with the laptop. The retail, Snow Leopard, install DVD will not work in a 2010 Macbook Pro with the i5. The gray screen you're seeing when you attempt to boot from it is proof of that. No amount of messing with the hard drive is going to help you at this point.

You need a bootable DVD and that DVD is the DVD that came with the laptop.
 

txhockey9404

macrumors 6502a
Feb 25, 2008
548
1
If you call AppleCare, they will send you a new set of install discs for your specific computer for a small fee (I believe I paid $20). Those should be the exact right ones for your computer. Another thing you could try is going to the Genius Bar. They most likely have the DVDs for recent models either for you to install from at the store or to buy as you would from AppleCare.
 
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