Info on ABOUT THIS MAC doesn't match the OS sys that came with my Mac

[WiArcher]

I was having problems with Incorrect Valance error message, ran my utilities' repair as advised, (Thanks- seems to be working fine, now)- I noticed that my PowerPC G4 shows the OS as 10.3.9. Went to look at the disk that came with my Mac that I carry in my case- It says it's Version 10.4.2. Should I try to install this on my Hard drive? If I do, will it cause me any problems/will I lose anything? Not sure how to do it right, would appreciate directions/advice. I have moved not that long ago, and almost all of my stuff is still boxed up, so no back up drive to mirror my drive to. I can't remember if I had to install the OS on my Mac when I bought it in '05 or not, but the disk that has the OS says it contains a later OS version than what my mac's "About this Mac" states- I'm confused. Would appreciate good advice on how-to, what to do/NOT do- As always, appreciate the help in advance!

 

[cferra]

I was having problems with Incorrect Valance error message, ran my utilities' repair as advised, (Thanks- seems to be working fine, now)- I noticed that my PowerPC G4 shows the OS as 10.3.9. Went to look at the disk that came with my Mac that I carry in my case- It says it's Version 10.4.2. Should I try to install this on my Hard drive? If I do, will it cause me any problems/will I lose anything? Not sure how to do it right, would appreciate directions/advice. I have moved not that long ago, and almost all of my stuff is still boxed up, so no back up drive to mirror my drive to. I can't remember if I had to install the OS on my Mac when I bought it in '05 or not, but the disk that has the OS says it contains a later OS version than what my mac's "About this Mac" states- I'm confused. Would appreciate good advice on how-to, what to do/NOT do- As always, appreciate the help in advance!

Thats a big upgrade, 10.3.9 is Panther - 10.4 is Tiger.. It's a good upgrade though tiger is way better then Panter, what with finalized APIs and all.. lol

Chris

 

[breathesrain]

Normally, you can upgrade the OS without losing data, as long as you choose the upgrade path instead of the clean install. That's assuming this isn't a bug, though- you should probably check that out. Find some screenshots of Tiger and compare it to your current desktop- it's actually a fairly easy way to tell if the versions are the same. Tiger is much superior to previous versions, and Apple only just (with the release of Snow Leopard) dropped support for it, so it's not too out of date.

Back to your problem- you can try a visual comparison, which might be easiest. I'm not sure which details differ between 10.3 and 10.4, so I can't give you specific information; I'm sure someone else here can.

 

[snaky69]

Os X 10.3:

OS x 10.4:

 

[iLog.Genius]

If you're sure those were the discs that came with your computer, then it should be fine. Depending on when you purchased your computer and when the OS was released, you might have got a drop in disc? Maybe not? Regardless, if your computer is compatible, there should be no harm installing Tiger over Panther.