[frak]

Hi all,
I hope someone can help. I am getting very downbeat and negative about all this mac stuff. i can't understand why it can be so complicated to do something as simple as install an operating system. I cant boot osx from dvd drive. Fine i will try it from within 9.1 which is installed. Doesnt work gives me somevague startup error and i cannot select osx dvd as a start up drive.
Ok well i need to update the firmware anyway, i'll do that. Except i cant. I've donwloaded the firmware transferred to the mac but i cant install it. All the searches i have done just say click on firmware update utility. Assuming you can see it. I cant find it can someone tell me where it is ? i havent a clue. All i want to do is install OS x and this is far harder work than a pc ever has been.
sorry for the negativity but it is very frustrating.

frak

[curiousuburb]

If your diagnostic process only involves frustrated handwaving, without actually taking the trouble to document what the machine reports as a problem, we might suspect PEBKAC.

More explicit info will help us help you troubleshoot more effectively.
"Some vague startup error" isn't likely to get you accurate help.

Which Mac model (ie: are we sure the cpu/ram support OS X) ?
Is it a 3rd party DVD drive or Apple internal ?
Do other DVDs read properly and it's purely a DVD-as-startup issue ?

Which version of OS X (full or upgrade install disc) ?

So you "downloaded the firmware and transferred it to the Mac, but can't find it?"
Where did you download/move it to? Desktop? Downloads folder?
Have you tried downloading it again and leaving it somewhere you can find?

Read the FAQ at the top of our Genius Bar as it applies to firmware?

[FFL]

Originally Posted by curiousuburb we might suspect PEBKAC.

ya think?

good analysis, burb. I'm sure many are willing to provide help, but we need some information first. It's obviously an older Mac if it's running 9.1

I don't suppose you tried something as simple as holding down the "C" key when rebooting with the OS X DVD in the computer?

this is far harder work than a pc ever has been.

Really?
So how often do you take a 5 year old machine running something like Windows 98 and attempt to install Windows XP on it?