Installing Leopard without DVD Drive

Psycho+Logical · 11-17-2007, 01:35 PM

Hello boys and girls of macosxhints,

I have been suffering some major problems recently with shared library errors screwing with so many of my apps that I've decided to reinstall os x.

Unfortunately, I no longer have my original install discs, this makes no odds anyway because my CD drive is screwed. I've decided to purchase Leopard but I need to be sure that I can use either my flatmates macbook or my external firewire HD to install from a dmg file?

Does anyone know if this is possible? I've heard some tell of partitioning etc which is somewhat beyond my knowledge. Could I simply set my flatmates macbook as a target disk and install from the dmg on his machine?

trevor · 11-17-2007, 01:47 PM

Your external FireWire hard drive won't help, but you can do it with your flatmate's MacBook and a FireWire cable (6 pin to 6 pin--probably the same one you use on your FireWire hard drive).

Just connect the two Macs with the FireWire cable, then put your flatmate's MacBook into FireWire Target Disk Mode. Don't put your computer into FWTDM, or you may install the wrong version of Leopard onto it.

Now, with the FireWire logo dancing on the flatmate's MacBook, put the Leopard Install disc into that MacBook's DVD drive. It will appear on your computer's desktop as if you had a DVD drive. Run the install normally from that point.

Trevor

Psycho+Logical · 11-17-2007, 02:27 PM

Thanks Trevor - do you think the same technique could plausibly work with a Leopard .dmg from my flatmate's machine?

Las_Vegas · 11-17-2007, 02:47 PM

No. You cannot install from a dmg file. You must boot the DVD to do the install.

If you're making a backup of your Leopard disc, you should not save it as a dmg file. Instead, in Disk Utility, select the drive (not the disc name) and click the "image" icon. When the save window appears, select CD/DVD Master and no encoding. This will create an image containing all of the disc's partitions. The resulting image can be burned with either Disk Utility or Toast Titanium.

trevor · 11-17-2007, 03:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Psycho+Logical


	Thanks Trevor - do you think the same technique could plausibly work with a Leopard .dmg from my flatmate's machine?

No. You need your own retail Leopard disc, not a gray disc that was bundled with another person's computer, and not a .dmg file.

Trevor

Psycho+Logical · 11-17-2007, 03:55 PM

Thank you Chaps - you've been very helpful

Psycho+Logical · 11-18-2007, 05:40 AM

In case anyone else has this issue I found the below which has been tried and tested: -

PREP
Have TWO blank partitions ready. One will be for the installer and the other will be where you install Leopard. [Double this if you intend to also load up Server.]

LET’S GO

* With your disc image mounted, open the Disk Utility application (Applications -> Utilities).
* Click the Restore tab (see it near the top of the Disk Utility window? Just after First Aid, Erase and RAID…)
* Drag your DMG file from the list on the left of your Disk Utility window to the “Source” field.
* Then, drag the icon of the partition you want to put the installer on to the “Destination” field. Again, do this from the left pane of your Disk Utility window. If you try to do this from the desktop (as I kept trying to do) you’re going to drive yourself bonkers.
* Click the “Erase Destination” check box so that it shows a check.
* I also skipped the Checksum. You might or might not want to do the same. Your call.
* Click Restore.
* Wait until done.

Once the above is complete you now have a bootable OSX Leopard Install partition.

All you have to do now is go to System Preferences -> Startup Disk and specify your boot partition to be “Mac OS X Install DVD”.

Restart and prepare to install to your other blank partition (or, really, wherever you choose). [It warrants disclosing… some people have said (comments below) their mileage is poor with USB drives… I can’t say with any authority that USB drives don’t work as startup volumes for Leopard… it would seem at the least they don’t do the job well.]

BTW, this should work on ANY Mac OS install DMG. There’s no special voodoo magic just because it’s Leopard.

BMacs · 10-31-2008, 06:27 PM

I am not understanding why you need two partitions, please help me to understand.

-Newb

soho · 11-04-2008, 08:43 AM

Thanks Psycho+Logical...I've been wondering if that was at all possible.

Felix_MC · 11-04-2008, 08:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BMacs


	I am not understanding why you need two partitions, please help me to understand. -Newb

you need two partitions because you need a partition with the leopard installer on. you cannot install leopard on the partition you are booted from, so therefore you need to put the installer on a separate one.

lizzrrr · 07-26-2009, 09:04 PM

so i have mistakenly attemped to install mac os x leopard from the dmg file which i downloaded and now i'm getting the grey screen with flashing question mark. i have tried booting from a legitimate leopard disc, but when the disc is in the drive it doesn't actually boot up and the grey screen remains. is there any way to troubleshoot this or do i just have to take it into the apple store?

anika123 · 07-27-2009, 08:13 AM

Quote:


	attemped to install mac os x leopard from the dmg file which i downloaded

You can download a leopard OS? If you already had the leopard disk, what was your motivation for the download?

lizzrrr · 07-27-2009, 01:26 PM

i didn't have the disc until after i had already screwed everything up. i didn't think anyone i knew had it and i'm broke, but then my friend ended up having it. long story. i just need help.

anika123 · 07-27-2009, 09:25 PM

yep, pretty much what I figured. Stolen, crapped out laptop.

11-17-2007, 01:35 PM	#1
Psycho+Logical Prospect Join Date: Apr 2006 Posts: 18	Installing Leopard without DVD Drive Hello boys and girls of macosxhints, I have been suffering some major problems recently with shared library errors screwing with so many of my apps that I've decided to reinstall os x. Unfortunately, I no longer have my original install discs, this makes no odds anyway because my CD drive is screwed. I've decided to purchase Leopard but I need to be sure that I can use either my flatmates macbook or my external firewire HD to install from a dmg file? Does anyone know if this is possible? I've heard some tell of partitioning etc which is somewhat beyond my knowledge. Could I simply set my flatmates macbook as a target disk and install from the dmg on his machine?

11-17-2007, 01:47 PM	#2
trevor Moderator Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Boulder, CO USA Posts: 17,123	Your external FireWire hard drive won't help, but you can do it with your flatmate's MacBook and a FireWire cable (6 pin to 6 pin--probably the same one you use on your FireWire hard drive). Just connect the two Macs with the FireWire cable, then put your flatmate's MacBook into FireWire Target Disk Mode. Don't put your computer into FWTDM, or you may install the wrong version of Leopard onto it. Now, with the FireWire logo dancing on the flatmate's MacBook, put the Leopard Install disc into that MacBook's DVD drive. It will appear on your computer's desktop as if you had a DVD drive. Run the install normally from that point. Trevor __________________ Join me in playing FuMafia

11-17-2007, 02:47 PM	#4
Las_Vegas League Commissioner Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Las Vegas Posts: 5,875	No. You cannot install from a dmg file. You must boot the DVD to do the install. If you're making a backup of your Leopard disc, you should not save it as a dmg file. Instead, in Disk Utility, select the drive (not the disc name) and click the "image" icon. When the save window appears, select CD/DVD Master and no encoding. This will create an image containing all of the disc's partitions. The resulting image can be burned with either Disk Utility or Toast Titanium. __________________ Las_Vegas -- Ts'i mahnu uterna ot twan ot geifur hingts uto. -- Sometimes I wonder… Why is that Frisbee getting Larger? …and then it hits me. -- Disposable thumbs make me specialer than most animals…

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11-17-2007, 02:27 PM	#3
Psycho+Logical Prospect Join Date: Apr 2006 Posts: 18	Thanks Trevor - do you think the same technique could plausibly work with a Leopard .dmg from my flatmate's machine?

11-17-2007, 03:55 PM	#6
Psycho+Logical Prospect Join Date: Apr 2006 Posts: 18	Thank you Chaps - you've been very helpful

11-18-2007, 05:40 AM	#7
Psycho+Logical Prospect Join Date: Apr 2006 Posts: 18	In case anyone else has this issue I found the below which has been tried and tested: - PREP Have TWO blank partitions ready. One will be for the installer and the other will be where you install Leopard. [Double this if you intend to also load up Server.] LET’S GO * With your disc image mounted, open the Disk Utility application (Applications -> Utilities). * Click the Restore tab (see it near the top of the Disk Utility window? Just after First Aid, Erase and RAID…) * Drag your DMG file from the list on the left of your Disk Utility window to the “Source” field. * Then, drag the icon of the partition you want to put the installer on to the “Destination” field. Again, do this from the left pane of your Disk Utility window. If you try to do this from the desktop (as I kept trying to do) you’re going to drive yourself bonkers. * Click the “Erase Destination” check box so that it shows a check. * I also skipped the Checksum. You might or might not want to do the same. Your call. * Click Restore. * Wait until done. Once the above is complete you now have a bootable OSX Leopard Install partition. All you have to do now is go to System Preferences -> Startup Disk and specify your boot partition to be “Mac OS X Install DVD”. Restart and prepare to install to your other blank partition (or, really, wherever you choose). [It warrants disclosing… some people have said (comments below) their mileage is poor with USB drives… I can’t say with any authority that USB drives don’t work as startup volumes for Leopard… it would seem at the least they don’t do the job well.] BTW, this should work on ANY Mac OS install DMG. There’s no special voodoo magic just because it’s Leopard.

10-31-2008, 06:27 PM	#8
BMacs Registered User Join Date: Oct 2008 Posts: 1	I am not understanding why you need two partitions, please help me to understand. -Newb

11-04-2008, 08:43 AM	#9
soho Triple-A Player Join Date: May 2004 Location: Oxford Posts: 242	Thanks Psycho+Logical...I've been wondering if that was at all possible.

07-26-2009, 09:04 PM	#11
lizzrrr Prospect Join Date: Jul 2009 Posts: 2	so i have mistakenly attemped to install mac os x leopard from the dmg file which i downloaded and now i'm getting the grey screen with flashing question mark. i have tried booting from a legitimate leopard disc, but when the disc is in the drive it doesn't actually boot up and the grey screen remains. is there any way to troubleshoot this or do i just have to take it into the apple store?

07-27-2009, 01:26 PM	#13
lizzrrr Prospect Join Date: Jul 2009 Posts: 2	i didn't have the disc until after i had already screwed everything up. i didn't think anyone i knew had it and i'm broke, but then my friend ended up having it. long story. i just need help.

07-27-2009, 09:25 PM	#14
anika123 All Star Join Date: Sep 2006 Posts: 854	yep, pretty much what I figured. Stolen, crapped out laptop.