Please Help Macbook A1181

Hi, my friend gave me his macbook a1181 model , without a back up disk. so i had to borrow the disk from my other friend that has the same model . the backup disk has mac os x 10.5.6. i tried to reinstall the operating system to just make it like new.. so i restarted the macbook and press c with the cd in my external samsung optical drive because the internal optical drive doesn't work. i booted from the cd then i got a message saying that "os-x cannot be installed on this computer" so i went to disk utility and clicked on the internal hardest then erased it . now when i restart the macbook i get a question mark icon flashing and when i connect the samsung optical drive and press c i get a grey screen and nothing changes afterwards(i left it for 30 minutes) .. is there a solution for what i have done?

i appreciate the help because i need this laptop for work after the weekend.

Welcome to Mac Forums.
Well, you've learnt your lesson from using an install disc that doesn't belong to you, so I won't harp on about that.
Now, the grey discs are model specific, and therefore will not work, as you have now discovered, so what you need is a retail version of OS X.
Your best bet is to either call Apple and see if they can supply you with the original install discs for your Mac quoting your serial number, or alternatively, purchasing a retail version of Snow Leopard.

6string said:

Welcome to Mac Forums.
Well, you've learnt your lesson from using an install disc that doesn't belong to you, so I won't harp on about that.
Now, the grey discs are model specific, and therefore will not work, as you have now discovered, so what you need is a retail version of OS X.
Your best bet is to either call Apple and see if they can supply you with the original install discs for your Mac quoting your serial number, or alternatively, purchasing a retail version of Snow Leopard.

Click to expand...

hey man thanks for the suggestion, i tried to insert a dvd disk of the retail mac osx snow leopard in my external optical drive because the internal one never worked.. so when i put it in , turn on the laptop, and press c the question mark screen doesnt show up.. instead i get a blank grey screen that stayed on for 1 hour then i just turned the laptop off.. please, what do you suggest i should do?

Have you tried holding option when booting, to boot off the external optical drive?

Hi, i tried holding down the cmd key and i still get the same blank screen ..

here is the screen i get if i do nothing

http://imgur.com/k9TNz.jpg

here is the blank screen i get when i put the dvd in and press C or cmd keys

http://imgur.com/0YQyP.jpg

and here is my external optical drive .. it works with mac since i installed mac osx on the macbook air with it and my friend's macbook too

http://imgur.com/MHxAQ.jpg

I said option key, not command!

LOL did you actually read the advise offered by 6string? The command key is for getting into single user mode etc, the Option for accessing hard and optical drives.

lol.. i didnt know that the alt key is called option key..


anyway this is how i fixed it.. i hooked it up with my friend's mbp with firewire.. and ran the snow leopard from there


thanks bbyz