Stuck with OS and Leopard wont install

[Dynamyk]

Hi guys Im in a HUGE bind. I'm selling my Macbook which specs clearly meet the Leopard requirements, I try to install it and i get the error cannot install on this computer. I assumed this is because I had a newer version of leopard on it so I erased the data on the drive through disk utility but its still giving me the error!

What do I do

 

[eluk]

Are you using a black install disc or a machine specific grey one?

 

[Dynamyk]

black leopard family pack. my install disks are at home a good few hours away

 

[robbieduncan]

If the family pack DVD is 10.5.0 and the Macbook originally shipped with a later version (10.5.1 or higher) then the install disk probably does not contain the required platform drivers. It will only have drivers for hardware available at the time, not later hardware. Also you'd loose iLife etc going this way. Can you get hold of the original restore disks at all?

 

[Dynamyk]

No .

I wont be home for another month and I'm selling the Macbook on Monday!

 

[spice weasel]

I assume you have another Mac, since you have the family pack for Leopard. If that's the case, you can try installing the OS on the MacBook over firewire using Target Disk Mode. Put the MacBook in Target Disk Mode and put the install DVD in the other Mac. Choose the MacBook as the install drive and see if that works. Then just run all the software updates.

 

[Winni]

In addition to the target disk mode approach, you can also download a trial version of SuperDuper! and clone the installation of that working Mac to the MacBook (that is connected via FireWire and running in target disk mode).

 

[ayeying]

If the family pack DVD is 10.5.0 and the Macbook originally shipped with a later version (10.5.1 or higher) then the install disk probably does not contain the required platform drivers. It will only have drivers for hardware available at the time, not later hardware. Also you'd loose iLife etc going this way. Can you get hold of the original restore disks at all?

I think you can install it. I was able to install OSX Server 10.5.0 on my macbook pro which came with 10.5.2.

 

[Dynamyk]

If i install a copy of leopard server on it, can I then use the leopard disk to install a fresh OS?

 

[sickmacdoc]

If the Target Mode suggestions above have not worked then it sounds like your only option would be to delay the sale until you can have your software restore disks shipped to you via express delivery or to go out and buy a newer copy of the retail Leopard package. Current retail Leopard copies have version 10.5.4 on the disk and can be identified by a sticker on the package that shows that it is the 10.5.4 version.

The same thing happens with some other Macs because of video drivers required that were not on the original retail 10.5.0 installer disks- hence the updated 10.5.4 packages.