Cracked iMac Screen - Help!

[realph]

Today my friend dropped his iMac on the floor and the screen is now cracked.

I've managed to connect my Apple Display to the iMac and are using it as the primary display. I wanted to reboot the Mac, re-install Snow Leopard (Erase and Install) because he's says it's been acting slow and the computer looks a mess.

The problem is that when I put the Snow Leopard disk in and reboot, the external display goes off and the iMac screen acts as the primary display. I can't see anything that's going on in the installation.

Anyone got any ideas how to solve this.

Thanks in advance

 

[diazj3]

I'm not sure about the model you're using - but I think that when the iMac boots from the install disk - or even when it boots from a source that doesn't have the user preferences loaded - such as the one that indicates the choice that your main is external - the imac uses the default screen.

Isn't there a way to use voice control during installation? Otherwise, I guess you'll have to remember and guess where to click and write during the installation up to the point when yo can enable the external as the main display or mirror.

 

[bumzo1]

If its slowing down than something else is wrong other than the screen, it could be the logic board, hard drive, RAM, etc. I suggest you take it to apple and they can run full diagnostics on it. If its salvageable they can install snow leopard for you

 

[HLdan]

I'm confused, I thought the thread title mentioned about a cracked iMac screen, the OP isn't even asking about it? He's asking about installing Snow Leopard. Is the title misleading or what?

 

[karenajane]

I am having this same problem....so did you ever figure it out?

 

[karenajane]

I'm confused, I thought the thread title mentioned about a cracked iMac screen, the OP isn't even asking about it? He's asking about installing Snow Leopard. Is the title misleading or what?

He is asking about installing Snow Leopard on an iMac with a cracked screen. If you hook up a monitor to an iMac with a cracked screen and insert an install disk (to reinstall the OS), you can't see what is on the cracked screen....thus...you can't run the install.

So the question is -- is there a way to force the mac to show what is on the imac monitor in startup mode...?

 

[karenajane]

Would it work to use a firewire and install Leopard via Target mode?

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1661

If so, can anyone tell me the proper order of steps required to do this? I have a new MacBook Pro (running Snow Leopard) and an iMac G4 -- Intel (running Tiger). The last thing I want to do is mess up the new MBP just to reformat and install Leopard on the iMac.

Please help? Thanks in advance!