iMac G4 Leopard install fail

Question

iMac G4 Leopard install fail

Greedings everyone,

I just got an iMac G4 17" 1.25 ghz without its original keyboard and mouse, so I use a PC keyboard & mouse. Its got tiger and I want to install Leopard on it. I do have the Leopard install DVD, however, it fails. I tried several different methodes but everyone failed. Here is what I've done:

I tried to load the DVD directly into the iMac, but it turns out that the super drive isn't working. I cannot open the super drive when the iMac is turned on, but I can open it when the iMac is turning on (holding the mouse key). Unfortuneatly, it cannot even read any cds/dvds - so i think that its broken.

Secondly, I tried to use an external CD/DVD driver (which works perfectly fine). I inserted the Leopard install DVD in it. iMac recognized it immeadlly and I thought that it will work. The computer asked me to restart (as on every other installation), so I did. The computer restarts, and it logs back to Tiger. I really don't understand why... The external CD/DVD drive is working while the iMac is restarting (its spinning, making noise etc...).

Am I doing something wrong or should I order a new CD/DVD drive for the iMac?

Thanks for helping

Viliam

Posted on Jun 27, 2014 4:57 AM

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Answer 1

Klaus1

Level 9

52,749 points

Jun 27, 2014 5:15 AM in response to Kacerik Viliam

Upgrading the OS from Tiger and Leopard:

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1545?viewlocale=en_US

Installing Leopard OS 10.5:

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1544?viewlocale=en_US

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Answer 2

K Shaffer

Level 7

34,972 points

Jun 28, 2014 12:31 AM in response to Kacerik Viliam

If the external optical drive is a USB version, it won't work as a bootable superdrive

equivalent for a PowerPC Mac, since the USB speed and connections aren't suited.

A second Mac booted into FireWire Target Disk mode, with correct cables, may be

used in conjunction with your iMac G4, to install an OS X; if the second Mac can

support the OS X version you seek to install, that makes it a lot easier.

Or a FireWire external enclosed superdrive equivalent could be used to install OS X

into the computer, if the FW optical drive has an 'oxford-type' chipset. These are

harder to find now, & perhaps companies such as macsales.com (owc) has them.

OWC may be a place to look for a replacement internal optical superdrive, too. With

the iMac G4 open, the PRAM battery can easily be replaced, as well it should be.

Also the factory RAM slot is also accessible. Be sure to match correct high-quality

RAM specific to the Mac, since it can cause plenty of trouble with bad/incorrect RAM.

An external FW drive should have its own power supply, since port power is likely

absent on initial startup; and if using FW externals, as bootable devices, these

should have their own power supply.

To replace the internal optical drive in an iMac G4 can be an involved process, there

are some online instructions from several years back, to show how to go about it.

•Mr Tote's iMac G4:

http://www.mrtotes.co.uk/page1/page1.html

•iMac G4 Take-apart for Drive and RAM upgrades

http://www.xlr8yourmac.com/systems/imac_g4/imacg4_takeapart.html

iMac USB2.0 manual D/L

http://tinyurl.com/iMacG4-USB2-0-manual

The iFixit repair guides online are sparse on some important details in this model.

In any event...

Good luck & happy computing! 🙂

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