Re install & other problems with 2008 MAC

[reddwarf4ever]

Hi
My father-in-law has a 2008 MAC. He bought it with LION OSX and later upgraded to MAVERICK via MOUNTAIN LION. At some yime after this the MAC started experiencing minor screen glitches, graphic breakup etc....then became very severe. It was decided to upgrade to YOSEMITE in the hope that if it was a software fault or corrupt OSX this might cure it....Initially it worked very well for a few days, then decided to exhibit the same issues I have some pictures of the screen during these problems). The MAC was erased and MAVERICK reinstalled...The problems seemed less, but were still eveident. I took the MAC to a local PC repair specialist, whom replaced the graphic card ( chip) and the issues went away....It was then believed this was the issue. I asked the repairer to upgrade to Yosemite to see if the problem was really cured. The result was a return to intermittent screen graphic problems and also the MAC sometimes locked up completely with a black screen and once the whole screen `shifted up` so that the top menu was off screen and the lower area was blank, after a few minutes of mouse and keyboard pressing the screen returned to normal, bit the graphic problems remained. It was determined it was not just the graphic card ( chip) at fault but the reason could not be found.
I have now had the MAC returned to me. I had thought of selling it as `parts only` but wanted to re install LION as this was what the machine came with....I have spent a whole day with LION install dvds and USB drives and for the life of me I cannot get LION to install. I tried the DISK UTILITY and erased the HDD ( The second NAMED one down ) then exited, expecting the option to install to appear, but it didnt, I was faced with the same menu. If I chose re install OSX I am just offered YOSEMITE....I think that if I could ERASE the main HDD ( 500GB ) then it would not remember the last OSX, but it says it cant unmount the HDD.
I am really at my wits end....DO I have a faulty MAC ? or is it just MAVERICK or YOSEMITE...( MAVERICK was more stable with minor glitches)

should I just install LION ( need some help please with this ) and sell it as faulty with an OSX installed, or just ERASE it and sell it as non working for parts only.

Urgently need some advice please.

Am familiar with Windows PC`s, but this is my first excursion into the world of MAC`s

Thanks in advance

 

[roadkill401]

I have a mac mini for the family and I got the same issues with Yosemite that you described. The mac is under warranty but just for ease, I went back to Maverick and the issues all went away.

I would not say that since there was issues with Yosemite that there are issues with your machine. I would say that Yosemite is a pretty bad version of OSx and was really only written for the 2014/2015 made machines and everything else is likely to have issues. Sort of like getting IOS8 to run nice with an iPhone4s.. yea it's possible but it works like crap.

 

[matreya]

I would try re-installing Mavericks on it if you can, but since you're going to sell it, and it's faulty, I wouldn't worry if you can't install OS X on it.

 

[reddwarf4ever]

Hi
My father-in-law has a 2008 MAC. He bought it with LION OSX and later upgraded to MAVERICK via MOUNTAIN LION. At some yime after this the MAC started experiencing minor screen glitches, graphic breakup etc....then became very severe. It was decided to upgrade to YOSEMITE in the hope that if it was a software fault or corrupt OSX this might cure it....Initially it worked very well for a few days, then decided to exhibit the same issues I have some pictures of the screen during these problems). The MAC was erased and MAVERICK reinstalled...The problems seemed less, but were still eveident. I took the MAC to a local PC repair specialist, whom replaced the graphic card ( chip) and the issues went away....It was then believed this was the issue. I asked the repairer to upgrade to Yosemite to see if the problem was really cured. The result was a return to intermittent screen graphic problems and also the MAC sometimes locked up completely with a black screen and once the whole screen `shifted up` so that the top menu was off screen and the lower area was blank, after a few minutes of mouse and keyboard pressing the screen returned to normal, bit the graphic problems remained. It was determined it was not just the graphic card ( chip) at fault but the reason could not be found.
I have now had the MAC returned to me. I had thought of selling it as `parts only` but wanted to re install LION as this was what the machine came with....I have spent a whole day with LION install dvds and USB drives and for the life of me I cannot get LION to install. I tried the DISK UTILITY and erased the HDD ( The second NAMED one down ) then exited, expecting the option to install to appear, but it didnt, I was faced with the same menu. If I chose re install OSX I am just offered YOSEMITE....I think that if I could ERASE the main HDD ( 500GB ) then it would not remember the last OSX, but it says it cant unmount the HDD.
I am really at my wits end....DO I have a faulty MAC ? or is it just MAVERICK or YOSEMITE...( MAVERICK was more stable with minor glitches)

should I just install LION ( need some help please with this ) and sell it as faulty with an OSX installed, or just ERASE it and sell it as non working for parts only.

Urgently need some advice please.

Am familiar with Windows PC`s, but this is my first excursion into the world of MAC`s

Thanks in advance

Hi its possible that YOSEMITE could be the main culprit, can someone help me reinstall maverick...p l e a s e....tried all the hold this and that key during boot, but have got nowhere, just keep getting the option screen with disk utility etc...

----------

I have a mac mini for the family and I got the same issues with Yosemite that you described. The mac is under warranty but just for ease, I went back to Maverick and the issues all went away.

I would not say that since there was issues with Yosemite that there are issues with your machine. I would say that Yosemite is a pretty bad version of OSx and was really only written for the 2014/2015 made machines and everything else is likely to have issues. Sort of like getting IOS8 to run nice with an iPhone4s.. yea it's possible but it works like crap.

Hi I wanted to send you a PM, but couldnt see how to do it.
As you have removed yosemite and reinstated Maverick, could you please please give me an exact step by step procedure to do this....I am having so much grief.

Thanks

P.S, when i chose reinstall OSX it only gives me YOSEMITE as an option, maybe I have not completely erased the HDD so it remembers....just a thought.....I cant erase the top HDD option, above the named part as it says it cant unmount it....
thanks in advance

 

[kepler20b]

the issues you are describing are classic hardware failure. The path of least resistance is to sell it as a parts machine and to accurately describe every defect.


To fix this machine is akin to spending 1000$ to get a car running again when it is worth only $500.


also, not to be debbie downer, but I would need proof that your repairer actually installed a new video card. The issues you describe are synonymous with video card failure. If the repair actually occurred and the same symptoms arose again, I would look straight into the power supply. Which for iMacs is a complete pass/fail endeavor. Apple afaik considers powersupply issues as generally non repairable and will recommend you scrap the device.

 

[stjames70]

Use a secondary boot device

Try installing Yosemite on a portable hard drive and choose that as your boot device. If your problems are solved, then you have a faulty drive. At over 6 years, your HDD is kaput or about to go kaput. If that does not solve your problem, just get rid of your 2008 computer. We have seven cMP 2008s running Yosemite or Win 8.1 Pro x64 very, very smoothly in our office, so your hardware is not outdated -- it is most likely just defective.