New SSD in iMac 2007, boot fails

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Hi all,

I just put a new SSD disk in my 24" 2007 iMac and can't boot with Mountain Lion from USB. Here's what I did:

1. Changed the hard drive to a new 180GB Intel SSD.
2. Created a bootable USB disk using Lion Diskmaker 2.
3. Inserted the USB while power off, turned on power holding the Alt/Option key.

All I get is a gray screen with a mouse pointer on it. Nothing else happens. So my question is, should I hold a different key while turning on the power? I think the iMac should be able to find the USB regardless of whether or not I installed the SSD disk correctly. I've tried this with three different USB sticks now, and am getting a bit frustrated. You know the feeling...

Thanks in advance for any help!

Erik
 
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If holding the option key does not bring up any bootable drives then the method you used to create the bootable usb failed. I never had any luck with Lion Diskmaker , Ive always just used disk utility to create the bootable image .
You need to do this from a running OSX
Insert the usb drive , it will need to be an 8gig or more.
open disk utility and let it find your usb drive..
In the left hand pane select your usb drive ..
then in the right hand pane select the partition tab.
In the drop down menu select Mac OS Extended Journaled
In the top drop down menu selct 1
then in the options menu make sure you select guid to use a bootable drive on mac
once it is partitioned select restore.
Now drag or select your mountain lion Image into the source box
Drag your new partition into the destination box
click restore and let it go.
 
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@dawson1112
Thanks for your help. I forgot to mention that I have tried what you suggested, using the Disk Utility on a working mac. Didn't work, unfortunately....
 

bobtomay

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I would use the method described by dawson.

Then test it on the machine you used to create the image.

If it will boot on that Mac, but not the iMac, then I'd suggest something was not put back together correctly when reassembling the iMac.
 

bobtomay

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Yeah, all you need to do is make sure the disk is bootable so you can rule that part of it out of the problem.

You can try the disk you have now that was created with Lion Diskmaker also and not have to do it over again.
 
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I think that the problem is that its not seeing a bootable disk. When you hold the option key down the machine looks at all bootable drives attached to the system if it finds none It just goes to a blank grey screen with the mouse curser then just sits there waiting for you to insert a bootable drive. The most important thing here is to be sure your partition is GUID partition table for booting intel based macs.
 

bobtomay

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... The most important thing here is to be sure your partition is GUID partition table for booting intel based macs.

That if it won't boot on the Mac where you're creating the disk.
On the Partition tab in DU - click on the Advanced button to change this.
 

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