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Windows 7 (or any other OS...) on Core 2 Duo Macbook...

  • 01-09-2015 12:34pm
    #1
    Dan_Solo
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 10,087 ✭✭✭✭


    Hi all,
    I have a venerable white Core 2 Duo Macbook with a busted Superdrive (removed) which is stuck at OSX 10.4. I'm looking for some options to get any other OS onto this machine. I'd prefer Windows 7, but I'd settle for Ubuntu or even if I get to OSX 10.6 I'd be happy. I've had no joy whatsoever trying to install an OS from USB. Is this possible with a USB cable optical drive? Or as a last resort, could I transfer the HD to another laptop and install an OS there? I've read that leaving the unpacked Windows install on a HD can allow it to finish the install on a new laptop.
    And ideas welcome!


Comments

  • #2
    Dardania
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,612 ✭✭✭Dardania


    USB install should be fine - where are you failing there?

    I've often installed win 7 from USB drive (onto EEE PC type netbooks, Dell laptops etc.) - you have to set the partition as bootable...

    see this one?: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201255 ?


  • #3
    Dan_Solo
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 10,087 ✭✭✭✭Dan_Solo


    Dardania wrote: »
    USB install should be fine - where are you failing there?

    I've often installed win 7 from USB drive (onto EEE PC type netbooks, Dell laptops etc.) - you have to set the partition as bootable...

    see this one?: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201255 ?
    Yes, I've done this many times on non-Mac hardware... there's something in the old Macbook BIOS that demands a HFS+ (I think) file system and I don't think Windows wants to/can boot from that.


  • #4
    Dardania
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,612 ✭✭✭Dardania


    any way you can boot into mac os, and then install windows from there? Boot camp seems to be unsupported for 10.4, although this post talsk about a workaround?:

    http://forums.macrumors.com/threads/where-can-i-download-boot-camp-for-tiger.484593/


  • #5
    Dardania
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,612 ✭✭✭Dardania


    Or what about a newer version of mac os x, with bootcamp supported?


  • #6
    Dan_Solo
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 10,087 ✭✭✭✭Dan_Solo


    Dardania wrote: »
    Or what about a newer version of mac os x, with bootcamp supported?
    Bootcamp would certainly be the easiest way, but without the (internal) Superdrive, I'm not sure if it's possible to update the OSX. I'll have a read of your link though to see if I can access Bootcamp from 10.4.


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  • #7
    Dan_Solo
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 10,087 ✭✭✭✭Dan_Solo


    http://forums.macrumors.com/threads/install-a-windows-7-partition-on-mac-osx-without-optical-drive-or-usb.1836959/#post-20584499
    This might do the job, thought I'll have to find out if the software mentioned all runs on 10.4.


    Edit: VMWare Fusion: Mac OS X 10.9.0 or later
    So no.


  • #8
    raytaxi
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 471 ✭✭raytaxi


    If I am correct my white macbook is running 10.7 its a core 2 duo from 2006, will check it for you. 10.7 is mountain lion and think apple may still sell it if you ring copy on to usb key and it will install.


  • #9
    Dan_Solo
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 10,087 ✭✭✭✭Dan_Solo


    raytaxi wrote: »
    If I am correct my white macbook is running 10.7 its a core 2 duo from 2006, will check it for you. 10.7 is mountain lion and think apple may still sell it if you ring copy on to usb key and it will install.
    I haven't tried to install OSX from a USB stick yet, only Windows, Ubuntu and Puppy Linux. However I'm not sure why OSX 10.7 would be any different since it isn't treating the USB stick as a boot device in the first place.
    I've opened up this Mac before though. Maybe my portable DVD drive can be connected to the Superdrive connector somehow?


  • #10
    raytaxi
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 471 ✭✭raytaxi


    If I remember correctly its an iso image that just instals off usb key. If you want further help pm me .


  • #11
    Dan_Solo
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 10,087 ✭✭✭✭Dan_Solo


    raytaxi wrote: »
    If I remember correctly its an iso image that just instals off usb key. If you want further help pm me .
    Thanks, I'll see can I dig out a USB stick big enough for it. Every version of OSX can make a boot USB then?


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  • #12
    raytaxi
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 471 ✭✭raytaxi


    I downloaded a copy double clicked and it installed. Was a while now but that was all it took.


  • #13
    Dan_Solo
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 10,087 ✭✭✭✭Dan_Solo


    Hi again!
    Many many many hours of wrestling with this got me nowhere. I just can't get either Transmac or the OSX 10.4 Disk Utility to make a bootable USB stick. I tried with both 10.5 and 10.6 DMGs on HFS+ format. It just never appears in the boot device menu where the internal HD does.
    Anyway, it looks like the HD itself is now on the blink. Safari slowed to a crawl and then on reboot it grey screens for a minute and gives me a blinking folder with a ? in the middle. It looks rightly trashed now!
    One last thing I thought of. Can I take out the HD and install OSX from a DMG in an external enclosure (under Windows/Transmac) to it and then put it back in? Or do this with a new HD if it is totally kaput?


  • #14
    muggyog
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 725 ✭✭✭muggyog


    Dan_Solo wrote: »
    Yes, I've done this many times on non-Mac hardware... there's something in the old Macbook BIOS that demands a HFS+ (I think) file system and I don't think Windows wants to/can boot from that.

    For the Mac to see a bootable device it must be partitioned as GUID. Follow these instructions.


  • #15
    Dan_Solo
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 10,087 ✭✭✭✭Dan_Solo


    muggyog wrote: »
    For the Mac to see a bootable device it must be partitioned as GUID. Follow these instructions.
    Done every time for the USB. Not recognised.


  • #16
    Dardania
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,612 ✭✭✭Dardania


    Dan_Solo wrote: »
    Done every time for the USB. Not recognised.

    How many USB keys have you tried?


  • #17
    Dan_Solo
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 10,087 ✭✭✭✭Dan_Solo


    Dardania wrote: »
    How many USB keys have you tried?
    An old 8Gb and an out of the box 32Gb.


  • #18
    Dan_Solo
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 10,087 ✭✭✭✭Dan_Solo


    Looking around the web, it seems people have had no problems swapping HDs between similar Macbooks. If Transmac can get OSX onto a HD and I put it in then it should (in theory) work just fine.
    Now I just need to clear out one of my 2.5 inch drives...


  • #19
    Dan_Solo
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 10,087 ✭✭✭✭Dan_Solo


    OK, I've put the OSX 10.6 DMG onto a small HD (32Gb) and put in the Mac. It boots to the OSX installer but won't let me install it on the same drive. What next? I can't partition from within the installer either for some reason... puzzled...


  • #20
    ZENER
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,163 ✭✭✭ZENER


    Get a USB to SATA adapter - attach the drive you wish to install OS X to - boot Mac as you just did and when the installer fires up select the external disk.

    Once the install is finished simply swap the internal and external drive.

    Job done.

    Ken


  • #21
    Dan_Solo
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 10,087 ✭✭✭✭Dan_Solo


    ZENER wrote: »
    Get a USB to SATA adapter - attach the drive you wish to install OS X to - boot Mac as you just did and when the installer fires up select the external disk.

    Once the install is finished simply swap the internal and external drive.

    Job done.

    Ken
    Thanks, I was almost there figuring this out!
    Unfortunately the old HD is completely dead now, so I need yet another HD to do this install to. I'm sure I've one here somewhere...
    I guess if I had 2 Macs this would all be very straightforward.


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  • #22
    Dan_Solo
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 10,087 ✭✭✭✭Dan_Solo


    Yeah, that was the one. I felt a bit through the looking glass installing an OS from the internal drive to an external drive... sorta the opposite of what I'm used to! But it booted first time and now I'm happily on OSX 10.6, which is probably the best for this Intel Duo 1Gb Macbook? It didn't fix my unrecognized battery issue, but there's a job for another day, and could be hardware I guess. Now maybe Bootcamp to Windows 7 or PuppyLinux.
    Thanks all.


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