SisiLeigh13

Q: Just bought used macbook, can't install OS X that an Apple rep referred.  Help!

I just purchased a used macbook pro with Mountain Lion OSX and did a factory reset that I found on Youtube to clear off a strange screen that would pop up everytime I logged in... but it ended up wiping EVERYTHING including the OS X.  I called Apple to purchase Mountain Lion OS X (as the reinstallation said to enter my apple ID to verify that Mountain Lion OS X has been purchased) but the Sales Rep told me I had to get Snow Leopard 10.6 OS X.  I just received the new operating system, but I still cannot install it.  There is only an option to reinstall Mountain Lion, so I get the feeling that Snow Leopard won't cut it.

 

I'm afraid I may have wiped out something else that is preventing me from the installation and I have learned (the hard way) that maybe I shouldn't refer to a youtube video to fix my problem.  I have an appointment with Apple Support tomorrow, but my head is reeling about this.  Can anyone help?  I can't be the only one that has done this...

MacBook Pro, Other OS

Posted on Feb 26, 2013 8:27 PM

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Q: Just bought used macbook, can't install OS X that an Apple rep referred.  Help!

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  • by Kappy,

    Kappy Kappy Feb 26, 2013 8:33 PM in response to SisiLeigh13
    Level 10 (271,328 points)
    Desktops
    Feb 26, 2013 8:33 PM in response to SisiLeigh13

    Clean Install of Snow Leopard

     

         1. Boot the computer using the Snow Leopard Installer Disc.  Insert the disc into the

             optical drive and restart the computer.  After the chime press and hold down the

             "C" key.  Release the key when you see a small spinning gear appear below the

             dark gray Apple logo.

         2. After the installer loads select your language and click on the Continue

             button. When the menu bar appears select Disk Utility from the Utilities menu.

             After DU loads select the hard drive entry from the left side list (mfgr.'s ID and drive

             size.)  Click on the Partition tab in the DU main window.  Set the number of

             partitions to one (1) from the Partitions drop down menu, set the format type to Mac

             OS Extended (Journaled, if supported), then click on the Partition button.

         3. When the formatting has completed quit DU and return to the installer.  Proceed

             with the OS X installation and follow the directions included with the installer.

         4.  When the installation has completed your computer will require a restart after

             which you will be running a fresh install of OS X.  You can now begin the update

             process by opening Software Update and installing all recommended updates to

             bring your installation current.

     

    You should firs download and install Mac OS X 10.6.8 Update Combo v1.1. You can now open the App Store and proceed to purchase and download Mountain Lion. See the following before installing Mountain Lion.

     

    Make Your Own Mountain/Lion Installer

     

    1. After downloading Mountain/Lion you must first save the Install Mac OS X Mountain/

        Lion application. After Mountain/Lion downloads DO NOT click on the Install button.

        Go to your Applications folder and make a copy of the Mountain/Lion installer. Move

        the copy into your Downloads folder. Now you can click on the Install button. You

        must do this because the installer deletes itself automatically when it finishes

        installing.

     

    2. Get a USB flash drive that is at least 8 GBs. Prep this flash drive as follows:

     

      a. Open Disk Utility in your Utilities folder.

      b. After DU loads select your flash drive (this is the entry with the mfgr.'s ID and size) from the left

          side list. Click on the Partition tab in the DU main window.

      c. Under the Volume Scheme heading set the number of partitions from the drop down menu to one.     

          Set the format type to Mac OS Extended (Journaled.) Click on the Options button, set the

          partition scheme to GUID then click on the OK button. Click on the Partition button and wait until

          the process has completed.

      d. Select the volume you just created (this is the sub-entry under the drive entry) from the left side

          list. Click on the Erase tab in the DU main window.

      e. Set the format type to Mac OS Extended (Journaled.) Click on the Options button, check the

          button for Zero Data and click on OK to return to the Erase window.

      f. Click on the Erase button. The format process can take up to an hour depending upon the flash

         drive size.

     

    3. Locate the saved Mountain/Lion installer in your Downloads folder. CTRL- or RIGHT-click on the installer and select Show Package Contents from the contextual menu. Double-click on the Contents folder to open it. Double-click on the SharedSupport folder. In this folder you will see a disc image named InstallESD.dmg.

     

    4. Plug in your freshly prepared USB flash drive. You are going to clone the content of the InstallESD.dmg disc image to the flash drive as follows:

     

      a. Double-click on the InstallESD.dmg file to mount it on your Desktop.

      b. Open Disk Utility.

      c. Select the USB flash drive from the left side list.

      d. Click on the Restore tab in the DU main window.

      e. Select the USB flash drive volume from the left side list and drag it to the Destination entry field.

      f. Drag the mounted disc icon from the Desktop into the Source entry field.

      g. Double-check you got it right, then click on the Restore button.

     

    When the clone is completed you have a fully bootable installer that you can use without having to re-download Mountain/Lion.

     

    Note: The term Mountain/Lion used above means Lion or Mountain Lion.

     

    As an alternative to the above (you still have to do your own download of Lion/Mountain Lion) you can try using Lion DiskMaker 2.0 that automates the process of Steps 2 through 4.


  • by SisiLeigh13,

    SisiLeigh13 SisiLeigh13 Feb 26, 2013 8:40 PM in response to Kappy
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Feb 26, 2013 8:40 PM in response to Kappy

    I have inserted the Snow Leopard installation disc, turned off my computer, then restarted... the computer started beeping 3 times repeatedly and wouldn't boot.  I am afraid to do this again.

  • by SisiLeigh13,

    SisiLeigh13 SisiLeigh13 Feb 26, 2013 8:44 PM in response to Kappy
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Feb 26, 2013 8:44 PM in response to Kappy

    The screen I have when I start up (without the installation disc inserted) is as follows:

    -restore from time machine backup

    -reinstall OS X

    -get help online

    -disk utility

  • by Kappy,

    Kappy Kappy Feb 26, 2013 8:45 PM in response to SisiLeigh13
    Level 10 (271,328 points)
    Desktops
    Feb 26, 2013 8:45 PM in response to SisiLeigh13
  • by SisiLeigh13,

    SisiLeigh13 SisiLeigh13 Feb 26, 2013 8:50 PM in response to Kappy
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Feb 26, 2013 8:50 PM in response to Kappy

    Does this mean I need to purchase more RAM?

  • by Kappy,

    Kappy Kappy Feb 26, 2013 8:53 PM in response to SisiLeigh13
    Level 10 (271,328 points)
    Desktops
    Feb 26, 2013 8:53 PM in response to SisiLeigh13

    I don't know. You didn't provide any hardware information. To run Mountain Lion you need a minimum of 2 GBs of RAM. To run Snow Leopard requires a minimum of 1 GB of RAM. But that's not what the beeping means. That means bad or defective RAM is installed, RAM may be mis-installed, or there is a bad slot(s).

  • by SisiLeigh13,

    SisiLeigh13 SisiLeigh13 Feb 26, 2013 9:04 PM in response to Kappy
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Feb 26, 2013 9:04 PM in response to Kappy

    I can't access my computer specs anymore, but I know I had 4 GB RAM before I did the factory reset.