dave.i

Q: Replaced iMac hard drive, 10.6 install leads to "do not enter" sign

The hard drive on my iMac failed, and I replaced it with a 2.5 SSD drive. Before installing it, I tested the SSD drive in an external hard drive enclosure and it worked fine.

 

But when I try to install 10.6 (I have the original install DVD that came with the iMac), things are going very wrong. First, whenever I insert the install DVD, it spins for about half a minute, and then ejects. The screen just shows the mouse pointer on a grey background, and nothing else.

 

I then tried plugging in an external optical drive. This time, the install DVD icon appeared on the screen, but when I click it, the Apple logo shows for a few minutes while the DVD spins, and then the DVD stops spinning and the icon changes to the Do Not Enter sign.

 

Any suggests as to what to try next?

 

Thanks!

 

BTW, there is a chance I have the wrong install DVD. I have 2 iMacs, both from 2009, and I only found 1 install disk. Would that cause a problem?

iMac, Mac OS X (10.6)

Posted on Apr 21, 2016 7:38 PM

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Q: Replaced iMac hard drive, 10.6 install leads to "do not enter" sign

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  • by Csound1,

    Csound1 Csound1 Apr 21, 2016 7:40 PM in response to dave.i
    Level 9 (50,245 points)
    Desktops
    Apr 21, 2016 7:40 PM in response to dave.i

    How is the SSD formatted.

  • by theratter,

    theratter theratter Apr 21, 2016 7:45 PM in response to dave.i
    Level 4 (3,907 points)
    Desktops
    Apr 21, 2016 7:45 PM in response to dave.i

    You have the wrong disc. Unfortunately, you did not provide the exact iMac model your have: To find the model identifier open System Information in the Utilities folder. It's displayed in the panel on the right.

     

    If the model you have is prior to 2010, then you will need the retail Snow Leopard DVD. If it is later, then you will need the original installer discs that came with the computer: For 2011 - 10.6.7; 2010 - 10.6.3 (non-retail).

     

    Contacting Apple Customer and Support Service

     

    1. Apple Store Customer Service at 1-800-676-2775 or visit online Help for more information.
    2. To contact product and tech support:  Contacting Apple for support and service including international calling numbers.
  • by dave.i,

    dave.i dave.i Apr 21, 2016 8:40 PM in response to theratter
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Desktops
    Apr 21, 2016 8:40 PM in response to theratter

    I can't open System Information, because the computer has no OS on it right now.

     

    Going by the serial number, the computer is a Apple iMac "Core 2 Duo" 3.06 24-Inch (Early 2009).

  • by theratter,

    theratter theratter Apr 21, 2016 9:07 PM in response to dave.i
    Level 4 (3,907 points)
    Desktops
    Apr 21, 2016 9:07 PM in response to dave.i

    Your model came with a special 10.5.6 (9G2030) version of OS X. You will need to have a version of OS X that is greater than that version such as 10.5.7 or later. That would be:

     

    10.5.79J61May 12, 2009
    10.5.89L30, 9L31aAugust 5, 2009

     

    Of course you can also use the retail version of Snow Leopard.


    You can purchase Snow Leopard through the Apple Store: Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard - Apple Store (U.S.). The price is $19.99 plus tax. You will be sent physical media by mail after placing your order.

     

    Download and install the Mac OS X 10.6.8 Update Combo v1.1 to update Snow Leopard to 10.6.8 and gain access to the App Store. Access to the App Store enables you to download El Capitan for your computer.

  • by dave.i,

    dave.i dave.i Apr 22, 2016 4:27 AM in response to theratter
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Desktops
    Apr 22, 2016 4:27 AM in response to theratter

    That is probably the problem then. The install DVD I have is 10.6.somethingoranother (not exactly sure, since it is stuck in my external DVD drive at the moment). I will dig around home for the correct disks. They must be around somewhere.

     

    Would it be possible to install something else on the computer (e.g., some flavour of Linux)? I just want to make sure the computer is actually working before spending money on the retail version of Snow Leopard.

     

    Thanks!

  • by padams35,

    padams35 padams35 Apr 22, 2016 7:23 AM in response to dave.i
    Level 2 (163 points)
    Desktops
    Apr 22, 2016 7:23 AM in response to dave.i

    Yes, you can install most flavors of Linux onto an intel iMac, but I would recommend starting with a Linux live CD. I've successfully booted from disks with 64-bit versions of Debian and Ubuntu on my mid-2011 iMac in the past. In theory the live USB builds should also work, but I've had trouble getting my iMac to recognize those.

  • by theratter,

    theratter theratter Apr 22, 2016 9:25 AM in response to dave.i
    Level 4 (3,907 points)
    Desktops
    Apr 22, 2016 9:25 AM in response to dave.i

    Five ways to eject a stuck CD or DVD from the optical drive

     

      1. Restart the computer and after the chime press and hold down the

          left mouse button until the disc ejects.

     

      2. Press the Eject button on your keyboard.

     

      3. Click on the Eject button in the menubar.

     

      4. Press COMMAND-E.

     

      5. If none of the above work: Open the Terminal application in

          the Utilities folder. At the prompt enter or paste the following, then press RETURN:

     

            /usr/bin/drutil eject

     

    If this fails:

     

    Boot the computer into Single-user Mode. At the prompt enter the same command as used above. To restart the computer enter "reboot" at the prompt without quotes.

     

    If you wish to install Linux then I recommend Ubuntu. They provide excellent instructions on how to create a bootable USB flash drive for the Mac from the .iso download.

  • by dave.i,

    dave.i dave.i Apr 22, 2016 6:05 PM in response to dave.i
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Desktops
    Apr 22, 2016 6:05 PM in response to dave.i

    Apparently the install version is not the problem. I found the correct install disks, with 10.5.6, and it still does not work in exactly the same way. The DVD spins for a few minutes, then it stops and the do not enter sign appears.

  • by theratter,

    theratter theratter Apr 22, 2016 7:03 PM in response to dave.i
    Level 4 (3,907 points)
    Desktops
    Apr 22, 2016 7:03 PM in response to dave.i

    Then there is some other hardware problem.

     

    From Apple's document on the Prohibitory Symbol at startup:

    Prohibitory symbol

    When you see a circle with a slash symbol instead of the Apple logo, it means your Mac couldn't find a valid System Folder to start up from.

    If you're using your Mac at a school or business, it might be trying to start from the wrong version of OS X. Contact your IT department for more help.

    If this is your personal Mac, try reinstalling OS X by using OS X Recovery.

     

    I'm guessing it may be because you do not have a bootable system on the SSD. Your installer DVD may be damaged or the optical disk is damaged. You could attempt to clone the DVD to a properly prepped USB flash drive and try booting from it. Also, try using Option boot to start from the DVD if you haven't done so already:

     

    Boot Using OPTION key:

     

      1. Restart the computer.

      2. Immediately after the chime press and hold down the

          "Option" key.

      3. Release the key when the boot manager appears.

      4. Select the desired startup disk.

      5. Click on the Arrow button below the disk.

  • by dave.i,

    dave.i dave.i Apr 24, 2016 8:11 AM in response to theratter
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Desktops
    Apr 24, 2016 8:11 AM in response to theratter

    I have already tried the Option boot many times.

     

    I have been able to successfully install Ubuntu onto the iMac, as the only OS. So it seems that the hardware is all working. So that's good news!

  • by theratter,

    theratter theratter Apr 24, 2016 10:25 AM in response to dave.i
    Level 4 (3,907 points)
    Desktops
    Apr 24, 2016 10:25 AM in response to dave.i

    I'm not sure how to help you. I suppose it could be the SSD you purchased doesn't like your computer model. Or the SSD was not prepped correctly. At the point where you are at I would check the following as a guide for what needs to be done when starting with a bare, unformatted drive.

     

    Snow Leopard Erase and Install

     

    1. Insert Snow Leopard DVD into the optical drive and restart the computer.
    2. Immediately upon hearing the chime hold down the C key.
    3. Release the key when the Apple logo appears and wait for the loading to finish.
    4. After the installer loads select your language and click on the Continue  button. When the menu bar appears select Disk Utility from the Utilities menu.  After Disk Utility loads select the out-dented disk entry from the side list (mfgr.'s ID and drive size.)  Click on the Partition tab in the Disk Utility’s right window.  Set the number of  partitions to (1) from the drop down menu. Click on Options button and select GUID, click on OK, set the format type to MacOS Extended, Journaled. Finally, click on the Apply button.
    5. After formatting has finished quit Disk Utility.  Continue with the OS X installation and follow the directions.
    6. When the installation has finished the computer will restart into the Setup Assistant. After you complete the Setup Assistant you will be running a fresh installation of Snow Leopard. Open Software Update and install the recommended updates.
    7. Download and install Mac OS X 10.6.8 Update Combo v1.1.


    Once the computer is running 10.6.8 you can access the App Store and download the El Capitan installer (6.1GB file.) I believe that by now it will install 10.11.4, but if it is still 10.11.3 then you will want to download the updater, OS X El Capitan 10.11.4 Combo Update.


    If you do not own a Snow Leopard installer DVD you can purchase Snow Leopard through the Apple Store: Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard - Apple Store (U.S.). The price is $19.99 plus tax. You will be sent physical media by mail after placing your order.


    I hope this gets you onto the right track.