Help Formatting Macbook

im trying to format my macbook, i tried to format it using my tiger dvd however i didnt realize i had a scratch on it, the setup kinda took a while to start got half way through and then stoped telling me there was an error or something.. i cant remember.. and now when i turn it on it just has a grey screen and keeps telling me to restart.. i tried to format using an older verson (10.3.9) and it just told me to restart... i have no idea what to do!!

i know it all sounds a bit much, but i just thought id ask and if anyone seems interested and maybe can help ill take a photo of the screen im seeing an post it for further help..

Why you couldn't install Mac OS X Panther (10.3.9) on your MacBook: Don't install older versions of Mac OS than what comes with your computer. Besides Panther doesn't work on Intel-based Macs such as your notebook and is only compatible with PowerPC Macs.

If your restore DVD is really damaged... You will need to buy a full retail install of Mac OS X Tiger to get out of this unless you made a backup of your hard drive. Try eBay.

You can always insert your restore DVD and reboot by holding down the Option key and get Disk Utility to check your hard drive.

Or if you are still under warranty, get your MacBook to a shop for repairs.

ahh i didnt think about that lol hope many dvds are there for tiger? i cant only find disc 1 but im not sure if there is more?


thanks again for your lifesaving help lol

would a scratch really cause all of this?

Formatting Macbook Help???

hey guys,


im trying to format a macbook i recently purchased, i held 'c' down and went through all th setup, but last time i formatted and reinstalled os x on my PB it workd fine.

when the setup was complete, when my macbook started all the old setting were there (i:e, the old user and passwords ect)

can anyone shed some light on this for me?

NOTE: Merged duplicated threads

sorry i dont understand why tho.. how can i sort help for my problem..?

bennjiboi said:

im trying to format a macbook i recently purchased, i held 'c' down and went through all th setup, but last time i formatted and reinstalled os x on my PB it workd fine.

Click to expand...

bennjiboi said:

sorry i dont understand why tho.. how can i sort help for my problem..?

Click to expand...

MHC already explained this to you:

MacHeadCase said:

Why you couldn't install Mac OS X Panther (10.3.9) on your MacBook: Don't install older versions of Mac OS than what comes with your computer. Besides Panther doesn't work on Intel-based Macs such as your notebook and is only compatible with PowerPC Macs.

Click to expand...

CLEARLY in the new thred i asked how to format my MacBook and OBVIOUSLY i would be using Tiger.

The threads were not the same they were two diff threads.

Sorry for the mass confusion.

And thankyou for such great help.

*shakes head*

bennjiboi said:

CLEARLY in the new thred i asked how to format my MacBook and OBVIOUSLY i would be using Tiger.

The threads were not the same they were two diff threads.

Sorry for the mass confusion.

And thankyou for such great help.

Click to expand...

Sarcasm isn't going to get you anywhere and, frankly, there is nothing 'clear' about this thread.

You need a fully working version of Tiger, end of story, and I think that's pretty obvious. Take the MacBook and faulty disc to an Apple store, and they may replace it for you for a reasonable fee... if you leave the attitude at home. It's amazing how helpful people can be, if you show a little respect.

Zoolook said:

You need a fully working version of Tiger, end of story, and I think that's pretty obvious.

Click to expand...

It should be obvious considering i posted i had one.

The disc isn't faulty i never said it was so i don't know where you pulled that from.

The post, that i fisrt posted was in relation to my formatting a macbook which was a friend of mines and i was having problems wen doing so, i didnt have Tiger dvd with me, it was at his house and there for i was trying to format doing so with what software i had , 10.3.9 (software that came with my PB and thats when i was told that i was not able to install previous versions of os x on no intel machines)

And as for me "leaving the attitude at home and showing respect" , have a look at ANY of my posts and or threads, you'll see i am very polite respectful and helpfull.

When i said "CLEARLY in the new thread i asked how to format my MacBook and OBVIOUSLY i would be using Tiger" i was saying it in the sence that i had already been informed that i was not able to install previous versions of os x on non intel based machines so i wouldnt be trying to do so again.

And, upon reading your opening line, i'd practise what you preach.

A little respect goes along way.

bennjiboi said:

It should be obvious considering i posted i had one.

The disc isn't faulty i never said it was so i don't know where you pulled that from.

The post, that i fisrt posted was in relation to my formatting a macbook which was a friend of mines and i was having problems wen doing so, i didnt have Tiger dvd with me, it was at his house and there for i was trying to format doing so with what software i had , 10.3.9 (software that came with my PB and thats when i was told that i was not able to install previous versions of os x on no intel machines)

And as for me "leaving the attitude at home and showing respect" , have a look at ANY of my posts and or threads, you'll see i am very polite respectful and helpfull.

When i said "CLEARLY in the new thread i asked how to format my MacBook and OBVIOUSLY i would be using Tiger" i was saying it in the sence that i had already been informed that i was not able to install previous versions of os x on non intel based machines so i wouldnt be trying to do so again.

And, upon reading your opening line, i'd practise what you preach.

A little respect goes along way.

Click to expand...

It didn't say that anywhere in your post.

And what's getting your panties in a knot here? That your threads were merged? If it had been clear right from the start that those were two different computers and two different problems, maybe they wouldn't have been merged.

bennjiboi said:

CLEARLY in the new thred i asked how to format my MacBook and OBVIOUSLY i would be using Tiger.

The threads were not the same they were two diff threads.

Sorry for the mass confusion.

And thankyou for such great help.

*shakes head*

Click to expand...

bennjiboi said:

It should be obvious considering i posted i had one.

The disc isn't faulty i never said it was so i don't know where you pulled that from.

The post, that i fisrt posted was in relation to my formatting a macbook which was a friend of mines and i was having problems wen doing so, i didnt have Tiger dvd with me, it was at his house and there for i was trying to format doing so with what software i had , 10.3.9 (software that came with my PB and thats when i was told that i was not able to install previous versions of os x on no intel machines)

And as for me "leaving the attitude at home and showing respect" , have a look at ANY of my posts and or threads, you'll see i am very polite respectful and helpfull.

When i said "CLEARLY in the new thread i asked how to format my MacBook and OBVIOUSLY i would be using Tiger" i was saying it in the sence that i had already been informed that i was not able to install previous versions of os x on non intel based machines so i wouldnt be trying to do so again.

And, upon reading your opening line, i'd practise what you preach.

A little respect goes along way.

Click to expand...

And I entirely agree with Zoolook. This is the kind of stuff that is not going to get you anywhere.

bennjiboi said:

It should be obvious considering i posted i had one.

Click to expand...

What are you arguing for? That sentence makes no sense either, it must be missing word.

bnjiboi said:

The disc isn't faulty i never said it was so i don't know where you pulled that from.

Click to expand...

From here maybe? "i tried to format it using my tiger dvd however i didnt realize i had a scratch on it"

benjiboi said:

And as for me "leaving the attitude at home and showing respect" , have a look at ANY of my posts and or threads, you'll see i am very polite respectful and helpfull.

When i said "CLEARLY in the new thread i asked how to format my MacBook and OBVIOUSLY i would be using Tiger" i was saying it in the sence that i had already been informed that i was not able to install previous versions of os x on non intel based machines so i wouldnt be trying to do so again.

And, upon reading your opening line, i'd practise what you preach.

A little respect goes along way.

Click to expand...

The very fact you've continued to argue the point, makes what you've just said very disingenuous. You were being sarcastic with your comment, and the thread is not helped by a) being merged and b) your awful typing/spelling/grammar/missing words, like the very 1st sentence of this reply.

Zoolook said:

The very fact you've continued to argue the point,.

Click to expand...

I'm not arguing. I continued the thread so I could perhaps seek some help.

And its hardly fair to sit there and say I'm being rude argumentative and continuing to fight with comments full of sarcasm like

"And what's getting your panties in a knot here?"


This forum is ment to be for people to seek help and support.

There's clearly been none of either of them given.

So i was a bit scarcastic, i posted a thread asked why it was merged as in a new user i have no idea about merging threads and or why they are done then all i get it

"MHC already explained this to you"

So i apologize. But from a new user's point of view i got told i needed a fully working version of tiger end of story.

That wasnt very helpfull considering it was as if noone obviously understood and now i have two members with over 8,000 posts between you both and obviously some knowlage ganging up on me when all i asked was for some help.


And i still havent got any.

So im sorry, but i felt like i was provoked in some ways.


*sigh*

Fair enough... Can you explain which problem is which then?

You said there were two different problems in this merged thread and am not sure what goes where with which symptoms and the Mac models and specs.

There was an old problem, which was i had my PB and was trying to help a friend out and help format his MB but i didnt have tiger at that time and didnt realize that i coudlnt use 10.3.9 on his MB.

So that was the first thread and problem was resolved in its self when i found out that i was not able to do so using older software on new MB.

Now i brought myself a MB from ebay and formatted it so that it was a clean install but when i did so the setup didnt seem.. normal?

For instance, when i formatted with my PB i was asked if i wanted to keep the previous os or select to delete it ect..

But when i formatted my MB 3 days ago, it seemd like when it started up, well, didnt seem, but it was still the same... like it was as if it hadnt been formatted if that makes sence.

There was no data on there but i think the person i brought it from removed it b4 they sold it, but like the owners name and things like that were still as they were b4 i formatted..

And.. it only has a 60g hdd, and there was about 40g fre space b4 formatting.. and it remained the exact same space after formatting..

Unless im thining wrong and Tiger does take up 20g hdd space when installing? lol

This is what i wanted help with.. i am sorry about the confusion i was getting annoyed with my MB and then with the forum for what i felt was makeing me look like i had no idea what i was on about.


Thankyou for offering to help.

Well for one thing, you have to know that the Tiger disk and the Panther disk can never be used to install on an Intel-based Mac.

I can understand about Panther because all Macs were PowerPC back then but Tiger? Trav came up with an Apple webpage that said that the Tiger install DVDs could not be used on Intel-based Macs either only on PowerPC-based Macs.

We assumed that Apple didn't make Universal Binary Tiger Install DVD versions because they thought Intel-based Mac owners would still have their restore disks handy.

Now if this is your case with the MacBook, I would try to contact the eBay seller and ask for the restore disks. They are so valuable, you have no idea. They contain hardware diagnostic tools, if ever a reinstall is necessary like now you can reinstall the OS and all the bundled software as well.

Never ever buy a second hand Mac without its restore disks.

So in short, if the reinstall is what you really need on that MacBook, you will need the restore disks that came with it: no Tiger retail install disks will work on your MacBook.

About the PowerBook, there shouldn't be any probs with a full retail install DVD though. About the free space that is rare... It would help if you got yourself an external FireWire hard drive and moved all you can move over on it. Lack of free space will make your Mac excruciatingly slower and slower. And the more free space you have, the better it'll be.

Oh ok cool i understand a little more.

The MacBook did come with the restore disks. Thats what i was using to format but im still having problems. I wasnt ever using a Tiger retail dvd or anything like that so thats why i was confused when all the data was still there.. it was as if i hadnt formatted it.. wierd..

Any other suggestions? Is there any other ways to format other then just booting with the dvd in and holding C down?

As far as I know, that's the best way to do it. Has it started acting wonky after you applied the updates?

Because if it has... make sure you don't use your Mac while the updates re being installed (like NO apps running, period) and disconnect any peripherals before the install.

yeah its worked ok, but it still has all the previous owners documents on it?

and its still got their p/w's and user names ect..

i thought when formatted all this would be no longer?