Need to format and reinstall

Joined
Jul 1, 2014
Messages
3
Reaction score
0
Points
1
My current Imac at work originally shipped with 10.5. I've since upgraded to 10.6. I now received a brand new Imac running Maverick and the old one will be transferred to a new department. I need to erase it. The original install disk is 10.5 and I can't seem to boot from it. Also, my format options under erase in disk utility are grayed out. What can I do?
 

bobtomay

,
Retired Staff
Joined
Dec 22, 2006
Messages
26,561
Reaction score
677
Points
113
Location
Texas, where else?
Your Mac's Specs
15" MBP '06 2.33 C2D 4GB 10.7; 13" MBA '14 1.8 i7 8GB 10.11; 21" iMac '13 2.9 i5 8GB 10.11; 6S
Snow Leopard - $20, incl'g shipping - direct from Apple

If the superdrive is dead, you'll need an external drive to boot to it.
 
OP
E
Joined
Jul 1, 2014
Messages
3
Reaction score
0
Points
1
So you're telling me there is no way to format a mac unless I have a copy of the currently installed version to boot from? This seems absurd to me.
 
Joined
Feb 14, 2004
Messages
4,781
Reaction score
166
Points
63
Location
Groves, Texas
No, he's saying if your 10.5 disk wont boot it you can still get an SL disk from Apple.
Check your disk for scratches, etc. Sure your optical drive works?
 
OP
E
Joined
Jul 1, 2014
Messages
3
Reaction score
0
Points
1
It's not that the 10.5 disk can't boot because it's damaged, or because their is a problem with the drive, it's that it won't boot because it's not the current OS. I've researched this to death and can find no solution. As far as I can tell, there is no way to format a 10.6 machine with a 10.5 disk. Simply erasing is also not an option as the format options under the erase tab are grayed out.
 
Joined
Feb 5, 2013
Messages
79
Reaction score
0
Points
6
Location
Corona Del Mar, CA
Your Mac's Specs
MBP 15" 2.8 GHz Intel Core i7 16GB 1600 MHz DDR3 10.9.4
I'm just throwing this into the mix and I might be completely wrong but couldn't esable72 create a bootable USB using his Maverick's machine and then boot from it on the 10.6 one and do the whole process that way?

...and actually, wasn't 10.6 the first OS to have the App Store? and if so, can't you download the Maverick's installer and make a bootable USB from that system too?

If you can, there's tons of articles on how to do just that either by command line or disk utility. You can definitely do it using the Maverick's machine though. You just have to re-download the Maverick's installer from the App Store.

http://www.macworld.com/article/2056561/how-to-make-a-bootable-mavericks-install-drive.html
 
Last edited:
Joined
Dec 11, 2010
Messages
1,808
Reaction score
40
Points
48
Location
Chicago
Your Mac's Specs
late 2012 mini w/SSD
...it's that it won't boot because it's not the current OS. I've researched this to death and can find no solution. As far as I can tell, there is no way to format a 10.6 machine with a 10.5 disk. Simply erasing is also not an option as the format options under the erase tab are grayed out.

As far as I know, that's not correct. You just need to boot from any drive other than the drive you want to format/erase. Any version that will boot that Mac will work.
So the questions remain - are you sure - the CDROM drive works, and that you have a CD/DVD that will boot that specific Mac?
 
Joined
Feb 14, 2004
Messages
4,781
Reaction score
166
Points
63
Location
Groves, Texas
The current OS has nothing to do with why you cant boot. I run Mavericks and can still boot from the SL disk it came with.
Reboot and hold down C or Option (better). Select the dvd to boot from. If that wont boot you have other problems.
The reason why erase is greyed out in Disk Utility is because you cant erase the boot disk.
 

bobtomay

,
Retired Staff
Joined
Dec 22, 2006
Messages
26,561
Reaction score
677
Points
113
Location
Texas, where else?
Your Mac's Specs
15" MBP '06 2.33 C2D 4GB 10.7; 13" MBA '14 1.8 i7 8GB 10.11; 21" iMac '13 2.9 i5 8GB 10.11; 6S
It's not that the 10.5 disk can't boot because it's damaged, or because their is a problem with the drive, it's that it won't boot because it's not the current OS. I've researched this to death and can find no solution. As far as I can tell, there is no way to format a 10.6 machine with a 10.5 disk. Simply erasing is also not an option as the format options under the erase tab are grayed out.

You have not researched enough. Having 10.6 installed will not prevent you from booting with the 10.5 disc that shipped with the machine unless there is something wrong with the disc or the drive.

The current OS has nothing to do with why you cant boot. I run Mavericks and can still boot from the SL disk it came with.
Reboot and hold down C or Option (better). Select the dvd to boot from. If that wont boot you have other problems.
The reason why erase is greyed out in Disk Utility is because you cant erase the boot disk.

Just to finish off that last statement:

The reason why erase is greyed out in Disk Utility is because you cant erase the boot disk "while you are booted to it". Hence the need for a separate boot disc.
 
Joined
Oct 16, 2010
Messages
17,494
Reaction score
1,541
Points
113
Location
Brentwood Bay, BC, Canada
Your Mac's Specs
2011 27" iMac, 1TB(partitioned) SSD, 20GB, OS X 10.11.6 El Capitan
+1!!

Possible PEBKAC problem.
 

pigoo3

Well-known member
Staff member
Admin
Joined
May 20, 2008
Messages
44,210
Reaction score
1,418
Points
113
Location
U.S.
Your Mac's Specs
2017 15" MBP, 16gig ram, 1TB SSD, OS 10.15
The original install disk is 10.5 and I can't seem to boot from it.

Are you pressing the "c" key when booting? This tells the computer to boot from the optical drive (the OS 10.5 disk).

- Nick
 

Shop Amazon


Shop for your Apple, Mac, iPhone and other computer products on Amazon.
We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon and affiliated sites.
Top