Upgrade download from 10.3 to 10.3.9

Welcome To  Discussions Ooops!

Review these Apple documents for Panther System Requirements
Additional Panther System Requirements.

I'm not familiar with your Mac model, but did you check to see, if it needed a Firmware Update?
If one is required, you must start the computer from a Mac OS 8 or Mac OS 9 System Folder on the computer's hard disk, not from a CD, in order to install it.

This 10.3.9 Combo Update, is the update you should be using.

Are the discs, the Full Retail Version, of the Panther Install CDs, that do not say Upgrade, CPU Drop-in DVD, or "This software is part of a hardware bundle purchase - not to be sold seperately." on them.?

ali b

You're Welcome Ooops!

The difference between a Combo Update, and a Delta Update, is that to use the Delta, you must have the previous version number installed.

The Combo will upgrade any previous version number of same OS X.

The 10.3.9 Delta Update states;
"This software updates Mac OS X 10.3.8 to version 10.3.9."

And the 10.3.9 Combo Update says;
"This software updates Mac OS X 10.3, 10.3.1, 10.3.2, 10.3.3, 10.3.4, 10.3.5, 10.3.6, 10.3.7, or 10.3.8 to version 10.3.9. If you have version 10.3.8, you can update your software with the smaller delta update instead"

You may not have needed a Firmware Update.
Look for your exact Mac G4 model, on the above linked page.
If an update is listed for your model, then yes, it is necessary!

ali b

First, did you download the 10.3.9 Combo Updater? Second, try this:

Repairing the Hard Drive and Permissions

Boot from your OS X Installer disc. After the installer loads select your language and click on the Continue button. When the menu bar appears select Disk Utility from the Installer menu (Utilities menu for Tiger.) After DU loads select your hard drive entry (mfgr.'s ID and drive size) from the the left side list. In the DU status area you will see an entry for the S.M.A.R.T. status of the hard drive. If it does not say "Verified" then the hard drive is failing or failed. (SMART status is not reported on external Firewire or USB drives.) If the drive is "Verified" then select your OS X volume from the list on the left (sub-entry below the drive entry,) click on the First Aid tab, then click on the Repair Disk button. If DU reports any errors that have been fixed, then re-run Repair Disk until no errors are reported. If no errors are reported click on the Repair Permissions button. Wait until the operation completes, then quit DU and return to the installer. Now shutdown the computer for a couple of minutes and then restart normally.

If DU reports errors it cannot fix, then you will need Disk Warrior (4.0 for Tiger) and/or TechTool Pro (4.5.2 for Tiger) to repair the drive. If you don't have either of them or if neither of them can fix the drive, then you will need to reformat the drive and reinstall OS X.