Cant't install OS X on Late 2006 MacBook

Question

Level 1

4 points

Cant't install OS X on Late 2006 MacBook

I am trying to reinstall OS X on my old 2006 MacBook core 2 duo. I have a leopard install disk and a tiger install disk.

On boot up, i get the chime and then it spits the disk right out.

I have made USB images of both to try to install and when I Hold down the option Key, i get the mouse cursor to come up over the white screen but the usb drive does not load into the boot-able options.

any ideas on what i can do?

What i have to help are a

2011 Macbook Pro
2009 Mac Mini

MacBook 13" 2.0ghz 2GB 120GB HD, Mac OS X (10.4.10), iPod 80gb Video, 8gb iPhone

Posted on Apr 13, 2011 2:18 PM

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Answer 1

Apr 13, 2011 4:15 PM in response to J Keating

Start up the MacBook Pro (or Mac Mini) with your install disk.

After you get to the install screen on the MacBook Pro (or Mac Mini) connect the MacBook 2006 to the MacBook Pro (or Mac Mini) in "Target Mode" with a firewire cable http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1661

Then open "Disk Utility" from the install disk on the MacBook Pro (or Mac Mini). You should see both the MacBook 2006 and the MacBook Pro (or Mac Mini) hard drives in there. Erase and partition the MacBook 2006 drive and then choose that drive when you go back to the install screen.

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Answer 2

a brody

Level 10

85,392 points

Apr 14, 2011 9:59 AM in response to J Keating

Target disk mode installs rarely work unless you are using the same vintage Mac and model. If your optical drive is damaged, get it replaced, or see if the PRAM battery's age has led to the optical drive not wanting to read discs. That can often happen. The PRAM battery is separate from the removable battery that you see on the outside of the machine, and it is inside the machine in some location. http://www.ifixit.com/ may be able to help you isolate it.

Furthermore the only 10.4 installer disc that will work a 2006 MacBook Core2Duo is the one that shipped with it, labelled MacBook.

The only 10.5 disc that will work with the said machine is a retail installer disc which looks like User uploaded file

* and does not say Upgrade, Dropin, or OEM.

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Answer 3

Apr 14, 2011 11:14 AM in response to a brody

You're right a brody. I never think of the machine specific disks since I have all the retail install disks (From 7.5 to 10.6) so I never use the original grey disks.

J Keating, your 2006 MacBook can handle OS10.6 if it has at least 1gb of RAM. If you have the retail version of 10.6 that would probably be the best one to use.

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