Imagepro

Q: I am using a 2009 MAC PRO running OS 10.5.8. Startup from OS 10.5.1 Install disk holding c key will not work.  What do I do?

Cannot startup holding c key form OS 10.5.1 Install disk.  My 2009 MAC PRO ejects the disk. Why?

Mac Pro, Mac OS X (10.5.8)

Posted on Aug 27, 2014 6:32 PM

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Q: I am using a 2009 MAC PRO running OS 10.5.8. Startup from OS 10.5.1 Install disk holding c key will not work.  What do I do?

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  • by Grant Bennet-Alder,

    Grant Bennet-Alder Grant Bennet-Alder Aug 27, 2014 7:04 PM in response to Imagepro
    Level 9 (61,078 points)
    Desktops
    Aug 27, 2014 7:04 PM in response to Imagepro

    Hold down the Alt/Option key instead. It will, over the next few minutes, draw an icon for each potentially-bootable device. You may also get more error messages when you select the device you want to use and say proceed.

  • by Malcolm J. Rayfield,Solvedanswer

    Malcolm J. Rayfield Malcolm J. Rayfield Aug 27, 2014 10:33 PM in response to Imagepro
    Level 5 (7,945 points)
    Aug 27, 2014 10:33 PM in response to Imagepro

    The 2009 Mac Pro should have come with at least OS X 10.5.6 install DVDs.

    <http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1159#mac_pro>

    It can't boot from 10.5.1

  • by lllaass,

    lllaass lllaass Aug 28, 2014 1:14 AM in response to Imagepro
    Level 10 (189,425 points)
    Desktops
    Aug 28, 2014 1:14 AM in response to Imagepro

    Try another DVD

    See:

    Apple Computers: Troubleshooting the slot-loading SuperDrive

    When is the last time you successfully used the optical drive?

    Maybe it died. Last year the HD died in my 2009 Mini and when I went to reinstall iWorks I had the same problem with the optical drive just ejecting the disk. Problem was a bad optical drive.

  • by Imagepro,

    Imagepro Imagepro Sep 6, 2014 12:09 PM in response to lllaass
    Level 1 (5 points)
    iPhone
    Sep 6, 2014 12:09 PM in response to lllaass

    Thanks for sharing.  I have been successfully using the drive to burn CD's, and it has opened other CD's.  Finally I tricked it into working and am fine now.  Appreciate your taking the time to help me solve the problem.  - Jon

  • by Imagepro,

    Imagepro Imagepro Sep 6, 2014 12:15 PM in response to Malcolm J. Rayfield
    Level 1 (5 points)
    iPhone
    Sep 6, 2014 12:15 PM in response to Malcolm J. Rayfield

    Thanks, Malcolm.  The 10.5.1 disk that i was using was supplied by Apple Tech Support in response to my case.  Yes, I also have the 10.5 CDs I originally upgraded to, and they did not work either.  Mystery remains, but I did finally trick the machine into accepting it, and I am up and running again.  Would love to upgrade to where I was with 10.5.8, but alas, Apple no longer provides that, I believe.  Thank you for your time and support.  - Jon

  • by Imagepro,

    Imagepro Imagepro Sep 6, 2014 12:20 PM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder
    Level 1 (5 points)
    iPhone
    Sep 6, 2014 12:20 PM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder

    Grant, I appreciate your suggestion and have made a note of it for future use.  I am a persistent type, and kept trying things until I finally got it to work and I am OK again.  However your info was helpful, as I thought that OPTION was the only key to hold down to get a selection.  I have made a note to use CONTROL+OPTION (Think i recall that ALT on some keyboards is equivalent to Mac's CONTROL) -- JON

  • by Grant Bennet-Alder,

    Grant Bennet-Alder Grant Bennet-Alder Sep 6, 2014 2:13 PM in response to Imagepro
    Level 9 (61,078 points)
    Desktops
    Sep 6, 2014 2:13 PM in response to Imagepro

    One most Mac keyboards, Alt and Option are the same key, which is why I have taken to writing it that way. Depending on where they went to school, some readers' eyes glaze over when I say Option, others when I say Alt, so I just started writing both with a slash between them.

     

    I dunno if Control-Option does anything more useful that Option alone.

     

    The 10.6 DVD is still available from the Apple online store for about US$20. The upgrade from 10.5 to 10.6 is one of the most trouble-free in recent history, unless you have a PowerPC Mac, which gets left out in the cold.

  • by Imagepro,

    Imagepro Imagepro Sep 7, 2014 10:47 AM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder
    Level 1 (5 points)
    iPhone
    Sep 7, 2014 10:47 AM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder

    Thanks for the clarification, Grant.  I missed the "/" between the 2 terms! - Jon