reboot loop after install

[amsterdam]

I’m using an image I created almost a year ago on some new Macs that we got in. When I image the machine with this image, it’s gets stuck in a cycle: boots up to grey screen, tries to load then reboots, repeat. However, if I hold down the Option key and select the disc, it will boot, but in verbose mode. I’ve seen a couple of other posts that hint at this problem, but they seem to be associated with laptops. These are new desktops, but I think the problem is that the hardware is incompatible with the old image.

The image was created with a the original Leopard install disc. The disc that came with the machine is 10.5.6. If I rerun instaDMG and use the DVD that came with the machine instead of the original Leopard disc, will this solve the problem? Also, will this new image work for the Macs that we purchased last year?

My guess is that the answers will be yes and no, respectively…

[Patrick Fergus]

[i]If I rerun instaDMG and use the DVD that came with the machine instead of the original Leopard disc, will this solve the problem?[/i]

Yes.

[i]Also, will this new image work for the Macs that we purchased last year?[/i]

Maybe. The release of OS X you got with your new machines is only QA’ed against the new machines, but it might boot older equipment. If possible, don’t take the chance and hold off until 10.5.7–you should be able to do 10.5.0 + 10.5.7 combo + whatever and be good for all your machines.

– Patrick

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