iLife 11 install problem

[Indra]

Hi everyone! I just purchased a new, genuine iLife '11 disc, which I checked in advance was compatible with my iMac with OS 10.6.8. But my iMac will not read or open the install disc.
I don't want to upgrade the OS as I know some of my other programmes are not compatible with an upgrade. I bought iLife 11 because I don't want to upgrade everything!

The reader is fine - I have checked it with other discs. I have tried winding back the Year in System Preferences to 1020 or 2011, and unchecking the 'set date automatically' box. This trick worked on another Apple install disc previously when I has a similar problem - but it is not working now. I have also tried resetting the NVram.

Has anyone out there been able to solve this problem?

 

[Cory Cooper]

Hello and welcome.

-Which exact model iMac?
-Mac OS X 10.6.8 Snow Leopard, correct?
-Where did you purchase the iLife '11 disc...is it a genuine Apple retail disc?

C

 

[Indra]

Hi Cory

it's an iMac 11.2 - yes it is Mac OS X snow leopard. I bought the iLife disc online from a a company called Capital Electrics, because apple don't sell that version anymore. It looks to me like a genuine, new disc - it has an iLife '11 Retail barcode and other reference numbers on the box that look real to me, as does the packaging....

 

[Cory Cooper]

Can you upload some photos of the disc an the packaging? Or, post any part numbers//version numbers/bar codes from the disc/box?

iLife '11 should definitely be compatible with you iMac and Snow Leopard.

C

 

[Indra]

Hi - here I scanned the codes and cover of the packaging and attached. It's strange that the trick of winding the year back worked on that other apple disc I mentioned

- makes me wonder if there is not some sort of date limit/built in obselesence....

 

[Cory Cooper]

Yes, that is definitely an original genuine Apple retail version of iLife '11.
-The disc doesn't mount at all on the Desktop, correct?
-Do you get any errors?
-Does it spin at all, and then eject itself?

No, there isn't any date limit, and you shouldn't have to "fake" the date to install it.

Do you have another Mac available that does read the disc? If so, you could make a disk image of it, copy it to the iMac, mount the disk image, and run the installer that way. Also, you could take the iMac into an Apple Store with the disc and they should be able to install it for you, even if the disc cannot be read.

C

 

[Indra]

Der cory,

yes - it just spins round and round and ejects itself. I don't have another mac but i may be able to find one of my friends who can lend me one and then try and do the disk-image thing ( I'll look up how to do it).

I might try and contact the apple store - but I don't think they support snow leopard and iLife 11 anymore - so they may not want to do it (and their online chat help couldn't offer any suggestions)

thanks for your suggestions though - I'll try them out, and it was really great to get your advice

Indra

 

[Cory Cooper]

No worries.

Even though Snow Leopard isn't officially supported any longer, the Apple Store should still be able to help you out. It is easy to create a disk image of the iLife '11 installer disc using Disk Utility.

Let us know how it goes,

C

 

[Indra]

Will do - and thanks for your time! It is much appreciated

Indra