Macbook Pro 13" - Kernel Panic when installing Retail Mac 10.6.8 Snow Leopard

[Jodeo]

I'm trying to restore my in-law's 13" Macbook Pro (A1278) that was "accidentally" upgraded from Snow Leopard to Yosemite. I'll spare the details, but they are utterly lost in Yosemite (e.g. Appleworks no longer works, and they have tried in vain to grasp Numbers and Pages to no avail.) Fortunately they have a back-up of their files, never used iPhoto in Yosemite, and this should be a straightforward rebuild.

I have the Snow Leopard retail Family Pack Box Set (MC210Z/A) that included iLife and iWork. When I try to install SL on the MBP, however, the DVD begins to boot, but each time I get a Kernel Panic before it gets to the end.

My next step is to try installing with the MBP in target mode. Then, Plan C is to clone a SL drive I built on an external drive to the MPB and hope to high heaven that works.

If anyone has insights, I welcome them.

 

[Intell]

Which model Macbook is it and which Snow Leopard disc are you using?

 

[Jodeo]

Which model Macbook is it and which Snow Leopard disc are you using?

SORRY -- I've added to the post above.

 

[DeltaMac]

I can see your problem.
There is no 13-inch MBPro that originally shipped with Snow Leopard that will let you directly install with the Snow Leopard commercial DVD. The version on the last retail DVD is OS X 10.6.3. AFAIK, Apple did not change the Snow Leopard commercial DVD to something newer than 10.6.3
The 2010 13-inch MBP came with 10.6.3 - but a later build that will only boot and install on that same model.
So, you can't install directly from the commercial DVD - you need the original DVD that came with that Mac.
There IS a solution, but it requires an older Mac that will boot to that DVD.
Install to the hard drive, using the older Mac, then update to a newer version - which can be the 10.6.8 combo updater. That updated 10.6.8 system will then boot your 13-inch, and you can continue on with other updates/installs.
Someone else may have another method that also works.

 

[Jodeo]

Thank you!

Here's what I have to work with:

• My iMac - running 10.6.8 w/Super Drive
• An external drive, one which has a clean install of 10.6.8
• The Macbook Pro in question
• An extra external drive

So I've created a bootable Snow Leopard 10.6.8 on the external drive that I'd like to clone to the MBP (via the iMac) but apparently that won't work. I'll try your method, run updates on the MBP and go from there.

Thanks again, and other ideas are welcomed just in case this doesn't work out.

 

[DeltaMac]

I think cloning the system from your external drive to the MBPro should work fine. Here's what you can do to test that - connect your fresh system on the external drive to your MBPro, restart while holding the Option key. Choose the external drive, which should appear as a choice on that boot screen. If it successfully boots your MBPro - and I see no reason why it would not - then clone from the external to your internal HD. One method is to do that with Disk Utility/Restore tab. You may have other software methods, like Carbon Copy Cloner, etc. that you prefer to use.

 

[Jodeo]

Thanks DeltaMac -- but it didn't boot. Booting from that clone yielded another Kernel Panic.

That suggests that installing my SL from the iMac with the MBP in Target Disk mode may not work either: The SL disk is just 10.6.0 or .1 with update to 10.6.8 via Software Update. I may need to see if I can find an SL for MBP DVD nearby.

Ugh.

 

[duervo]

If it were me I would just get a 10.6.4 install disc for the 2010 13" MBP off eBay and be done with it. Too much wasted time trying all of that other stuff ... But's that's just me.

If you find yourself agreeing at some point, here is one listing for you:

http://pages.ebay.com/link/?nav=item.view&alt=web&id=331476513490

Here's another one:

http://pages.ebay.com/link/?nav=item.view&alt=web&id=161388400016

 

[DeltaMac]

BTW - the model number A1278 does not tell which MBPro you have. There are 5 different MacBook Pros that share that same model number A1278! And, one more is a MacBook. Two came from Apple with only Snow Leopard. So, you have either a 2010, or 2011 version.
@duervo idea might work - if you have the 2010 version - but probably not the 2011 version of the MBPro - it needs 10.6.6 or 10.6.7
The main difference is the processor between those two MBPro versions

 

[Jodeo]

Thanks everyone,

My local Mac Authority store can re-install the OS for $50. Kinda high, but faster than ordering from Ebay and really not much more of an expense.

I think we've all learned a valuable lesson here: Don't talk your inlaws into buying Macs. You wind up being their tech support.

 

[cjmillsnun]

Thanks everyone,

My local Mac Authority store can re-install the OS for $50. Kinda high, but faster than ordering from Ebay and really not much more of an expense.

I think we've all learned a valuable lesson here: Don't talk your inlaws into buying Macs. You wind up being their tech support.

I'd rather get them buying Macs than Windows PCs. Mum has finally gone to a Mac, and my technical support role has finally come to an end.