Resolved Dead I mac need help

[ronkleim]

Hello, ran utilities, have a mismatched start up disc
I'm a PC guy, this thing is Weird 😞 😭
On an android
Also have a PC
This mac has a DVD drive, Goes on line via WIFI, BUT won't download anything or play files........
HELP🤯

 

[BrianBaughn]

What do you mean by "mismatched start up disc"?

You should probably mention what model iMac and which verson of macOS it has.

Is this an iMac that was previously running fine?

 

[ronkleim]

 

[ronkleim]

Second hand machine.
No start up disc.
Can I wipe the HD and install Darwin or just some OS that works
No files to save
I Mac

 

[BrianBaughn]

Yeah…you can't install macOS on an iMac with an installer disk for a MacBook Pro.

This is the iMac you have:

iMac "Core 2 Duo" 2.66 20" (Early 2009) Specs (Early 2009, MB417LL/A, iMac9,1, A1224, 2266): EveryMac.com

Technical specifications for the iMac "Core 2 Duo" 2.66 20" (Early 2009). Dates sold, processor type, memory info, hard drive details, price and more.

everymac.com

The unknown variables are how much RAM is installed and what sort of hard drive it has (it came with a mechanical, spinner hard drive).

Officially, the latest version of macOS it will run El Capitan (macOS 10.11.6).

There are methods to install later versions of macOS (OCLP, dosdude1). You probably need 8GB of RAM and an SSD to run anything like that. An external SSD would do.

But to get macOS on there, at a minimum, you need to make a USB thumbdrive installer of one of the Apple approved versions of macOS. You might even find obstacles to that…hurdles that have come up over the years affecting valid installations on older Macs. Research is your friend.

Another thing you could try is making a compatible USB installer for a Linux disto. More research.

 

[ronkleim]

Yeah I figured you guys could set me up with something that works I know it's probably not official the Apple you're supposed to own the operating system or whatever it is but anyway I like something that just works can you just give me a step-by-step of that?

 

[ronkleim]

I mean I can mail this thing somewhere if you if you guys want to somebody wants to work on it I'm not going to spend hundreds of dollars on it right

 

[BrianBaughn]

Yeah I figured you guys could set me up with something that works I know it's probably not official the Apple you're supposed to own the operating system or whatever it is but anyway I like something that just works can you just give me a step-by-step of that?

dosdude1 and the Dortania site for OCLP both have "step-by-step" instructions. There…I have given them to you.

I mean I can mail this thing somewhere if you if you guys want to somebody wants to work on it I'm not going to spend hundreds of dollars on it right

It would cost you almost as much to mail it as it is worth.

I have the 2009 MacBook which, years back, I upgraded the hard drive to an SSD and the RAM to max. I wouldn't bother now. Still using it…although I probably wouldn't if it weren't a laptop. It's running Ventura via OCLP.

 

[ronkleim]

Thanks🤓
The laptops my roommate gave me were easy to wipe although the HD can be "passworded".
He died of Covid and left me a lot of android tvs and computer crap.

I never understood the Windows ******** about "registering" a copy of winOS10 when I supposedly downloaded a fair and square copy updated version from Amazon .
The laptop works WITHOUT ACTUALLY USING WINDOWS?🤯
I do ramble

 

[Anonymous Freak]

Plug in a keyboard. Plug in to Ethernet for internet.
Turn on, immediately start holding Option-Command-R.
The computer will start up with "internet based macOS recovery" and allow you to reinstall the OS.

 

[ronkleim]

Seems too easy bro
I didn't buy this thing ya know 😞

 

[BrianBaughn]

It is too easy…2009 Macs don't have Internet Recovery.