Powerbook G4 15" 1.67 GHz and OS 10.3.8

Question

Powerbook G4 15" 1.67 GHz and OS 10.3.8

I want to buy a Powerbook G4 15" 1.67GHz that will run OSX 10.3.8 to replace my PowerMac G5.

Is it possible to install OSX 10.3 and upgrade to 10.3.8 if the Powerbook originally shipped with a higher OS, such as 10.3.7 or 10.4.2?

For instance, my PowerMac G5 install disc show 10.3.4 and when I install 10.3 from a full install disc, the machine doesn't operate properly - the fans rev up on high and stay there.

Mac OS: Versions -

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT2191?viewlocale=en_US&locale=en_US

...shows there were (2) Mac OSX builds for PowerBook G4 (15-inch 1.67/1.5GHz) - 7T62, and 8A428

one that shipped with 10.3.7 and the other with 10.4.2

How can I tell one build from the other when trying to buy a PowerBook G4 (15-inch 1.67GHz) ?

PowerMac, Mac OS X (10.4.11), G5 Dual 2Ghz, 6GB (PowerMac7.3)

Posted on Jul 1, 2013 11:41 AM

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Answer 1

Niel

Level 10

726,629 points

Jul 1, 2013 11:46 AM in response to Darrell Stall

1. Only if the installation is run from an older Mac and the final version is newer than the computer.

2. Ask the person selling the computer.

(84942)

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Answer 2

Jul 1, 2013 11:52 AM in response to Niel

1. Are you saying I must run the 10.3 full disk installer from an older Mac with which 10.3 is compatible, with the Powerbook G4 connected via Target Mode, so I can choose the Powerbook hard drive for installation?

Then will I be able to run the 10.3.8 combo updater from the older Mac as well, and install on the hard drive of the Powerbook while it's connected in Target mode?

2. How would the person selling the computer know the build of the Powerbook if they don't have the restore discs? (which is usually the case when buying a discontinued used computer)

Will the build show in System Profiler? somewhere else?

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Answer 3

Niel

Level 10

726,629 points

Jul 1, 2013 11:56 AM in response to Darrell Stall

1. Yes to both questions.

2. Phone Apple and order replacement disks. Choosing About this Mac from the Apple menu will reveal the build number of the currently installed OS, but not the computer's original one if that's different.

(84945)

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Answer 4

Jul 1, 2013 12:32 PM in response to Niel

1. Please confirm that in order to install OSX 10.3 from the full install disk, I have to use an older Mac that shipped with OSX 10.3 or lower OS.

A machine that shipped with OSX higher than 10.3 (like my G5 which shipped with 10.3.4) will not boot from the lower OSX 10.3 install disk.

2. If I install OSX 10.3 from my old PowerMac G4 (which shipped with 9.2.1) and run the 10.3.8 combo updater from it as well, does it matter which build the Powerbook G4 15" 1.67GHz shipped with, 10.3.7 or 10.4.2?

In other words, are ALL Powerbook G4 15" 1.67GHz machines compatible with OSX 10.3.8 regardless of which OSX build they shipped with, 10.3.7 or 10.4.2?

3. Does the OSX build that shipped on the machine only affect the OSX version that can be used as a boot disk, but not which version can be run on the machine? Is the version that can be run on any given machine affected by the CPU only?

3. Or, will 10.3.8 NOT install on the Powerbook that shipped with 10.4.2 because 10.3.8 is a lower OSX than what it shipped with?

In which case I must look for a Powerbook G4 1.67 that's still running OSX 10.3.7 or 10.3.8, otherwise, if OSX has been upgraded, there's no way to know which build the machine shipped with unless the original restore discs are included.

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT2191?viewlocale=en_US&locale=en_US

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Answer 5

romko23

Level 2

408 points

Jul 5, 2013 11:04 PM in response to Niel

Uh.. Apple no longer carries Panther, much less anything else PowerPC related. The OP would be better served by just getting Leopard as his PB G4 is similar to the G4 1.67 DLSD.

Besides, Panther won't run on the DLSD or the model previous to it. Both these models came with Tiger and not Pnather.

Even Apple doesn't carry Tiger any more. Leopard can still be acquired, but the OP would need to make sure his system can run it. Given its a 1.67, I highly recommend Leopard and if he wishes to make it faster, he can strip all the INTEL CODE using Monolingual which will strip all intel binaries even down to the main core fiels.

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Answer 6

Jul 6, 2013 4:07 AM in response to romko23

Uh... I need to run an expensive legacy program that ONLY runs in 10.3.

I know all too well what Apple does and does not currently "carry" for sale.

I do NOT want to run Leopard, and I'm NOT an "OP".

Could someone please READ and answer a simple question.

Will OSX 10.3 updated to 10.3.8 or .9 run on a 15" PowerBook G4 1.67GHZ if installed from a 10.3 retail full install disc NOT the original Mac OSX Install Disc that came with the machine?

OR will there be "unexpected issues" with the OS as Apple claims in Note 5 -

"Retail copies of Mac OS X may not always work properly with new Macs. Even if the retail version has been updated via Software Update to a later version of Mac OS X than originally came with a Mac, you may have unexpected issues. Always confirm operating system functionality by using the install disc that shipped with your particular Mac."

http://support.apple.com/kb/ht1159

(I have found an online resource that lists the OS shipped on machines by serial no., so that is no longer an issue. Apparently, the only PowerBook G4 1.67GHZ machine that shipped with OSX 10.4 is the last high res, DL drive machine which shipped with OSX 10.4.2. All others appear to have shipped with some version of 10.3

Phoning Apple for a replacement original install disc does no good - the corporate droids tell you the discs are no longer available, when .dmg files could simply be posted online for download and burning to DVD to create a boot disc, no differently than OS update downloads are posted online.)

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Answer 7

Jan 19, 2014 5:46 AM in response to romko23

Hi my powerbook g4 A1104 show face and ? on sturt up, operative system missing they said

i can see it with my macbook trough target mode and a woul like to understand how to reinstall it using the macbook but they sold it without cd.

thanks

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Answer 8

a brody

Level 10

82,841 points

Jan 28, 2014 10:18 AM in response to pat and mat

Pat and mat,

Please start a new thread. You'll get a wider audience and won't confuse people here with issues that don't pertain to them.

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Answer 9

a brody

Level 10

82,841 points

Jan 28, 2014 10:19 AM in response to Darrell Stall

Darrell,

Sorry for the delayed reply. http://www.apple.com/usergroups/ is probably your best source for older operating system installations.

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Answer 10

dalstott

Level 4

2,639 points

Jan 28, 2014 1:43 PM in response to Darrell Stall

RE; I do NOT want to run Leopard, and I'm NOT an "OP".

FYI OP means original poster or the person who starts a thread.

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Answer 11

Duffsta

Level 1

0 points

Feb 14, 2014 6:08 AM in response to romko23

Hi i recently brought a Powerbook g4 5,8 but all the leopard & tiger disks i download wont let me install 😟 i have MorphOs on it at the moment but wanna reinstall OSX do you think you could help me with the install disks? i leave in New Zealand and the price of them to buy is crazy!! not sure how to pm you on here.

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Answer 12

a brody

Level 10

82,841 points

Feb 14, 2014 6:23 AM in response to Duffsta

First off, you need to find out from Morph OS how to format the hard drive:

http://www.morphos.de/faq

Edit:

Second, you need to make sure it is formatted HFS+ Journalled.

As for finding the discs, that's going to be a real hard part. Your best bet is a Mac usergroup. From Apple's website I could only find one in New Zealand, but I'm sure if you aren't near Wellington, you can probably ask them where there might be others:

http://www.welmac.org.nz

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