OS X won't run/install on a G4/450 (AGP Graphics)

[UniAce]

I'm trying to upgrade a G4 450mhz (AGP Graphics) from OS 9.2.2 to OS X (10.4) and having no luck at all. The machine meets the minimum requirements for OS X (it has 768mb RAM). It runs fine in OS 9. I've got OS X 10.4 install DVDs from a new G5 Tower and new Mac Mini I've just got, and I've tried using both with the same result: The G4 will boot from the OS X Install disc, ask me what language to use, briefly say that it's preparing installation, then an alert message pops up that says simply: "This software cannot be installed on this computer." I then get to choose Restart or Startup Disk.

I've checked the firmware on this machine, and it is up to date at 4.2.8f1. I tried downloading the firmware updater from Apple and when I ran it it said no update was needed.

I had a spare ATA internal hard drive that already had OS X 10.3.9 installed on it (from a different G4, a 733mhz Quicksilver), so I stuck that HD into the G4 450, on top of the existing internal HD. When I try to boot from that HD with OS X 10.3.9, I get a grey screen with the "prohibitory" sign (think Ghostbusters logo without the ghost). And having this second HD in the machine doesn't change the "cannot be installed on this computer" response from the OS X Install DVD.

I tried using the Disk Utility on the OS X Install DVD to reformat the original internal HD (after backing up), but it still didn't want to install after that.

I WAS able to boot from an external firewire HD that has OS X 10.4.2 installed on it.

So what's going on here? I might suspect that the OS X Install discs from the G5 and Mac Mini are set up to only work on those models of computer and thus won't install onto a G4, but that doesn't account for not being able to boot off a perfectly good HD with 10.3.9 already on it!

Any advice or insight would be much appreciated. Thanks.

 

[iMeowbot]

I've got OS X 10.4 install DVDs from a new G5 Tower and new Mac Mini I've just got, and I've tried using both with the same result: The G4 will boot from the OS X Install disc, ask me what language to use, briefly say that it's preparing installation, then an alert message pops up that says simply: "This software cannot be installed on this computer." I then get to choose Restart or Startup Disk.

That's copy protection of sorts. In general, you can't install the copy of OS X that was shipped with a Mac onto a different model. You'll need to buy a separate copy of OS X, which will give you a disc that loads on your G4 and won't be a copyright violation.

 

[Nermal]

You'll need to install from your 10.3 CDs. You can't use the 10.4 DVDs that came bundled with other systems, and you can't do a "hard drive transplant" of 10.3 as it will contain the wrong drivers for the system.

 

[RacerX]

Any advice or insight would be much appreciated. Thanks.

The best advice is to stop trying to circumvent the protection Apple has put into place to stop people (like you) from installing Mac OS X on more systems than they have licenses for.

Unless you bought a Mac OS X family pack, one copy of Mac OS X is good for one Mac computer. And the ones bundled with Macs are only to be used with the Mac they were bundled with.

In other words... just buy Mac OS X for your system like the rest of us (hopefully) have done.

 

[UniAce]

Thanks. With all the legally bought Macs (four) and the various legally bought OS discs that I've got floating around here, I guess I failed to consider this. At least now I know what the problem is. File that one under "user error" I guess.