jmpage2: Would a broken RAM slot (the notch that holds the ram tight) cause this problem? It's been running this way for several years with no issues.
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Snow Leopard - Install Failed Again and Again!
- Thread starter chaseerry
- Start date
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I couldn't say for sure. I've just seen RAM issues of any kind cause some pretty weird and strange problems.
For example. We had a buddy who had a machine that ran Windows 2000 for a year with some upgraded RAM and he never had an issue.
He upgraded to Windows XP and the machine would crash, reboot, etc.
Removing the RAM and putting some new RAM in fixed the problem completely.
I would say that your hard drive could also be the issue but that should be easier to diagnose. There are some pretty good programs for testing both the RAM and the Hard Disk actually.
I think if you google search "linux boot ram check" you will find a disc that runs memtest as well as a hard drive check.
The memory tests that are good will test the RAM for hours, writing bit combinations, then reading the results, etc, and really stressing it out.
I've had sticks that ran fine for 20 minutes and then threw errors, then ran for for 20 minutes again. Something like that could easily go unnoticed until you were doing something involved like installing a new OS.
One Final Update:
We had the hard drive replaced tonight. SL install went smoothly and the computer is running fine with a spanking new hard drive.
We had the hard drive replaced tonight. SL install went smoothly and the computer is running fine with a spanking new hard drive.
*Linux*?! UGH!. No, all you need to do is insert DVD 1 of the restore discs, and reboot the Mac holding down 'D'. Linux is an extra complication, which is NOT NEEDED.
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1509
I have the same problem. The Snow Leopard installer says "Installation will continue after your computer restarts", but it doesn't continue after the restart.
iMac (20-inch mid 2007), 2.4 GHz Core 2 Duo, 3 GB RAM. I removed my 2 GB RAM chip, and am trying again now.
iMac (20-inch mid 2007), 2.4 GHz Core 2 Duo, 3 GB RAM. I removed my 2 GB RAM chip, and am trying again now.
I didn't think the Apple OS X discs shipped with a hardware diagnostic utility on them.
I remembered seeing previous threads indicating people had to jump through hoops to get Apple geniuses to get them a copy of the diagnostics.
Thanks for providing the correct info.
Problem solved...BAD RAM!
After reading your success with swapping out RAM, it hit me that I could be having the same issue. I had upgraded my 1Gb of factory RAM to 3Gb (1Gb + 2Gb) and realized that this could be one of those not-having-a-matched-pair-of-DIMMs issues so I put the original 512Gb x2 that came with it back into the machine, launched the installer, and bingo- that did it! I am now Snow Leopard equipped. Thanks for all of your help guys!
After reading your success with swapping out RAM, it hit me that I could be having the same issue. I had upgraded my 1Gb of factory RAM to 3Gb (1Gb + 2Gb) and realized that this could be one of those not-having-a-matched-pair-of-DIMMs issues so I put the original 512Gb x2 that came with it back into the machine, launched the installer, and bingo- that did it! I am now Snow Leopard equipped. Thanks for all of your help guys!
Apple Cares More About Hardware Sales
When upgrading to Leopard from Tiger I received a "cannot verify hardware" error. After hours of trying I removed my non Apple RAM upgrade and put in the OEM RAM. Leopard then installed successfully. I then put the non Apple RAM back in and all was fine. When trying to upgrade to Snow Leopard I received the "cannot read, clean your disk" error. Doing the RAM swap allowed the DVD to be read? Mac
is great but this sounds a bit like Microsoft's anti-trust problems somehow. A non-technical user would have ended up bringing their disk back, then their machine in for a RAM replacement, right? Maybe I should read the fine print somewhere that states "You agree to use only Apple supplied parts in your system or we can disable it."
When upgrading to Leopard from Tiger I received a "cannot verify hardware" error. After hours of trying I removed my non Apple RAM upgrade and put in the OEM RAM. Leopard then installed successfully. I then put the non Apple RAM back in and all was fine. When trying to upgrade to Snow Leopard I received the "cannot read, clean your disk" error. Doing the RAM swap allowed the DVD to be read? Mac
is great but this sounds a bit like Microsoft's anti-trust problems somehow. A non-technical user would have ended up bringing their disk back, then their machine in for a RAM replacement, right? Maybe I should read the fine print somewhere that states "You agree to use only Apple supplied parts in your system or we can disable it."Installer could no copy necessary support files
Hi, I have a brand new Macbook Pro 13 inch, I am trying to re-install OS x 10.6.3, using the DVD that came wiht the machine, but I get this error message, already tried to install using an external HD, but endup getting the same message. any suggestion?
Hi, I have a brand new Macbook Pro 13 inch, I am trying to re-install OS x 10.6.3, using the DVD that came wiht the machine, but I get this error message, already tried to install using an external HD, but endup getting the same message. any suggestion?
Finally running SL!
Hi,
Here's a bit of my story. Sorry for my english...
I had the same problem (Alu iMac 7,1 27", Core 2 Duo 2,4ghz) even after trying to : format (normal + erase all data), partition, remove a RAM stick, switching RAM position, resetting the PRAM, using a different DVD, ... name it.
When I tried to run the Leopard 10.5, I got a kernel panic before accessing the install. Same thing for the Tiger DVD delivered with the Mac. Same thing with a Linux Knoppix Live CD.
The only thing I could do with the iMac's Tiger DVD is to run a memory test using the AHT Tools located on the Tiger DVD (pressing D while booting) delivered with the iMac : memory = OK
After that, I thought the HD was the problem, but Disk Utility was telling me that the disk was fine and the S.M.A.R.T. status was fine too.
So, before trying to change the iMac HD (which is a pain in the a**), I decided to "test" the DVD drive, which was my last solution.
I took a firewire cable and ran the SL DVD from my Macbook using target mode (pressing T while booting on the target, when a firewire cable is connected on 2 Mac). The install took a lot more time but it worked flawlessly!! So it appears the problem was the (cheap) Matshita DVD drive.
The next thing I'm gonna do in the next few days is to go and buy a CD drive cleaner (cost like 10$) and try to clean the drive.
That's it. Hope it will help someone has much as this thread helped me while I was knocking my head on teh desk.
Steve Forest
Hi,
Here's a bit of my story. Sorry for my english...
I had the same problem (Alu iMac 7,1 27", Core 2 Duo 2,4ghz) even after trying to : format (normal + erase all data), partition, remove a RAM stick, switching RAM position, resetting the PRAM, using a different DVD, ... name it.
When I tried to run the Leopard 10.5, I got a kernel panic before accessing the install. Same thing for the Tiger DVD delivered with the Mac. Same thing with a Linux Knoppix Live CD.
The only thing I could do with the iMac's Tiger DVD is to run a memory test using the AHT Tools located on the Tiger DVD (pressing D while booting) delivered with the iMac : memory = OK
After that, I thought the HD was the problem, but Disk Utility was telling me that the disk was fine and the S.M.A.R.T. status was fine too.
So, before trying to change the iMac HD (which is a pain in the a**), I decided to "test" the DVD drive, which was my last solution.
I took a firewire cable and ran the SL DVD from my Macbook using target mode (pressing T while booting on the target, when a firewire cable is connected on 2 Mac). The install took a lot more time but it worked flawlessly!! So it appears the problem was the (cheap) Matshita DVD drive.
The next thing I'm gonna do in the next few days is to go and buy a CD drive cleaner (cost like 10$) and try to clean the drive.
That's it. Hope it will help someone has much as this thread helped me while I was knocking my head on teh desk.
Steve Forest
Heres The Solution!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
heres a link for a great video that explains everything you need to do in order for it to work!!!!!!!!!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yAgz37S6wJw
heres a link for a great video that explains everything you need to do in order for it to work!!!!!!!!!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yAgz37S6wJw
I just had the same problem with my old MacBook Pro 15inch (mid/late 2009). I erased the HD and wanted to install OSX 10.6. but it always stopped after a few minutes with an error saying, that the "installer could not copy the necessary support files"
I tried with another installer DVD but it was the same, I tried to install from
an optical USB drive but it still did not work. After all I replaced the 4GB
Ram with the 4GB that came with my new MAC (Macbook Pro 17inch Oct2010).
After that the installer worked fine, I used the installation DVD that came with the old computer. The new MBP17inch works fine with the old Ram, I will exchange it anyways with 8GB Ram in a couple of days.
I am not sure if it would have worked as well if I only would have taken the RAM out of the slots and replaced them again instead of switching with other RAM ... but if anyone is in that same situation it might be worth a try. And be careful not to drop any of these little screws, the are hard to find on the carpet
(The RAMs were 1067 MHz DDR3 2GB)
I tried with another installer DVD but it was the same, I tried to install from
an optical USB drive but it still did not work. After all I replaced the 4GB
Ram with the 4GB that came with my new MAC (Macbook Pro 17inch Oct2010).
After that the installer worked fine, I used the installation DVD that came with the old computer. The new MBP17inch works fine with the old Ram, I will exchange it anyways with 8GB Ram in a couple of days.
I am not sure if it would have worked as well if I only would have taken the RAM out of the slots and replaced them again instead of switching with other RAM ... but if anyone is in that same situation it might be worth a try. And be careful not to drop any of these little screws, the are hard to find on the carpet
(The RAMs were 1067 MHz DDR3 2GB)
so wtf?!?!?
i have been trying to sort this for ages...
i tried updateing from tiger to leopard.. went fine... same day tried from leopard to snow... didnt work a whole bunch of times. (when i had 4X512 ram in)
tried a fresh install this week with 10.6.3 after i installed an aditional 4 gig of ram.. (6gig in total) and i just got a folder on the new hdd that says "mac os X install data" filled with mpkg's??.
i got a new disc that i will try again... when i get back to my tower and if no joy, i have no choice with all this crap.
i know that the retailer who sold it was supposed to put in 4X512 sticks of apple... i think its prob 2 apple and 2 who knows. (since the codes are different). so what am i to do? ask apple for a loan of some ram thats officia? if its rejecting other 3rd party ram or buy some more (not going to happen, im skint!) .
i done a scan on the extra 4 gig of ram using... erm.. cant remember but it all came good (it would have tested old also).
i know its not the hard drive. cus this it didnt install on two drives.
i am getting really p!ss'd with apple. i have a mac book (by chance) so could do a target disc install... oh wait they left out a fire wire port... nice one apple, you did it again.
i guess a genius will prob tell me that the computer is too old (it wont run 64 bit naturally... oh unless its windows os where it runs fine!!!), i should buy a new mac pro tower and then fill it with as much ram and processing power and money as humanly possible... then buy a new top spec pro tower to work along side next update 10.6.4...
is there any way i can swap my snow leopard disc for a leopard disc!??? i just want a fresh install and dont have a leopard disc... just "no-leopard" and original tiger.
effortless my anus
i have been trying to sort this for ages...
i tried updateing from tiger to leopard.. went fine... same day tried from leopard to snow... didnt work a whole bunch of times. (when i had 4X512 ram in)
tried a fresh install this week with 10.6.3 after i installed an aditional 4 gig of ram.. (6gig in total) and i just got a folder on the new hdd that says "mac os X install data" filled with mpkg's??.
i got a new disc that i will try again... when i get back to my tower and if no joy, i have no choice with all this crap.
i know that the retailer who sold it was supposed to put in 4X512 sticks of apple... i think its prob 2 apple and 2 who knows. (since the codes are different). so what am i to do? ask apple for a loan of some ram thats officia? if its rejecting other 3rd party ram or buy some more (not going to happen, im skint!) .
i done a scan on the extra 4 gig of ram using... erm.. cant remember but it all came good (it would have tested old also).
i know its not the hard drive. cus this it didnt install on two drives.
i am getting really p!ss'd with apple. i have a mac book (by chance) so could do a target disc install... oh wait they left out a fire wire port... nice one apple, you did it again.
i guess a genius will prob tell me that the computer is too old (it wont run 64 bit naturally... oh unless its windows os where it runs fine!!!), i should buy a new mac pro tower and then fill it with as much ram and processing power and money as humanly possible... then buy a new top spec pro tower to work along side next update 10.6.4...
is there any way i can swap my snow leopard disc for a leopard disc!??? i just want a fresh install and dont have a leopard disc... just "no-leopard" and original tiger.
effortless my anus
It's the RAM
I had the same issues. What's more after about 5 times of trying, Snow Leopard eventually loaded only to crash the next day. Then it failed to load again.
Following this thread I tried again having removed one of the RAM (I was scared to do this, but it's really easy) and had the same problem. So I then tried it again, reinserting the removed one and taking out the other. BINGO loaded first time. No problems since.
For completeness the other things I have tried that didn't work (though as the RAM failure is a bit erratic you sometimes think that something else might have made a difference) are:
1. Cleaning the DVD drive with one of those cleaning CD's with brushes
2. Reformatting the Hard Drive
3. Borrowing a freinds copy of Snow Leopard and also Leopard (was upgrading from Tiger)
4. Weeping
None helped. As a NZ sheep farmer I have trouble with a Ram before but it has only previously ended up in broken fences and disgruntled ewes.
I had the same issues. What's more after about 5 times of trying, Snow Leopard eventually loaded only to crash the next day. Then it failed to load again.
Following this thread I tried again having removed one of the RAM (I was scared to do this, but it's really easy) and had the same problem. So I then tried it again, reinserting the removed one and taking out the other. BINGO loaded first time. No problems since.
For completeness the other things I have tried that didn't work (though as the RAM failure is a bit erratic you sometimes think that something else might have made a difference) are:
1. Cleaning the DVD drive with one of those cleaning CD's with brushes
2. Reformatting the Hard Drive
3. Borrowing a freinds copy of Snow Leopard and also Leopard (was upgrading from Tiger)
4. Weeping
None helped. As a NZ sheep farmer I have trouble with a Ram before but it has only previously ended up in broken fences and disgruntled ewes.
No recent posts on this problem, so I will bring it to life again:
2006 iMac 6,1 (pre-alum.) with 2GB. RAM upgrade and new Apple branded 1 TB HDD.
(By the way, quite easy < 1 hr. DIY install of HD in this plastic iMac compared to what I have read for the aluminum model with all its sticky foil shielding to lift up and then replace.)
On trying to install Snow Leopard ($30 upgrade/install DVD), which I had successfully used months ago to upgrade from Tiger 10.4,
was getting the, "installer could not copy the necessary support files".
Had read about all the things others had tried, but couldn't come to terms with some of them that reportedly worked, such as downgrading RAM, moving the mouse around during the install, removing all the install options like printer support, etc.
Here's what suddenly worked for me, and it does have a plausible explanation:
Examined the SL DVD and saw that there were some smudges on it.
Dampened a microfibre cloth and buffed it up.
Tried the install again and it was successful.
In my case, although I didn't get the "clean the disc" message for some reason, some of the (unnecessary) stickiness on the DVD envelope sealing strip must have got transferred to the disc.
If this contamination is not too bad, I can see that explaining how some people found success just through repeated attempts.
(At the same time, I used an air can to blow into the optical drive slot.
Not sure that accomplished anything, but just in case there was any dog fur in there or something.)
So, my conclusion:
Doesn't explain it for those that have tried installs from something other than the DVD drive (Firewire, external HDD, USB, etc.), borrowing someone else's SL DVD - unless that one also needs cleaning,
but if Apple continue to package SL with that disc envelope, it should either be thrown out, or, at the very least have the stickiness removed by the purchaser with some solvent or alcohol.
I never like it when a problem is solved without having a rational explanation for the cause, but in this case I am comfortable with it.
I know this is an old thread, but i just went through this and came out with what fixed this upgrade to snow leopard. short story .... my RAM. 2009 MacBook pro had a 1gb stick and a 2gb stick. Took my sons 2 and 2 gb sticks of RAM from his Macbook. Installed it in place of the Odd Ball Pairing of a 1gb and a 2gb. Install/upgrade went like a charm. Hope this helps someone. Long story, I tried EVERYTHING ELSE!
I tried all of this and none worked.I had even tried partitioning the HD, but no response.
But WHAT DID WORK was to uncheck all the install options on Snow Leopard.
I could get all the documents I had on the HD.
My problem arose when I was trying to upgrade from 10.6 to 10.6.5 and my mac ran out of battery (you don't know how much I regretted not plugging the power cord).
hope this helps.
But WHAT DID WORK was to uncheck all the install options on Snow Leopard.
I could get all the documents I had on the HD.
My problem arose when I was trying to upgrade from 10.6 to 10.6.5 and my mac ran out of battery (you don't know how much I regretted not plugging the power cord).
hope this helps.
Been reading this thread a lot and here's my story.
I have Mac Pro Early 2008 and Snow Leopard 10.6.3 hangs everytime.
Here's what i've done:
Now, get this, i was so frustrated that i put my Mac and my 30" screen for sale, since i couldn't solve this mess and i had all of my memory and harddrives laying on my table, so i decided to put this all stuff back inside the Mac. So, i inserted all memory, probably in different order than they used to be.. aanndd
INSTALL WENT THROUGH!
Removed those my selling posts.
..but, then i couldn't go through with the installation because it freezed on the section, where you have to select your keyboard country/language. Maybe it was because i didn't install any those language things, i removed them through customization button. Don't know really.
I still think some memory is bad or something, even they show always 'ok' state. Maybe, next i will try installing and removing memory one by one.
UPDATE:
Another successful pass with installation. Snow Leopard installed now, but can't example install Combo Update, because OSX hangs / freezes 30 seconds from starting up. Everytime.
Strangest thing is even it freezed operating system, i can see menu bar clock update after that
Starting to think maybe this could be problem with display adapter, at least in 10 years that is the only component which i have replaced.
Managed open system.log with nano:
Also Verbose-boot gives me this info, when i access it with sudo dmesg:
UPDATE 2
Borrowed new display card, errors from logs disappeared, but still problem exists.
Now, i'm pretty close to give up, which is shame.
I have Mac Pro Early 2008 and Snow Leopard 10.6.3 hangs everytime.
Here's what i've done:
*Tried different memory combinations with my 16gb of RAM
*Resetting P RAM
*Installing from DVD and USB stick (Have now Snow Leopard, Yosemite, El Capitan on USB Sticks)
*Removing all other harddrives
*Checking everything out from install customization
*Taking out power cord for 20 seconds (resetting some thing i can't name now)
*Installing SL one of my other drives
*Writing zeroes to my OS SSD drive (Succesfull everytime)
*Resetting P RAM
*Installing from DVD and USB stick (Have now Snow Leopard, Yosemite, El Capitan on USB Sticks)
*Removing all other harddrives
*Checking everything out from install customization
*Taking out power cord for 20 seconds (resetting some thing i can't name now)
*Installing SL one of my other drives
*Writing zeroes to my OS SSD drive (Succesfull everytime)
Now, get this, i was so frustrated that i put my Mac and my 30" screen for sale, since i couldn't solve this mess and i had all of my memory and harddrives laying on my table, so i decided to put this all stuff back inside the Mac. So, i inserted all memory, probably in different order than they used to be.. aanndd
INSTALL WENT THROUGH!
Removed those my selling posts.
..but, then i couldn't go through with the installation because it freezed on the section, where you have to select your keyboard country/language. Maybe it was because i didn't install any those language things, i removed them through customization button. Don't know really.
I still think some memory is bad or something, even they show always 'ok' state. Maybe, next i will try installing and removing memory one by one.
UPDATE:
Another successful pass with installation. Snow Leopard installed now, but can't example install Combo Update, because OSX hangs / freezes 30 seconds from starting up. Everytime.
Strangest thing is even it freezed operating system, i can see menu bar clock update after that
Starting to think maybe this could be problem with display adapter, at least in 10 years that is the only component which i have replaced.
Managed open system.log with nano:
Also Verbose-boot gives me this info, when i access it with sudo dmesg:
ERROR: VendorAccelerator::set:_display_mode_and_vram() call to fFramebuffers[1].framebuffer->getPixelInformation() result: 0xE00002F0
ERROR: VendorAccelerator::set:_display_mode_and_vram() call to fFramebuffers[1].framebuffer->getPixelInformation() result: 0xE00002F0
hfs: hfc_btreepen: BTOpenPath error -32730
So, i think problem is the display card, i hope. Don't know where i can get one, but that's probably the reason.ERROR: VendorAccelerator::set:_display_mode_and_vram() call to fFramebuffers[1].framebuffer->getPixelInformation() result: 0xE00002F0
hfs: hfc_btree
pen: BTOpenPath error -32730
UPDATE 2
Borrowed new display card, errors from logs disappeared, but still problem exists.
Now, i'm pretty close to give up
, which is shame.
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