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Question

Getting Snow Leopard onto a stick to transfer elsewhere

Mar 20, 2016 3:14AM PDT

I have an old iMac probably early 2007 with a cd jammed in the slot. This has prevented me upgrading to Snow Leopard, which I require to be able to download any more recent OSX from the Mac Store or indeed use an AV nowadays.
I am wondering - if I buy a Snow Leopard CD from a store, can I use a Macbook Pro to place the content on a 8Gb stick and then transfer the whole thing onto the iMac and open and instal it there? I think it might be possible to use the MBP's Disk Utility to get it onto the stick.
I've tried all the recommendations for getting the CD out but they've all failed. Btw a YT video about removing stuck CDs unhelpfully spoke of inserting knives or steel rulers on the righthand side of the CD slot to avoid damaging the CD head. Of course on a iMac made after 2006 there is only top and bottom of the slit. I asked the techie who made the video which he meant by 'righthand'. He never replied. Can anyone say which is the safe end, top or bottom, for inserting a lever to 'unstick' a stuck cd.

Discussion is locked

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Answer
How to create a bootable USB stick with
Mar 20, 2016 6:23AM PDT
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Many thanks for the link and more questions and answer...
Mar 20, 2016 7:25AM PDT

That was a very useful link. I had found stuff before on making a start up stick but it seemed to be when one had the particular OS up and running on one's machine, not for an OS different and far older than the one there.

I see the link gives the following warning : : Before starting this tutorial, ensure that you have a USB drive with at least 8GB of storage as well as a Snow Leopard retail DVD or disk image. Grey DVDs that were included with a Mac at the time of purchase cannot be used to make USB boot drives as they do not include drivers for Macs other than the computer it was shipped with.

So presumably if purchasing Snow Leopard from eBay etc one has to make very sure it's not one of those purchase DVDs. I assume they mean the color of them is grey (but light or dark?), so that the whitish one with the Snow Leopard pic on the box would be the retail ones? But then it'll have to be a full edition as there seem to be many update or upgrade editions around for which you already have to have 10.6 installed or they will be rejected. Looks like it'll be a bit of a nightmare to be sure one gets the full version. I've read complaints of people who found they'd bought a dvd that would not work. But I think there are full versions of 10.6.3 and 10.6.8, are there not?, so one doesn't necessarily have to start with 10.6.0. And if one took the latter, does Apple give online updates for Snow Leopard any more or is it now abandoned?

Re the jammed cd, no, I haven't tried or even heard of that one about turning the iMac on its side and shaking it. Yes, when I click the superdrive eject button in the top menu, it makes a lot of noise, as if it is throwing the dvd against the sidewall of the iMac. Then it makes other subterranean rumblings followed by a long purr. Finally ends of with nearly a minute of repetitive derda, derda, derda, derda, derda, sounds. I'll try the side hold and shake it all about method in a moment and get back to you.

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Failed CD drive
Apr 11, 2016 1:06AM PDT

The original supplemental extraction / ejection options included inserting a straightened paper clip into the slot at the far right ride - your right, holding down the mouse button when restarting, and turning (a laptop) upside down when trying to eject.

If all your are able to do is hear the drive making strange noises the drive has failed in some respect and the CD will be with you until you dispose of the iMac. Unless, of course, you can find a replacement drive and someone to install it for you if you are not familiar with the machine.

Wrong link to hardware shop removed by moderator.

Post was last edited on April 11, 2016 1:29 AM PDT

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Reply to Miami Mother
Apr 23, 2016 2:38AM PDT

Thanks. Yes, the first iMacs like our earlier Bondi Blue lozenge had a tiny hole for a paper clip, but unfortunately they left one out with the first rectangular all-white iMacs. I found the paper clip vital with the lozenge and greatly miss it.
Although I've seen yt videos on how to dismantle the iMac to take out the drive, I'm rather chary of doing so myself as I don't trust myself not to break it or fail to get it all back together, and even more so since I read an Apple warning that you need to beware of getting a nasty static electric shock even when the machine is not connected to the electricity. It spoke of having to keep one hand in your pocket, but how you can work with one hand beats me.

Yes, I realised the slot was on the right side of the machine, but my question was whether you should insert the said knife or card at the bottom or top of the slot to avoid damage to the reading head.

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Attempt to do a side-down out of the CD
Mar 20, 2016 10:39AM PDT

I tried that although it is very difficult as the electric plug entry into the back of the iMac is very loose so it tends to fall out upon shaking and so the machine needs restarting all the time. I knotted the power cable around the hole in the stand to try and give it more hold, but my attempts to get the CD out failed.
Up till yesterday when I played around with playing cards trying to lever the CD loose, the CD symbol would appear on the desk top and was playable. Now it no longer today puts in an appearance although Disk Utility can see it and recognise its title. I tried to get Disk Utility to verify or repair it but it reported failure. The report: Checking Non-journaled HFS Plus volume. Then in red. "Invalid B-tree node size. Volume check failed. Error: Filesystem or repair failed."

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It's a CD, you cannot repair it using any software
Mar 22, 2016 4:50AM PDT

Indeed, you do not have to start at 10.6.0, later retail discs went all the way to the end at 10.6.8
They are all full installers.

Another option for you is a cheap USB optical drive

BTW. That power plug in the back of the iMac should NOT be loose at all.

P

Post was last edited on March 22, 2016 4:51 AM PDT

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re It's a CD...
Apr 23, 2016 2:51AM PDT

Yes, I didn't do that to repair the disk but to see how far the machine was still able to see the disk. Thanks for the answer re the full installer in retail 10.6.8. Looks as if I'll have to go for an external USB drive to read CDs in future. Let's hope they still work with Leopard.

Sadly the power plug in the back of the iMac is very loose and the weight of the cable over the seven years hanging down the back of the desk seems to have loosened it up. I haven't myself pulled it out very often.

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Answer
Buy an external drive
Apr 22, 2016 8:15PM PDT

Buy a cheap external DVD drive.

Upgrade.

Return the drive.

Easy Peasy.

(Or just keep the drive so you have a DVD drive available for other things.)

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re Buy an external drive
Apr 23, 2016 2:54AM PDT

Thanks for this suggestion. It looks as if I'm going to have to do that. I'll keep it too as I need to read other CDs with work from 2001 or so onwards.