Help - cannot install OS X on new hard drive.

prosonman

Registered
Hi,

I replaced the hard drive in my iMac 24" 2.16ghz core 2 duo when it died.

I have tried reinstalling from the original 10.4.7 disks but the wheel under the apple logo freezers after around 1 minute.

I have cleared nvram and the hardware check says everything is normal.

I bought a new retail copy 10.6.3 and this stops during install asking me to turn power off to reboot.

I have tried installing holding the left shift key and then I get the following message:
unable to find driver for this platform "ACPI"

Any help appreciated please.

Thanks.
 
Yes it is an intel based system, core 2 duo. Using original install disk but it won't go past grey apple screen before if crashes.
 
Hard driver is properly seated, trying to work out if I can access it in Single user mode to confirm it working.

It does sound like it spins up and it works ok in my external housing.

Not sure if there is a problem with graphic card, it seems that the iMac freezes just when install is about to launch.....will keep trying but I think it's heading for the bin.
 
I bought a new retail copy 10.6.3 and this stops during install asking me to turn power off to reboot.

Was this a retail version bought, in a box, from the Apple Store? Or was this something advertised as "full, retail version" that you got from somewhere like eBay?

In other words, what color is the disk? If it's gray-colored, then it's a system-specific disk and will only work with the Mac model printed on the front of the disk. It will not boot any other Mac successfully. Retail versions are typically black in color (for earlier versions), or white (for later versions -- Snow Leo, I believe)... gray color indicates you may have been sold a system-specific disk under the guise of a retail disk.
 
It was the full retail version bought from Apple, it has the Snow Leopard picture on it so it's not the grey version that comes with the mac. I have the grey disks that came with the mac but both these and the retail version seem to stop installing while the apple logo is on the screen.
 
will wheni have this situation on a windows computer heres what i do:

Check all connections (Drives Power Drive data cables)
Make sure the ram is click in to place
pull the CMOS battery (PRAM battery on Mac) then power up (WITH THE BATTERY REMOVED)

check to see if you can successfully run OS X on external Drive FireWire is faster but USB should work too.

double check to make sure your iMac is able to run 10.6 if you dont have enough ram or the right Intel Processor Snow Leo mite have a hardware issue preventing boot.

hold the option key and try booting your hard drive that way.

if all else fails take it to apple because if its the GPU then only option is new motherboard also the motherboard itself could be the issue.

try running Windows or Linux and see if the results are the same. If it is then its a problem with the GPU or motherboard
 
Hi,

All cables checked, battery taken out out and re-installed, OSX version correct.

Will try installing OSX on external drive but don't know how I can do that, mac locks up on apple logo screen during install !!!

It appears to be when the installer try's to run something after about 1 minute.

Cannot work this one out, a really strange one that has me beat.

Thanks
 
You said that you replaced the hard drive when the old one died.
Possibly the drive is not bad, but the drive controller chip has died... That would mean replacing the logic board. You need to try a different SATA cable.

BUT, first - disconnect the internal hard drive, and try to boot from the installer DVD. If it completely boots, then you may simply have a bad hard drive (new ones fail, too), or maybe that SATA cable is faulty. Just some things to think about, eh?
 
OK, so what I think I have concluded is that the iMac crashes when it attempts to run the Graphical User Interface (GUI). I'm thinking this is the order in which I should try replacing things.

1) Graphic Card - nVidia 7300GT
2) Motherboard
3) Power Supply
4) Memory
5) The Whole Lot!

Are there any bootable DVD hardware testing programs out there that would help point me in the right direction? I can get it into Single User Mode but don't have much of a clue with this.

Thanks again everyone.
 
Before anything else, try reseating the memory, or try known-good memory cards.
Video card is not likely, and the power supply should not be near the top of your list.
 
the iMac is like a desktop laptop teh GPU CPU cannot be replaced the only way to replace the video card is to replace the entire logic board
 
the iMac is like a desktop laptop teh GPU CPU cannot be replaced the only way to replace the video card is to replace the entire logic board

Incorrect
Some iMacs have replaceable video cards. The OP's 24-inch iMac is one of those.

Please try to avoid making up facts to support your opinions... :D
A disclaimer would be a good start, like: "I know very little about Macs, but here's what I think...."
 
Checked memory again and it is well seated and also tried several other memory cards that all pass the hardware checks but still the iMac wont load the install disk and hangs at the same point.

Is there anyway I can check the video card with a utility program that does NOT require OSX on the hard drive?
 
Your Mac came with a set of restore DVDs. One of those original DVDs has Apple's hardware test, which is a separate boot with a Command-D
 
Yes this is what I used to check the memory, original grey disk 1 and holding down d on boot up.

This only checks the main logic board and memory, it gives a list of other devices including the graphics card ( nVidia 7300GT) but does not test it.

Do you think the video card is ok if I can see the Hardware Diagnostic screen fine, and if I hold down the option key on boot up I get the DVD disk icon on screen?
 
Yes I have used the hardware test program that came on the original grey disk 1 by holding down D on boot up.

The Hardware Program says No Problems Found, it think it only checks memory and the logic board. It will list other devices such as the video card but it does not seem to check it.

If the Hardware Program works OK, do you think this proves the video card is working?

Thanks.
 
Back
Top