Used Mac Pro G5 no operating system need help!!

[zpaitsel]

thanks in advance here, I am new to MAC. I am very proficient in PC to the point of running a network. I just have never used mac.

Getting to the point, I was given three MAC pro G5 (2004) I replaced the motherboard and it works.. although I don't believe there is any operating system on the HDD. I am looking for a guide or instructions telling me how to install the OSX, additionally It is a 8 ram slot machine with what appears to be dual(watercooled ... looks like a radiator for a heatsink) cpu chips.

Right now I am running 2(1gb) sticks of Ram. I am using a windows keyboard and trying to translate the keys.

Is there a boot menu I can boot into to change the boot order to boot to cd rom, and I think i read somewhere I can just push the power on while holding down the mouse key and insert the disc for the OSX.. will it then just run and install like a p.c. ?? or is there something I'm missing here..

sorry again just not much experience with MAC and I am trying to get experience

 

[Neodym]

Have the OSX CD inserted into the optical drive and when the chime sounded after reboot/cold start, press 'c' and keep it down until the machine boots from the CD. Installation then runs automatically as you know it from Windows.

Make sure the OSX CD is Leopard (10.5) or OLDER, as newer OS releases don't support the PPC CPU in the Powermacs anymore...

 

[flatfoot]

Have the OSX CD inserted into the optical drive and when the chime sounded after reboot/cold start, press 'c' and keep it down until the machine boots from the CD. Installation then runs automatically as you know it from Windows.

Make sure the OSX CD is Leopard (10.5) or OLDER, as newer OS releases don't support the PPC CPU in the Powermacs anymore...

That – and you're informed correctly about the part about holding down the mouse button. At least for wired mice that should work, too.

 

[minifridge1138]

Another option is to hold the "ALT" key as the computer starts.
That should give you the boot selector menu.

From there you can pick hard drive or optical drive.

You can find a 10.5 install disk on eBay or Craigslist. You'll either need a retail disk (universal install) or the grey restore disk for a PowerMac (grey disks are machine specific so an iMac disk won't work for your machine).

Congrats on the G5. It's still a very capable machine, just not a very supported one.

 

[zpaitsel]

omg so frustrated

ok, here it goes in a nutshell, I didn't know i had it but i have the osx cd only cd installation 1 which is 10.4 (suppose that is tiger from my research) I am using a windows keyboard holding down c... boots to apple logo and goes to a previous user(in this case national geographic .. yes the magazine) so.. i want to install a fresh copy over the hdd.. i dont care what was on there .. i just need to get this osx up and running ...lol, I can honestly say i have never been so frustrated in my live on any pc i have ever used.. but i want to learn mac (not a good experience so far..lol)

long story short i hold down the alt key which in conver is the option i believe and i get 4 different boot options... that stays for about oh... 35 seconds then the entire thing freezes up and I can't choose an option... is there anyway to bipass this password and reset and just totally erase... or what .. sorry for whining like a girl here.. but I am simply frustrated... I am again very verse in p.c.. i can flash phone's, mod xbox's, program cable modem's, mod wii, ps3 ect.. but all using pc... this is why i want to learn mac... i feel incomplete.. lmao...

thanks again for all your guys' help

 

[minifridge1138]

Sorry to hear your experience hasn't been good so far.

If you just let it boot normally, can you login or does the user require a password?

You can reset the password, but that requires booting off of the CD.
If you're booting off of the CD, then you can re-format the HDD and re-install OSX.

It shouldn't freeze when you get the boot selector. I'm not sure about that.

Can you select the CD before it freezes?
After it starts to boot off the CD, it will take a few minutes before anything shows up. You'll see a grey screen and a blue screen with a spinning pinwheel/beachball.

What CD do you have? Is it Grey? What does it say on it?

 

[zpaitsel]

Sorry to hear your experience hasn't been good so far.

If you just let it boot normally, can you login or does the user require a password?

You can reset the password, but that requires booting off of the CD.
If you're booting off of the CD, then you can re-format the HDD and re-install OSX.

It shouldn't freeze when you get the boot selector. I'm not sure about that.

Can you select the CD before it freezes?
After it starts to boot off the CD, it will take a few minutes before anything shows up. You'll see a grey screen and a blue screen with a spinning pinwheel/beachball.

What CD do you have? Is it Grey? What does it say on it?

yes, it is a grey installation dvd says 10.4 on the cover says hold c to start from mac os x and to use apple hardware test hold down the option key as the computer starts up... so i hold c and it goes to a log on screen .. (which I do not know the username or password) seems like if i knew the password and username it would boot into the osx ..also it says to use apple hardware test hold down the option key as the computer starts up... then it boots into a menu like deal which is where it freezes and won't let me select the option..(shows like a watch turning then freezes)

 

[goMac]

yes, it is a grey installation dvd says 10.4 on the cover says hold c to start from mac os x and to use apple hardware test hold down the option key as the computer starts up... so i hold c and it goes to a log on screen .. (which I do not know the username or password) seems like if i knew the password and username it would boot into the osx ..also it says to use apple hardware test hold down the option key as the computer starts up... then it boots into a menu like deal which is where it freezes and won't let me select the option..(shows like a watch turning then freezes)

The gray ones are normally for specific Macs and don't work on other ones. What kind of Mac is that install disk for? It should say on the disk.

Aside from that, make sure you are holding down C as soon as the computer boots. Pretty much as soon as it makes the chime noise. If you can see the Apple logo, you're too late.

 

[zpaitsel]

The gray ones are normally for specific Macs and don't work on other ones. What kind of Mac is that install disk for? It should say on the disk.

Aside from that, make sure you are holding down C as soon as the computer boots. Pretty much as soon as it makes the chime noise. If you can see the Apple logo, you're too late.

it says power mac g5 on the disc // i am holding c before I even push the power button i just dont know why it freezes... nor do i understand why it tries to let me log on ... is there any way to bypass the logon screen.. this is a new logic board( i just replaced it) and i replaced the cmos battery finally i got to the apple screen.. i just can't seem to get any further.. i have even tried to boot a backup copy of a mac osx 3 diff versions.. and still no luck..i burned using transmac software on my pc. I also tried to burn using imgburn and changing the .dmg to a .iso..

 

[goMac]

it says power mac g5 on the disc // i am holding c before I even push the power button i just dont know why it freezes... nor do i understand why it tries to let me log on ... is there any way to bypass the logon screen.. this is a new logic board( i just replaced it) and i replaced the cmos battery finally i got to the apple screen.. i just can't seem to get any further.. i have even tried to boot a backup copy of a mac osx 3 diff versions.. and still no luck..i burned using transmac software on my pc. I also tried to burn using imgburn and changing the .dmg to a .iso..

It's possible it's firmware locked, which would be a bigger problem.

Unfortunately I don't know the key combo to boot it to open firmware mode on a windows keyboard. Anyone want to help out with that?

 

[flatfoot]

it says power mac g5 on the disc // i am holding c before I even push the power button i just dont know why it freezes... nor do i understand why it tries to let me log on ... is there any way to bypass the logon screen.. this is a new logic board( i just replaced it) and i replaced the cmos battery finally i got to the apple screen.. i just can't seem to get any further.. i have even tried to boot a backup copy of a mac osx 3 diff versions.. and still no luck..i burned using transmac software on my pc. I also tried to burn using imgburn and changing the .dmg to a .iso..

To reinstall you have to get it to boot from an install disc.

There were several revisions of the Power Mac G5. Maybe the install disc is for a different one than yours. Try to get your hands on a retail (i.e. not grey) 10.5 install DVD via eBay.

Another idea: It might be that the boot selector doesn't work (properly) due to the non-Apple keyboard you're using.

 

[Winni]

thanks in advance here, I am new to MAC. I am very proficient in PC to the point of running a network. I just have never used mac.

Getting to the point, I was given three MAC pro G5 (2004) I replaced the motherboard and it works.. although I don't believe there is any operating system on the HDD. I am looking for a guide or instructions telling me how to install the OSX, additionally It is a 8 ram slot machine with what appears to be dual(watercooled ... looks like a radiator for a heatsink) cpu chips.

Right now I am running 2(1gb) sticks of Ram. I am using a windows keyboard and trying to translate the keys.

Is there a boot menu I can boot into to change the boot order to boot to cd rom, and I think i read somewhere I can just push the power on while holding down the mouse key and insert the disc for the OSX.. will it then just run and install like a p.c. ?? or is there something I'm missing here..

sorry again just not much experience with MAC and I am trying to get experience

Forget about OS X. Apple no longer supports PowerPC-versions of their software, and almost all third party vendors dropped the support, too.

Install Linux on that machine, you'll be MUCH happier with it.

Daily builds of the forthcoming Ubuntu 12.04 LTS release are once again available for PowerPC machines:

http://cdimage.ubuntu.com/daily-live/current/

If you prefer Mint, you can get it from here:

http://www.mintppc.org/content/installation-instructions-mintppc-11

You can also download Fedora 16 for 64-Bit PowerPCs from one of those mirrors:

https://mirrors.fedoraproject.org/publiclist/Fedora/16/ppc64/

Debian, of course, is also available for PowerPC machines and there is even a FreeBSD port available.

In other words, there are many operating systems available for your PowerMac that are still very much ALIVE. You're better off using one of those.

Just my unpopular two cents.

 

[Neodym]

Did you reset the PMU after you replaced the logic board? Not sure it would solve your problems, just for the sake of completeness...

More helpful may be the following:

If there is a firmware password on your Powermac, you can force reset it by doing the following:

1. Turn off the Powermac and physically add or remove a Ram stick, so that the installed amount of memory in the machine changes.
2. Reset PRAM/NVRAM 3 consecutive time by cold-starting the Powermac and pressing Command-Alt-P-R when the chime sounds. Keep those keys pressed until until you have heard the chime three more times.

Now your computer is completely reset to factory settings and the password gone, so you should be able to normally boot and install a fresh copy of OS X according to the procedures described earlier in this thread. Don't forget to put back the mem stick if you removed one.

Oh btw. - if you want to boot into Open Firmware, keep Command-Option-O-F pressed when the chime sounds. You can do many things there which could have negative effects, so better read some manual about the possibilities and available commands before you experiment! Though normally you should not need to go there - simply remove the password and install OS X.

 

[zpaitsel]

I can give that a shot for now I suppose and use another os like ubuntu ect.. although what if I changed the HDD completely would that make a difference or is the f/w lock on the hardware itself ??

 

[goMac]

I can give that a shot for now I suppose and use another os like ubuntu ect.. although what if I changed the HDD completely would that make a difference or is the f/w lock on the hardware itself ??

If you know what a BIOS password is on the PC, it's the exact same thing. It's a lockout on the motherboard that keeps you from changing the boot settings.

 

[zpaitsel]

Did you reset the PMU after you replaced the logic board? Not sure it would solve your problems, just for the sake of completeness...

More helpful may be the following:

If there is a firmware password on your Powermac, you can force reset it by doing the following:

1. Turn off the Powermac and physically add or remove a Ram stick, so that the installed amount of memory in the machine changes.
2. Reset PRAM/NVRAM 3 consecutive time by cold-starting the Powermac and pressing Command-Alt-P-R when the chime sounds. Keep those keys pressed until until you have heard the chime three more times.

Now your computer is completely reset to factory settings and the password gone, so you should be able to normally boot and install a fresh copy of OS X according to the procedures described earlier in this thread. Don't forget to put back the mem stick if you removed one.

Oh btw. - if you want to boot into Open Firmware, keep Command-Option-O-F pressed when the chime sounds. You can do many things there which could have negative effects, so better read some manual about the possibilities and available commands before you experiment! Though normally you should not need to go there - simply remove the password and install OS X.

I will give this a try when I get home and see what happens I believe this may be the problem, we shall see! I will report back tonight..

oh and thank you guys for all your help..!!!!

 

[C. Alan]

Forget about OS X. Apple no longer supports PowerPC-versions of their software, and almost all third party vendors dropped the support, too.

Install Linux on that machine, you'll be MUCH happier with it.

Daily builds of the forthcoming Ubuntu 12.04 LTS release are once again available for PowerPC machines:

http://cdimage.ubuntu.com/daily-live/current/

If you prefer Mint, you can get it from here:

http://www.mintppc.org/content/installation-instructions-mintppc-11

You can also download Fedora 16 for 64-Bit PowerPCs from one of those mirrors:

https://mirrors.fedoraproject.org/publiclist/Fedora/16/ppc64/

Debian, of course, is also available for PowerPC machines and there is even a FreeBSD port available.

In other words, there are many operating systems available for your PowerMac that are still very much ALIVE. You're better off using one of those.

Just my unpopular two cents.

This is an interesting idea. Reciently on fee-bay, I have seen a lot of old G5 Mac Pro's go for very cheap because they don't have operating systems on them. My 2006 Imac reciently died, and was condsidering picking up one of these as a replacement. The Imac mainly gets used by the kids, and I wanted to stick with OSX because it is pretty hard to screw up, and Linux would be just as hard to mess with if configured properly.
--C. Alan

 

[zpaitsel]

If you know what a BIOS password is on the PC, it's the exact same thing. It's a lockout on the motherboard that keeps you from changing the boot settings.

that's what i was figuring... the wierd part is .. i changed the logicboard so it is a new logicboard not the original one.. when i booted the hdd up did it transfer that security to the new logicboard??

 

[666sheep]

that's what i was figuring... the wierd part is .. i changed the logicboard so it is a new logicboard not the original one.. when i booted the hdd up did it transfer that security to the new logicboard??

Nope. It's not on HDD. OF (and password too) is stored in chip soldered on logic board.

But even if OF password is enabled machine shouldn't freeze. You should rather see on the screen something like below:

Back to your problem: did you perform thermal calibration for new logic board? You need Apple Service Diagnostics disc (ver. 2.5.8 IIRC) to do that. It's required to calibrate thermal sensors on CPUs and logic board. It's standard procedure when you replace CPU(s) or board.

Freezes (esp. before OS wil load up) usually mean hardware problem, so I'd check that first. Overheating could be second issue. Get ASD and perform thermal calibration and full hardware test (if you'll be able to boot your machine first OFC).

 

[zpaitsel]

Nope. It's not on HDD. OF (and password too) is stored in chip soldered on logic board.

But even if OF password is enabled machine shouldn't freeze. You should rather see on the screen something like below:

Image

Back to your problem: did you perform thermal calibration for new logic board? You need Apple Service Diagnostics disc (ver. 2.5.8 IIRC) to do that. It's required to calibrate thermal sensors on CPUs and logic board. It's standard procedure when you replace CPU(s) or board.

Freezes (esp. before OS wil load up) usually mean hardware problem, so I'd check that first. Overheating could be second issue. Get ASD and perform thermal calibration and full hardware test (if you'll be able to boot your machine first OFC).

no i did not perform a calibration, although i did read something about that controlling the cpu temp and fan speed. But it seems i can't boot to a cd, so does that mean i need to go into OFM to run from the dvd??

 

[goMac]

This may be a silly question... when you changed the logic board, did you make sure to hook up the data cable for the cd drive?

 

[zpaitsel]

I will give this a try when I get home and see what happens I believe this may be the problem, we shall see! I will report back tonight..

oh and thank you guys for all your help..!!!!

Ok, I physically removed a stick from each side of the memory banks, Then I got an apple keyboard(borrowed from a friend).

I started the computer from scratch after it sat for about a day. I held down the command, alt, p, r right at the chime and i can't get any more chimes.... am I doing something incorrectly here ?? Additionally I tried holding them down before I had someone else push the power button on the front and still can't get any chimes..

and to answer the other guys' question.. all the connections are confirmed on the logicboard.. i have went over them three times.

 

[666sheep]

Press (and hold) keys before chime.

 

[flatfoot]

...and/or try using a different USB port.

 

[Neodym]

Sorry for being not precise enough: You need to keep the command and option keys on BOTH sides of the keyboard pressed down (i usually use one thumb per either side for both keys) together with the p and r keys.