hi, i have 2 G4 desktop computers. The older runs on OS8.6 while the newer runs OSX. Im in the process of cleaning off the old G4 and wanting to install OSX on it - if possible. I tried putting the OSX CD into the old G4 but it rejects the disk everytime, giving me a message to reformat the CD or Eject. Is this not possible or is there a different way I can do this? Any help would be much appreciated. thanks!
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Mac OS - System Install CD
- Thread starter designer37
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That's really strange, but there might be a way around it. If it is just something strange happening with the drive, then you might be able to use your other computer's drive to install. If the computers are near each other, or can be moved, then you are in luck. You'll also need a firewire cable (don't bother buying one, as it would be a waste for this untested scheme I have...). Put the OS X install disk in the computer running OS X. Shut down the computer running OS X, and start it back up holding the T key. Then run the Firewire cable between the computer running OS X and the computer running 8.6. In a moment (sometimes it takes a while with a FW target disk mode) you will see the hard drive and the install disk from the computer running OS X appear on the desktop of the computer running 8.6. You should be able to install from the disk in the computer running OS X.
If this doesn't work, then you can try starting up the computer running 8.6 in FW Target Disk Mode (hold T) and running the OS X installer in OS X, installing onto the other computer's hard drive mounted via firewire.
Now if you don't have a firewire cord this wouldn't work...
Best of Luck!
If this doesn't work, then you can try starting up the computer running 8.6 in FW Target Disk Mode (hold T) and running the OS X installer in OS X, installing onto the other computer's hard drive mounted via firewire.
Now if you don't have a firewire cord this wouldn't work...
Best of Luck!
My first guess is that either the CD is dirty, the G4's CD drive is dirty, or both are dirty. Does the CD work on other computers? If yes, then the cause probably isn't the CD. Does the G4 accept other CDs? If yes, then maybe the drive isn't at fault. If both are true, then...I'm stumped.designer37 said:
Cool. That was alot of info to follow. I will definitely give it a try. Fortunately, both computers are up and running and almost right next to each other. And I think I have a firewire cable somewhere too. Thanks again and I'll let you know if it works or not.
wrldwzrd89 said:
The CDs are fine from what I can tell. The OSX Cd is basically brand new and does work on the newer G4. Maybe a computer running OS 8.6 is unable to read an OSX CD?? possible?? Thanks for the reply though!
Now that I think about it, I don't think Mac OS X likes being installed on a hard drive containing a version of the Mac OS older than 9.0. That might be the cause of the problem; even if it does work, you won't be able to use the Classic environment.designer37 said:The CDs are fine from what I can tell. The OSX Cd is basically brand new and does work on the newer G4. Maybe a computer running OS 8.6 is unable to read an OSX CD?? possible?? Thanks for the reply though!
designer37 said:The CDs are fine from what I can tell. The OSX Cd is basically brand new and does work on the newer G4. Maybe a computer running OS 8.6 is unable to read an OSX CD?? possible?? Thanks for the reply though!
okay, not to insult you, so please don't get mad:
are you sure it's a cd and not a dvd? if your higher end g4 came with a superdrive, you may have osx on dvd there...
*ducks if i'm steppin on toes*
matt
mkaake said:
BINGO!! I just looked at my CD and thats what it was. A DVD. I never even thought to check that out beforehand. Thanks to you and everyone else that helped. I guess I just have to buy OSX on CD if I want to install it on the older G4. thanks again everone!
This has happened to me once it turned out the cd was a bad COPY
Uh oh, SpaceMagic broke the rules arghh
Anyway, if none of the above works, take hard disk out of Old put as second drive in Newer G4 install there on that disk, put the disk back in old G4... bob's your uncle, and all that
Have fun, OS X is well worth the screw drivering (I was going to write screwing but it would be rude)
Uh oh, SpaceMagic broke the rules arghh
Anyway, if none of the above works, take hard disk out of Old put as second drive in Newer G4 install there on that disk, put the disk back in old G4... bob's your uncle, and all that
Have fun, OS X is well worth the screw drivering (I was going to write screwing but it would be rude
)designer37 said:
I didn't even know that OS X came on DVDs....come to think of it, even though all the iBook G4s have combo drives they seem to have neglected to put OS X on a DVD, leaving me with 3 panther disks, 5 system restore disks, a hardware test disk, and a world book Cd. Urgh. Well, good luck with the installation...I hope that everything goes well!
no wonder.....
do you have a copy of 9 lying around? 8.6 cannot be upgraded to X. You have to upgrade it to 9 first:
http://www.apple.com/macosx/upgrade/questions/howto.html
you can purchase 9 from apple for 19.95 (S&H i think).
designer37 said:The CDs are fine from what I can tell. The OSX Cd is basically brand new and does work on the newer G4. Maybe a computer running OS 8.6 is unable to read an OSX CD?? possible?? Thanks for the reply though!
do you have a copy of 9 lying around? 8.6 cannot be upgraded to X. You have to upgrade it to 9 first:
http://www.apple.com/macosx/upgrade/questions/howto.html
you can purchase 9 from apple for 19.95 (S&H i think).
Duff-Man says....not to keep harping on the same subject....but if your G4 did not come with OS X and you are using a copy from another computer you are violating the license agreement. Go buy a legit CD copy and install from there.....oh yeah!