how do i install mac os x on powerbook g3 lappy?

[furius styles]

hello, when i start the laptop i get this image of a disk with a flashing "?"
so, i bought mac os x to re install but even if i hold down c nothing happens.
can you help me please! i just spent $130.00 on software i cant install!

[tdhurst]

Shoulda checked that. That powerbook have built in usb? If it doesn't, you have to use x-post facto to get it to work. It's quite old. Are you using the DVD install disc or the cd?

[furius styles]

Shoulda checked that. That powerbook have built in usb? If it doesn't, you have to use x-post facto to get it to work. It's quite old. Are you using the DVD install disc or the cd?
yes it has usb, im using the cd 10.3 ...it has four cd's and a disc called xcode tools.

[wrldwzrd89]

yes it has usb, im using the cd 10.3 ...it has four cd's and a disc called xcode tools.
Try holding down the option key when your PowerBook boots and tell us what volumes you see there and which ones boot okay.

[furius styles]

nothing happens when i press the key...i still get a image of a disk with a flashing "?"...what do i do?

[yellow]

Make sure you only have 128MB of RAM in there when you're doing the install. It'll save you a lot of headaches. You can put more RAM in when you're done installing it.

[furius styles]

does anyone have any other suggestions? :confused:

[Horrortaxi]

PRAM and Firmware. Boot the computer while holding command option P R and hold that until you hear the startup gong 4 times. Then hold command option O F until you get a white screen telling you to let go. Type reset-nvram and hit enter. Type reset-all and hit enter again. The computer will reboot and stands a fair chance of booting to your hard drive unless you hold C or option.

[jsw]

Which G3 PB is it?

[furius styles]

it's all black with black keyboard..wallstreet i think.

[jsw]

Unfortunately, to the best of my memory, Panther installations on Wallstreets are not officially supported, therefore you might be better off looking into X-post Facto, as was recommended above.

I might be wrong, though, of course!

[yellow]

it's all black with black keyboard..wallstreet i think.

It's not a wallstreet. Wallsreets didn't have built-in USB. Does it have firewire? If it does, it's a Pismo. The earliest G3 laptop to have built-in USB would be the Lombard which has an orange/bronze keyboard.

Either of those should run Panther.

[furius styles]

i thank everyone for their help but there is one major problem.
i still cannot get passed the screen where there is a image of a disk with a flashing "?". im stumped :confused:

[yellow]

Reboot, hold down Option. Select the volume you want to start from. If the OSX CD doesn't appear on that screen, then you're not going to be booting from your OSX CDs to install. Then it's onto plan B, like trying to figure out which model PB you have..

[jsw]

It's not a wallstreet. Wallsreets didn't have built-in USB. Does it have firewire? If it does, it's a Pismo. The earliest G3 laptop to have built-in USB would be the Lombard which has an orange/bronze keyboard.

Either of those should run Panther.
I can verify that my Lombard does, in fact, run Panther.
Just out of curiosity, have your tried other CDs just to make sure your drive isn't flaky?

[yellow]

I can verify that my Lombard does, in fact, run Panther.

Definitely. I've installed Panther on 2 Lombards. It works suprisingly well. One won't be doing a lot of intense computations (in a timely manner) on a Lombard, but it surpised me with it's 'snappiness'.

I guess "should" was a poor choice of words. I mean "will (without xpostfacto)" :)