Q: 2007 A1226 MacBook Pro Stuck with Non-working Windows XP
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May 13, 2016 5:49 PMby Loner T,This MacBook Pro (Mid 2007, 2.4/2.2GHz) - Technical Specifications has a built-in Optical drive. Do you have the 'Grey' restore disks that came with the Mac?
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May 13, 2016 6:03 PMby julianvb,Hi Loner,
Thanks for your input. Unfortunately I don't have such 'Grey' disks. After I was given this machine by my daughter years ago, I had to do a great deal of hacking in order to open it because she had lost her login ID. The DVD drive now ignores my Windows XP installation disk as well as my Snow Leopard disk. In other words, the machine just acts like a defunct Windows XP machine with all Apple features long forgotten. I cannot go online at all because the installed Windows XP is a flop.
Julianvb
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May 13, 2016 6:20 PMby Loner T,1. Before we explore hardware-based repair, can you run the following two procedures,
Reset the System Management Controller (SMC) on your Mac - Apple Support
How to Reset NVRAM on your Mac - Apple Support
2. If these two procedures do not show any improvements, then using this iFixit Guide , try to re-seat the DVD drive cable and check if it responds. If you are able to successfully insert/eject DVDs, the drive is not fully dead. It may need to be cleaned with soft cloth and a credit-card sized plastic.
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May 13, 2016 7:17 PMby julianvb,Hi Loner,
Thanks very much again. Since my MacBook Pro no longer behaves like a regular Apple machine and more like a crazy Windows XP computer, there is no way for me to apply your suggested procedures. I am an elderly retired engineer who has not the stamina to go through the long manual process to clean the DVD drive. Today I was able to read only a few USBs at the USB port in WIndows XP.
Somehow I feel that the most practical available solution to me would be using the machine's 'Grey' disks as you suggested. Where can I purchase them and how much do thy cost?
Julianvb
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May 14, 2016 9:32 AMby Loner T,HelpfulIf you have the retail Snow Leopard disk, it will also work. You do not need the Grey disks. If the Optical drive is not functional neither the retail nor the Grey disks will help.
All Macs have the ability to boot from an external OS X disk as noted in How to install OS X on an external drive connected to your Mac - Apple Support .
I will install SL on a USB Flash drive and mail it to you. Please send email with your mailing address to lonertmac at gmail dot com.
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May 14, 2016 9:43 AMby julianvb,Hi, Loner T,
I like your new suggestion of trying to revive the machine via the USB port very much at least the it seems to function. When I receive the SL thumb drive, how do I install it? You've been a great help. I'll e-mail you my mailing address shortly. Many thanks again.
Julianvb
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May 19, 2016 3:31 PMby julianvb,Loner,
I really cannot thank you and this forum enough for your generous, excellent help. Today I received from you the new bootable OSX version 10.6.8 usb thumb drive. As soon as I had inserted it in the laptop , I saw the icon of the new device in addition to the Windows icon. Everything went smoothly and swiftly after I selected the new device's icon. Now OSX is working again.
My advice to others experiencing a similar problem is to forget the dvd drive and directly boot from the usb port with a known bootable usb.
Julianvb
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May 19, 2016 4:08 PMby Loner T,Glad to see your Mac is functional. If Windows is not working, we can look and try to repair it. The USB may be slow to use, but it should be sufficient to get some disk layout information.
If you can post the output of the following Applications -> Utilities -> Terminal command, then we can work on getting OSX and Windows to co-exist on your Mac.
diskutil list disk0
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May 20, 2016 10:53 AMby julianvb,May 19, 2016
Loner,
I really cannot thank you and this forum enough for your generous, excellent help. Today I received the new bootable OSX version 10.6.8 usb thumb drive.
As soon as I had inserted it in the laptop , I saw the icon of t new device in addition to the Windows icon. Everything went smoothly and swiftly after I selected the new device's icon. Now OSX is working again.
My advice to others experiencing a similar problem is to forget the dvd drive and directly boot from the usb port with a known bootable usb.
Julianvb
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May 20, 2016 10:58 AMby julianvb,2016-05-20
Loner,
(1) If I leave the USB mounted on the MacBook Pro after booting up its OSX, I've no trouble shutting down or restarting OSX. It's my impression that OSX has not yet installed itself thus far. In a way this can be likened to trying out a live Linux distribution without installing it.
(2) In the case of any Linux distribution, I need to tell Linux to install itself after mounting it for the first time in order for it to become a system O.S. and part of the hard drive. All my Windows operating systems follow the same protocol.
(3) Please tell me if Apple uses the same procedure also. If so, how do I install OSX 10.6.8. Thanks very much.
Julianvb
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May 20, 2016 11:05 AMby Loner T,I need to correct the installer and send you a version which will show my serial number on my Mac, and your serial number on your Mac. I suggest sending back the USB to me, and I will re-install SL 10.6.8 and send it back to you. Let us verify my address via email. It may take a couple of days to get this working properly.
Do you have a second Mac?
