Snow leopard installation issues

If you have followed Apple's instructions on formatting a new disk drive and installing OS X, but you still cannot get the computer working, then maybe more than the drive was damaged by the fall.

According to my information, the only version of Snow Leopard that would boot a model from 2011 is the one that came with the computer from the factory on two DVDs. If you have a Late-2011 model, then it came with Lion pre-installed. You may still be able to get a Lion installer on a flash drive from Apple Support. Check Computers that can be upgraded to use OS X Internet Recovery to see if it applies. If so, then you can do the following:

Install Lion Through Yosemiteon a New HDD/SDD

1. Restart the computer and after the chime press and hold down the Command-Option-R keys until a globe appears. Wait patiently - 5-15 minutes - until the Utility Menu appears.
2. Select Disk Utility from the Utility Menu and click on the Continue button.
3. After Disk Utility loads select the drive (usually, this is the out-dented entry with the mfgr.'s ID and size) from the side list. Click on the Erase tab in Disk Utility’s main window. A drop-down panel will appear.
4. Set the partition scheme to GUID then click. Set the Format type to Mac OS Extended (Journaled.) Click on the OK button and wait for the process to finish. Quit Disk Utility and return to the Utility Menu.
5. Select Install OS X from the Utility Menu and click on the Continue button.

That's probably the best way to go if you want to ultimately run Sierra. The main value of the original system discs is the Apple Hardware test and the bundled software and possibly the ability to run older applications if you need them.

Here are a couple of links that might be helpful for creating the bootable USB:

Create a bootable installer for macOS - Apple Support

http://www.macworld.com/article/3092900/macs/how-to-create-a-bootable-macos-sier ra-installer-drive.html

Incidentally, AppleCare did not do a very good job of helping you with this. They could and probably should have suggested making a bootable Sierra installer to begin with, or at least let you know that there was an option to either install Sierra or install Snow Leopard from a replacement set of original discs. They also should have known that the retail 10.6.3 disc is not the same as a replacement set of the original system discs. As a consumer, you are not necessarily expected to know this, but someone from AppleCare or the online store certainly should have. They should also have known that if something was copyright protected you could not make a copy of it. Also that if the disc wasn't working, then a copy of it also wouldn't work.

Apple has grown so much that some of the newer employees may not be as well trained or knowledgable as they should be. If they ask for feedback on your AppleCare experience, which they usually do, be sure to describe in detail the problems (and any expenses) that you encountered that were due to the misinformation that you received. Also give positive feedback for the helpful advice you finally got. The feedback you submit should result in Apple becoming aware of a problem that was likely not on their radar and they can then address it and possibly keep someone else from having the sort of experience that you had.

Good luck!

First of all, did you get the correct replacement original install discs? They should be Mac OS X 10.6.6 or Mac OS X 10.6.7.

Does your optical drive not work? If it doesn't, you can use any external optical drive.

To install the OS, you need to start up the Mac and hold down "C" as soon as you hear the chime. This should boot the Mac from the install disc. I gather that this is not working?

If you are using a second Mac with an optical drive, the procedure will be different:

1. Start up the second mac.

2. Put disc 1 in the optical drive

3. Restart the second Mac in Target disk mode by holding down "T" as you start up.

4. Connect the two Macs, preferably with a FireWire 800 cable if you have one.

5. Option boot the Mac you want to install on (hold down Option as soon as you hear the chime).

6. You should see your install disc as an option. Boot to it and follow the instructions. (You may need to use Disk Utility to format your new drive first.)

To test this out, I put the original Tiger install disc for my old 3,1 MacBookPro in an even older PowerBook's disc drive and am now installing Tiger on an empty partition. I didn't think to Option boot since I already had Snow Leopard installed, but the disc appeared on the desktop and there wasn't any problem booting to it.

If you have any problems, feel free to post back.

Good luck!

Forgot to tell you what to do when it's time for disc #2. You will need to shut down the second Mac with the optical drive. Then option boot and select the second Mac's startup drive (so it won't start up from the disc) and eject disc #1 and insert disc #2. Then reboot the second Mac holding down "T" to go back into Target Disk Mode.

Good luck!

The white Snow Leopard retail disk that is available from the Apple online store will NOT work in a 2011 MBP. You need copies of the original OSX disks that came with the Mac.

Kappy said that in his first response to you.

Ciao.

The disc is definitely the problem. They sold you a 10.6.3 disc, and your Mac originally shipped with 10.6.6 or 10.6.7. A Mac won't run a version of the OS earlier than the one it shipped with. You really do need the replacement original discs, and that is what AppleCare should have sold you. The last time I bought replacement discs they were $16 each and there should be two of them.

Kappy has given you good advice provided you can get the Lion installer. Or do you specifically need Snow Leopard?

Have you tried booting to Internet Recovery with Option-Command-R? Any luck?

What Mac is your second Mac? Does it have the Mac App Store on it? If so, there is a possibility of installing a newer version of the OS by either using Target Disk Mode or making a bootable installer. If you want to try either of these, I can post back later with some specific instructions.

If you specifically need Snow Leopard, then you will have to call AppleCare back and see if you can get the replacement original discs.

Good luck!