Trying to burn a DVD on Power Mac G5

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Level 1

8 points

Trying to burn a DVD on Power Mac G5

I inherited an iMac G5 desktop (PPC, running Leopard 10.5.8) which had various software already loaded on it including iDVD. This was my first Mac so I am not that familiar with Mac or Apple software. The iMac G5 developed a problem, so instead of having it fixed, I bought a Power Mac G5 (PPC) so I could transfer the hard drive from the old computer to the new one and continue using the old hard drive and everything on it.

The iMac G5 had iDVD on it, but it didn't have the Super Drive that writes onto DVDs. However, the Power Mac does have the Super Drive. When I go into System Profiler to check the version of iDVD, it says 5.0.1 PPC, but when I click on iDVD I get this error message: "cannot use this version of iDVD with this version of Mac OSX". Why doesn't this version of iDVD open on the Power Mac? Can it be updated in some way or do I need a different version?

Is there any other way besides iDVD to burn DVDs from an external hard drive I'm using with the Power Mac? Is there a free software which I can download?

Also, can any of the software on my old hard drive be copied onto the second hard drive in the Power Mac (it has 2 hard drives)?

If there is anything else I should know that I didn't ask, please let me know. Thanks.

iMac, Mac OS X (10.5.3)

Posted on May 27, 2013 8:06 AM

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Answer 1

a brody

Level 10

82,941 points

May 27, 2013 9:22 AM in response to benrst

Unfortunately you'll need the original installer discs for the PowerMac G5, or newer retail version of iLife to install the correct iDVD for your PowerMac G5. Roxio Toast 7 and earlier work on PowerMacs to burn DVDs but not with the same themes as iDVD. You may want to try to locate an older version of Roxio Toast. Also some functions like DVD burning may be limited by the fact that the PRAM battery may need replacing. That can be bought at Radio Shack and inserted on the motherboard.

Here are the iLife system requirements pages: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4411

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Answer 2

benrst Author

Level 1

8 points

Jul 11, 2013 2:31 PM in response to a brody

Thanks for your reply. Following your recommendation, I purchased and just received an unused Roxio Toast 7 CD with manual. I installed the CD. I have not had time to review every detail of the manual, but I think I get the idea of the procedure. The first problem that I run into is that the internal Mac SuperDrive is not letting me write onto a blank disk. It ejects the disk. The disks I want to use are DVD-RWs since I do not need to retain the content. I know that the internal drive will read DVD-RWs. I assumed that the internal drive will also write onto them, but the Roxio Toast manual on p. 10 says: "Most Apple internal SuperDrives only support DVD-R media". Is this true? How can I be sure that my internal drive is one of those (or do the facts speak for themselves)? If I want to write into DVD-RWs, do I need some other kind of software or am I out of luck due to limitations built into the Apple SuperDrive or is there an external drive I can buy or can I download from the Mac to a DVD recorder which I own and which will write onto DVD-RWs? If the latter is possible, how do I do it? Thanks.

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Answer 3

benrst Author

Level 1

8 points

Jul 11, 2013 3:55 PM in response to benrst

I have some additional information. I checked the online manual for the Power Mac and it says that it does write onto DVD-RWs. Of course, I cannot be sure that this applies to my particular Mac, but assuming this is right I did notice that when I tried to use the Roxio it said something about the disk not being blank even though no such message appears when I load the disk (it says blank disk when I load the disk). These are disks which I have previously used in my DVD recorder so it occurred to me that maybe Roxio likes them to be formatted some other way so I went into Disk Utility to see if I could reformat the disk but I get "optical disk error" or similar message when I try to erase. It does not let me erase. Is there some other way to format the disk in case that is the reason I have not been able to burn or do I have to buy new disks for this purpose and try that? I don't mind buying new as the cost is minimal and keep the disks separate, i.e. only use the ones for Roxio with Roxio and use the others only with my DVD recorder. Thanks.

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Answer 4

a brody

Level 10

82,941 points

Jul 11, 2013 7:23 PM in response to benrst

Go into the System Profiler from Apple menu -> About This Mac. Sometimes more info, sometimes system information on the About This Mac. I forget what it was for 10.5. Anyway, there you will find a disc burning section that tells you the formats supported. Note, quality of media matters greatly, and burn speed matters greatly. http://www.macmaps.com/cdrfailure.html * explains more why.

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