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Can't Install Tiger on PowerPC G4

aaronhead14

aaronhead14

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Mar 9, 2009
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Hello,

I just obtained a PowerPC G4 Tower, but there was no hard drive in it. Because of this, i put in an older 20 gb hard drive i had just laying around. It is from an old Windows PC I had, but I dont know if thats a problem or not.
Anyways, when I try to boot from the Tiger disc, nothing happens. I have tried holding down C when I turn the mac on, but that doesn't help at all. I just always get the mac icon with a question mark in the middle of the screen.
I am just wondering, is this anything to do with the PC hard drive I put in the mac? Or is there something else that I am doing wrong? I just want Tiger to be installed on the computer.

Thanks
 
Mariusz1977

Mariusz1977

macrumors member
Nov 21, 2008
43
0
Check to see what kind of optical drive is inside the mac. If it's a CD drive, and the Tiger disk is a DVD, then it won't boot to the disk & this is one condition where you'll get the "Question Mark". I've made this mistake :)
 
aaronhead14

aaronhead14

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Mar 9, 2009
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Yeah, I made sure that it was a DVD drive that I was using, so that shouldn't be the problem. But yeah, i believe that there were some things on the hard drive. Its a 20gb hard drive, and i think there were some photos or something on it. But does it make a difference that i took it out of a Windows PC? Im wondering, do i need to reformat it or something?

Thanks:apple:
 
California

California

macrumors 68040
Aug 21, 2004
3,885
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aaronhead14 said:
Yeah, I made sure that it was a DVD drive that I was using, so that shouldn't be the problem. But yeah, i believe that there were some things on the hard drive. Its a 20gb hard drive, and i think there were some photos or something on it. But does it make a difference that i took it out of a Windows PC? Im wondering, do i need to reformat it or something?

Thanks:apple:
Click to expand...

Yes you do.

Go to disk utility and erase and reformat.
 
aaronhead14

aaronhead14

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Mar 9, 2009
1,229
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Yes you do.

Go to disk utility and erase and reformat.
Click to expand...

Yeah, but I can't go into Disk Utility when I don't have an OS installed. That's what I'm trying to do; install OS X Tiger.
 
G

G4DP

macrumors 65816
Mar 28, 2007
1,451
3
You can access disk utility from the install disk, the system does not need to be installed.
 
aaronhead14

aaronhead14

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Mar 9, 2009
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Oh cool! yeah, I didn't know that. Thanks. But how exactly do you get into Disk Utility? Is there a keyboard command that needs to be pressed when it's booting up?

Thanks a ton :apple:
 
S

simplymuzik3

macrumors 6502a
Jan 29, 2009
589
0
During the install process at the status bar at the top of the screen, there should be a tab called UTILITIES?. I dont remember what its called. Just check each tab, and one of them has DISK UTILITY listed in them. Then just click it to run it. Sorry, but I dont remember what its called, just quickly check all the tabs. And you do this before actually installing anything, and even before you select a drive to install on. If you want you can do a FULL format instead of a QUICK format. To do this, when in disk utility, and when you're ready to erase the disk, there should be a button towards the bottom right of the screen that says security options. Click it and make sure ZERO OUT DATA is selected(Im pretty sure its zero out data). This type of format will fully erase everything. Then you can proceed to install as you normally would. Hope this helps you. Post if your unclear about anything. :)
 
aaronhead14

aaronhead14

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Mar 9, 2009
1,229
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ok cool, thanks. the only problem though is that i cant get past that dumb mac/question mark icon when i turn the mac on. Even when hold down C and try to boot from the disc i still get the icon. :( ahh! i dont know what to do!
 
California

California

macrumors 68040
Aug 21, 2004
3,885
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aaronhead14 said:
ok cool, thanks. the only problem though is that i cant get past that dumb mac/question mark icon when i turn the mac on. Even when hold down C and try to boot from the disc i still get the icon. :( ahh! i dont know what to do!
Click to expand...

Try holding the D key down. For DVD. It should get you past the question mark.

You are trying to boot from a retail version of Tiger, not an install disc from a specific computer, right?
 
aaronhead14

aaronhead14

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Mar 9, 2009
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Okay, I tried holding down the D key, but that didn't do it either! I keep getting that same question mark icon. On the icon there's a purple folder, and on that folder is the mac logo and question mark that keep flashing back and forth. Here's an image:

IMG_1243.jpg


Thanks
 
aaronhead14

aaronhead14

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Mar 9, 2009
1,229
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Alright guys, thanks for all your help. But I just figured out that my dvd drive was the problem. It wasnt reading my boot disc correctly, so i replaced it with another one i had and that fixed my whole problem. But thanks anyways guys!
 
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