Unable to install Mac OS X Leopard 10.5

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Unable to install Mac OS X Leopard 10.5

My hard drive failed on my MacBook Pro mid 2009 laptop and I replaced it with a 1 TB hard drive. I am attempting to install OS X Leopard 10.5 by pressing the option key. I see a grey screen with a disk, an arrow and the words Mac OS X install DVD. I press the arrow and I hear the DVD spinning then it freezes. I am an experienced PC repair technician with very little experience troubleshooting Mac computers but I am interested to lean more. What is the next step? I believe that I may have a HD issue of some kind because I assumed that the DVD would give me the option to format the drive. Also I have not tested this new HD.

MacBook, Mac OS X (10.5), Leopard OS

Posted on Feb 13, 2016 2:01 AM

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Answer 1

Feb 13, 2016 3:13 AM in response to kthomasnj

Hello,

From your description I can tell that you're using the correct method to boot from an install CD.

Things for you to consider:

- is the CD you're using the original one that came with the computer in the box? This is a necessity, unless:

- are you using a retail install CD that can be installed on any Mac, regardless of serial?

- When you say it freezes... did you wait long enough for the computer to boot further? On an old computer like that with perhaps not the cleanest of CD-lenses, I would personally wait about 5 minutes before giving up.

- Speaking of which: how certain are you that the optical drive is still functioning properly? If it's mechanically sound, you could consider cleaning the lens. laser lens cleaners...

- is the Leopard CD scratched or very dirty?

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Answer 2

kthomasnj Author

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Feb 13, 2016 6:01 AM in response to CellarDwellr

- This is not the DVD that came with the computer. It was given to me by a friend. I will ask the friend where this disk came from.

- I waited for at least an hour and it was still frozen.

- I'm about 80% sure that the DVD drive works.

- I didn't see any scratches or dirt on the DVD. I wiped it again just in case there was something I didn't see.

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