HELP! OS X installation HELL!

[digs]

Help!

Does anyone here know why my Jaguar installer quits as it's trying to boot from the "OS X Install Disk 1" disk?

Disk shows up fine, (G4 Cube, by the way, with tons o' ram), opens, but when the installer tries to restart from the disk, I get the Grey Apple and the Progress Bars in a Circle, the disk drive chews on that for a lonnnng time, then:

Blue Screen.

Small white text:

"The installer has quit due to an unexpected error (exit code 138)"

If I reboot with C key pressed, I get the same thing.

Apple reps have guessed at "be sure the disc is clean" to "remove all but
your Apple RAM" to "unplug all your periphs" to "repair the disc with Apple
Disk Repair".

I've tried those and all the usual fixes: updated firmware (installed 9.1
to use the updater), updated DVD firmware, tried diff RAM configs, unplugged everything but the keyboard and mouse...

One rep told me I should spend yet more and get 9.2, then upgrade to 9.2.2.
I'm installing that tonight, but the disk boots fine on my Powerbook (Lombard).
So I don't think that'll make any difference on the bootability issue.

HELP! I've spent way too much time & money already (running on very little sleep).

Ironically, I give "buying a computer" seminars at the college I teach at, and I've always sold Apple's "ease of use" Ha! I just hope none of my "PC User/Potential Switcher" students ask if I use OS X at home...

Ideas, PLEASE!
digs

 

[mkaake]

Re: HELP! OS X installation HELL!

Originally posted by digs
Help!

Does anyone here know why my Jaguar installer quits as it's trying to boot from the "OS X Install Disk 1" disk?

Disk shows up fine, (G4 Cube, by the way, with tons o' ram), opens, but when the installer tries to restart from the disk, I get the Grey Apple and the Progress Bars in a Circle, the disk drive chews on that for a lonnnng time, then:

Blue Screen.

Small white text:

"The installer has quit due to an unexpected error (exit code 138)"

If I reboot with C key pressed, I get the same thing.

Apple reps have guessed at "be sure the disc is clean" to "remove all but
your Apple RAM" to "unplug all your periphs" to "repair the disc with Apple
Disk Repair".

I've tried those and all the usual fixes: updated firmware (installed 9.1
to use the updater), updated DVD firmware, tried diff RAM configs, unplugged everything but the keyboard and mouse...

One rep told me I should spend yet more and get 9.2, then upgrade to 9.2.2.
I'm installing that tonight, but the disk boots fine on my Powerbook (Lombard).
So I don't think that'll make any difference on the bootability issue.

HELP! I've spent way too much time & money already (running on very little sleep).

Ironically, I give "buying a computer" seminars at the college I teach at, and I've always sold Apple's "ease of use" Ha! I just hope none of my "PC User/Potential Switcher" students ask if I use OS X at home...

Ideas, PLEASE!
digs

i'm sorry, but why would 9.1 -> 9.2 -> 9.2.2 cost money? they're all free from apple.com...

matt

p.s. i don't know much bout installin x, but if they say 9.2.2 will be better for it, well hey, it's free. as long as you have the bandwidth to burn...

 

[applemacdude]

Sometimes it happens when you have your disc is scratched too much. That what happens to me once. Or either it was too dirty

 

[MacsRgr8]

Sometimes making a copy of that disk works, if it's not too badly damaged.

 

[digs]

Thanks so much for suggestions!

But I have a feeling it's a bigger problem -- any other ideas?

digs

 

[Schiffi]

Disk doctor

 

[FuzzyBallz]

If you have a legit copy of OS X, why not just do a clean install? There could also be problem w/ your hard drive. Backup whatever crucial data you have on OS 9, wipe HD, and do a clean install.

 

[digs]

Just got the new CD from Apple -- upgraded to 9.2.1, then 9.2.2, slipped in the new disk...

Same problem! Minutes of grey Apple screen, then blue screen and "Installer has quit - error 138".

Looking at Apple.com discussions, there are dozens of people with this problem. How can it be that Apple Techs don't know it occurs or what the cause is???


I can't do another almost-all-nighter on this. I'm giving up and going to bed... maybe a clean install Friday.

 

[Daveman Deluxe]

If I were in your shoes, I'd call Apple and tell them they sold me faulty media. It happens. Don't lose any sleep over it. Exchange it at the store if you can, if not, call Apple and bitch at them.

 

[King Cobra]

Re: HELP! OS X installation HELL!

-->Disk shows up fine, (G4 Cube, by the way, with tons o' ram), opens, but when the installer tries to restart from the disk, I get the Grey Apple and the Progress Bars in a Circle, the disk drive chews on that for a lonnnng time..."The installer has quit due to an unexpected error (exit code 138)" (digs)

I am almost completely sure you can get a free replacement. I think faulty media is a violation, and Apple is not looking for legal matters, just customer satisfaction (as most companies would).

On a note of comical relief: Before my Jaguar CD broke (yes, physically broke ) there was a crack going straight up the CD from the center. I wanted to install Jaguar from start on the machine, but the crack was already about halfway up. (This is on my Cube with 1GB RAM)

I was able to boot off the half-cracked CD, which took about three times longer than normal. I received an error (of which I cannot recall) and could not get the installer screen to pop up.

 

[Drumdude]

Originally posted by digs
Just got the new CD from Apple -- upgraded to 9.2.1, then 9.2.2, slipped in the new disk...

Same problem! Minutes of grey Apple screen, then blue screen and "Installer has quit - error 138".

Looking at Apple.com discussions, there are dozens of people with this problem. How can it be that Apple Techs don't know it occurs or what the cause is???


I can't do another almost-all-nighter on this. I'm giving up and going to bed... maybe a clean install Friday.

I can't believe, as others have suggested, this is due to faulty media. The fact that you got a new disk from Apple and you're STILL getting this problem suggests to me it's a hardware issue, quite possibly the CD drive.

 

[Chappers]

What

What version of macos were you running when you first tried to install macosx. I ask cus an Apple engineer told me that you must update your firmware (macos 9.2.2) before installing macosx. Apparently you can damage the analogue card. This happened to me - when somebody decided to upgrade my iMac to macosx. That bit is a very long story so I won't bother you with it.
Must be worth at least speaking to an engineer type person.
Good luck

 

[digs]

I can't believe, as others have suggested, this is due to faulty media. The fact that you got a new disk from Apple and you're STILL getting this problem suggests to me it's a hardware issue, quite possibly the CD drive.

Probably right, DrumDude -- so what's next? Pay an Apple Tech? Or can I Firewire Target Disk two macs together and boot from a friend's Mac (with the OS X Install CD in his CD drive) and install on mine?

 

[mattmack]

Originally posted by Drumdude
I can't believe, as others have suggested, this is due to faulty media. The fact that you got a new disk from Apple and you're STILL getting this problem suggests to me it's a hardware issue, quite possibly the CD drive.

He did get a new 9.1 disk not a new os X disk if I am reading it right

 

[mattmack]

Originally posted by digs
Probably right, DrumDude -- so what's next? Pay an Apple Tech? Or can I Firewire Target Disk two macs together and boot from a friend's Mac (with the OS X Install CD in his CD drive) and install on mine?

I am not sure on this but I don't believe you can see a disk mounted in a drive of a target disk. If you have access to two macs to do a target disk on why not pop the cd in the other mac and try to boot from it and see what happens. That will tell you if it is faulty media or a hardware problem. You can always quit the installer after the first screen comes up (if it does)

 

[Fukui]

Do you have an IBM HD??
Either way, if your HD has an option for something like a "15 heads mode" that you adjust with the pins, you might try that. You'll have to take your HD out to get to it...

I was having trouble with my new 80GB IBM HD and it always quit on install (G4 Cube), then changing the heads setting got everything working fine.

 

[Drumdude]

Originally posted by digs
Probably right, DrumDude -- so what's next? Pay an Apple Tech? Or can I Firewire Target Disk two macs together and boot from a friend's Mac (with the OS X Install CD in his CD drive) and install on mine?

Hmmmm...you certainly have thought about this, so as others have suggested, the only way to know is to try it! I think, at some point (especially if you've concluded it's a hardware issue), you're going to have to get an Apple tech involved.

 

[digs]

Thanks SO much for all the help! You folks have been real moral support.

Apple did indeed rush new OS X installer disks, but same results. So I'll try from another mac, then it's off to an Apple Tech Dude.

Did you know there are DOZENS of people on messageboards (most on Apple's OSX discussions) with this problem, yet the Apple support people sound mystified.

I'm so tired and punchy that I'm using 's for the first time...

 

[Roger1]

I believe there is a firmware update on the 9.2 disk. Did you install it? If not, try that and see what happens.
Good luck.

 

[digs]

Yes. Have tried EVERY. THING.

OVER. AND. OVER.

 

[Fukui]

Originally posted by digs
Yes. Have tried EVERY. THING.

OVER. AND. OVER.

Buy a different Hard Drive??
Got another one from another computer you can try?

make sure to remove any and all peripherals from the computer except the monitor and keyboard.

 

[Rezet]

Well, only things that can be wrong here:

1. CD
2. HDD
3. RAM

And my gut tells me that is RAM. "Unexpeced" errors moslty caused by illegal oprations in memory.
I'd call apple first to see what the error is caused by, then probably would take out all the ram that was installed after computer was purchased. I think it would fix the problem.

 

[Macmaniac]

I think you have a bad main logic board, we have had customers have this problem when 10 was installed, your problem sounds like the logic board.

 

[digs]

FIXED! It was the CD/DVD drive -- I had read from one poster that his older Cube had the power supply to the CD getting old -- had enough power to run ANY OTHER disk, but not an OS X Installer Disk. SO I borrowed a friend's Powerbook (she had 3!) and used Firewire Target Disk Mode to install from the PB to the Cube.

Thanks for moral support. I wish Apple had known what was going on...

 

[mattmack]

Originally posted by digs
FIXED! It was the CD/DVD drive -- I had read from one poster that his older Cube had the power supply to the CD getting old -- had enough power to run ANY OTHER disk, but not an OS X Installer Disk. SO I borrowed a friend's Powerbook (she had 3!) and used Firewire Target Disk Mode to install from the PB to the Cube.

Thanks for moral support. I wish Apple had known what was going on...

Cool and its good to know you can do that with targert disc too