02-21-2012, 05:58 AM

My hard drive froze up (Macbook Pro 1,1 2006 with Intel Core Duo running Snow Leopard) while creating a partition with Bootcamp and trying to install Windows XP. I just realized where I think the problem lays...did it late at night and tired and entirely forgot the fact that I had reformatted the HD to mac journaled and missed the reformatting command while installing Win XP. Now the computer is locked up in the bootcamp partition and all I get when I start it up is a message saying, "disk error, unable to start from cd" plus blinking cursor.
How do I get back to the mac side and start the process again?
Help, please!

02-21-2012, 06:08 AM

I don't have any experience installing bootcamp, but I'm curious what happens when you boot from your original OS X installation dvd and run Disk Utility through that. Let Disk Utility do a repair on the disk.

02-22-2012, 11:36 PM

My problem is that the Win XP install dvd is in the optical drive; can't open it; can't start either windows nor mac. Is there a way to force eject a dvd - like with a pin? No software solution would work at this point I think . Then perhaps I can boot up from the installation disk...
Help!

02-23-2012, 03:24 AM

Originally Posted by rafem

My problem is that the Win XP install dvd is in the optical drive; can't open it; can't start either windows nor mac. Is there a way to force eject a dvd - like with a pin? No software solution would work at this point I think . Then perhaps I can boot up from the installation disk...
Help!

I see ! Well what you can do is hold down your mouse button/track pad button the moment you start your macbook pro until the cd ejects.

A second option is holding down the eject button on your keyboard as your macbook pro boots.

I guess this advanced method wont work for you seeing that your system doesn't boot, but I'll still post it:
Start your macbook pro and hold down the command, option, O and F keys. You'll end up at a command prompt. Here type:
eject cd
and then return. After that type:
mac reboot
and then return.

02-24-2012, 07:40 AM

Thanks! I will try and post results...

02-26-2012, 07:14 PM

Well...I got the CD out! Now the issue is this; being an older machine (2006 or 7, model 1,1) It has gone through several iterations, it originally came with Tiger OS, it was upgraded to Leopard and then Snow Leopard (current) and both RAM and hard drive were upgraded 2 months ago.
I have the Snow Leopard Install DVD as well as the others.
Now..question 1.- How do I boot up from the dvd, exactly?
And 2.- will doing this wipe out my hard drive?

Not out of the woods yet.

02-26-2012, 08:31 PM

Insert the DVD (I'd try Snow Leopard first and power the machine on. Immediately hold down the C key until you see a list of drives that you can boot from. Click one of them.

How to Boot Snow Leopard from a DVD-ROM - For Dummies

Once you have booted from the DVD you should be able to run Disk Utility to verify and repair the drive. If I remember correctly you will have to choose a language though just as if you are going to do a new install. After that you can cancel the install and run Disk Utility.

This will not affect your data unless a format an install proved necessary.