Snow Leopard won't install on my iMac

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Level 1

23 points

Snow Leopard won't install on my iMac

I have an iMac (it's running the latest version of Leopard - updates and all) and a MacBook Pro (same OS). I purchased the family pack for Snow Leopard upgrade (up to 5 machines).

I installed it on my MacBook Pro and it went perfectly. Install went fine, system runs fine. However, trying to install it on my iMac has been a problem.

I start the installation and it seems to start just fine. After about 10-15 minutes, the install screen reports about 50 minutes to go. At that point, the system reboots, spits out the Snow Leopard install disk and books to Leopard, asking me for my login password. The system then continued to load just like it always did, indicating the current OS (under the "About this Mac") is 10.5.8.

I get no errors or anything from the Snow Leopard installation when it reboots. I just does and dumps the install process. I have plenty of free disk space, so that's no t the problem. Any ideas? Thanks.

Matt

MacBook Pro, iMac, Mac OS X (10.5.8)

Posted on Sep 19, 2009 5:54 AM

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Answer 1

Sep 19, 2009 6:39 AM in response to kb8wfh

Hi Matt;

What kind of processor does the iMac have?

If the iMac has a PPC processor you can not install Snow Leopard.

Allan

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Answer 2

Sep 19, 2009 6:57 AM in response to kb8wfh

Make sure you have an [Intel Processor and meet the other criteria for installing too|http://www.apple.com/macosx/specs.html]. If you tried upgrading from your desktop, then try again starting from the DVD--or vice versa.

If you Macs are properly equipped (see link), then you might be able to install using [firewire target disk mode|http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1661] and the second computer's optical drive.

You also might be able to get it installed using an image file of your install DVD either while in firewire target disk mode or from a bootable external drive. Put the file on the other computer if doing the first and on the external if doing the second. To make an image file, use another computer, and

1. Insert the DVD/CD;
2. Open Disk Utility, and select the DVD/CD from the left side list (select the DVD/CD icon on top);
3. from the DU File menu select New | Disk Image from Disk 1;
4. Choose to format the disk image as DVD/CD Master, name the disk image and click Save.

Message was edited by: donv (The Ghost)

Message was edited by: donv (The Ghost)

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Answer 3

kb8wfh Author

Level 1

23 points

Sep 19, 2009 6:55 AM in response to Allan Eckert

Its a 2.4 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo, 4 GB of 800 MHz DDR2 SDRAM

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Answer 4

Sep 19, 2009 6:58 AM in response to kb8wfh

See my post above.

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Answer 5

kb8wfh Author

Level 1

23 points

Sep 20, 2009 5:00 AM in response to donv_the_ghost

I may give that a try. In the mean time, something different happened on my last attempt.

Usually, with Snow Leopard installs, it takes away the doc and other icons and sows only the installation progress window until it dumps and reboots. This time when it dumped, I got the doc, desktop and control back and the installation window gives me a message that says "An application canceled the installation - Quit / Try Again." Never seen that before. I looked in the task manager and only the installation and Finder were shown running. So any ideas as to what is killing off the install?

Thanks

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Answer 6

Sep 20, 2009 7:14 AM in response to kb8wfh

I don't know why you got the message. Why not try starting to the DVD and installing? Hopefully that would take care of the problem.

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Answer 7

kb8wfh Author

Level 1

23 points

Sep 23, 2009 5:13 PM in response to donv_the_ghost

It actually took me several tries to get the iMac to launch the Snow Leopard install at bootup, but it did finally take and work. Not sure what happened, but its there and working fine now. Thanks.

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Answer 8

Sep 23, 2009 5:39 PM in response to kb8wfh

You are very welcome.

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