Powermac G4 500mhz dp (Gigabit Ethernet)

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newtomac2015 Author

Level 1

8 points

Powermac G4 500mhz dp (Gigabit Ethernet)

Okay, I need some help, I recently bought a powermac g4 500mhz dual processor and am tryin to reinstall the OS as it would not boot, got the flashing file and question mark, i replaced the pram battery and that didnt help. I do not have an install disc for os 9, only iso files on my windows laptop, which for some reason will not burn to a cd, ubuntu will but mac wont. I have read that ubuntu will install to this computer, I just need to do so long enough to put a mac image on it to install. The thing is, I have ubuntu on a disc but the mac refuses to boot from the cd, I thought it was a fualty drive so I disconnected, put it in an external enclosure and hooked it to my laptop, drivers installed, pc recognized it but it never showed up under my computer as a disc drive, I had an extra cd drive, that came out of the enclosure, hooked it back up and the pc can use it, so I put it in the mac and it still will not boot, even holding option and getting to the startup manager, i see no hard drive listed or a disc drive, I don not know what to d now, We have another mac, it's a newer Imac running OSX, it belongs to my dad and is in the pawn shop right now, will have it back next week, would that computer be of any help to my cause or a waste of time, I just really wann get this running and update it to OSX 10.3 and give it to my fiance.

Power Mac G4 (Gigabit), No operating system recognized

Posted on Mar 28, 2016 10:36 AM

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Answer 1

Best reply

a brody

Level 10

82,835 points

Mar 29, 2016 6:16 PM in response to newtomac2015

Since Apple never made those operating systems as images, getting them to work as images for the Mac is going to be pretty difficult, not to mention probably against the license agreement. You are best off getting the retail Tiger or Panther installer disc:

http://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-2831

http://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-2541

As getting the right Mac OS 9 installer disc for it will be very hard.

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Answer 2

Mar 29, 2016 9:27 PM in response to newtomac2015

Re getting an install disk for OS 9, since the G4 Gigabit Ethernet model originally came with OS 9.0.4, it can use either of the last two retail OS 9 Install CDs - the one for OS 9.1, and the one for OS 9.2.1. Retail OS 9 Install CDs have a white label with a large gold 9 on them.

On-line shops like HardcoreMac still offer them, but compare the prices. You may also be able to find one via an Apple User Group.

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Answer 3

a brody

Level 10

82,835 points

Mar 30, 2016 6:39 AM in response to Don Archibald

Those discs look like

And have in fine print the version of 9 written on them without the word Upgrade, Update, Dropin, or OEM on them.

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Answer 4

Limnos

Level 10

411,073 points

Mar 30, 2016 7:05 AM in response to newtomac2015

You ultimately want to upgrade this to 10.3. Why not just take it to 10.3 directly, or better yet Tiger (I was still using Tiger a month ago)? You will need Panther installer discs which will also be tricky to find.

10.3 is a fairly ancient OS version. It is like giving somebody a 30 year old car. If they love old things an are patient with their limitations and accept them then great. If they want a computer to use on the Internet then while a sweet idea you would be better off finding something newer, at least post 2006 and preferably post 2010. A computer that age is a computer user's computer.

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