Mac OS X Panther Re-Install

Question

Mac OS X Panther Re-Install

I am selling my iMac G4 tomorrow and need to give it a clean sweep before I sell it. From what I understand, the best way to do this is to back up all info from the system drive (which I have), run disk utility and erase everything (not done yet), then reinstall the OS again. Well, I wanted to test the install disc before I just erased everything, so I clicked on the "Install Mac OS X" icon, and it asked me to restart my iMac to begin the process. Booted back up, nothing. So I tried the same thing again, this time holding down the C key. Nothing. Is there a reason why this could be happening? Or is there a way to wipe my drive clean but keep the OS on there?

PS - Sorry, I just realized I posted this in G5 instead of G4!

iMac G4, Mac OS X (10.3.9)

Posted on Jun 10, 2006 4:27 AM

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Answer 1

DPSG-Scout

Level 4

1,138 points

Jun 10, 2006 7:57 AM in response to Michael Clark12

Make sure you're either using your original restore disk or any other OS X retail CD-ROM. i.e. a Powerbook restore disk will not work.

There have been issues with early G3 PowerMacs booting from slave-jumpered drives, yet I wouldn't suspect that to be the problem in your case.

Alternatively, you could trash your personal data and chose Finder -> Secure empty trash. This will zero out your files, yet it's best to wipe your hard drive entirely, which will also give you the option to zero your data multiple times.

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Answer 2

Jun 10, 2006 8:25 AM in response to DPSG-Scout

Thanks. It looks like everything is working against me though. When I open disk utility and click on "system", which is divided into 2 partitions, and hit the "erase" tab, it doesn't give me the option of erasing...

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Answer 3

Jun 10, 2006 8:31 AM in response to Michael Clark12

You need to click the model name of the disk for this, not the drive name. In other words, for my G5 imac if I want to repair permissions I click on G5 imac, but if I want to run disk repair or erase the drive I'd click on 232.2GB WDC WD2500J….

Incidentally, don't remember if the previous poster mentioned, but I'd choose the zero all data option (not 8-way overwrite) for this situation. A basic erase leaves your data and just makes it available to be written over.

The 8-way overwrite in Panther can take literally days to complete. That's why I'd just choose to zero all data, unless you work for the DoD or something.

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Answer 4

Jun 10, 2006 8:35 AM in response to Barbara Brundage

I clicked on "55.9 GB ST360020A", then the erase tab, and here is what it looks like: Volume format is set to "Mac OS Extended (Journaled", Name: Untitled, and "Mac OS 9 Drivers Installed". All of these are grey and cannot be changed. Below are the "options" and "erase" buttons, both of which are also grey and cannot be changed.

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Answer 5

Jun 10, 2006 8:40 AM in response to Michael Clark12

You are booted from the install disc and are running disk utility from the installer menu? Have you tried running disk repair? Is this your original restore disk or a retail copy?

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Answer 6

Jun 10, 2006 8:56 AM in response to Barbara Brundage

I appreciate you sticking with me on this, but I think I'm going to go another direction, because I just can't seem to get this thing whooped. Right now, I still have 10.3.9 loaded and that's what I'm booting from. I think the best thing I can do at this point is to try to manually locate as much as I can and delete them. Any recommendations on where to find cache/cookies/hidden files/password files? Part two would be to de-partition the two separate partitions back into one. But I am running into the same problem with it. When, under disk utility, I click the partition tab, I am not allowed to choose any of the options. The user I am signed in (my own) is the only user on the computer and has admin rights.

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Answer 7

Jun 10, 2006 9:00 AM in response to Michael Clark12

You cannot change the partition structure on any mac without erasing the drive, for starters.

Are you saying you can't get to the installer, or that once you're in the installer you still can't choose the drive from DU?

In that case you might try forcing fsck:

Restart the computer while holding down command+S. You will see a scary black screen full of white type. Give it a minute to stop loading, then type "fsck -fy" without the quotes. Note the space between the k and the dash. Press return. The computer will do its thing and either say that repairs were made or that the disk "appears to be okay." If repairs were made, repeat the process till you get the okay message. To get back to regular mac-land, type "reboot" without the quotes.

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Answer 8

Jun 10, 2006 9:15 AM in response to Barbara Brundage

Okay, it's made changed once, but made no overall change to disk utility, so I'm restarting it and trying again. I wonderered, once I erase the entire disk, what would it look like if I tried to boot back up?

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Answer 9

Jun 10, 2006 9:20 AM in response to Michael Clark12

Okay, I got a "this disk appears to be okay" message, and tried running disk utility again. Same problem.

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Answer 10

Jun 10, 2006 9:23 AM in response to Michael Clark12

Woah. Are you trying to erase just part of the disk? You want to erase the entire disk if you are going to sell the computer. I'm getting very confused about what you are trying to do.

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Answer 11

Jun 10, 2006 9:27 AM in response to Barbara Brundage

Sorry, it's majorly confusing to me too. No, I'm trying to erase the entire disk, and reinstall the operating system. Disk Utility isn't giving me the option to do ANYTHING to the "model"! That includes restore, erase, or first aid.

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Answer 12

Jun 10, 2006 9:26 AM in response to Michael Clark12

What version of the OS is on your system disks? If your computer came with jaguar and you installed a retail version of Panther, I'd use the panther disks for the erase.

EDIT Also, don't want to offend you, but just to be sure: when you restart from the disk, you see the OS X installer and have to choose a language before you can get to DU?

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Answer 13

Jun 10, 2006 9:35 AM in response to Barbara Brundage

I bought the iMac in question on ebay about 2 years ago. The seller included only a burned copy of the install disc. On it are 3 iso's for each Install Disc. If this sort of disc will in fact not work, I'll need to go out and buy a brand new copy of Panther, looks like? We don't have an Apple store around here and I wouldn't even have a clue what other types of stores may sell it.

To answer your question though, when I restart the computer, nothing happens at all. When I try to open the installer again, it just asks me to restart all over again.

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Answer 14

Jun 10, 2006 10:01 AM in response to Michael Clark12

Oh. Yes, that is your problem. Since Panther is out of date, you might try ebay. Look for a boxed, sealed retail version (not an OEM version, which will have the same problem, possibly). You might also try contacting apple to see if you can purchase a set of replacement restore disks from them. It might be jaguar, but at least you'd have what the computer originally came with.

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Answer 15

DPSG-Scout

Level 4

1,138 points

Jun 10, 2006 10:28 AM in response to Michael Clark12

To end all confusion:

As Barbara has pointed out, you can not erase you're startup disk without booting from a different volume. It would be like going climbing and cutting your own rope. Nor can you merge two partitions without erasing your drive. (Well... you can, it isn't necessarily straight forward though.)

The OS X disk you're using will not work as is. You can open and mount an individual disk image (.iso) and fool the installer, so that you're computer believes you've inserted an installation CD-ROM, yet you will not be able to boot from a disk image file afterwards.

1. Best thing would be to purchase a retail disk of OS X 10.4 Tiger (or Panther) and include that, when you're selling your iMac. Note that this will be the only legal way to obtain an installation disk.

2. You could also burn your own OS X disks based on those disk image (iso) files. Open Applications/Utilities/Disk Utility -> File -> open image
Select the #1 image, open it and choose Image -> Burn.

A tradeoff between copy right and usability would be to burn the first OS X CD, zero your drive and inform the buyer, that he will need to purchase a retail OS X disk separately unless he owns i.e. a family license. Do not "sell" those iso files.

Hope this helps.

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