[Orbosphere]

Hello All,

Today I attempted to install OS X 10.5 (via my ipod) to a macbook pro 15" (the first one apple made) with 10.4.9. Something goofed up and it froze during installation. I had to hold the power button down to turn the machine off. I knew this was going to be a major problem... not good to stop an OS install partway. Anyway, my macbook pro had boot camp and a partition running windows XP. That was untouched, so I can still use the windows side of my computer.

I attempted putting my original OS X dvd that came with my computer in (10.4.5 I think), and booted up with that. I verified the disc and repaired it, though it found nothing. I was hoping this would correct the partial installation of 10.5 failure. Unfortunately, this computer will not boot into my mac partition. It just sits at the gray screen with an apple, spinning the dial.

I need to reinstall an operating system to the mac side without any screw ups. If I try 10.5 again, I will use the DVD instead of an ipod. I am out of town and won't have the disc until later this week. I'd like this fixed sooner. I tried with the ipod again- but this time, I don't have enough disc space to install! Even if I uncheck all the optional stuff, it is still greater than the 5GB I have. Had I known my HD was that full I would have cleaned it up a bit before trying this. Now its too late...

So, I can't install an OS without making some space on the HD.

I can't boot into my mac partition to make space.

I can boot into my windows partition, but it can't see the mac partition. I have MacDrive software installed on this partition to use with an external drive that I partitioned in Mac format. Why is it that the windows partition doesn't see its neighboring mac partition? If it did, I could remove some stuff and try to install the OS again. I also have some files that I don't want to lose, so if I could get them back first, I would be fine with reformatting and reinstalling completely fresh.

It all comes down to this:

1) Can I retrieve/delete files on my mac partition from my working windows partition, or some other way?
-(Might one option be installing a mac OS on my ipod or external that could read my damaged macbook pro partition?)

2) Is there a way to repair my failed upgrade with my 10.4.5 discs (without losing my data?)

Thanks for your help in advance, and please let me know if I can provide any further info that would help.

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Orbosphere,

Not sure if you still need help with this, but the thing that came to mind for me is FireWire Target Disk Mode--if you have another Mac (just has to be new enough to have a FireWire port), then you can use Target Disk Mode to access your files.

Just to lay out the process, find a FireWire cable, and connect the two computers. Turn on the other Mac and let it boot up. Then turn on your MacBook Pro while holding down "T", and you should get a lovely FireWire icon bouncing around your screen, and both hard drive partitions (Mac and Windows) should mount on the other computer. Congratulations, you've turned your MBP into the world's most expensive external hard drive.

If you still want help and don't have another Mac, I have a few other ideas.

[macmaxbh]

Orbosphere,

Not sure if you still need help with this, but the thing that came to mind for me is FireWire Target Disk Mode--if you have another Mac (just has to be new enough to have a FireWire port), then you can use Target Disk Mode to access your files.

Just to lay out the process, find a FireWire cable, and connect the two computers. Turn on the other Mac and let it boot up. Then turn on your MacBook Pro while holding down "T", and you should get a lovely FireWire icon bouncing around your screen, and both hard drive partitions (Mac and Windows) should mount on the other computer. Congratulations, you've turned your MBP into the world's most expensive external hard drive.

If you still want help and don't have another Mac, I have a few other ideas.

[The Admiral]

Okay, let's see where this is failing.

If you start up the laptop while holding down Apple + V, you'll start in verbose mode, which will actually show what is happening instead of the spinning sign. Post the last few lines of what you see when it freezes.