flashing file folder w/ question mark, ibook g4 12"

[cynthiaenid]

Hey all... would love if you could help me out.

about a week ago my hard drive died. i took it in to be diagnosed... I purchased a new 250GB hard drive and decided to install on my own. I followed the detailed instructions on ifixit.com, it was a breeze...

but, now the problem is installing OS X onto my laptop. I can't find the original start up disk for the iBook G4, so I tried using Mac OS X Tiger, V10.4. The installation DVD loads up fine, but when it arrives at the "Select a Destination" step no Icons appear on the screen... my new hard drive seems to be hidden.

has anyone encountered this problem before? what is the solution?

thanks a bunch!!

 

[iMpathetic]

You need to format the drive first. Before you install, click on Utilities-> Disk Utility at the top of the screen and format the drive.

Hope this helps.

 

[cynthiaenid]

i will try that, thanks!

question, though... do i need to hit some sort of command in order to see the utilities screen, and format hard drive?

 

[iMpathetic]

Yes, that's what I tried to type but was in a hurry.

When it asks you to select a disk, look at the menu bar at the top of the screen. There will be a menu item called Utilities. Click on it and then click on Disk Utility.