Erase and Install Problem, Desperate for help!

[imrealldum]

I have a late 2006 iMac 17" that I am trying to prepare for sale. So, I am trying to do an erase and install on it, using the original install discs. It was sold with the discs I am using, running tiger (which the discs have on them). But, when I boot from the cd, on the screen after the language selection it tells me "this software cannot be used with this computer." I have been trying every trick I could think of, including going into disk utility to try to erase it or restore it. But, as I am not booting using the disc, the options for the internal hdd are grayed out. I verified both the disc and the drive, the disc came out clean, while the drive reported issues (could that be the dealbreaker?)

If anyone can figure out any solution for me short of taking a hammer to it, please please share it with me so I can possibly fix this issue from hell. If not, thanks for your time anyways.

 

[Hellhammer]

http://guides.macrumors.com/Mac_doesn't_boot

Try those steps

 

[MacHamster68]

are you 100% sure the disc belong to that iMac

i mean are you the original owner , the only way to be sure

as the same thing happened to a mate from me he bought a iMac 17" 1.83 just like mine in the sig from a shop used last year after i convinced him the iMac and OSX is better then his ancient pentium 4 dell pc running vista

it too came with tiger install disc's but 10.4.2 and obviously they did not work
because the intel iMac came with 10.4.4
it was a mistake of the shop he called them and they send him the right disc's ,
happens when shops sell both iMac G5 1.9ghz which came with 10.4.2
and iMac core duo which came with 10.4.4 ,
because they look total identical from the outside
and the disc only say iMac and 10.4.2 or 10.4.4
and it doesnt work the other ay round too
if you try to install 10.4.4 the grey disc 's on a iMac G5 1.9 it tells you too that you cant install


and maybe repairing permissions should solve the little hdd problems as the iMac is still booting isn't it

 

[imrealldum]

Well I assumed that the discs were compatible, since the ones I am using are also from an intel core 2 duo, but I will try to find the ones that came with my computer to see if that makes a difference. I tried to run the diagnostics off the cd, but it failed in some way that I couldn't read (see below)

Also, my computer was one of the lucky series that got vertical lines all across the monitor, and literally the entire left half of the screen is unusable. That's making these system applications that run in the center of the screen really tough to use.

Note: disk utility verify disk says the volume header needs minor repair

 

[MacHamster68]

no if the disc are from a core 2 duo model they wont work on a core duo from 2006 , these disc's the grey ones are totally model specific, but as you want to sell hmm just get a snow leopard disc they cost £25 or $29 , so not a huge amount and you can install , cheaper would be to create a new user account and delete your user account then
i mean you dont want to spend a huge amount of money on a computer where the screen does not work proper before you sell , as you wont get a lot for it anyway with the lines

but wait wait , give apple a try , but be very sensible ,polite and tears in the eyes and such help too , then
there is a chance to get the lines on your display sorted , a chance ...
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1055427/
i mean if we talk about the money , if the display is sorted look at near triple the amount you could get

 

[imrealldum]

no if the disc are from a core 2 duo model they wont work on a core duo , these disc's the grey ones are totally model specific

*SIGH!!* I thought my computer was a core 2 duo, just checked it and of course it isn't. I'll go find the original discs, thanks for the help