PowerBook G4 start up problem

Hello, and Welcome to the Forums!

Ok, if you can do me a favor and go to the "About this Mac", the little blue or black Apple and go to system profiler. What kind of PowerBook G4 do you have? I need this information in order to further help you with the problem you are having.

I will tell you right off the bat. Using grey discs from another Mac model is probably why its not working for you. The MacBook Pro Mac OS X Install Disc was designed for the Intel version of Tiger as you may have figured out.

Also, keep in mind you mentioned you found 10.4 and burned it to disc. There might be a problem as to why its not booting. Depending upon the version of PowerBook G4 you have 10.4 might not be the minimum in order to boot up the machine, crazy as it sounds. For instance, I have a PowerBook G4 1.67 Dual-Layer and its ABSOLUTE min in order to boot up the machine is 10.4.2 - anything lower than 10.4.2 will NOT boot the system AT ALL.

Thats why I need the information about your PowerBook G4 in order to help guide you. Normally, discs from another Mac model will not work. You would then need the BLACK retail disc, but given you already tried 10.4 its possible your PowerBook G4 will only boot from a version of Tiger specified for that model.

Also, I am pasting for you my specs for my Power Mac G5 so that you can see how to do it as a model:

Power Mac G5 Quad

Model Identifier: PowerMac11,2

Processor Name: PowerPC G5 (1.1)

Processor Speed: 2.5 GHz

Number Of CPUs: 4

L2 Cache (per CPU): 1 MB

Memory: 6 GB

Bus Speed: 1.25 GHz

Boot ROM Version: 5.2.7f1

The key pieces of information I need will be the Model Identifier and the Processor's speed. Even the Power Mac G5 Quad I have requires as a minimum 10.4.2 in order to boot up, but I have special discs which came with my model.

Ok, after seeing your PowerBook G4's identifier as 5,2.. I now know how to help you out here... When it says can't find driver for this platform, it means that the disc you inserted will not work, or it is a disc from another Mac model(Intel Mac or other PowerPC Mac model).

Here are your specs for the G4 PowerBook you own:

http://www.everymac.com/systems/apple/powerbook_g4/specs/powerbook_g4_1.25_15.ht ml

Ok, disregard the above.. I think I found out your problem.. You used WINDOWS to burn a Mac OS X disc which is not always going to turn out bootable or even recognizable on your Mac. The best thing to do is to burn a Mac OS X image using Disk Utility under Mac OS X. It appears your PowerBook G4 can accept as a MIN to boot Jaguar 10.2.7 which is good as even a 10.4 disc will work. Try to burn the disk image of Tiger 10.4 under Disk Utility and then boot from it.

Hello,

Well first things first. That folder you are seeing flashing on your screen could mean one of a few things.

One it could be a faulty hard drive which needs repair, two it could be the boot select has not been set to boot from the hard drive or three there is no OS installed.

In order for you to determine this, you are going to need the system disk for that PowerBook or a genuine copy of Mac OS X

I do not recommend you download copies of Mac OS X 10.4 from the web. It's against the user licence agreement to start with and secondly you don't know what the software may contain or which Mac it was intended for.

What I would suggest, is getting hold of the Apple Hardware Test CD.

You can use it to test the hardware of this PowerBook and being you do not know the true state of the unit, it would help you greatly.

The only way you can get this PowerBook booting, is to obtain the correct Mac OS X disk and run disk utility. Install a fresh copy of Mac OS X.

Besty of luck

Sorry to chime in, I checked what model identifier the op's PowerBook G4 was and the min OS it can take is Jaguar 10.2.7, so since 10.4 was the original RETAIL release of Tiger, I would assume the OP has the retail version of which he downloaded. I don't recall any 10.4 retail discs being released with Mac systems, though I might be wrong.

Also, 10.4 is pure PowerPC binary anyway as Intel didn't come in the picture until much later on, around 10.4.8 I think.

But, you are right.. its a violation of the EULA to download Tiger..

Yes, a 10.5 retail disc is the original Mac OS X Leopard Install Disc. Just make sure its a black disc with an X on it.. if they are grey discs, then they will not work as to my knowledge no version of Leopard ever shipped with a PowerPC mac.

You can purchase a replacement of the original Mac OS X Install DVD from Apple for $17; just call 1-800-SOS-APPL and tell them your Mac model number and serial number.

Is this true and can you do this in the UK? If so, I just wasted £25 on Panther.

No version of OS X 10.5.8 *ever* shipped with a PowerPC Mac. Also, don't pirate software. Not to do with the fact it's unethical and you're "stealing" from Apple (I've done it before), it's to do with the fact it doesn't work properly. I had a *cough*obtained*cough* copy of Puma and ended up buying it off eBay.

This is the OS X DVD you want.

edex67 wrote:

Is this true and can you do this in the UK? If so, I just wasted £25 on Panther.

I do not know if Apple's replacement program is good in the UK. Why don't you find out for us and post your results!?

edex67 wrote:

No version of OS X 10.5.8 *ever* shipped with a PowerPC Mac.

I believe the OP wanted Tiger, which perhaps was the original OS X shipped with his Powerbook G4. In any case, Apple will ONLY supply the original OS X class that was shipped based upon the serial number.

I think Leopard was brought up only as an alternative by the OP in a later questions and was answered incorrectly by another who may have incorrectly understood the question in English.

I'll try calling up Apple tomorrow (I've got to anyway to buy Lion Server).