Perhaps someone can explain this

[SR1200]

I have an old 2007 iMac (core 2 duo) that someone asked me to install el Capitan on. I downloaded the installation file as per the apple website. I followed the instructions on the apple website to create the bootable flash drive to install from. I reboot the machine, erase the internal HD on the iMac and the machine doesnt see the usb drive as a candidate for startup disc. Great... I reboot the machine and i notice that the usb drive is flashing away... about a min later, the attached pic shows up. IS THIS RIGHT? The files i downloaded were all from apple.com. This is apple hardware. Had no idea that apple used clover! Merry Christmas from Slice and All The developers! (i mean... its june... but ok!)

 

[UtterDisbelief]

I have an old 2007 iMac (core 2 duo) that someone asked me to install el Capitan on. I downloaded the installation file as per the apple website. I followed the instructions on the apple website to create the bootable flash drive to install from. I reboot the machine, erase the internal HD on the iMac and the machine doesnt see the usb drive as a candidate for startup disc. Great... I reboot the machine and i notice that the usb drive is flashing away... about a min later, the attached pic shows up. IS THIS RIGHT? The files i downloaded were all from apple.com. This is apple hardware. Had no idea that apple used clover! Merry Christmas from Slice and All The developers! (i mean... its june... but ok!)

Hi there.

The screen you can see is from the Clover bootloader which is not something you would use on a real iMac.

If you followed the instructions on the Apple website then the USB stick you are using had not been completely cleaned and re-partitioned as GUID. It has a pre-existing Clover installation on it, which you should not put anywhere near your iMac.

 

[SR1200]

Brand new USB stick, never been used before. Was formatted right before setting this up.

 

[UtterDisbelief]

Brand new USB stick, never been used before. Was formatted right before setting this up.

So if you are using a genuinely brand-new USB flash drive, prepared as per Apple guidance, then the Clover bootloader must have been put on the iMac by the person you are trying to help.

 

[SR1200]

It's my iMac that im giving away to someone. This machine hasnt been turned on in probably over a year (way before i started my hack project) The only hack i put together was for mojave and nothing touched this machine. (which clover looked nothing like that). The HD was formatted and machine DEFINITELY booted from the USB stick. This is strange. I guess its possible the drive I got wasn't "new", but what are the odds that someone returned it to the store with that on it... strange. The installation happened from the file that i put on the machine (from apple), and clover hasn't popped up after subsequent reboots. Should I completely re-do the installation?

 

[UtterDisbelief]

It's my iMac that im giving away to someone. This machine hasnt been turned on in probably over a year (way before i started my hack project) The only hack i put together was for mojave and nothing touched this machine. (which clover looked nothing like that). The HD was formatted and machine DEFINITELY booted from the USB stick. This is strange. I guess its possible the drive I got wasn't "new", but what are the odds that someone returned it to the store with that on it... strange. The installation happened from the file that i put on the machine (from apple), and clover hasn't popped up after subsequent reboots. Should I completely re-do the installation?

Well, that's your call really.

What you are seeing is the Clover Christmas holiday theme.

Forgive me if I say I might believe in miracles but I suspect this isn't one.

Normally, the reason it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas is because Clover checks the system clock and changes the theme for Christmas or the New Year holidays, and once they are over reverts back to normal.

I'm wary of telling you what to do specifically because we don't really know the lie of the, snow-covered, land.

For a real iMac follow Apple's guidance in that link, to the letter.

 

[SR1200]

ok so i decided to reinstall on the imac. I got a completely different drive, formatted it. I went on my 2009 mac pro thats sitting in my garage to make the bootable stick. I re-downloaded the installer from the apple website. I even checked the EFI to see if there was anything in there... nothing. Went through apples steps to create the bootable USB. (again totally different drive than last time) I cmd +R on boot to go into disk utillity to wipe out the previous installation of OSX. Done.. rebooted. and.... MERRY XMAS!! lol so confused.