Rejecting DVD while booting original Software Installation on MacBook White 2009

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macpepek Author

Level 1

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Rejecting DVD while booting original Software Installation on MacBook White 2009

Hope somebody would be able to help me out.

My mum has got white macbook 2009.

Apparetnly it's to slow and she's having problems to even tipe or click on something as cursor freeze for minutes.

I've tried to reinstal the OS which is 10.7 at a moment with older version which came with computer.

By following instructions on DVD to hold C while booting, macbook rejects dvd, I've checked if the DVD is Software instalation or Application and the DVD which we use is Software Instalation 10.5 (if I remember right).

I've no idea why it rejects DVD while requesting to boot from it...

I've got macbook for 7 years and never had this sort of issue. It makes me think whether she didn't get on mac some kind of virus which affected whole mac.

Please help or advice if you think on something I didn't think on.

Thanks for your time guys.

Peter

Mac OS X (10.5.7)

Posted on Feb 22, 2013 1:27 AM

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Answer 1

SeaPapp

Level 7

26,486 points

Feb 22, 2013 7:36 AM in response to macpepek

First, it is not a virus.

Secondly how much ram is installed? How much total hard drive space do you have and how much of that is free space?

Finally, does the MacBook accept other DVD's and properly mount them? You should be able to start up and install from the original disc as long as your dvd drive is working properly. Insert the DVD, restart and hold the C key as soon as you hear the startup chime, not before, this should boot from the DVD. In order to downgrade to 10.5 from 10.7 you'll need to completely erase the disc so make sure that everything is backed up before you proceed.

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Answer 2

macpepek Author

Level 1

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Feb 22, 2013 8:15 AM in response to SeaPapp

Ram is actually an issue as ther is only 2GB which is not enough and the hard drive was full up to 90%.

I've managed to format disk as I would like to instal original OS whith which I woudn't have to upgrade RAM.

I've done what u just wrote about bootin with holding the C key and it rejects DVD before it shows apple sign. I never ever had sort of issue. DVD drive is working ok as it wasn't used much and most of the programs where installed from DVDs and CDs.

The bootable DVDs are originals suplied by Apple with MacBook.

I'm really running out of ideas what it's causing.

Computer can boot it selves as It had installed OS 10.7 but it's freezing during just typing login names for example. It shouldn't do that, as I think the RAM would be mostly clean and HDD has been formated to ZERO.

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Answer 3

SeaPapp

Level 7

26,486 points

Feb 22, 2013 9:20 AM in response to macpepek

Ram and available hard drive space are certainly an issue, with that I agree. What I don't understand is you saying that you formatted the hard drive and yet you still have OS X Lion Installed? You can't erase the start up volume, so unless you were running from either a recovery partition (did you startup using command-r?) or you were started from the DVD there's no way you have formatted the hard drive.

Optical drives can fail at any given time, that's why I asked if yours would read DVD's normally when the computer was running. Are you SURE the disc you're trying to start up with is the original disc that came with the computer?

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Answer 4

macpepek Author

Level 1

0 points

Feb 22, 2013 10:43 AM in response to SeaPapp

Yes it's loading from a recovery partition and I'm 100% sure as I don't have any others.

But It still didn't give me sence why it's freezing while working in recorvery partition. The OS was running on it for good 2 years at least

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Answer 5

SeaPapp

Level 7

26,486 points

Feb 22, 2013 11:01 AM in response to macpepek

I'm afraid it sounds as though your optical drive has failed. The only other possibility that I can think of is a dirty disc, or possibly a dirty drive. You can try a cleaning disc to clean the drive and a soft cloth to clean the disc to see if that helps.

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Answer 6

macpepek Author

Level 1

0 points

Feb 23, 2013 2:20 AM in response to SeaPapp

OK I agree with you, but that doesn't give an answear why computer freezez during first steps before instalation.

(everything freezes only mouse is moving).....

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Answer 7

SeaPapp

Level 7

26,486 points

Feb 23, 2013 5:02 AM in response to macpepek

Forgive me, but this thread is getting hard to follow.

1. If I read this right you have a 10.7 recovery partition that you CAN boot into by holding Command-R.

2. You have, through Disk Utility in the recovery partition erased your MAC OS boot partition which was at one time 90% full.

3. For some reason your original install discs, 10.5, are not being read.

4. When you boot from the recovery partition and attempt to reinstall 10.7 the installer freezes.

If I have all of this correct then we're on the same page. If I'm missing something please correct me.

You mention freezing at the log in screen....there is no login screen when booted into a recovery partition.

Here's the important part of this reply:

Have you, when booted into recovery, run Disk Utility to check the SMART status of the internal hard drive? What did it report? Using Disk Utility can you repair the hard drive? Still in DU make sure that the partition you're trying to install on is set up with the GUID partition scheme and formatted as Mac OS Extended Journaled.

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