White Screen hang on Mac OSX Startup Disk

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bound4h

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Running a MBP (mid 2009) 2.26GHz on OSX Leopard 10.5.8. I am trying to boot from the Startup disk (OSX Leopard 10.5.2) and when I stick it in a restart, I hold C and it hangs on the screen before where the Apple logo would appear normally, as if it's trying to load from the startup disk. The disk spins up and I hear it, but it just hangs there. Only thing I can do is a hard restart with the power button.

I have started from the disk before, so I know it worked in the past. Also, OSX recognizes the disk when I'm logged in and I can even run the Installer (ask you to restart though).

I recently turned on FileVault (have restarted multiple times since then) but not sure if this has anything to do with it. I am trying to set a password for the Firmware so someone can't reformat without a pw.

Can anyone help? Anyone know why it doesn't want to boot from the startup disk?

Thanks!
 
bound4h said:
I recently turned on FileVault (have restarted multiple times since then) but not sure if this has anything to do with it. I am trying to set a password for the Firmware so someone can't reformat without a pw.
Click to expand...

Okay, Hopefully you know to use FileVault with extreme caution, right? Unless you really don't care about your data. Even if you have Time Machine set to do your backups, with FileVault turned on you have to be logged out before TM will back up the FileVaulted user. Also, who is going to have access to your machine long enough to reformat without you around? Plus, if you have a good backup in place, you won't need to worry about password protecting firmware. On top of that with a good backup plan, you'll be prepared for any other cases where a firmware password won't help, like accidentally deleted files, hard drive failure, etc..

Anyway, try inserting the disk and hold down the option key to go to the boot manager and see if the machine sees the disk as a boot volume. If it does try booting to disk that way.
 
I want my firmware locked because if my computer is stolen (as was my previous MBP from a home burglary) I do not want someone to be able to reset the user account password and gain access to the computer.

I have an alternate backup method outside of TimeMachine and it has not posed a problem since I turned FV on, so for backup purposes I'm fine.

When I hold the Option key at startup, in the center of the screen it gives me one option: Macintosh HD. Even though the disk is in. And the drive works fine, because I'm able to access the startup disk when I login to the OS. Odd.
 
What color is that disc? Black? Gray?
If it's gray, did that disc actually come with that computer you are trying to use with it?
If not, do you have the discs that were shipped with that computer? It shouldn't matter if it's 10.5 or 10.6 in them for only setting up the OF password.
 
bound4h said:
I want my firmware locked because if my computer is stolen (as was my previous MBP from a home burglary) I do not want someone to be able to reset the user account password and gain access to the computer.
Click to expand...

They are much more likely to be able to clear the firmware password than to access the data without knowing the FV password. Not to mention a firmware password does nothing once the drive is taken out of the machine. But anyway sounds like you have a flaky optical drive or disk. More than likely the drive is flaky. Doesn't matter if it works on some occasions and not others, you'll likely need a new optical drive.
 
The disc is gray, and it says 10.5.2 on it. I actually have two, they are both identical and neither will work at boot up, only when I'm in OSX.

I have FV on, so if they take my HDD out of the comp. how are they going to access my files without my pw? I think I'm pretty safe if I have the firmware pw AND the user account pw with FileVault on. How would someone bypass those security features to access the data? If that is possible, Apple has an issue on their hands..
 
The firmware password is easy to bypass - if you steal a Mac, and therefore have physical access to the unit. It's not a good security option, in any event, and you can bypass that completely in 2 minutes, maybe less. The FileVault (assuming that you have a strong password) is much superior, but -
Best security is physical security - lock your laptop in a desk drawer, or even a home safe, or as a minimum, keep it stored out of sight.

Your MacBook Pro didn't come with 10.5.2 - don't you have the original DVD (which would be 10.5.7)?
In my experience, 10.5.2 shouldn't boot your MacBook Pro, as it is several steps older than 10.5.7, and an older OS X version generally won't boot a newer Mac successfully.
 
bound4h said:
I have FV on, so if they take my HDD out of the comp. how are they going to access my files without my pw?
Click to expand...

I think you missed my point completely. What I originally was getting at is once the HDD is removed, the firmware password isn't stopping anything. You already have FileVault enabled so adding a firmware password is adding NOTHING extra. Its like parking your car in Fort Knox, then locking the doors because you don't think its quite secure enough until you do so.
 
I agree. So the firmware PW only protects the boot process if the HDD is not removed. When it's removed, it will act as a slave on another computer (or an external hd) and anyone can view the files freely. EXCEPT, if I have FileVault on.

Thanks
 
I don't think you answered the question posted by Giaguara, where he asked...

"If it's gray, did that disc actually come with that computer you are trying to use with it?"

this might help explain the problem.
 
Yes, it is the disc that came with the computer. I'm pretty sure the OS updates brought it to 10.5.8, but the disc was 10.5.2, not .6.

Thanks
 
Then, you mis-stated the MBPro model that you have. A mid-2009 MacBook Pro with 2.26 GHz is a 13-inch screen, and did not come with 10.5.2 , but with 10.5.7
Or, you have another disk that is correct with 10.5.7?
 
I will have to get the model number when I get home. Over the past 2 years I have purchased 4 macbooks, 2 have been pros. Let me verify I have everything correct.

Aside from the issue I'm having, shouldn't any MB start up with any version of the bootup disc (as if I wanted to install a different version of the OS and do a reformat?)
 
It will not boot with any version of the install disc - when the install disc is CPU specific, it will work with that model.
So you either need that CPU specific disc that came with that Mac (same model, within a few weeks of shipping even), OR the retail version of the same or later OS. If your Mac shipped for instance with 10.5.7 and you try to use retail version of 10.5(.0) that will also not work.
 
Well no, unless the particular MacBook is identical (same model) as the MacBook that restore DVD shipped with when new.
There's currently 10 different models of MacBooks, and each shipped with a different version of the restore DVDs. None will boot to one that came with a different Macbook.
Some MacBook models have had several different versions of installer DVDs.
Oh yes, there's also the 13-inch MacBook Pro, which also has it's own distinctive installer DVD, which again, won't install on other MacBook Pros, or other MacBooks, AFAIK.
Best number to get, is in your System Profiler, under hardware. Look for Model Identifier....
Yes, any MB will boot to any version of OS X, as long as that version is newer than the version that shipped with the MacBook originally, and you are using the commercial OS X installer, which will be on a black disk, or, since Snow Leopard, is on a nice white disk with a cute Snow Leopard on the label.
 
The one that shipped with that Mac.
It will say just MacBook Pro, and maybe the year.

If you have multiple versions of Macs on the same time, label them correctly.. (Early 2009, Thenameyougavetoyourmac or some other indicator for which disc belongs to which Mac).

If you have all the discs that came with all your MacBook Pros, test them all - one of them should still be the one that came with that computer...
 
The answer is still the same. Your MacBook Pro (Mid-2009. 13-inch) came with OS X 10.5.7. Looks like the number on the DVD #1 would be 2Z693-6968
The best number to look for is the OS X version, which will be on that DVD label - OS X 10.5.7
And again - an older version won't likely boot your Macbook Pro, especially one several steps older such as 10.5.2 - that absolutely won't help you.
 
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