OS X not installing

[Amnesia180]

Hi all,

I have purchased a late 2009 imac. 2.66 Ghz, 8Gb RAM i5.

I have seen the machine working. It was then "erased" so I could install the OS and get cracking.

However, when I turn it on... It only goes to the OS Recovery mode.

If I try and click "Install OS X" it says OS X YOSEMITE is temporarily unavailable. This means it is not associated with my Apple ID.

I've tried to go back a version on the OS as directed by the Apple Support Staff.

I have a USB boot of OS Snow Leopard. That did not work. It just hangs on the Apple logo and never progresses.

The Snow Leopard DVD which I have purchased is constantly ejected by the DVD drive.

I've no idea which way to go forward from here.

Any advice is appreciated.

 

[nambuccaheadsau]

Sounds like you are using a silver grey system install disc. These are extremely model specific only for the machines they came with when new. Suggest you purchase a DVD on Snow Leopard OS X.6 from Apple Online for $20 include postage.

Then update to OS X.6.8 and you will be able to access the App Store and download El Capitan OS X.11 and suggest with an older machine leave it there on that operating system.


https://www.apple.com/shop/product/MC573/mac-os-x-106-snow-leopard

 

[DeltaMac]

A DVD ejecting would not be caused by a system-specific (wrong) DVD. More likely the 8 year-old iMac optical drive just doesn't read disks properly.
If your bought your SL installer DVD from Apple recently, then it should be fine. You can make a new USB installer from that DVD.
I also suspect that your USB installer may be corrupted, or just created incorrectly.
Do you have another Mac that you can use to restore the installer image from your SL DVD to your USB flash drive?

 

[nambuccaheadsau]

Not convinced Delta until OP tells us if this was a silver grey non-compatible DVD. Ejecting is precisely what happens when an original system install DVD is from a slightly different model Mac to what it came with.

 

[bopajuice]

Download disk maker x. Create a bootable usb thumb drive with an OS version system supports and follow the instructions found on google.

You will probably need another Mac to do this.

 

[Fishrrman]

bopa has it right in post 5 above.

BUT... if you DON'T have access to another Mac, perhaps the easiest path to success is to:
- go to ebay
- buy a USB flash drive with a copy of the Mac OS installer ALREADY INSTALLED on it.
- boot from the flash drive and run the installer.

I would recommend Mountain Lion 10.8 as the "OS of choice" for a 2009 iMac.

 

[Amnesia180]

Long story short... I was unable to do anything as the iMac was apparently waiting for an OS X Yosemite DVD. It was stuck. Even the erase HD wasn't properly erasing everything.

Took it in to an authorised repair place and they sorted it. Installed El Capitan and reset the software issue.

All is working great now. Thoroughly impressed with it.

Even though it's a 7 and a half year old machine it's a great introduction to the world of Apple for me.