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Early 2011 Model: A1278 / 2.3 GHz i5 or 2.7 GHz i7 processor

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three beeps installing os x snow leopard (re-post)

Hi, my computer is stuck on a grey screen with the apple logo and a spinning wheel. so, i bought a new hard drive, a hdd cable and os x snow leopard ( since i didnt have any os x) . but when i try to to open the osx i just hear 3 beeps interval and nothing happen. how can i solve this problem thank you. could other things cause that problem besides bad ram. because i tried one of the rams on my windows computer and it did work

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The three beeps means your RAM is bad. First try reseating it. Next try just one stick at a time in one slot then the next so that you test both the slots and the RAM.

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i tried to do what you recommended me and still the same problem, could other things cause that problem because i tried one of the rams on my windows computer and it did work

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What happens when you use just the stick that worked in your PC? Has this RAM ever worked in your MAC? What are the last three figures of your serial number? What type of RAM are you using?

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it did work on my pc, and i dont know if it has worked with this laptop because its being that way since i bought it, the three last digits of my mbp are rj7, and the ram brand is hynix 2gb

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could it be due to the os x, i bought it from apple store is snow leopars 10.6.3 , do you think i need a newer one since i have a 2011 mbp

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Your machine uses PC3-10600 DDR3 Min. RAM Speed: 1333 MHz

If the RAM you are trying to use is not this, you will get three beeps on start up on your Mac.

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It is not the ram's fault all the time... 3 beeps may also mean that you have a MBP that needs at least 10.6.7 SL to run the installation and begin the process!

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Pre-Installed MacOS: X 10.6.6 (10J3210) Maximum MacOS: Current*

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Yes i've heard you can only install Lion and up in this case

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Cann you give us a link to support the three beeps from not having the correct installation disk?

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Thanks pplantzos!

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Stop, do not pass go, use 10.6.8 or higher. 10.6.3 will not work on core i platforms.

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Louis, are you saying that the Pre-Installed MacOS: X 10.6.6 (10J3210) from the installation DVD will not work? I know nothing earlier will work. The retail 10.6 will not work because it is 10.6.3. I have never heard of getting 3 beeps from trying to install anything. Outside of the original DVD for this machine, the only way I know of (outside of cloning in Target Mode or a Target Mode installation) is to build a flash drive install of 10.6.6 or better. Will this machine connect via the internet by holding down the "R' key on start up and download a system?

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You must install 10.6.8, or at least 10.6.6, as that is what was sold with the machine. Early 13 2011. I had the same issue with Early 15” 2011, but that was sold with 10.6.8. I would always get the ram beeps.

But when I obtained an image of 10.6.8 it worked perfect. My copy of 10.6.6 would always beep

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You must install 10.6.8, or at least 10.6.6, as that is what was sold with the machine. Early 13 2011. I had the same issue with Early 15” 2011, but that was sold with 10.6.8. I would always get the ram beeps.

But when I obtained an image of 10.6.8 it worked perfect. My copy of 10.6.6 would always beep

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2/10/17

I need to agree with pplantzos. I had a copy of Snow Leopard 10.6.3 install DVD in my DVD drive and instucted my iMac to boot from the DVD. This resulted continues three beeps and a five second pause/repeat, a gray screen, then a black screen with beeping.

I removed all but one of the 4 ram sticks, and rebooted using the Option key to make it boot into Recovery.

Interesting, installing any more than one stick of ram resulted in the three beeps and black screen with beeps.

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Perfect Jose Luis! My problem is solved. BTW, I have a friend called Joe Luis Ramon!

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So, nothing to do with bad RAM or HDD integrity. Two things that Apple says it is. Just a Mac OSX vs Mac model incompatibility. To clarify ; I have 10.6.3 running happily on a 2007 iMac but the same bootable USB causes 3 repeating beeps on my Late 2011 Macbook Pro.

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Neither will it work on my iMac Mid 2011

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Jose Luis will be eternally grateful.
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