Updating 10.5.8 to 10.6 --- Disk Error/Repai

[sierrahotel50]

I have a late 2008 Aluminium MB, with 10.5.8. I need to update to Snow Leopard (got an iPhone 5 and iOS 6 needs SL) but my optical drive won't read the install disc I bought from apple (drive still reads DVDs etc.- not really an issue for me).

Already tried a Remote Install Mac OSX via Airport - no joy! Doesn't give me the Airport menu after I restart with the option key.

Enabled remote disc on my Mac and tried to install via another mac that way, it was working until it said the disc (my macbook) needed repair via disc utility (it recommended Remote Install). Went to disc utility- just gives the "verify disc" option not repair disc

I was planning to update the software via USB - found a good article on it. BUT! I'm afraid that the disc will still need repair etc. and I will still need to intall via a CD.

Could anyone advise me on

1) could the installation via USB work? will I still need a 'disc repair'

2) I've already backed up everything via TimeMachine on an external hardrive. Could I possibly just erase the disc, install snow leopard then restore from my backup???

3) I really don't want to have to invest in a external optical drive. Not really an option!



ANY help would be seriously appreciated! Thank you

 

[benwiggy]

You can't repair a disk that you are currently booted to. The installer disk has Disk Utility on it. Ideally, you would boot up to that and repair the disk before installing.
However, you say the disk won't be read. What exactly happens? Do you get an error message? Can you mount it when your Mac is already up and running, and read the files/navigate through it?

Is the installer disk a Retail copy of Snow Leopard, or a bundled disk that came with another Mac? The latter won't work on a different model of Mac.

If both your Macs have FireWire ports, then you can connect them together with a FW cable and then start the MB while holding down "T". That will make it enter "Target Disk mode". It will then appear as an external drive to the other Mac.

 

[sierrahotel50]

I've only ever started the disc with my mac up and running. The disc starts up fine, it starts the Installation process (says it well take an hour) then my drive doesn't sound in any way healthy (never sounds like its actually spinning the disc- like the disc is jamming) and after about 2 mins an error message appears that says :Cannot read disc/Remove the disc and clean it etc.

The disc is a retail copy i bought off the Apple Store, and considering it works fine on the other mac, I really don't think its a problem with the disc.

I don't have a firewire port, think the other MB does. I suppose I could find an old ethernet cable and try that way? Would I still be able to repair the disc this way?

Thanks for the help