Q: starting up macbook from no installed operating system

Did you try booting while holding the "C" key when the disk is inserted?

That Mac model won't boot to a retail Mac OS X 10.5 DVD. Use a 10.6 one or the computer's original disks(phone Apple) instead.

(110698)

The MacBook5,1 came with Snow Leopard, you need to use the Mac OS X 10.6 DVD to install.

See:Mac OS X versions (builds) for computers

Now I'm confused...

http://www.everymac.com/systems/apple/macbook/specs/macbook-core-2-duo-2.0-white -13-early-2009-nvidia-specs.html

It is confusing, since the Apple KB article also says later models came with 10.6...so exactly what is the date of the MacBook?  And what is the Mac OS X version, 10.5.?, on the disk?  If lower than that installed on an early 2009, then it will not install.  If the machine came with 10.6, it will not install.  And it is behaving like it is being rejected by the firmware.

The best solution is get a 10.6 DVD and use that...it is sure to work.

I have a Leopard retail DVD that's 10.5.6, the exact same as the articles say. Perhaps units manufactured later came with a later version?

Ralph Landry1 wrote:

 

The best solution is get a 10.6 DVD and use that...it is sure to work.

Agreed

Mac OS X 10.6, Snow Leopard, is $20 at the Apple on-line store:http://store.apple.com/us/product/MC573Z/A/mac-os-x-106-snow-leopard

That MacBook model is 14 days newer than the DVDs, which are build 9G66. They won't work in it.

(110700)

Thank you for the clarification.