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Resolved Question

Macbook pro with windows on it, need advice please!

by Dec 30, 2014 3:35AM PST

I bought a macbook pro Mid 2011 and the guy told me it had windows on it. I'm decent with computers so I figured I could just make a bootable dvd form an iso and viola i'm done and running os x. Instead i'm having some issues that I hope someone can help me with.

1. When I press my power button I hear the chime but it goes to a grey screen (no apple logo). After that it goes into a black screen with a blinking cursor and then it loads windows. None of the commands work (Command + Option + R + P or just Option, or C to boot from a dvd) nothing works.
2. How can I download Mavericks onto a usb drive and install it on this machine? I do not have any other macs.

If anyone can please help me I would be forever grateful. Thank you.

Discussion is locked

Sloas71 has chosen the best answer to their question. View answer
12 Posts
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Best Answer

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Never heard such a claim.
by Forum moderator Dec 30, 2014 7:13AM PST

Apples use another bios system (well written up on the web) so no one can take any of the Microsoft issued Windows CD/DVDs and boot that. And if your plan was to install MAC OS X there are tomes on the web about which version runs on your Mid 2011 model (that's not enough for me to nail it for you.)

1. Identify your Apple -> http://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201300
Notice there was no Mid 2011?

2. Another primer at -> https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-6413
Bob

PS. Apple OS X wasn't a download for many models. Some folk hunt for that for months. I don't want to lose time like that so I identify the machine, then hunt down a good copy (even if I have to pay up.)
Bob

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Details
by Sloas71 Dec 30, 2014 10:50PM PST

Apple MacBook Pro MB133LL/A A1260 Intel Core 2 Duo 2.40 GHz 4GB DDR2 15" Laptop

Apparently this was a 2008 model which im still ok with and I believe it meets the minimum specs for Mavericks (which is what I wanted to put on it).

What can I do?

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Go get Mavericks and follow instructions from prior posts?
by r. proffitt Forum moderator Dec 30, 2014 11:48PM PST

Google "How to get and install Mavericks" would be my next move.
Bob

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boot options
by Sloas71 Dec 31, 2014 12:02AM PST

I have googled, I did that before I posted. I don't have another mac to get the installer from, the options that are supposed to work after the chime at boot up do not work. If I hold command, option p r, nothing.....if I hold c with a bootable dvd in it, it does nothing. I have no idea about what to do.

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Ahh.
by r. proffitt Forum moderator Dec 31, 2014 12:08AM PST

In that case you would order the OS X from Apple.

Let's be clear here. I won't write about any non-maker sanctioned methods. If someone else wants to talk torrents, they can, I won't.
Bob

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thank you
by Sloas71 Dec 31, 2014 12:13AM PST

I appreciate your help. Thank you.

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Regarding that "bootable DVD",
by mrmacfixit Forum moderator Dec 31, 2014 8:35AM PST

Where did that come from?
What is that "bootable DVD"?

Holding down the Option key at boot, with the "bootable" DVD in, does what?

Command, Option, P, R really does nothing? This is before the OS has had a chance to come into play.

Failing all the above, once in windows, have you tried the Windows control panel that will allow you to boot to wherever you want? Don't remember its name right now, but BootCamp might be a start.

P

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I think I fixed the boot options issue
by Sloas71 Dec 31, 2014 11:51AM PST

I had to plug in a usb wired keyboard and disconnect the laptop keyboard ribbon before I could get to the startup manager. Its like the bios wasn't loading the driver for it. I'm trying to load lion on it to start then hopefully if all guys well upgrade to mavericks. Ill let you guys know my status.

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Bootable Usb
by Sloas71 Jan 1, 2015 5:01AM PST

I just had a question about what im doing wrong.

I downloaded Mavericks installer.dmg and I need to use Poweriso or Transmac to make the installer bootable on a mac. But when I do that, the Macbook recognizes the usb drive in startup manager but then when I try to boot to it it gives me a prohibited sign (Circle with a line through it). I read somewhere that it might be because it doesn't have a guid partition table. Any advice on how I can make this usb stick bootable would be great. Thanks in advance!

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solved
by Sloas71 Jan 2, 2015 11:32PM PST

I wanted to post here in case anyone else out there had similar problems and received the same level of support that I did.

Anyway, you need to find a .dmg file (I used lion because its 3.9gb) (google) but make sure it will fit on a dvd. Then open it using ultraiso and find a file called InstallESD. Extract that file somewhere and burn that to a dvd. Then hold alt when booting up and install it. Make sure you format the drive using disk utility before you install the os. After that you can update to whatever os x you want.

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Where did you get the .dmg file of Lion?
by mrmacfixit Forum moderator Jan 3, 2015 12:53AM PST

We know you didn't steal it, because you wouldn't come back here and brag about it in this forum.

As for the "level of support" you received.

That goes both ways. I asked you 4 questions that you did feel necessary to answer.


P

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not arguing.
by Sloas71 Jan 3, 2015 3:48AM PST

I'm not arguing or saying anything negative, I didn't even have to post here but this took me some digging on forums and piecing everything together and I just thought that if this can help someone else then why not post to pay it forward. I attained the .dmg file and I fixed it. I won't be replying back about anything.

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