Can't upgrade from 10.5.8 to 10.6, why?

Question

Can't upgrade from 10.5.8 to 10.6, why?

First a little bit of rant. I'm a PC guy and I have NEVER come across a situation where I couldn't do a clean install of Windows on a PC! Not so on the Mac!

Since I know "this and that" about PCs, someone asked me for help to upgrade Mac with OS X 10.5.8 on it, to 10.6. It is an impossible task!!!!

If I try to install the 10.6 from the system, it starts the installation and then it says will continue after restart, it restarts and it's back in 10.5.8, like nothing happened!!!!

Tried Command-R for recovery console, it bypasses it EVERYTIME like it doesn't exists

Hold "C" to install from DVD, I get the Stop sign and nothing happens.

I checked first Aid verify disk permissions - Errors. Try to fix it - still errors

Verify disk - can't finish verifying says 1 folder more than it should be

Repair Disk - grayed out, can't fix it.

Shift for Safe mode, it does load and it shows that everything is "hanky-dory"??? Then why won't install!!!

I DARE YOU TO PROVE ME WRONG THAT I AM INSANE, NOT MACs. Because at this point after reading and trying everything I could find for few days now, I don't know what else to do!

Posted on Apr 24, 2016 9:09 AM

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Answer 1

BDAqua

Level 10

238,847 points

Apr 24, 2016 9:23 AM in response to i hate you iphone

Hello, what exactly are you trying to install frpm? An Install Disc, a DMG, a USB pen or what?

Which exact Mac is this please...

So we know more about it...

At the Apple Icon at top left>About this Mac, then click on More Info, then click on Hardware> and report this upto but not including the Serial#...

Hardware Overview:

Model Name: iMac

Model Identifier: iMac7,1

Processor Name: Intel Core 2 Duo

Processor Speed: 2.4 GHz

Number Of Processors: 1

Total Number Of Cores: 2

L2 Cache: 4 MB

Memory: 6 GB

Bus Speed: 800 MHz

Boot ROM Version: IM71.007A.B03

SMC Version (system): 1.21f4

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Answer 2

Apr 24, 2016 10:39 AM in response to BDAqua

Installing off retail disc

Model Name: iMac

Model Identifier: iMac9,1

Processor Name: Intel Core 2 Duo

Processor Speed: 2.66 GHz

Number Of Processors: 1

Total Number Of Cores: 2

L2 Cache: 6 MB

Memory: 2 GB

Bus Speed: 1.07 MHz

Boot ROM Version: IM91.008D.B08

SMC Version (system): 1.36f3

Can I install on that version off a USB drive?

BTW thank you for the quick reply!

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Answer 3

BDAqua

Level 10

238,847 points

Apr 24, 2016 2:21 PM in response to i hate you iphone

How much free space on your Hard Drive?

Do you maybe have a Firmware Password set, or a Master Password to encrypt the Disk?

It is possible to use a USB stick… you make a DMG of the Install Disc, the Restore that DMG to a USB stick.

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Answer 4

Apr 24, 2016 2:43 PM in response to BDAqua

there is only 80GB used out of 300, so more than enough. It asks me for password only once when I want to install and I have the password and it continues with the install, no nags or anything like that. I doubt there is anything crazy going on with this Mac encryption wise, because that person is pretty much computer illiterate and only uses it for web and itunes.

Before I go into how to convert the disc into .dmg file, let's please explore what else is preventing from the installation and why the installation start and it never completes?

TIA

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Answer 5

BDAqua

Level 10

238,847 points

Apr 24, 2016 3:46 PM in response to i hate you iphone

Yes, agreed, it doesn't seem that a USB stick would help at all.

Check System Preferences>Security, is Filevault set?

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Answer 6

Apr 24, 2016 5:10 PM in response to BDAqua

Everything is off.

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Answer 7

BDAqua

Level 10

238,847 points

Apr 24, 2016 8:33 PM in response to i hate you iphone

"Try Disk Utility from the DVD

1. Insert the Mac OS X Install disc, then restart the computer while holding the C key.

2. When your computer finishes starting up from the disc, choose Disk Utility from the Installer menu at top of the screen. (In Mac OS X 10.4 or later, you must select your language first.)

*Important: Do not click Continue in the first screen of the Installer. If you do, you must restart from the disc again to access Disk Utility.*

3. Click the First Aid tab.

4. Select your Mac OS X volume.

5. Click Repair Disk, (not Repair Permissions). Disk Utility checks and repairs the disk."

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Answer 8

Apr 24, 2016 9:11 PM in response to BDAqua

Ha! That's the problem, I already read about the Disk Utility on the DVD, problem is when I hold "C" as I have previously mentioned it gives me stop sign! Nothing ever happens

Edit: Pretty much something like in this link: http://bit.ly/1NK83aW

Edit2: I read a solution that was supposed to be clearing NVRAM with Command+Option+P+R. That did nothing except for continuous restart. No difference afterwards.

Edit3: Why do I need all these steps? Is there no way to do a clean install of the OS X? Owner doesn't care about preserving content of the Mac. In windows it couldn't be easier to wipe a hard drive with previous system on it. Why is it that I can't find anything about how to start fresh? Can't I just install 10.6 right of the bat? Do I need to updated it?

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Answer 9

BDAqua

Level 10

238,847 points

Apr 24, 2016 9:36 PM in response to i hate you iphone

Whew, the problem you're experiencing is pretty unique,

One can do a fresh install, but it requires booting from the Install Disc or other boot drive to reformat the drive. 😟

When you hold alt or option key at bootup, does the DVD show as a boot choice?

The No entry sign means the Mac thinks it cannot boot this on this hardware.

Is there a 2z691-****-A number on this Install Disc?

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Answer 10

Apr 25, 2016 8:58 AM in response to BDAqua

I can't check for the number now, at work, don't have it with me. A question though, why does the installation starts at all then if it thinks something is off? Why wouldn't just refuse it outright? Instead it starts, then it claims it will continue after restart and then nothing happens. Bizzaro!

I didn't try holding alt or option yet? Is it by itself during startup? I didn't read about those choices yet. What are they supposed to do?

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Answer 11

BDAqua

Level 10

238,847 points

Apr 25, 2016 10:02 AM in response to i hate you iphone

Option or alt key at bootup should show all Disks/Discs that contain a bootable OSX on them, trouble is it just checks for certain System files, once booting is attempted it checks the Hardware & on some Discs has a list of Macs it can boot… it almost seems this is a gray Machine specific Disc.

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Answer 12

a brody

Level 10

82,803 points

May 2, 2016 4:35 AM in response to i hate you iphone

The gray system specific discs can't be used on Macs that didn't ship with them. For just $20, you can get a retail disc that looks like http://www.macmaps.com/snow.jpg * Please read this tip first before upgrading to 10.7 or later https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-6271 * Links to my pages may give me compensation.

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Answer 13

a brody

Level 10

82,803 points

May 2, 2016 5:19 AM in response to a brody

It would appear that personal websites are now not referring to images anymore on Apple's Support Communities. So above is the image of the retail Snow Leopard disc. If you don't have this, you can't install it on a Mac that didn't ship with Snow Leopard.

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Answer 14

May 12, 2016 4:06 PM in response to i hate you iphone

Case closed. I gave up. Back to glorious Windows!

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