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spoonyliger

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Nov 18, 2011
19
0
Alright so I got dusty, old PowerPC G4 (3.3) iMac. It's got the half-sphere as the computer and then the screen connected by a silver, gyrating arm. It had the previous owners files and info so I tried to delete them as much as possible and then wipe their account by doing this thing where you go into Single User mode and you remove the applesetupdone file, reboot and do the setup again to make yourself as admin and then delete the older admin account. So here are my issues:

1. Software Update tells me the computer is up to date. It's hard for me to believe that.

2. Safari unexpectedly quits when I type something on the built-in Google Search bar. Safari also seems to have a little trouble loading up apple.com. It's a little bit faulty on some of the pages.

3. I have an Adobe Photoshop CS3 dmg. It opens just fine, but when I click on the Photoshop "Setup" (looks like a blue stripped package/box), you see that box show up on the dock then disappear right away, not being able to start the Setup/Installation. I click it again and now you only see a tiny, faint box show up again and disappear after what it seems like a millisecond.

I would Erase and Install the system if I had an installation CD for Panther. It's currently on OS X 10.3.9.

Help?:apple:

Machine Model: iMac
CPU Type: PowerPC G4 (3.3)
Number Of CPUs: 1
CPU Speed: 1.25 GHz
L2 Cache (per CPU): 256 KB
Memory: 1.25 GB
Bus Speed: 167 MHz
Boot ROM Version: 4.7.8f1
Serial Number: W83484X8QB7

System Version: Mac OS X 10.3.9 (7W98)
Kernel Version: Darwin 7.9.0
Boot Volume: Macintosh HD
 
Last edited:

AQUADock

macrumors 65816
Mar 20, 2011
1,049
37
Buy a Leopard disk from eBay and do a clean install, otherwise nothing else is going to help really.
 

spoonyliger

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Nov 18, 2011
19
0
Buy a Leopard disk from eBay and do a clean install, otherwise nothing else is going to help really.

I actually have Tiger OS X Installation Discs from my PowerBook G4. That would be a version above Panther. Would that work?

Nevermind, I just tried it and it tells me that it can't be installed on this computer.
 
Last edited:

crewkid89

macrumors regular
Jun 16, 2011
242
24
United States
unfortunately those discs will only work on a g4 powerbook. You either need the discs for the specific iMac model you have or a retail install disc.
 

AQUADock

macrumors 65816
Mar 20, 2011
1,049
37
Most likely no, you could give it a try but im sure it will give you a kernel panic. Otherwise you a retail disk.

Edit: you beat me to it crewkid89
 

spoonyliger

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Nov 18, 2011
19
0
Wait, but ins't Leopard an Intel-based OS? This is a PowerPC I'm trying to work with. It doesn't have Intel.
 

666sheep

macrumors 68040
Dec 7, 2009
3,686
291
Poland
Snow Leopard is Intel only, Leopard is PPC/Intel.

You can install this 10.4 from PB discs using Target Disk Mode (if you still have this PB) -> iMac HDD should be the target. You need firewire cable only.
 

AQUADock

macrumors 65816
Mar 20, 2011
1,049
37
Leopard is for PPC and Intel maybe your thinking about Snow Leopard which is for intel only.
 

spoonyliger

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Nov 18, 2011
19
0
Leopard is for PPC and Intel maybe your thinking about Snow Leopard which is for intel only.

Ah, I see. Yea, I guess that's what I got it confused with.
Alright, I'm going to try those ideas and I'll come back to report.
Thank you.
 

spoonyliger

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Nov 18, 2011
19
0
Okay. I was able to upgrade to Tiger (10.4) by using Target Disk mode with my PowerBook G4 as the FireWire host.

I had trouble ejecting the iMac PowerPC out of the PowerBook though. It just wouldn't eject. Anyways, I just turned both computers off, turned them back on and everything was gravy. Thank you.
 
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