Install OS X on 2008 Mac Pro?

Question

Level 1

4 points

Install OS X on 2008 Mac Pro?

I recently acquired a beaten-up Mac Pro from 2008 and decided to make it my project PC. After a little work, I have gotten the hardware fully working, but don't have the original hard drive. Thinking I could just put a fresh one in and load the operating system, I dug through my parts. However, when I boot up the computer, I get over a minute of gray screen until it shows a blinking folder icon with a question mark. Through my research, little to my surprise, I found that this means the boot media could not be found. I also noticed that the same thing happens when I boot up the Mac with no hard drive at all. I gave also tried booting up with the various key commands (cmd+r, c, etc) and they have all resulted in the same flashing folder screen.

I believe that I have to purchase a install disk of OS X since Apple has made it impossible to create a USB boot disk without already owning another Mac. Before I go and buy a disk, I want to make sure I buy a version that my Mac will boot from, and that I'll be able to upgrade from it at no additional charge. (I think my Mac may be able to support El Captain!).

Does anyone know of either a solution to create a boot drive, install a fresh OS X, or what version of OS X I need to buy the disk for? (The model # is: A1186 EMC: 2113).

Thank you!

Posted on Apr 9, 2016 4:11 PM

Reply

Answer 1

Best reply

Niel

Level 10

726,719 points

Apr 9, 2016 4:51 PM in response to ZanyLlama

You need to buy a Snow Leopard DVD; that Mac isn’t capable of running El Capitan.

(141393)

Reply

Answer 2

ZanyLlama Author

Level 1

4 points

Apr 9, 2016 4:35 PM in response to Niel

Thanks Niel!

Just to clarify, if I buy this:

http://www.amazon.com/version-Leopard-computer-processor-required/dp/B001AMHWP8/ ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1460244854&sr=8-1&keywords=snow+leopard

I'll be able to install it with no problems on my Mac? How do I get the Mac to boot to it?

Thank you once again.

Reply

Answer 3

Niel

Level 10

726,719 points

Apr 9, 2016 4:38 PM in response to ZanyLlama

1. The disk itself is compatible, but a problem may occur.

2. Insert it and restart with the C key held down.

(141394)

Reply

Answer 4

ZanyLlama Author

Level 1

4 points

Apr 9, 2016 4:40 PM in response to Niel

What problems may occur? I want to make sure it'll work before I buy it.

Reply

Answer 5

Niel

Level 10

726,719 points

Apr 9, 2016 4:43 PM in response to ZanyLlama

Ones which are difficult or impossible to foresee. If one occurs, post back.

(141395)

Reply

Answer 6

lllaass

Level 10

210,411 points

Apr 10, 2016 1:16 AM in response to ZanyLlama

Apple will sell you a 10.6.3 install DVD for $19.99

http://www.apple.com/shop/product/MC573Z/A/mac-os-x-106-snow-leopard

vice $35 from Amazon

Reply

Answer 7

Johnb-one

Level 6

9,156 points

Apr 10, 2016 12:38 PM in response to ZanyLlama

just my 2 cents here.... I agree with what Niel has said, basically. Snow Leopard would be your best bet for $20. You'd have to format the hard drive beforehand, assuming that it's a good one, before you could install Snow Leopard or any OS X on it at all. As for creating a boot drive from a USB stick, I've never done it before, personally, but DiscMakerX sorta comes to mind, but you do need a copy of something to make a boot disk from. Your Mac pro should be able to run El Capitan okay, depending on its specs, of course. you're sure the hard drive is good, it's in the sled okay and it's inserted all the way in, right? Of course. About the only way I know how to format the hard drive beforehand would be to use the tools in the OS X installation, at the top of the screen. There may be other ways to do it, too...but without a pre-existing recovery partition or time machine backup and a hard drive that needs to be formattted,. well.......

here's how to create a bootable drive with El Capitan....apparently

http://www.macworld.com/article/2981585/operating-systems/how-to-make-a-bootable -os-x-10-11-el-capitan-installer-drive.h…

good luck

John B

Reply

Answer 8

ZanyLlama Author

Level 1

4 points

Apr 13, 2016 9:50 AM in response to Johnb-one

I got my hands on a disc, but the Mac doesn't seem to even notice it. I put it in the disc drive and booted up the mac, trying both holding down C and cmd+c but all the Mac does is eject the disc after it's tried to boot up for a while. I'm still getting the flashing folder with a question mark.What should I try next?

Reply

Answer 9

ZanyLlama Author

Level 1

4 points

Apr 13, 2016 10:11 AM in response to Niel

I bought the disc. but the Mac rejects the disc after attempting to boot from it. I've tried booting with different key commands, but the only thing I can get on the screen is the flashing folder icon.

Reply

Answer 10

lllaass

Level 10

210,411 points

Apr 13, 2016 10:21 AM in response to ZanyLlama

That symptom sounds like a bad optical drive unless the disk is damaged.

Inspect disk for damage.

Use a DVD/CD cleaning disk

Reply

Answer 11

ZanyLlama Author

Level 1

4 points

Apr 13, 2016 10:25 AM in response to ZanyLlama

Also I just realized, it is not the 2008 Mac Pro, that's when it was last updated. It's actually the 2006 Mac Pro. All that I know is that it's one of these two models. Would that contribute to why this isn't working?

http://www.everymac.com/systems/apple/mac_pro/specs/mac-pro-quad-3.0-specs.html

http://www.everymac.com/systems/apple/mac_pro/specs/mac-pro-quad-2.66-specs.html

Reply

Answer 12

ZanyLlama Author

Level 1

4 points

Apr 13, 2016 10:26 AM in response to lllaass

I tried putting the disk into my Windows PC and it ran just fine, I tried doing the remote disc thing it has built in, where you connect the computers with an Ethernet cable and then the Mac should be able to use my PC as an optical drive, but all I got for that (holding down the option key on bootup) was a gray screen with my mouse cursor.

Reply

Answer 13

lllaass

Level 10

210,411 points

Apr 13, 2016 10:37 AM in response to ZanyLlama

You said "you connect the computers with an Ethernet cable and then the Mac should be able to use my PC as an optical drive,".

I never heard of that.

With both a Mac and PC operating normally, both computers connect to the same network, and disk sharing enabled, the Mac can use the PC's optical drive. But that is not what you are trying to do.

Reply

Answer 14

ZanyLlama Author

Level 1

4 points

Apr 13, 2016 10:41 AM in response to lllaass

That's what i would try first, but considering the fact I can't get anything but a gray screen with a flashing folder icon I have found it quite difficult to connect the Mac to my network.

Is there anything else I can try? Perhaps Snow Leopard isn't compatible with a 2006 Mac Pro and so it rejects the disc? Should I try to get a disc for whatever OS X shipped with it?

I've tried everything suggested here so far, and still only have either a gray screen with a cursor or the gray screen with the flashing folder and question mark. I've already read of several options that involve menus, but I'd be thrilled to even see some text on the screen at this point.

Reply

Answer 15

lllaass

Level 10

210,411 points

Apr 13, 2016 10:47 AM in response to ZanyLlama

The Snow Leopard OSX 10.6.3 disk sold by Apple is compatible with the 2006-2009 Mac Pros.

From the symptom it seems the optical drive does not work, is dirty or the data cable is not connected.

Do you have another Mac?

Reply