PowerBook G4 (17-inch 1.67 GHz), 1.5GH and cannot install OS X 10.5.6

Question

Level 1

0 points

PowerBook G4 (17-inch 1.67 GHz), 1.5GH and cannot install OS X 10.5.6

Can someone assist me please? I have an old PowerBook G4 (17-inch 1.67 GHz, PowerPC) running with OS X 10.3.9 and I would like to update this to 10.5.6 from an original disk that was with a new macbook pro i purchased this spring. Yet, the old mac tells me I cannot update. I thought i meet all general requirements with the old machine. What am I missing?

PowerBook G4 (17-inch 1.67 GHz), 1.5GH, Mac OS X (10.3.x)

Posted on Nov 16, 2009 2:10 PM

Reply

Answer 1

Nov 16, 2009 2:14 PM in response to costin111

Hi

You can't use hardware specific (gray coloured) installer disks with anything other than the hardware they came with. If you want to upgrade your PowerBook to 10.5 you need to purchase a Universal Installer DVD.

Tony

Reply

Answer 2

Kappy

Level 10

362,007 points

Nov 16, 2009 2:15 PM in response to costin111

You have a PPC Mac. You cannot use OS X for an Intel Mac on a PPC Mac. The original disc for your MBP cannot be used to install OS X on anything but another MBP model like yours. Furthermore, installing OS X on more than one CPU at a time violates the license agreement and is illegal unless you own a Family Pack license.

If you want to install Leopard on your G4 you will have to purchase a retail copy of Leopard. Try eBay for a start. Leopard is no longer available from Apple.

Reply

Answer 3

costin111 Author

Level 1

0 points

Nov 17, 2009 12:47 AM in response to costin111

I feared something like that. Well, thanks you guys really appreciate it.

Reply

Answer 4

highdef

Level 1

0 points

Dec 4, 2009 3:20 PM in response to costin111

All you have to do is buy the Upgrade disc package, and install as an update.
Make sure you clone your drive contents before upgrading. Use an external blank firewire drive and perform through disk utility. Make sure you boot your clone using firewire boot function to verify the clone is working. Sometimes it does not work. After that, simply upgrade your os using the retail upgrade disk. I have performed this taks with a g4 1.5ghz powerbook 12 inch. It runs very well on os 10.5.8.

Reply