Install on a new hard drive question

Question

Level 1

10 points

Install on a new hard drive question

So my hard drive failed in my iMac. I had a 2Tb drive I was not using so I took the Mac apart and installed my drive in it. I am now trying to get snow leopard installed from my original disk. It hits 22 minutes left (only about 3 minutes in) and then says install failed. The installer could not copy the necessary support files. It makes me reboot and tries again with the same results. I have gone to disk utilities and made a smaller 500gb partition as well as verifying and repairing the drive. Both of which said it was ok. It won't let me eject the disk since it boots right to the disk. I tried command option o f but still could not get it to eject. Any other ideas to get an os on this new drive?

IMac, Mac OS X (10.5.8)

Posted on May 5, 2012 8:20 PM

Reply

Answer 1

ElkySS01 Author

Level 1

10 points

May 5, 2012 8:25 PM in response to ElkySS01

I just found the install logs and there is a line that says "you can't save the file"autosave information" because the volume "Mac os x install DVD" is read only." why would an install disk be trying to write to itself?

Reply

Answer 2

rkaufmann87

Level 10

140,664 points

May 5, 2012 9:05 PM in response to ElkySS01

Did you format the drive before attempting to install OS X on it, if so what is the exact format and Partioning scheme you used?

Reply

Answer 3

den.thed

Level 9

77,236 points

May 5, 2012 9:30 PM in response to ElkySS01

First off, exactly which iMac model? > How to identify iMac models

Like rkaufmann87 asked, did you properly set the Partition Map Scheme and Format?

See > OSX Tips: Using Disk Utility 1. Format, Erase, or Reformat a Drive

and/or > Formatting & Partitioning a Hard Drive in OS X

Please also note that:

Pre 2006 Power PC iMac's use the Apple Partition Map Scheme and can only go up to Leopard.

While 2006 and later Intel iMac's use the GUID Partition Table Scheme. Plus noting that the Early Core Duo's can only go up to Snow Leopard providing that they have a minimum of 1GB of RAM and that Core 2 Duo's can go thru to Lion provided that they have the minimum 2 GB of RAM.

Reply

Answer 4

ElkySS01 Author

Level 1

10 points

May 6, 2012 7:00 AM in response to den.thed

Sorry, it is an iMac 7,1 it is a Core 2 Duo. I was running Lion prior to the crash and want to again as soon as I get it going again. The drive is partitioned as Mac OS Extended (Journaled), And has 500Gb and 1.5Tb partitions. I also tried case-sensitive, Journaled but I had the same results. I hope that helps and thank you got the replays.

Reply

Answer 5

rkaufmann87

Level 10

140,664 points

May 6, 2012 7:09 AM in response to ElkySS01

Did you set the Partition to GUID, if not then you need to start over and do that. GUID sets the drive so it's bootable.

Reply

Answer 6

May 6, 2012 7:24 AM in response to ElkySS01

Is the install disc new? Is it clean? I'd be inclined to look at the install disc first. Also, it may be the actual disc drive. Do you have access to an external disc drive to install it from? Yhe internal drives are known to be finicky.

Reply

Answer 7

den.thed

Level 9

77,236 points

May 6, 2012 7:42 AM in response to ElkySS01

I'm with rkaufmann87 and you need to start over.

Try this:

1. Boot from either your 10.5 System Disc or 10.6 Upgrade Disc and open Disk Utility.

2. Highlight the new HD in the list of drives and select the Partition tab.

3. Under Volume Scheme select 1 Partition and click on the Options... button.

4. Select GUID Partition Table in the drop down window and click OK.

5. Set the Format to Mac OS Extended (Journaled) and click the Apply button.

6. Once thats done, then Install OS X on the new HD and Update it.

If you plan on going back to Lion then it would be easier to just install 10.6 from your Retail Snow Leopard Upgrade Disc, update it to 10.6.8 using the Combo Updater and then get the Lion upgrade from the App Store.

Reply

Answer 8

ElkySS01 Author

Level 1

10 points

May 6, 2012 8:43 AM in response to den.thed

The drive is set to GUID. I reset it to 1 partition and reformatted it just to be sure it was all right. I had to take the rom apart to get the disk out and it is clean. I have a win 7 box on the same network so I tried putting the disk in the drive there to do the remote install thing. For some reason when I boot the Mac and hold the option button I never get the option to pick where to boot from. I also have a USB hard drive on my windows box that I was going to clean up and make a copy of the disk on but I can't find a way to do it on a windows install. I don't have a USB DVD rom handy but since I can't get the screen to come up to choose the boot location I don't guess it would help. :(

Reply

Answer 9

ElkySS01 Author

Level 1

10 points

May 6, 2012 9:02 AM in response to ElkySS01

Not sure why but after two days of taking it apart and trying over and over it just came up and said install completed. Not sure what fixed it but I am watching the install video now. Thank you all. :)

Reply

Answer 10

rkaufmann87

Level 10

140,664 points

May 6, 2012 9:06 AM in response to ElkySS01

This might be an indication the drive has a bad connection (check the cables) and/or is a flakey HD.

Reply

Answer 11

ElkySS01 Author

Level 1

10 points

May 6, 2012 9:39 AM in response to rkaufmann87

I think I just got lucky. I think my DVD rom is dying. When I went to eject it I heard clicking but the disk would not come out. I had to use a small screw driver to guide the disk out while clicking the eject button with the other hand. The hard drive is really pretty new do I hope it is not going out but it could be.

Reply