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Problems installing OSX

C

casper114

Senior member
Hello everyone I am having some serious difficulty and any help would be greatly appreciated! I have never used a mac before and I have a Powerbook G4 I am trying to re-install OSX on. I am using a iomega DVD drive connected through the USB port, and i don't know what to do to make the mac boot from it. Any suggestions?

Thank you!

-casper114
 
Any suggestions? Anyone? I know this is a pretty wide open question but any help would be greatly apprecited...
 
Why not use the built in cdrom?

After you press the power button, press and hold the 'c' key. If that doesn't work, try pressing and holding the 'option' key. The timing can be a bit tricky, it usually takes me a couple of tries to get it.
 
Can you get into the BIOS and change the boot order? I don't know about Mac's but on a PC you would change it there.
 
Originally posted by: Robor
Can you get into the BIOS and change the boot order? I don't know about Mac's but on a PC you would change it there.
Click to expand...

One of the benefits of the powerpc based Macs is that there is no BIOS. 😉

OFW ftw!
 
Yea, unfortunately there is not bios, and i can't use the built in CD-ROM because i only have OSX on DVD... I really need to boot from the external DVD drive any suggestions?
 
Originally posted by: casper114
Yea, unfortunately there is not bios, and i can't use the built in CD-ROM because i only have OSX on DVD... I really need to boot from the external DVD drive any suggestions?
Click to expand...

Did the suggestions I posted not work?
 
I thought the suggestions you posted was for the built in CD-ROM, sorry for bumping so soon I guess i'm just anxious because i've never worked with a mac before...
 
Originally posted by: casper114
I thought the suggestions you posted was for the built in CD-ROM, sorry for bumping so soon I guess i'm just anxious because i've never worked with a mac before...
Click to expand...

They may only work with the built in cdrom, I've never tried with an external optical device. But I have booted my powerbook off of an USB connected hard drive using the option option 🙂P) described above.

Holding the option key should give you a list of places to boot from, which may include the external drive if the DVD is in there.
 
Should they all be listed at the same time, ie pictures of each available boot device? I'm in the menu that started after holding the option button down. Should i see a picture of my external DVD drive?
 
Originally posted by: casper114
Should they all be listed at the same time, ie pictures of each available boot device? I'm in the menu that started after holding the option button down. Should i see a picture of my external DVD drive?
Click to expand...

All available boot options should be listed. If the DVD drive isn't listed, this may not be an option. I'm not sure what the icon would look like or how it would be labeled though.
 
Would you happen to have any suggestions on what to do to make the DVD drive visible in this area? I know that the drive is compatible with Mac...
 
It may not be possible. As I understand it, most PPC based Macs can't boot from a USB device. Apparently Apple tweaked OpenFirmware to allow booting from a USB device in some of the last models of PPC based systems that they sold so unless your machine is one of those you may be out of luck.

-KeithP
 
Firewire might work, if USB doesn't.

If OS X is installed already, you could put the DVD in the external drive and run the Install OS X program on it. That might work...
 
Originally posted by: KeithP
It may not be possible. As I understand it, most PPC based Macs can't boot from a USB device. Apparently Apple tweaked OpenFirmware to allow booting from a USB device in some of the last models of PPC based systems that they sold so unless your machine is one of those you may be out of luck.

-KeithP
Click to expand...

Noooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!! LOL, man i kina figured it might be something like that.
 
Yes, firewire shouldn't be a problem. It might be possible to buy a firewire enclosure and move your optical drive to it. Just make sure the enclosures chipset supports your optical drive.

Other World Computing has internal DVD burners for as low as $69.95 if you want to upgrade your internal drive.

-KeithP
 
Originally posted by: n0cmonkey
Originally posted by: Robor
Can you get into the BIOS and change the boot order? I don't know about Mac's but on a PC you would change it there.
Click to expand...

One of the benefits of the powerpc based Macs is that there is no BIOS. 😉

OFW ftw!
Click to expand...

Or one of the weaknesses...? 😛 😀

Originally posted by: KeithP
It may not be possible. As I understand it, most PPC based Macs can't boot from a USB device. Apparently Apple tweaked OpenFirmware to allow booting from a USB device in some of the last models of PPC based systems that they sold so unless your machine is one of those you may be out of luck.
Click to expand...
 
1. Every PowerBook G4 shipped at least with a Combo (DVD-ROM; CD+/-R/W) drive; your DVD should work with the internal drive (unless it is somehow broken). What model PowerBook is it?

2. Mac OS X can boot from an external Firewire volume, but not USB (at least, not without an Open Firmware hack).

3. What version Tiger disc do you have?

 
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