no os on my used imac and it ate my snow leopard!

no os on my imac
I purchased an imac from the local university when they upgraded a lab. It was supposedly tested and verified as working fine. They do not supply an os with the machine. When powered on, just a little file folder icon in the middle and no mouse action. I called the local apple reseller and he told me my Snow Leopard Box set would give me the os I need. PROBLEM I put the disc into the machine. The drive spins and spins but nothing happens and I can't even get the disc back. I have to power it off to stop it from constantly spinning.
What do I need to do to make this machine work.
thanks

G'day and welcome to the forums.


Sounds like two problems, the drive has been erased and the optical drive has died. Contact the school and tell them about the problem and ask them to swap the machine for a goer.

When you power on the iMac, do you hear a startup sound? If so hold down the LEFT mouse button right at or after the startup sound and keep it down. Your DVD should eject. Keep the button down till it does.

Further symptoms re: no os

Thank you for the advice. I used your procedure to get the disc out, that was a relief. Secondly I read somewhere on a forum here to boot up with the option button down. This takes me to a light blue screen with two icons. One is an arrow pointing right and the other is an arrow bent into a circle. With this screen the mouse works and allows me to choose either arrow. When selected the mouse turns into a very small clock.
This then does nothing and the clock eventually reverts to a curser arrow.
What is this all about and am I closer to being able to install snow leopard>

vintagemike said:

no os on my imac
I purchased an imac from the local university when they upgraded a lab.

I called the local apple reseller and he told me my Snow Leopard Box set would give me the os I need.

Click to expand...

We need to know exactly which model iMac you have...since it's possible that it doesn't meet the requirements to run Snow Leopard.

- Nick

How to tell?

Since I cannot get to the desktop screen is there someway of telling from the outside of the case? In the super fine print on the back there is a model number A1076. Does that help?

More identification info found.

I hope this is not too dumb of a question. But in regards to my situation. I am booting up with the option key with NO disc in the drive. I was expecting the iMac to indicate when to insert the discs like a windows machine might do. So I have a screen with two arrows, one pointing right, one in a circle and no text. The machine has no disc in it and I have Snow Leopard (retail) waiting to go in it.

The specs on the bottom stand are EMC 2008 (1st gen?) IMAC G5 20/1.8/1GB/160/sd/100

what do you think I should do to try to install Snow Leopard?

thanks again,

vintagemike said:

I hope this is not too dumb of a question. But in regards to my situation. I am booting up with the option key with NO disc in the drive. I was expecting the iMac to indicate when to insert the discs like a windows machine might do. So I have a screen with two arrows, one pointing right, one in a circle and no text. The machine has no disc in it and I have Snow Leopard (retail) waiting to go in it.

The specs on the bottom stand are EMC 2008 (1st gen?) IMAC G5 20/1.8/1GB/160/sd/100

what do you think I should do to try to install Snow Leopard?

thanks again,

Click to expand...

Unfortnately, you can't install Snow Leopard on that machine as it's a PowerPC G5 machine (not Intel).

You'll need to find a retail copy of OS X 10.5 (Leopard), which is the latest OS X that will run on that machine. Unfortunately demand from older Mac owners has dramatically driven up the prices on used discs (and new ones are not available). So, it can often cost more than the machine is worth for a Leopard disc.

Also, note that the grey discs won't work as they're machine-specific. You need to get a black "retail" disc. So, if you're searching on eBay, be sure to ask about this if it's not specified.

vintagemike said:

The specs on the bottom stand are EMC 2008 (1st gen?) IMAC G5 20/1.8/1GB/160/sd/100

Click to expand...

I sort of suspected this. As "cwa107" mentioned...you cannot run OS 10.6 on this computer. It is too old & does not have the required Intel cpu to allow an OS 10.6 "Snow Leopard" install.

As advised...you need the black retail version of OS 10.5 "Leopard".

- Nick

thank you, but about the "arrows"

Thank you for the fast replys. I really appreciate your help.
The last question (for today) is what does the display indicate that I described with the arrows? Is it asking for input of discs? If I can get the discs you suggested how do they install since there is no os on the machine to start. I also have a G5 third gen. That runs the snow leopard, but I only had to upgrade from Leopard with that machine so I was simple.

thanks

vintagemike said:

Thank you for the fast replys. I really appreciate your help.
The last question (for today) is what does the display indicate that I described with the arrows? Is it asking for input of discs?

Click to expand...

I suspect it's telling you to reboot since it can't run the bootloader due to code incompatibility.

If I can get the discs you suggested how do they install since there is no os on the machine to start.

Click to expand...

You'd boot off the discs.

I also have a G5 third gen. That runs the snow leopard, but I only had to upgrade from Leopard with that machine so I was simple.

thanks

Click to expand...

No G5 Mac will run Snowleopard, period. G5, like G4 and G3 is a designator for a PowerPC CPU. No PPC CPU will run Intel code. You are either mistaken about the CPU in that machine, or you are mistaken about the version of OS X.

vintagemike said:

I also have a G5 third gen. That runs the snow leopard...

Click to expand...

Just to reinforce what "cwa107" mentioned. No, no, no G5-based Macintosh computer can run OS 10.6 Snow Leopard period!!! If you have a Macintosh computer that's running OS 10.6 Snow Leopard...then it is not a G5...but an Intel based Macintosh.

There is no "gray-area" here...G5-based Mac's CANNOT run Snow Leopard!

- Nick

pigoo3 said:

Just to reinforce what "cwa107" mentioned. No, no, no G5-based Macintosh computer can run OS 10.6 Snow Leopard period!!! If you have a Macintosh computer that's running OS 10.6 Snow Leopard...then it is not a G5...but an Intel based Macintosh.

There is no "gray-area" here...G5-based Mac's CANNOT run Snow Leopard!

- Nick

Click to expand...

There seems to be an echo in here.... @echo OFF.

cwa107 said:

There seems to be an echo in here.... @echo OFF.

Click to expand...

This is certainly one of those topics where the answer is pretty plain & easy to answer (no gray areas)...no Snow Leopard on G5's!

- Nick

RE; No Grey area

Thanks again,

I took a closer look at my other "G5". It is not a G5. It is a later model with the intel as you said. I again really appreciate all of you who took the time to answer my questions as a newbie. I got the first iMac last January and have not used it too much. I do a lot of graphic design and because I am always under a deadline I have been scared that the learning curve will slow me down so I keep using my PC because I know my software inside and out. I am going to make an effort to make the switch over to Mac.
Last month I picked up this beautiful 20" iMac G5 from the university sale that was wiped. I did not pay much for it and thought the snow leopard will run on it. I will take your advice and find Leopard for it. If I take it into the local Mac reseller/repair center will they install it for me? That way I won't have to find it on e-bay?

BTW this is a great forum group,

vintagemike said:

Thanks again,

I took a closer look at my other "G5". It is not a G5. It is a later model with the intel as you said.

Click to expand...

It's all good! We knew that your other "G5" had to be an Intel based Mac...since if it has Snow Leopard on it...it absolutely has to be Intel.

Yeah...there are lots of those 1.8ghz iMac G5's floating around...many from schools who are selling them & replacing them with newer models. OS 10.5 Leopard is the best OS for them. Unfortunately the "black" retail copies of 10.5 are still selling for $80-$100 on e-Bay...which could be a pretty sizable chuck of the $$$ that you paid for the G5 iMac.

Good luck,

- Nick

pigoo3 said:

It's all good! We knew that your other "G5" had to be an Intel based Mac...since if it has Snow Leopard on it...it absolutely has to be Intel.

Yeah...there are lots of those 1.8ghz iMac G5's floating around...many from schools who are selling them & replacing them with newer models. OS 10.5 Leopard is the best OS for them. Unfortunately the "black" retail copies of 10.5 are still selling for $80-$100 on e-Bay...which could be a pretty sizable chuck of the $$$ that you paid for the G5 iMac.

Good luck,

- Nick

Click to expand...

Selling for $80-100 on ebay? Holy crap. Glad I still have mine then.

Stretch said:

Selling for $80-100 on ebay? Holy crap. Glad I still have mine then.

Click to expand...

$80-$100 is what I would call the "reasonable" final price range for auctions where the buyers are the folks doing the bidding...and bid the price up to that final amount.

But then you have some sellers (who think that the sky is the limit)...and place "Buy It Now" auctions for 10.5 Leopard install disks for as much as $279.99:

BRAND NEW FACTORY SEALED MAC OS X 10.5.6 LEOPARD FULL RETAIL VERSION

...I sure hope that no one is actually buying at this price!!!

- Nick

You will have to purchase the Leopard disc and make sure you get the black full retail install DVD and not a silver grey model specific disc.