error while installing

Hi hboker,

first of all: WELCOME TO THE DISCUSSIONS!

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Does that Mac meet the minimum system requirements for Tiger (especially does it have a DVD drive): Mac OS X: System Requirements?

What kind of install disks did you buy (black retail full install or gray hardware specific install disks)?

Welcome to Apple Discussions!

I think the spec hadn't been updated. There is fundamentally very little difference between 10.4.8 and 10.4.7. It is possible the hard drive of the machine you bought is bad, or the optical drive drive you have in the machine is dirty, or the installation disc is damaged. Take the machine over to an Apple authorized service center and have them attempt to do an erase and install with their retail discs. If it doesn't work from them, you've at least eliminated the discs being a problem. The authorized service centers can be found on http://www.apple.com/buy/

Can you at least identify your PowerMac G4 more clearly?

Use this article:

http://www.info.apple.com/kbnum/n58418

I'll check the spec page you went to and inform the people who can update the page that it theoretically should read 10.4.8. Also, is there a DVD-ROM drive on your machine, and is it the machine's original DVD-ROM drive? If it isn't that may affect the ability of the installation to work properly. Any addon third-party USB, Firewire, or PCI cards, or zip drives may affect the ability of the installation to work.

hboker,

this sounds good. How much RAM does it have? Can you access the system profiler (Apple-menu -> About this Mac -> More Information)? What kind of install disks do you use?

Apple History is not updated all the time. These are the official specs for the Sawtooth:

http://support.apple.com/specs/powermac/PowerMac_G4AGP.html

Don't use serial number decoders on any machine you buy and register yourself. Granted since you bought this from an eBay person, you are only putting them at security risk more than yourself, but if you do buy a new machine yourself, don't use any serial number decoders other than Apple's own support website.

You could have told if you had an original DVD drive before you erased the operating system from the System Profiler in Apple menu -> About This Mac -> More Info. But now since it is erased, you'll have to go inside and look for the Apple logo on the DVD module that is inside your machine, which should have a big sticky label on its outer casing. If there is no Apple logo or Apple name on it, it is not the original drive.

Don't post your serial number on Discussions. I've asked for it to be removed. Discussions is not a secure website as far as serial numbers are concerned.

Matshita is a brand Apple uses a lot for the built-in drives of their machines. It is not very likely to have been installed third party, but you can check.

The zip drive that is internal which you have mentioned may have caused the error.

You have enough RAM, but they are of different speeds.
According to Apple's spec article, which I mentioned earlier, it only takes:
PC100. Thus your PC133 RAM could be the cause of the error, since Mac OS X has a tendency to only like RAM that is to spec. I'd replace it all with supported PC100 modules, by vendors on my FAQ*:

http://www.macmaps.com/Macosxspeed.html#RAM

The firmware version is up to date, so that's not a problem.

The profiler should also mention if the DVD drive is an Apple supported under the IDE bus info, if it doesn't then it might only when you have Mac OS X installed.

Serial numbers among other things can be used to identify you via what warranty you have. Someone with your serial number could pose as you and take your rights to have AppleCare on a new machine. Suffice it to say, never give it to anyplace public, except Apple's support search engine which tells you how long you have left on your AppleCare, and to AppleCare directly. This being a user to user public board, is not a place to put your serial number. It may be confusing being under the Support link of the website, but it has very little relation to your AppleCare service other than many end users can offer help, and Apple monitors the boards for suggestions from time to time, and may update their knowledgebase accordingly. At least that's the way it appears to me. What other actual basis as part of AppleCare is unknown to me, since I don't work for Apple.

* Links to my FAQs may give me compensation.

Try removing the zip drive first.

And replacing the 256 with 512 is not a bad idea. RAM is so cheap nowadays!

I suspect you may have a bad installation disc if an erase and install won't install properly. If the get replacement discs and they still don't work, then it is a dirty optical drive.

RAM should be of the same speed and latency across the board, and to specs for your Mac model. According to specs:

http://support.apple.com/specs/powermac/PowerMac_G4AGP.html

That means your PC133 RAM is out of spec. It is possible the RAM is mislabelled, or the system profiler is inaccurately reporting the RAM. Given the latency is different, I would be more trusting of the profiler. The latency is the 222 versus 335 reading. While it is true under some Mac models like the iMac G4 that the system profiler misreports the RAM:

http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=88328

I'm more believing of its reading here because the latency is different.

Cleaning an optical drive is best done by an authorized technician.
The DVD drive from a G3 can't necessarily replace it unless it is the exact same model and make, or designed to work with the same DVD decoder software/hardware. http://www.macsales.com/ is the only place I know that sells known compatible internal optical drives. You may find others on http://www.xlr8yourmac.com/

It helps also if the drive is known to work with http://www.patchburn.de/ so you might want to contact them as well.