Can I combine a G4 with a G5?

[visvaldis]

I have a Mac G4 (MDD, dual, 1.25MHZ, OS X 10.5) which has problems lately. Don't now if it's logic board or what. A thread with problems is already posted (Help! My Mac G4 (MDD) won't start).
I am looking to buy a used G5 that runs great. However, the person didn't supply details about the G5. Just that it has Adobe's CS4.
On my G4 hard drive I have a whole lot of things I need.
Would it be possible to remove the G5 hard drive and replace it with the
G4 (80 GB) hard drive? Or can I upload everything from the G4 hard drive to the G5 hard drive? How can I do this if the G4 won't start?
I have a new Mac-mini (10.7), with no software, nor internet connection. I seldom use it, turn it on about once per week. My G4 and all the stuff on it is super important.
Sorry, I'm not a seasoned Mac mechanic. All I've done is replaced the optical drive and power supply, removed and replaced hard drive, removed fans, disconnected cables, thoroughly cleaned. Actually, when I open the Mac I cannot identify parts. For example, what and where is the video card? Which part is the actual CPU? Dual core means what? I know the PMU button and RAM slots.
Thanks to anyone who can help.

 

[gavinstubbs09]

Usually you can take the hard drive out and swap from one machine to another. In some cases you may need to reinstall the OS using the Archive and Install as this will keep your programs and data, only reinstalling the core OS again.

 

[barkmonster]

I have a Mac G4 (MDD, dual, 1.25MHZ, OS X 10.5) which has problems lately. Don't now if it's logic board or what. A thread with problems is already posted (Help! My Mac G4 (MDD) won't start).
I am looking to buy a used G5 that runs great. However, the person didn't supply details about the G5. Just that it has Adobe's CS4.
On my G4 hard drive I have a whole lot of things I need.
Would it be possible to remove the G5 hard drive and replace it with the
G4 (80 GB) hard drive? Or can I upload everything from the G4 hard drive to the G5 hard drive? How can I do this if the G4 won't start?
I have a new Mac-mini (10.7), with no software, nor internet connection. I seldom use it, turn it on about once per week. My G4 and all the stuff on it is super important.
Sorry, I'm not a seasoned Mac mechanic. All I've done is replaced the optical drive and power supply, removed and replaced hard drive, removed fans, disconnected cables, thoroughly cleaned. Actually, when I open the Mac I cannot identify parts. For example, what and where is the video card? Which part is the actual CPU? Dual core means what? I know the PMU button and RAM slots.
Thanks to anyone who can help.

Any used Intel Mac would be a better option. You're fighting a lost cause staying PPC.

There's universal drive adapters to re-use the internal drives for backup or help with data transfer. I got a USB 2.0 to SATA/ATA adapter for £9 and use the old drives from several generations of G3/G4s with them. If it's Mac OS X to Mac OS X, you can just use Migration Assistant on the new system to move everything over from the G4 to the Intel model.

 

[G4fanboy]

You can REUSE the DVD-CD rom and the graphics card from the G5 on the G4.
You will have to make The 3 and 11 pins mod
The HD will need an adapter sata-ata if you want to use the sata G5 disk on the G4.
Tune a G5 is harder than a G4. Recap the MDD power supply if you can. Or buy another MDD to build one working...

 

[eyoungren]

Any used Intel Mac would be a better option. You're fighting a lost cause staying PPC.

Sigh.

Why are you posting this on a PowerPC forum?

Why would we be in here if we were not intent on fighting a lost cause?

 

[bigeasy_uk]

I have a Mac G4 (MDD, dual, 1.25MHZ, OS X 10.5) which has problems lately. Don't now if it's logic board or what. A thread with problems is already posted (Help! My Mac G4 (MDD) won't start).
I am looking to buy a used G5 that runs great. However, the person didn't supply details about the G5. Just that it has Adobe's CS4.
On my G4 hard drive I have a whole lot of things I need.
Would it be possible to remove the G5 hard drive and replace it with the
G4 (80 GB) hard drive? Or can I upload everything from the G4 hard drive to the G5 hard drive? How can I do this if the G4 won't start?
I have a new Mac-mini (10.7), with no software, nor internet connection. I seldom use it, turn it on about once per week. My G4 and all the stuff on it is super important.
Sorry, I'm not a seasoned Mac mechanic. All I've done is replaced the optical drive and power supply, removed and replaced hard drive, removed fans, disconnected cables, thoroughly cleaned. Actually, when I open the Mac I cannot identify parts. For example, what and where is the video card? Which part is the actual CPU? Dual core means what? I know the PMU button and RAM slots.
Thanks to anyone who can help.

Not trying to be funny, but why are you even thinking about buying a G5 when you have a system that's twice as quick that you hardly use? What will you be using the G5 for?

 

[0007776]

If it's a powermac G5 there should be space for a second hard drive in there, pull the one from your G4 and put it in the G5 then copy over what you need onto the main drive in the G5.

 

[barkmonster]

Sigh.

Why are you posting this on a PowerPC forum?

Why would we be in here if we were not intent on fighting a lost cause?

I was responding to a Forum Spy post with a little perspective.

I actually still have a 2002 G4 with a SATA PCI card and a couple of drives in it as a back up drive because it's of little use otherwise because it's noisy compared with my Mac Mini and power-hungry.

I was simply suggesting that spending any more on something relegated to the past that's so easily replaced with more modern Intel-based systems for similar used costs doesn't make any sense and I was also mentioning how I transfered my OS from a G4 to my current system as well as uses for old drives (I still have 5 ATA drives varying from 6Gb to 250Gb from older Macs).

 

[G4fanboy]

I have a Mac G4 (MDD, dual, 1.25MHZ, OS X 10.5) which has problems lately. Don't now if it's logic board or what. A thread with problems is already posted (Help! My Mac G4 (MDD) won't start).

Usually you can take the hard drive out and swap from one machine to another. In some cases you may need to reinstall the OS using the Archive and Install as this will keep your programs and data, only reinstalling the core OS again.

If I were visvaldis and lived in Lancashire I would buy THis G4 just to back up the drives.

More logical solution seems to repair THAT MDD. A MDD is getting dust in a garage somewhere near your town Visvaldis! Search for one cheap just for pieces to make a solid system.

 

[G4fanboy]

I have a Mac G4 (MDD, dual, 1.25MHZ, OS X 10.5) which has problems lately. Don't now if it's logic board or what. A thread with problems is already posted (Help! My Mac G4 (MDD) won't start).

I have a new Mac-mini (10.7), with no software, nor internet connection. I seldom use it, turn it on about once per week. My G4 and all the stuff on it is super important.

Try to locate the Apple Service Manual for your G4 model to learn where parts are.

What stuff you have on your G4? Can a quicksilver or even a Sawtooth work with it?

Maybe a MacMini G4 can be interesting also for your setup. It seems that the software on the G4 is Priceless for you...

 

[eyoungren]

I was responding to a Forum Spy post with a little perspective.

I actually still have a 2002 G4 with a SATA PCI card and a couple of drives in it as a back up drive because it's of little use otherwise because it's noisy compared with my Mac Mini and power-hungry.

I was simply suggesting that spending any more on something relegated to the past that's so easily replaced with more modern Intel-based systems for similar used costs doesn't make any sense and I was also mentioning how I transfered my OS from a G4 to my current system as well as uses for old drives (I still have 5 ATA drives varying from 6Gb to 250Gb from older Macs).

Sorry, I'm not trying to be combative. It's just that this is a PowerPC forum and suggesting that our PowerPC Macs have little use and that we should all move on to Intel Macs isn't helpful.

The rest of your help was certainly appreciated however.

 

[visvaldis]

Thanks to everyone who responded. What I like about this forum is that there are so many knowledgeable Mac owners who offer good sound advice. I need it and I learn.
Today, after having the battery out for about 3 hours and resetting the PMU the G4 runs again. At start up now it makes a barely audible crunching sound for about 2 or 3 seconds, the power button light glows, the monitor comes alive, and everything runs as usual. The times I keep the battery out get longer and longer.

Yes I have a new Mac-mini (with Intel) which is much more powerful. Why don’t I switch to the Mac-mini?
Here’s my problem: years ago I bought the G4 used. It came with Adobe’s Creative Suite (CS3). I do not have the disks. In the years I’ve made many InDesign projects and used Photoshop to adjust photos on the G4. I can’t continue these projects on the Mac-mini without installing the Creative Suite. I’ve tried to install the Suite from the G4 to Mac-mini via a flash drive. The Mac-mini says it does not support PowerPC applications. It even rejects my HP printer driver. I can transfer all documents to the Mac-mini, but to work on them I have no alternative but to buy the Creative Suite that the Mini accepts. The Creative Suite costs about 1,300 US Dollars. That’s quite a sum!
Eventually, I’ll have to buy the Suite. But for now I’d like to get the G4 working as it should. It’s a great machine.

 

[Altemose]

Thanks to everyone who responded. What I like about this forum is that there are so many knowledgeable Mac owners who offer good sound advice. I need it and I learn.
Today, after having the battery out for about 3 hours and resetting the PMU the G4 runs again. At start up now it makes a barely audible crunching sound for about 2 or 3 seconds, the power button light glows, the monitor comes alive, and everything runs as usual. The times I keep the battery out get longer and longer.

Yes I have a new Mac-mini (with Intel) which is much more powerful. Why don’t I switch to the Mac-mini?
Here’s my problem: years ago I bought the G4 used. It came with Adobe’s Creative Suite (CS3). I do not have the disks. In the years I’ve made many InDesign projects and used Photoshop to adjust photos on the G4. I can’t continue these projects on the Mac-mini without installing the Creative Suite. I’ve tried to install the Suite from the G4 to Mac-mini via a flash drive. The Mac-mini says it does not support PowerPC applications. It even rejects my HP printer driver. I can transfer all documents to the Mac-mini, but to work on them I have no alternative but to buy the Creative Suite that the Mini accepts. The Creative Suite costs about 1,300 US Dollars. That’s quite a sum!
Eventually, I’ll have to buy the Suite. But for now I’d like to get the G4 working as it should. It’s a great machine.

What model is the Mini? Provided you have the key I would reccomend getting in contact with Adobe to discuss options. Often times if you have the key they will work with you.

Adobe CS2 was the final PPC only version, which is impossible to run on 10.7. Adobe CS3 and CS4 were Universal Binaries and will run on either. CS5+ is Intel only. In summary you should be able to install CS3 once the appropriate disks are acquired.

As for transferring the data, you need a SATA to ATA adapter. Essentially, the adapters connects to a SATA cable in the G5 and the other end attaches to the ATA hard drive. You use the regular MOLEX power leads to power either drive. If you can start the G4 at all, try to do a bootable backup on an external hard drive. Carbon Copy Cloner is great for this...

As for the grinding noise, that could be a fan rubbing the case or the bearings going out. It could also be the hard drive, which is bad news. Most fans are sealed units so replacement is in order.

 

[visvaldis]

The Mac-Mini I purchased December, 2013. It's model A1347. 4 GB Ram, 400 GB hard drive and runs Mavericks 10.7.

On local listing I found a G5 with Adobe CS4. Maybe I'll try that one.

 

[G4fanboy]

The Mac-Mini I purchased December, 2013. It's model A1347. 4 GB Ram, 400 GB hard drive and runs Mavericks 10.7.

On local listing I found a G5 with Adobe CS4. Maybe I'll try that one.

I would stay on G4...
Ask Erik about CS3 on other post/way to get CS3. The serial should be on Google...
As I said before, G4s last more than G5s PSU and motherboard...
They work at a higher temperature...
But you know I am a G4 fanboy....

 

[tampasteve]

If you have the machine running now I would take a little time to clone the HDD onto a SATA drive. You can get USB-SATA adapters online that will allow you to accomplish this easily. Then move the data to the G5 if you want to go to a more powerful PPC machine. I have cloned G4 HDDs before and moved everything successfully over to G5 machines, including Adobe CS.

 

[Cox Orange]

I would stay on G4...
Ask Erik about CS3 on other post/way to get CS3. The serial should be on Google...
As I said before, G4s last more than G5s PSU and motherboard...
They work at a higher temperature...
But you know I am a G4 fanboy....

Does he need the key, when he migrates the suite to the new Mac?

I did migrate my Adobe CS2 from my iMac G3 which ran 10.2.8 to my ibook with 10.4.11 by drag and drop and afterwards I could use Adobe Imageready and GoLIve without hazzle, Photoshop did not open, because it is not supported under versions of above 10.4.6.

I wonder, if he can't just boot his MDD in target mode and use the migration assistant under 10.7 on his mac mini to get CS3. Maybe it does say it doesn't support PowerPC applications, because - though universal binary - only the PPC code was installed on the MDD.

 

[iamMacPerson]

I would stay on G4...
Ask Erik about CS3 on other post/way to get CS3. The serial should be on Google...
As I said before, G4s last more than G5s PSU and motherboard...
They work at a higher temperature...
But you know I am a G4 fanboy....

I share a fondness for the G4s as much as the next person in the PPC Forum, however the G5 is quite a bit more powerful, and if you stick with the later, non-liquid cooled models (I'd say the late 2004 and newer) they are quite reliable machines. Plus, that MDD might need a fan replacement as they are quite noisy compared to the G5 (if you have the G5 calibrated). Not only that, but the G5s use SATA drives, which are still being sold today. I wish I could say the same for PATA drives, I need one for my PowerBook.

OP, if you REALLY needed that drive, you could pull it from the MDD and use it in the G5 if you remove the Optical Drive. The G5s have a standard IDE/PATA connector for the Optical Drive, same as the hard drive in your G4. It also has the correct MOLEX power connector, so you should be fine. You just won't be able to use the Optical Drive in the G5 as long as you have that HDD in there. You could also buy an IDE (male) to SATA (female) converter, but I don't know how hard they are to find as most people are looking to go the other way.

 

[Altemose]

I share a fondness for the G4s as much as the next person in the PPC Forum, however the G5 is quite a bit more powerful, and if you stick with the later, non-liquid cooled models (I'd say the late 2004 and newer) they are quite reliable machines. Plus, that MDD might need a fan replacement as they are quite noisy compared to the G5 (if you have the G5 calibrated). Not only that, but the G5s use SATA drives, which are still being sold today. I wish I could say the same for PATA drives, I need one for my PowerBook.

OP, if you REALLY needed that drive, you could pull it from the MDD and use it in the G5 if you remove the Optical Drive. The G5s have a standard IDE/PATA connector for the Optical Drive, same as the hard drive in your G4. It also has the correct MOLEX power connector, so you should be fine. You just won't be able to use the Optical Drive in the G5 as long as you have that HDD in there. You could also buy an IDE (male) to SATA (female) converter, but I don't know how hard they are to find as most people are looking to go the other way.

From a parts prospective, they are equally affordable. Both computers have their expensive and cheap parts. For instance, a new CPU is twice as much as a G4 replacement, but the Logic Board in some G4s is more than G5s. In the end it balances out. Good thinking on the optical drive bay to copy data. Always forget that even though I open my G5 all the time...

 

[iamMacPerson]

From a parts prospective, they are equally affordable. Both computers have their expensive and cheap parts. For instance, a new CPU is twice as much as a G4 replacement, but the Logic Board in some G4s is more than G5s. In the end it balances out. Good thinking on the optical drive bay to copy data. Always forget that even though I open my G5 all the time...

Well you have to shop around. Sometimes you can find for cheap online, but if you want it quick, its going to cost you. For instance, I had to purchase a CPU for my Disney G5. Online, I could pick one up for $25 if I just wanted plug and play and wanted it quickly. However, there was someone else with the same CPU, but it was mounted to a different heat sink (Phillips screws vs Hex) so they need to be swapped. The CPU was identical however, so it mounted to the old heat sink and it worked just fine. Spent $11 on the CPU.

Thanks! Thats what I do on my Mac Pro (although its SATA with an SSD instead of IDE and an HDD). Its good if you just need to transfer data as the G5 only has one drive bay.

 

[Altemose]

Well you have to shop around. Sometimes you can find for cheap online, but if you want it quick, its going to cost you. For instance, I had to purchase a CPU for my Disney G5. Online, I could pick one up for $25 if I just wanted plug and play and wanted it quickly. However, there was someone else with the same CPU, but it was mounted to a different heat sink (Phillips screws vs Hex) so they need to be swapped. The CPU was identical however, so it mounted to the old heat sink and it worked just fine. Spent $11 on the CPU.

Thanks! Thats what I do on my Mac Pro (although its SATA with an SSD instead of IDE and an HDD). Its good if you just need to transfer data as the G5 only has one drive bay.

It is like buying a new car vs. an older car. A new car may not have the best selection of aftermarket or even OEM parts available yet. An older car may have rare parts that are not made any more or only made in limited quantities. Either way, the price levels all out.

 

[mark8]

there is always target disk mode(for file transfers) if you happen to have a firewire cable