trying to clean install 10.6 to new SSD

[nhood01]

Hey guys,

i just got a new 60 GB Mercury EXTREME Pro 3G SSD to use with a 2nd HD caddy. I want to run only my OS and apps on it.

All im trying to accomplish is a a clean installation of 10.6 onto this new SSD.

The i format the drive and begin installation. When the computer restarts to finish up the installation, it just hands forever at the grey apple screen. I've tried it like 5 times with the same result.

I've seen a lot of guides saying to clone my existing HD the SSD but i don't want to incur any extra files or apps, i want a clean installation of snow leopard.

Can anyone help me here?

-nick

 

[r0k]

Hey guys,

i just got a new 60 GB Mercury EXTREME Pro 3G SSD to use with a 2nd HD caddy. I want to run only my OS and apps on it.

All im trying to accomplish is a a clean installation of 10.6 onto this new SSD.

The i format the drive and begin installation. When the computer restarts to finish up the installation, it just hands forever at the grey apple screen. I've tried it like 5 times with the same result.

I've seen a lot of guides saying to clone my existing HD the SSD but i don't want to incur any extra files or apps, i want a clean installation of snow leopard.

Can anyone help me here?

-nick

First of all, get a USB to SATA cable. You are wasting a lot of time booting from the drive you are trying to install to. Leave a working Macintosh HD in your Mac until you get the SSD booting properly.

Here are the steps I think you need to follow:

1 - Connect the new SSD using a USB to SATA cable
2 - In disk utility, pick the new SSD and pick partition
3 - Make the partition scheme GUID (under options)
4 - Pick 1 partition, HFS+ Journaled and let it format the SSD

5 - Now you are ready to install OS X. Pop in your SL DVD and when it asks to install OS X, pick the partition you created in step 4 above. You should now have a bootable disk.

6 - But wait. Before you go any further, test the disk... Reboot your Mac, holding option. Pick the HDD you made in step 4 and installed the OS to in step 5.

7 - Install the new proven bootable SSD drive. Notice how this is the LAST step? If it boots then and only then should you be ripping your Mac apart to install the new drive. You can now proceed with reinstalling apps, migrating user data, letting system updates run, etc, etc.

 

[nhood01]

Thanks for the reply, r0k.

My SSD is inside my computer now in place of my optical drive, so im still running off my original HD so i don't need a the SATA to USB cable.

I've already successfully formatted the drive the same way you described and the USB drive with SL was installing it successfully until the restart where is hangs on the grey apple screen indefinitely.

No one seems to know how to fix this.

 

[Jolly Jimmy]

I have read about boot problems occuring when the boot drive is in the place of the optical drive. Try placing it in the primary location.

 

[nhood01]

Thanks for the input.

I just tried that and unfortunately im getting the same hang up at the restart.

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Anyone know what to do here?