Formatting an internal HD for PowerPC G5

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Level 1

8 points

Formatting an internal HD for PowerPC G5

My powerMac G5 won't boot because the internal hard drive died. I purchased a new WD10EZRX 1.0TB and formatted it via a USB to SATA adapter cable from my macbookPro using "Disc Utility" that came with the macbookPro. When I put the new drive in the G5 and did a "Power+option" boot, the new HD did not show and I could not install the original OSX 10.3. Here are my questions:

1) Is it OK to use the Disc Utility on the macbookPro to format a HD for use in a G5? (I used the "extended" option).

2) I noticed that an external WD hard drive had a "WD Drive Manager" and the new internal HD does not. If it did have a "Drive Manager" It was erased when I formatted it. Does the new HD need a Drive Manager"?

3) If I get the new HD correctly formatted, can I simply drag the old system folder (on a backup disc) onto the the new HD and expect it to work?

I hope someone can help, I have been working on this for 2 days.

Thank you

Barrie

Power Mac G5 (Early 2005), Mac OS X (10.3.x)

Posted on Mar 28, 2014 12:45 PM

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Answer 1

Niel

Level 10

726,749 points

Mar 28, 2014 12:48 PM in response to barrieJay

1. Yes. Use the APM partition map format.

2. No.

3. No. You need to use a product such as the Disk Utility, Carbon Copy Cloner, or SuperDuper to clone it.

(103637)

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Answer 2

barrieJay Author

Level 1

8 points

Mar 28, 2014 3:02 PM in response to Niel

Thank you for your very fast reply. I re-formatted but still have the same problem. When I power the G5 with the button and option key, the HD does not appear. Do you have any more suggestions?

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Answer 3

Niel

Level 10

726,749 points

Mar 28, 2014 3:06 PM in response to barrieJay

It won't appear until an OS is installed on it. This needs to be done on the G5 and from a Mac OS X install DVD.

(103648)

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Answer 4

barrieJay Author

Level 1

8 points

Mar 28, 2014 3:23 PM in response to Niel

Thanks again for your imediate reply. I used the original osx Panther install disc 1 and the apple logo changed into a circle with a line through it.

Is there any other way to install the system?

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Answer 5

barrieJay Author

Level 1

8 points

Mar 28, 2014 3:35 PM in response to Niel

I have the old HD contents on another hard drive. I also got Carbon copy as you suggested but it won't let me select the system file. If I transferred the entire contents of the old HD, will the OS be recognized?

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Answer 6

Niel

Level 10

726,749 points

Mar 28, 2014 3:40 PM in response to barrieJay

Yes.

(103649)

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Answer 7

barrieJay Author

Level 1

8 points

Mar 28, 2014 5:25 PM in response to Niel

Carbon copy will not copy my backup files because they were made with time machine. I am now using Disk Utility which will take several hours. There are numerous backups made by time machine over two years. There is a huge number of files such as the system files that are repeated. Will Disc Utility clone all the repeated files? If so, there will be many system folders on the new HD. In this event will the G5 still respond to one of the system folders or Should I delete all the repeated system folders before I put the new HD in the G5?

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Answer 8

Niel

Level 10

726,749 points

Mar 28, 2014 5:47 PM in response to barrieJay

If the backup was made with Time Machine, you won't accomplish anything by cloning the files to the drive. You need to use Time Machine to restore the backup.

(103655)

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Answer 9

barrieJay Author

Level 1

8 points

Mar 29, 2014 12:53 AM in response to Niel

Thank you. I am now using time machine to restore the new HD.

You said in a previous reply that the new HDD didn't show on the G5 because there was not an OS on the HD. Is this also the reason why the G5 would not boot from the CD?

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Answer 10

Niel

Level 10

726,749 points

Mar 29, 2014 6:01 AM in response to barrieJay

No.

(103676)

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Answer 11

barrieJay Author

Level 1

8 points

Mar 29, 2014 6:57 AM in response to Niel

I used time machine to put the system folder on the new Drive and got the same problem. ie G5 didn't see the new HD but it did see the old drive.

1: Is there any way I can transfer the OS from the install discs to the new HD?

2: Any other suggestions?

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Answer 12

Niel

Level 10

726,749 points

Mar 29, 2014 8:08 AM in response to barrieJay

1. No.

2. Try using a newer DVD, or clicking here and following the instructions.

(103681)

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Answer 13

BDAqua

Level 10

238,997 points

Mar 29, 2014 10:49 AM in response to barrieJay

If you're really using 10.3 Install Disk, the problem may be Advanced format on the new drive, only 10.4.11 & up can deal with that, and there were no 10.4.11 Install Disks, so it'd require a 10.5 Install Disc.

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Answer 14

barrieJay Author

Level 1

8 points

Mar 29, 2014 2:53 PM in response to BDAqua

Yes it is a 10.3 disk. I would buy a 10.5 if I can be sure that i could install it on the HD.

At present I am trying to get a new HD to show up on my G5. I thought I had not formatted it correctly. However, since the old drive was visible (with power+option), I reformatted it and used time machine to install a system folder from my time machine G5 backup files. I verified the HD and tried it on the G5 but it didn't show up. I learned from Niel that a HD will not be recognized if it doesn't have a valid OS. Two questions related to the above:

1: Why would my backup system folder not be valid?

2: If I purchased OS 10.5 and it booted the G5, will a newly formatted blank HD be recognized by the G5?

Thank you Niel for the link and thank you BDAqua for your suggestion.

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Answer 15

BDAqua

Level 10

238,997 points

Mar 29, 2014 4:15 PM in response to barrieJay

1: 10.3.x & Advanced Format don't understand each other, not positive that is the whole problem, but likely in my view.

2: The Retail 10.5 Disc should boot any G5...

Leopard requirements/10.5.x...

* Mac computer with an Intel, PowerPC G5, or PowerPC G4 (867MHz or faster) processor

minimum system requirements

* 512MB of memory (I say 1.5GB for PPC at least, 2-3GB minimum for IntelMacs)

* DVD drive for installation

* 9GB of available disk space (I say 30GB at least)

Classic/OS9 Apps no longer supported.

Trouble is Apple no longer sells it, check eBay & such for the Retail version, not the Gray Discs...

http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw=mac+os+x+leopard+retail+10.5

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