I'm trying to follow the instructions in order to factory reset my iMac.
I'm holding down Command R when I boot up, but nothing happens. I just end up on the desk top with the computer beeping because I'm holding down the two keys.
My SW level is 10.6.8
This is the original white intel based iMac.
Any suggestions ?
Christer
It is not a good idea (and dangerous) to publish your email address in an open online forum - the hosts will most likely remove it shortly. If the person you addressed still frequents the forum (or anyone else who would know how), they can easily just respond here in this thread.
It is not a good idea (and dangerous) to publish your email address in an open online forum - the hosts will most likely remove it shortly. If the person you addressed still frequents the forum (or anyone else who would know how), they can easily just respond here in this thread.
There is no recovery partition on 10.6.8. You need to insert an install DVD and restart with the C or Option key held down.
(123406)
Recovery is not available on Snow Leopard - I'm not sure at what point the recovery volume was introduced, possibly Lion or Mountain Lion. You will need to restart from your install disk; from the 'Utilities' menu choose 'Disk Utility' and you can erase the disk. Then you can reinstall from the install disk.
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Hello,
I have tried this, but even if I have the install disc inserted when I reboot with C or option ket I still end up on the desktop.
Christer
As I can not get the system to boot up on the Install Disk I'm now starting the installation directly from the installation file on the disk after reboot to see if that works.
You can't reinstall the System if you are booted from the disk you are trying to install on. You have to be booted either from the install disk or from another bootable disk.
When you hold the C key down it should boot into the install disk (provided it's the one that came with your Mac or is a retail Snow Leopard disk - if you are trying to boot from an install disk that came bundled with another Mac it may not work, though you should get an error message, and you won't be able to install anyway.
Holding the option key should bring up the startup manager, which shows you icons for the available boot disks - in this case the internal disk and the installer disk.
If your Mac is simply ignoring the instruction to boot from the correct disk then the CD drive may be faulty. Try testing whether you can mount some other CD in it.
Another way to try to start up from the install disk:
Insert disk
Go to System Preferences > Startup disk > choose the install disk > click on restart
Hopefully that will work.
Note that if you do this your Mac will continue to try to boot from the install disk (assuming it was able to in the first place) so you will need to hold the mouse key down when rebooting to eject the disk. The Mac will then spend some time hunting for the disk before defaulting to the internal disk; if that boots successfully you will need to go into the Start Disk prefs again and revert to the internal disk.
True; however, that method is sometimes the only way to boot from the install disk if other methods have failed - since that is what the OP was having a problem with, I thought I'd suggest it.
Hi Christer,
I have the same problem and I am losing my mind...did you manage to solve it? Please explain it to me.
thx A LOT!
Maya
Command R does not work for reset on iMac.
