Can I ask an iMac question here?

[Mant]

I have inherited a broken 2011 iMac MC508LL/A that will not start. The hard drive failed, so I replaced it with an Evo 850 SSD that was formatted it using a friend’s macbook.

I am trying to clean install Snow Leopard from a DVD, but the screen doesn’t get past the grey apple logo and none of the startup commands work (like the Disk Utility or the Safe Mode or Startup Manager). I know the keyboard works because I can eject the Snow Leopard Install disc using the Eject Key.

If I do that, then put the disc back in I get a blinking folder with a “?” in it.

Of the commands on this page (https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201255), only Eject does anything. I can’t find anything to diagnose a hardware failure. Can someone please point me in the right direction?

 

[Ketchup]

I don't know much about Mac, but maybe you need to reset the NVRAM before you can tell it to boot from a DVD?

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204063

Since it includes startup disk selection, it may not allow you to choose something different until it is cleared.

 

[Burpo]

Booting From An OS X Installer Disc

1. Insert OS X Installer Disc into the optical drive.
2. Restart the computer.
3. Immediately after the chime press and hold down the "C" key.
4. Release the key when the spinning gear below the dark gray Apple logo appears.
5. Wait for installer to finish loading.

 

[Mant]

I don't know much about Mac, but maybe you need to reset the NVRAM before you can tell it to boot from a DVD?

OK, I was able to reset the NVRAM - because I heard the first beep then the second...but then the same thing happened. It hung at the Apple. I'm giving it about 3-4 minutes before I power off.

One more detail, when I upgraded to the SSD, I had to buy an OWC upgrade kit with a temperature probe that I stuck on the hard drive like in the picture below.

 

[Mant]

Booting From An OS X Installer Disc

1. Insert OS X Installer Disc into the optical drive.
2. Restart the computer.
3. Immediately after the chime press and hold down the "C" key.
4. Release the key when the spinning gear below the dark gray Apple logo appears.
5. Wait for installer to finish loading.

The problem is that it never goes past #3. I never actually see the spinning wheel. It goes straight to the Apple logo and hangs.

 

[Mant]

Any ideas?

 

[BarkingGhostar]

Is the Snow Leopard DVD OEM or a copy? Is the SSD formatted GPT?

 

[Mant]

It's OEM, I got it from the Apple Store.

The formatting on the SSD using Disk Utility was "Mac OS Extended (journaled)". The Disk Utility didn't specify GPT vs. MBR.

Actually, I'm wondering about that. My friends Macbook is a 2014 model. Maybe Disk Utility defaults to GPF, but I need MBR for Snow Leopard?