Can't boot from Leopard install DVD

[Qusarkis]

Hi all

I'm having some problems booting from my Leopard install DVD. For reasons I won't bother to go into (to save you reading time, it is a very, very long tale of woe) I need to reinstall Leopard. The thing is, when I try to boot from the DVD, it will spin up but then the machine will just spit it out and boot from the HDD. I've contacted Apple about this, and they suggested my install disc might be at fault. They sent me a new disc (free of charge, as I had been on the phone for over 2 and a half hrs ) but the same thing happens with the new disc.

It's definitely not the optical drive as it works fine with other discs. I've tried resetting the PRAM, and doing a verify/repair on the install disc but to no avail.

I'm on a 2.1Ghz iMac G5 running 10.5.4

Any help would be great.

 

[johto]

Maybe stupid question, but do you hold the "c" key from the "bong" sound to the apple logo? Is your keyboard wireless or wired? Try wired keyboard too

 

[Qusarkis]

Yeh, I'm holding it down until it spits out, however, the Apple logo doesn't appear until AFTER it spits out... Have tried it with both my wireless keyboard and a wired one.

 

[ibmjones]

Keyboard

Cross posting this from the one I made to Apple Discussion page:

Use a different keyboard.

Seriously.

Today, I reinstalled Leopard and migrated my settings away from Time Machine via the Assistant. In the process, I was locked out. Like you, I couldn't boot from the DVD, even though it worked hours earlier. After about 20 minutes of frustration, out of a hunch, I switch my Apple keyboard (the thin one) out and put in my old Macally keyboard.

Able to boot to DVD just fine and able to reset the password.

Its worth a try. It's weird, but it sort of made sense, since you need to have a specific update in order for the Apple keyboard to be fully functional. Apparently that didn't get migrated with the Assistent.

 

[ADent]

Which wired keyboard? The thin Apple aluminum keyboard is not compatible with all Macs and won't recognize keys before the driver is loaded.

intel Mac minis and 2006 iMacs are affected, not sure about G5.

You should be able to select the disk from the startup disk control panel. Have you tried using option - used to select among hard drives and/or operating systems.

The Apple IR remote holding menu is like option.

 

[Metuas]

You've probably already done this, but have you tried FW Target Disk + installing it from another Mac? That saved a G4 iMac of mine, with only CD-RW, when its Tiger install got all corrupted and I only had a Leopard disk to install from.

 

[Qusarkis]

Cross posting this from the one I made to Apple Discussion page:

Use a different keyboard.

Seriously.

Today, I reinstalled Leopard and migrated my settings away from Time Machine via the Assistant. In the process, I was locked out. Like you, I couldn't boot from the DVD, even though it worked hours earlier. After about 20 minutes of frustration, out of a hunch, I switch my Apple keyboard (the thin one) out and put in my old Macally keyboard.

Able to boot to DVD just fine and able to reset the password.

Its worth a try. It's weird, but it sort of made sense, since you need to have a specific update in order for the Apple keyboard to be fully functional. Apparently that didn't get migrated with the Assistent.

I've tried 2 different keyboards. A wired one (the mac one that ships with the G5) and a wireless one (Kensington Pilotboard that I got off ebay for about $30) Same prob with both. But both have worked fine in the past.

You should be able to select the disk from the startup disk control panel. Have you tried using option - used to select among hard drives and/or operating systems.

The Apple IR remote holding menu is like option.

Tried that. The thing is, no matter how I tell it to boot from the CD, it will start to boot, then spit the disc out.

I can't boot in Target Disk and install from another mac, as I only have one mac! That will soon be remedied though, when the new mac pro's come out...