Can I change Panther's Version Number?

[MacAztec]

I have Mac OS X 10.3 on my G4. I wanted to do a fresh install with my dad's CDs that Apple sent him. They are upgrade CDs, so the installer will not let me install Panther (I am at version 10.3.1)

Can I go into some preference somewhere and change something so that it reads my computer as 10.3.0 or something? I have heard you can do this.

See, I have 2 HDs in this computer. The one I am using now is a 32GB IBM. My second drive is an 80GB IBM (much faster).

I want to make the 80GB my primary drive, but I don't want to have one OS on each drive, I do not believe the computer will boot if I did that.

The 80GB currently has nothing on it, its just chillin.

So, any ideas?

 

[stoid]

You can have an OS on each drive, and it will boot just fine, just select the boot drive from the System Preferences.

If they are both internal, there is some setting on the physical drive itself with switches that specifies one drive as a master drive, and the other as a slave drive I think.

 

[Fender2112]

1. You have 10.3 on your G4. Do you also have the original CD's? I assume you don't or you wouldn't be asking the question.

2. Can you connect to your dad's computer via firewire? If so, start up in target mode (I forget exactly how to do this) and install from your dad's computer.

3. Install the 80 GB drive into your dad's computer. Install the software. Reinstall the drive to you computer.

4. Spend $129 for the full version. ($79 for students)

When Panter was released, Apple allowed only certain models to be upgrade for a special price, $20 I think. Eveyone else had to buy the full version. I'm sure the upgrade CD's somehow test your set up for this. If your G4 is eligable, the upgrade CD should work. I have the upgrade CD for my G5. I tried to use it on my eMac, but it didn't work. So I got the full version for student price. I managed to get the both versions for less $100.

Anyhow, the point is, if you can't physically connect to you dad's computer, you'll have to get the full CD.

 

[cb911]

i thought that the UtD CD's worked on any version prior to 10.3, ie-10.2.x.

basically you have to re-install OS 10.2 (you can speed this up by doing a custom install, de-selecting all of the options. also, if you're going to partition, do it with the Disk Utility on the 10.2 install disks.)

then when you've got 10.2 installed, you can insert the 10.3 UtD CD's and do a 'erase-and-install', or 'clean install'.

that's the only way to install 10.3 from the UtD CD's, you have to have a 10.2 system installed on the partition you want 10.3 to end up on.

if your Dads got the UtD CD's, then i guess he's got 10.2 CD's as well? you should have no problem then.

on a related note... i'm sure there is a way to spoof your machine ID, or something like that. i've read about it somewhere, but you really don't want to mess around trying to learn that stuff.