MacBook OS X installation help

[surenix]

I got a MacBook about 3 months ago, and tonight I thought I would try something really stupid...

I put in a Windows Vista intallation disc, trying to install it.
I got to the point where it tried to format the hard drive, but it wasn't able to do that because its a different file system.

So after that I tried to restart and go back to my Mac OS X... but I wasn't successful. I tried to put in the Mac OS X Install Disc 1 but after the MacBook tried reading the disc for a few minutes it came to a dark screen telling me to restart the computer.

I have tried more then 10 times now and I keep getting the same screen. Can anyone please tell me what I can do o fix this and install Mac OS X back on my MacBook again. Thanks

 

[squeeks]

did you try holding down the option key when you boot the machine? that will bring you to the bootcamp menu assuming you setup bootcamp, otherwise, try either resetting the PRAM or to boot from the CD you hold down the C key as soon as you start the machine...but id try resetting PRAM that will set it back as the macOS partition as your main boot drive i believe

 

[surenix]

Thanks for the reply,

My Macbook doesn't have boot camp, I didn't know about bootcamp until I had the problem. What I did was just put in the Windows Vista disc and did a format, and now everything is gone and I can't install Mac OS X on again.

I tried holding "C" when I turn the laptop on, but after a few mintues and I can hear it reading the disc, it goes to a black screen and ask me to restart.

I just did the PRAM and tried to boot from the disc, but still getting the same problem

Please help, Thanks

 

[TheStu]

A few questions, please answer all of them

Did you finish installing Vista?

When do you start holding down C?

Have you tried holding down alt with the MacBook disk in the drive?

Did you delete that 250MB partition on your drive when you installed Vista?

 

[surenix]

No I didn't get to install Vista.
It just get to the part where you pick the Partition to install Windows and it said that the hard drive is a GTP or GPT type disc and it can not continue.

I think I deleted all partitions on the hard drive.

I have tried holding all buttons that are listed on various websites including apple's

any other suggestions?

 

[TheStu]

No I didn't get to install Vista.
It just get to the part where you pick the Partition to install Windows and it said that the hard drive is a GTP or GPT type disc and it can not continue.

I think I deleted all partitions on the hard drive.

I have tried holding all buttons that are listed on various websites including apple's

any other suggestions?

Ok, so, you think you deleted all of them, well that is usually a bad thing .

So, holding down Alt when booting with the MacBook DVD in the drive does what exactly? It is supposed to bring up the boot menu, and from there you can choose the DVD and install OS X. If you can get it to boot from the disk go up to the menubar at the top of the screen and choose Tools -> Disk utility. Within there, erase and format the drive, then restart holding C until it boots to teh disk again, and install OS X.

If you cannot do any of this, then take your machine into an Apple Store (or find a friend that has a Mac and a firewire cable) and get it re-imaged.

 

[surenix]

Yes I have tried holding down Alt and got the screen to pick the bookup options, I then picked the Install Disc but still same problem.

I guess I will try doing the boot from another Mac OS X to do the re-image like you said, but can you please tell me how to do that? Thanks

 

[TheStu]

Yes I have tried holding down Alt and got the screen to pick the bookup options, I then picked the Install Disc but still same problem.

I guess I will try doing the boot from another Mac OS X to do the re-image like you said, but can you please tell me how to do that? Thanks

Well, you will need a Firewire cable (6 pin to 6 pin) and another mac.

You hook the two up, and boot yours while holding down T. Then you get on the other one, start it with the OS X Restore disks in it, and have it install Tiger to your Hard drive.

 

[surenix]

Well, you will need a Firewire cable (6 pin to 6 pin) and another mac.

You hook the two up, and boot yours while holding down T. Then you get on the other one, start it with the OS X Restore disks in it, and have it install Tiger to your Hard drive.

Which Mac OS X Restore disk can I use?

can I use any copy of Mac OS X 10.4.10 or does it have to be the original one that came with my MacBook because I have misplaced the original disc that came with the system and I am using my mother-in-law's disc.

 

[TheStu]

Which Mac OS X Restore disk can I use?

can I use any copy of Mac OS X 10.4.10 or does it have to be the original one that came with my MacBook because I have misplaced the original disc that came with the system and I am using my mother-in-law's disc.

Well that could be part of the problem. If you have a Core Duo and she has a Core 2 Duo (or vice versa) then I believe the disk will not work.

However, using the Firewire cable, her disks and her macbook should work. Once you have the ingredients together, I can get you the recipe.

 

[surenix]

she has an iMAC with OS X 10.4.10 and the installation I am using is OS X 10.4.8 will that work for my MacBook.

my MacBook is Core 2 Duo

 

[TheStu]

she has an iMAC with OS X 10.4.10 and the installation I am using is OS X 10.4.8 will that work for my MacBook.

my MacBook is Core 2 Duo

Ok, those aren't compatible (once Leopard comes out, I would imagine that we won't have this problem)

Hers is an intel Mac right?

If so, here is what you need to do.

Get a Firewire 6pin-6pin cable, and connect it between your MacBook and her (or anyone else's) Mac.

Now, you want to start your system up while holding down T, this will boot it into Target Disk mode. On the iMac, you will see that your hard drive is now sitting on the desktop, ready to be used. If it is not there, go to Applications -> Utilitites -> Disk Utility and erase the drive from there (make sure you erase your drive, not hers)

Once this is done, download CarbonCopyCloner and run it. You are going to duplicate everything on her hard drive (except for the contents of the documents, music, movies, etc folders) onto your hard drive, and then make it bootable.

Once it is done, you should be able to turn off your mac, disconnect the firewire cable and be right as rain.

Conversely, you can wait 7 days, get a copy of Leopard and reinstall that way.

 

[surenix]

so with Leopard I don't need to do the boot up ad Target Disc and do the Disc Utility process? Just put Leopard in and format that way? or do I still need to do the whole Disc Utility process still?