iMac G3 won't allow an upgrade; please help :)

[igucl]

I'm trying to help a friend upgrade an old iMac that he bought on eBay.

The trouble is that the previous owner did not clean the system before shipping it. When we try to do a clean install of Panther, it says it needs a firmware update. In order to do the update, we have to have the password, right? Well, I did reset the password in the installer menu, but when we try to log in with the new password, it doesn't let us in. We just want to wipe this thing and start from scratch, but we can't figure out how to get past this. Now, when we go back to try to change the password, it won't even show any users on the drive. I've tried over and over again to do the installation, but it always says it needs the firmware update, which is fine, but I have no way of giving it the update it so desperately needs, unless it allows me to log in to get it.

Please help if you know how to get around this. Thank you so much MacRumors folks.

 

[Leareth]

OK which iMac G3 is it? What OS is on it now?
Do you have a OS 9 disc too?
If you do just boot off that and delete the hard drive and do a fresh install afterwards.
Are you getting the hard drive on the install screen?

 

[Lord Blackadder]

In order to do a firmware update, you need to boot into OS9...although I'm puzzled that it's already running panther but claiming it needs a firmware update.

You'll need to get your hands on an OS 9 install disc and the firmware updater from Apple's website. Once that is done use the OS 9 boot disc to reformat the hard drive, then install OS X.

It's possible that it might need a replacement PRAM battery as well.

 

[Nermal]

In order to do a firmware update, you need to boot into OS9...although I'm puzzled that it's already running panther but claiming it needs a firmware update.

I recently bought a blue and white G3 with Panther installed, and it needed a firmware update too. What are people doing to these poor systems?

 

[Lord Blackadder]

I didn't think it was possible to be running 10.3.x on a G3 and still need a firmware update...

 

[igucl]

Thank you all for the very helpful replies!

The computer is a graphite 500 Mhz, and it is actually running Jaguar 10.2.8 currently. I have not tried any of your suggestions yet, because I don't have an OS 9 CD, but I will eventually. Thanks again. MacRumors has again proven to be an outstanding resource.

 

[Nermal]

I didn't think it was possible to be running 10.3.x on a G3 and still need a firmware update...

I'm not sure that Panther checks for it (at least on a B&W). It wasn't until I tried to install OS 9 that I was told it needed an update.

 

[California]

toss out the old hard drive and get a new cheaper and faster and better one. I think you can get like a 40gb Hitachi deskstar 7200rpm for under forty bucks. I don't recall ever firmware updating on ANY of the ten or so G3 iMacs I've updated over the years. But I've only updated them to Panther or Tiger, never Jaguar. Problems with Jaguar, I think. Also make sure you've got enuf memory. I have a 128mb ram stick for that computer if you want it, eight bucks shipped.

 

[igucl]

I'm not trying to go to Jaguar, actually. It already has Jaguar, and I'm trying to go to Panther.

We may be interested in that RAM. I'll get back to you.

 

[California]

Forgot to tell you. I have the whole packet of discs for an iMac G3 500mhz. Plus the booklet.

 

[igucl]

Forgot to tell you. I have the whole packet of discs for an iMac G3 500mhz. Plus the booklet.

Wow. Would you be interested in selling that? How much?