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Can I make a bootable from a Windows machine as my Mac at home doesn't hv internet..?

Yes... take a look at a Windows app called Transmac. If you can get your hands on the installer image, you can use Transmac to make the USB key installer.
 
Do you have the left disc or the right disc? The left one won't work, the right one should work.
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Tha
Do you have the left disc or the right disc? The left one won't work, the right one should work.
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Thanks for the effort mate

It is the right one.

Just reformatting everything again as the options are a little bit different now for some reason.Hopefully I'll get some joy by tonight
[doublepost=1459826330][/doublepost]This is what I'm doing now ...does this look correct...?
 

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I think boot from the disc, open disk utility at there, click the HDD (not the partition). And then make sure there is only one partition (or simply remove all partition and re-create one). Then use Erase to format the only partition to Mac OSX Extend Journaled (NOT the case sensitive one, and no need to use security erase).

The above process should able to prepare the HDD for OSX installation.
 
I think boot from the disc, open disk utility at there, click the HDD (not the partition). And then make sure there is only one partition (or simply remove all partition and re-create one). Then use Erase to format the only partition to Mac OSX Extend Journaled (NOT the case sensitive one, and no need to use security erase).

The above process should able to prepare the HDD for OSX installation.

Thanks mate

But just to clarify, do I have to create a partition to install OSX? At the moment I have just formatted everything and am now left with disk utility showing the HD drive and cd
 
Thanks mate

But just to clarify, do I have to create a partition to install OSX? At the moment I have just formatted everything and am now left with disk utility showing the HD drive and cd

No matter what I do, even when I erase the hd drive not the partition , a partition appears once the formatting had been completed. Furthermore, I can't eve eject the cd now!!

This has gone really wrong. The computer has no internet so I'm doing this at home however if I bring it to work, will it be possible to register this now f..t device on my Apple account..? And then can I download software to make it work..?
 
Yes, you need a partition which is formatted to OSX journaled.

Holding the mouse key down during boot will open the DVD tray.
 
No matter what I do, even when I erase the hd drive not the partition , a partition appears once the formatting had been completed. Furthermore, I can't eve eject the cd now!!

In your earlier screenshot it looks like you selected one of the secure erase options, and that takes some time to complete. Did you let that finish? If you did, you should be all set. It looks like you selected the drive then did a secure erase, which will format the drive into one large partition for you to install the OS. You do not need to erase then also make a partition. The erase procedure you did already makes the partition.

So what happens now if you quit Disk Utility then tell it to install the OS? That should now work.
 
In your earlier screenshot it looks like you selected one of the secure erase options, and that takes some time to complete. Did you let that finish? If you did, you should be all set. It looks like you selected the drive then did a secure erase, which will format the drive into one large partition for you to install the OS. You do not need to erase then also make a partition. The erase procedure you did already makes the partition.

So what happens now if you quit Disk Utility then tell it to install the OS? That should now work.

Done that aswell. It just won't install. It creates a partition by itself with 2 files which totals 639mb...what is that ?

When u say install the OS you mean booting from the cd? Yes tried that and that's where the original error comes from

Can I connect to the net and get it fixed..?
 
Done that aswell. It just won't install. It creates a partition by itself with 2 files which totals 639mb...what is that ?

When u say install the OS you mean booting from the cd? Yes tried that and that's where the original error comes from

Can I connect to the net and get it fixed..?
Your Mac does not have Internet recovery, so there is no way to directly connect to the Internet to get the OS.

Let me review a bit here and please answer each question.

1. You are using that grey Snow Leopard 10.6.4 CD that came in the box new with the Mac Pro?

2. You are option key booting to that CD?

3. Used Disk Utility in the erase tab to format the disk to Mac OS Extended (Journaled)? No need for secure erase... just erase.

4. Then quit Disk Util and click Reinstall OS X? And that is where you get the error??

If you are absolutely sure that is the exact same grey CD that came from the factory (not one you got somewhere else), then this should work and I am a bit out of ideas.

Were you seeing any operational issues before you started this erase process?
 
Done that aswell. It just won't install. It creates a partition by itself with 2 files which totals 639mb...what is that ?

When u say install the OS you mean booting from the cd? Yes tried that and that's where the original error comes from

Can I connect to the net and get it fixed..?


Also how can I get the cd out? Mouse key? I googled that
Your Mac does not have Internet recovery, so there is no way to directly connect to the Internet to get the OS.

Let me review a bit here and please answer each question.

1. You are using that grey Snow Leopard 10.6.4 CD that came in the box new with the Mac Pro?

2. You are option key booting to that CD?

3. Used Disk Utility in the erase tab to format the disk to Mac OS Extended (Journaled)? No need for secure erase... just erase.

4. Then quit Disk Util and click Reinstall OS X? And that is where you get the error??

If you are absolutely sure that is the exact same grey CD that came from the factory (not one you got somewhere else), then this should work and I am a bit out of ideas.

Were you seeing any operational issues before you started this erase process?

Thanks mate

1. Yes
2. No just letting it restart
3.yes
4. When quit disk utility it only gives the option to use time machine but nothing shows up.

In regards to the cd there is a chance that it might not be as I bought it 2nd hand.
 
In regards to the cd there is a chance that it might not be as I bought it 2nd hand.

It sounds like you are doing everything correctly and based on the error message you are seeing, I'm thinking that CD is not the one that came with the machine. Those grey CDs are model specific. So for example, you cannot take that grey Snow Leopard CD from a MacBook and use it on a Mac Pro.

That leaves us back with you figuring out some way to get your hands on a Lion or never installer image and making a USB key. You might even try looking on eBay. People sell premade installers on there. Technically, it violates Apple's EULA, but the OS is free and I don't think Apple real cares much.
 
It sounds like you are doing everything correctly and based on the error message you are seeing, I'm thinking that CD is not the one that came with the machine. Those grey CDs are model specific. So for example, you cannot take that grey Snow Leopard CD from a MacBook and use it on a Mac Pro.

That leaves us back with you figuring out some way to get your hands on a Lion or never installer image and making a USB key. You might even try looking on eBay. People sell premade installers on there. Technically, it violates Apple's EULA, but the OS is free and I don't think Apple real cares much.
Ok you might be right. I hv the dmg file on my Samsung tab but I'm guessing it won't work from there.

Thanks man
 
Ok you might be right. I hv the dmg file on my Samsung tab but I'm guessing it won't work from there.

Thanks man
Yeah... I don't know any way to make the installer form your tablet, But you can use Transmac to do it if you have access to a Windows machine.
 
Yeah... I don't know any way to make the installer form your tablet, But you can use Transmac to do it if you have access to a Windows machine.
Yeh I just had a look in eBay , pretty cheap and would save a lot of hassle. Just looked up my Mac Pro is a 4.1, 2.66ghz, would El Capitan be ok with it or should I run something else...?
 
Thanks man

After all this I might just end up keeping it and upgrading ram and to an ssd.

But there is one thing, I can't eject the cd, I've tried everything but in disk utility it says cannot unmount...
 
Thanks man

After all this I might just end up keeping it and upgrading ram and to an ssd.

But there is one thing, I can't eject the cd, I've tried everything but in disk utility it says cannot unmount...
It sounds like you are still booted to the CD. Power down then hold the option key at boot. That should bring up a boot manager. Once there hold the eject key on the keyboard to eject the CD.
 
It sounds like you are still booted to the CD. Power down then hold the option key at boot. That should bring up a boot manager. Once there hold the eject key on the keyboard to eject the CD.

Lol just tried but no joy. Just goes straight to the installer like before. Just to confirm that's the only key I hold down , the option key, don't need it to hold another one too
 
Lol just tried but no joy. Just goes straight to the installer like before. Just to confirm that's the only key I hold down , the option key, don't need it to hold another one too
Correct option only. Could be the optical drive is messed up.
 
Do you have your USB keyboard connected directly to the computer? When you power up the computer, press the Option key as soon as you hear the Macintosh "bong" and hold it. You should see the bootpicker come up. From there you can press Eject. The error you are getting is generally displayed if you are using recovery media from a different Macintosh.
 
To eject the disc.

1) Hold down the mouse during boot, or
2) Hold down the trackpad button during boot, or
3) Hold down the Media Eject key (⏏) during boot, or
4) Hold down the F12 key during boot

All these 4 methods are the Apple official method, and the mouse method always works for me, but you need a wired mouses plugged into the native USB 2 port. Not a wireless mouse, or plugged via a USB 3.0 PCIe card. Same for the keyboard.
 
Mmm maybe.

But it seems it's being used somehow...
To eject the disc.

1) Hold down the mouse during boot, or
2) Hold down the trackpad button during boot, or
3) Hold down the Media Eject key (⏏) during boot, or
4) Hold down the F12 key during boot

All these 4 methods are the Apple official method, and the mouse method always works for me, but you need a wired mouses plugged into the native USB 2 port. Not a wireless mouse, or plugged via a USB 3.0 PCIe card. Same for the keyboard.

Ah ha !

The mouse option worked thank god! Now what I'm getting is a folder flashing with a question mark flashing in the startup screen...?
 
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Mmm maybe.

But it seems it's being used somehow...


Ah ha !

The mouse option worked thank god! Now what I'm getting is a folder flashing with a question mark flashing in the startup screen...?

Im just wondering now if I use a usb bootable will it work...? As the holding down the option key doesnt seem to do anything...?
 
Im just wondering now if I use a usb bootable will it work...? As the holding down the option key doesnt seem to do anything...?
The flashing question would be because you erased the drive and there is no OS. But you should be able to get to the boot manager screen with an option key boot still. Are you using a USB or BT keyboard.
 
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