2008 Macbook Air Prohibition Symbol

Question

2008 Macbook Air Prohibition Symbol

Hi everyone

I got myself a Macbook Air (late 2008, 120GB HDD, 1.86GHz) for christmas, because I‘m collecting classic Steve Jobs Apple Products.

The Problem is, it won‘t boot, only ending on the Prohibition Symbol.

It also won‘t load any of the Modes (Recovery or Diagnose), it simply boots normal and as I said, ends up with the Prohibition Symbol.

I also don‘t know which MacOS is installed.

Do you have any ideas, what could be wrong with it? Could it be a dead harddrive?

Thanks for every answer

Posted on Dec 24, 2020 12:52 PM

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Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

KiltedTim

Level 10

204,568 points

Dec 24, 2020 1:04 PM in response to spaßminister

No macOS is installed... that's why you're seeing what you're seeing. It may be a dead drive, it may be that the previous owner wiped it and did not re-install an os.

I don't believe a 2008 machine supports internet recovery mode. You're going to have to get yourself a USB SuperDrive and original media to attempt to install OS X.

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Answer 2

Dec 24, 2020 1:20 PM in response to KiltedTim

I indeed have a USB Superdrive and the MacOS 10.6 Snow Leopard Install Disc.

But if it won‘t boot in any Modes, how should I install a new system?

And as far as i know, if it lacks a system, its a question mark folder, not the Prohibition Sign.

But I think yes, it gets more and more obvious that the harddrive is dead.

Those iPod drives they used in the 1st gen tend to die over time.

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2008 Macbook Air Prohibition Symbol

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