Debugging macOS X Yosemite 10.10 installation - DVD DL - EN
Debugging macOS X Yosemite 10.10 installation - DVD DL - EN
Graphical User Interface (GUI) Installation
1. BACKUP everything you need before you proceed.
2. Disconnect your mac from the internet, you’ll reconnect after the installation is complete.
3. Reset system parameters NVRAM / PRAM
For this, shut down your Mac, then turn it on and immediately press and hold these four keys together: Option, Command, P, and R. You can release the keys after about 20 seconds, during which your Mac might appear to restart.
This will return the system to its default parameters. If any software or hardware update was made that’s not 100% compatible with the original machine, then there is a possibility that it won’t work anymore as expected.
This will also ensure that any hardware changes are registered with the machine. You need to do this each time you add new hardware.
4. Change the system date :
For this, start the mac on DVD pressing the C key.
Then open a Terminal and type : date 0518171215
5. Use the Disk Utility to format the volume where you want to install as Mac OS extended (journaled).
Then close the Disk Utility and continue the installation.
6. Please take photos of any error messages, it helps with the debugging.
-------
Command line Installation
1. BACKUP everything you need before you proceed.
2. Disconnect your mac from the internet, you’ll reconnect after the installation is complete.
3. Reset system parameters NVRAM / PRAM
For this, shut down your Mac, then turn it on and immediately press and hold these four keys together: Option, Command, P, and R.
You can release the keys after about 20 seconds, during which your Mac might appear to restart.
This will return the system to its default parameters. If any software or hardware update was made that’s not 100% compatible with the original machine, then there is a possibility that it won’t work anymore as expected.
This will also ensure that any hardware changes are registered with the machine. You need to do this each time you add new hardware.
4. Format the partition on which you will install.
Start the mac on DVD pressing the C key.
Use the Disk Utility to format the volume where you want to install as Mac OS extended (journaled).
5. Change the system date :
Open a Terminal and type : date 0518171215
6. Run the installation command :
In the same Terminal window type the following :
installer -pkg /Volumes/Mac\ OS\ X\ Install\ DVD/Packages/OSInstall.mpkg -target /Volumes/"Macintosh HD"
Where Macintosh HD stands in for the name of the partition where you want to install.
Mind the space characters and keep the quotes around the name of the volume.
7. Please take photos of any error messages, it helps with the debugging.
------
Common errors and their solutions:
* Error : The DVD is rejected.
Possible causes:
1. The optical drive is a tad dusty.
Fix: Cleaning it will have it running again at 100%
2. The optical drive doesn’t read DVDs DL (double layer)
Fix: Replace the DVD reader with any other internal or external that can read DL DVDs
3. There is an incompatibility between the OS and the machine.
Why it happens: These DVDs will only install the software on genuine Apple machines which contain genuine Apple parts which are compatible with each other.
Any hardware updates that were done outside of Apple shops are not covered.
Fix: try to undo any hardware updates and get the machine as close as possible to the original configuration.
Why it happens: The machine doesn’t support the OS.
Fix: You will need to try a different OS. Please be mindful that especially in the case of 10.10 Yosemite there are machines which don’t support it, but will run perfectly fine wil 10.11 El Capitan.
To make a diagnosis of your machine:
To run it from the DVD restart the mac with the DVD in the optical drive while pressing the D key.
To run it from the Internet remove the DVD from the drive and reconnect the Mac to the Internet. Start the Mac by pressing Option + D.
Here is a link to the meaning of the error codes, in case they appear:
6Comment(s)
Great - merci.
I hope this DVD will boot my macbook pro - USB does not boot.
Bye from UK.
Please send me a more detailed explanation of exactly what doesn't work.
And please add photos of any error messages you encounter, it helps a lot with debugging.
I am a computer engineer - the English expression may not make sense to you "Jack of all trades, master of none." So I am a GENERAL computer enginner. I mainly deal with Windows. Mac not so much...so...
A friend does "house clearances" and he quite often gets Mac computers. This macbook pro does not boot into the OS but has a 500GB drive (from Disk Utilities after running Command-R)
What do I want to do? Reinstall Yosemite so that my friend can sell as part of his buisness.
I have tried a USB with Option key at startup but the USB does not appear as a boot device.** So next step for me is to try ...DVD**
Thanks for any pointers you can give me.
Hey, that's great. It doesn't matter how good you are when it comes to macs.
You understand machines and I feel at ease with having you try things that people usually find too complicated.
Smile, you'll become an expert in installing older macs!
There are two issues now:
1. That the machine supports 10.10 Yosemite. Did you check?
If not do you happen to see the EMC label? Or do you know the year and month it was made? Or the year and the period of the year - early, mid, late?
2. That the USB stick is actually well made. The easiest way to check it would be if you had a working mac. Do you? If you do, then simply copy its contents on the Desktop and try to launch the installer. Also note what size the file is - it should be 5.73GB. If you don't have a working mac to check it we'll just assume it works and move on to the next step.
What to do next:
1. First and foremost DISCONNECT from the internet. You can reconnect once the install is finished, but not before.
2. Make sure that you only have the HDD on which you want to install and the USB stick with installer plugged in. Any other storage media should be physically unplugged.
3. Reset the system parameters NVRAM / PRAM.
Every time you make hardware changes to a mac you should reset the system parameters so the new configuration is registered. Some times this will have the unintended consequence that your system or maybe some of the installed software will stop working. In your case it doesn't matter because we start from scratch. And you need to do this since at the very least the HDD is not the original one.
Shut down your Mac, then turn it on and immediately press and hold these four keys together: Option, Command, P, and R. You can release the keys after about 20 seconds, during which your Mac might appear to restart.
4. Change the date. The system has to be at the date when Yosemite was an upgrade option.
Boot with the USB stick plugged in while keeping Alt pressed.
Open Terminal (Utilities -> Terminal) and type : date 0518171215
Close the Terminal and proceed with the install.
Let me know what happens and please send photos.
If it doesn't work, we'll try again.
And again
Hi.
Interesting. I know about system parameters but not disconnecting internet OR date.
I cannot try these until later today as I am doing a "repair cafe" this morning. Do you have these in Paris?
1. https://checkcoverage.apple.com/gb/en/?sn=XXXXXXXXXXXX
2. no spare mac; size looks correct....email2...
So - please enjoy your morning!
Bye for now. Ian
If that's the machine, then it supports up to 10.13 High Sierra.
I strongly recommend that you choose High Sierra and not Yosemite.
Yosemite, El Capitan, and Sierra probably won't get security updates at the next update cycle and they are not supported anymore dev wise.
If you are bound to use Yosemite for legacy software support purposes, then that's it. If you're not, then choose the newest OS.
I was about to head out to post your DVD, but I'll wait until you decide if you still want Yosemite or change to High Sierra.
High Sierra would be great.
Quite happy to use your DVD to install from if you think it should be straight forward?
I don't really want to spend time "playing" with USBs.
And tell me if you need some more money.
Thanks
Some amount of fiddling will be required in any case.
Keep in mind that you need a fully functional DVD reader - even an external one.
I'll send the DVD macOS High Sierra.
The DVD just received, thanks. Will try it in a couple of hours...
Exercise first :-(
Cheers. Ian
Thank you for letting me know that the DVD arrived undamaged.
Hello. It installed which is all I really need (to give back to my business friend); a couple of notes - no reply needed from you! - install took a long time.
1. it appeared to "stage" (=copy) to hard disk first which took a long time (lots of data, slow DVD drive) then
2. installed from "stage" or copy on the hard disk. Took ages. Rebooted a couple of times. Took a long time. then did updates (I always install updates, especially on Windows because it is one less thing for customers to worry about!).
This took a long time too. Major update perhaps? Same as initial install. Very slow.
OK, finished now. From cold start takes 65seconds to get to logon screen. Easy - do not use shutdown!
Great stuff.
Back to the sun now.
Best wishes to Paris
Yep, the machines which run on DVD are slow. I'm glad it worked in the end.
On the other hand I don't really agree with Apple's new way of thinking or, to be more precise, what I believe to be their idea of future. They've cut a lot of years in back compatibility so old machines will be left out of updates.
If it works then it's not junk and it's not the right or the responsible thing to do to push people into discarding good hardware.
Rant over :)
Leave a Comment