I just installed a new SSD into a 2009 iMac. I have no back ups to restore so I was going to use the original OS disks that came with but I'm get a warning that the OS cannot be loaded. Is there another way to reload an OS onto this machine?
iMac, OS X Mountain Lion (10.8.5)
The SSD has to be formatted first to Mac OS (Extended) Journaled with a GUID partition. Did you do that????
The best method of doing this is put the SSD into an enclosure and then using Disk Utility from either your internal HD or from a Snow Leopard install DVD. Instructions for formatting any drive can be found in many sources for example:
http://osxdaily.com/2012/01/04/format-an-external-hard-drive-or-usb-flash-drive- for-mac-os-x/
I think the real problem is I have a 2009 iMac that came out with OS X 10.5
and I only have discs for my new iMac which came out with OS x 10.8.5 So
The start up disk allowed me into the disk utility and do a format, but
from them on I get the warning that this version of OS X cannot be
installed on this computer.
BUT... You made me think, I wonder if I chose GIUD for the formatting
style, be cause it usually defaults to the windows version , which makes no
since to me.
Thanks !!
On Wed, May 6, 2015 at 1:47 PM, Apple Support Communities Updates <
You need to either start with the original 10.5.x install disc that came with the computer or you need to buy a retail Snow Leopard disc ($20) from Apple's online store.
You choose GUID as the partition type, this makes the SSD bootable. As for Windows, once you have the disk formatted then you can install OS X SL onto it, update it to 10.6.8 using Apple 10.6.8 update combo and then install it in the computer and boot from it. Then you can continue using SL or upgrade all the way to Yosemite 10.10.3 if you want. You can always restore from your Time Machine backup or if you have a bootable clone back up you have more options.
The discs that you have from the other Mac will not work (as you have found out), they are machine specific.
Problems loading the OS on a new SSD
