Which MacOS Version for iMac G5

[painschen]

Hello

i bought this iMac without software and have to reinstall it:
Serial: W8549HEMTAR / Model: iMac G5 20"/2.1/512MB/250GB/SD/AP/BT

I've got original versions like Lion, Leopard, Tiger - but nothing works on it (i get error message because of different hardware).

 

[w0lf]

I'm pretty sure that should be able to run up to Leopard (10.5.8)

 

[painschen]

I tried the following versions:
- 10.6.3
- CPU Drop-in DVD 10.5
- 10.5.6
- 10.4.10
- and some different new iMac DVD's

Nothing works Maybe it's because i'm using original CD's from other iMacs which are just working for the right iMac?

 

[w0lf]

Nothing works Maybe it's because i'm using original CD's from other iMacs which are just working for the right iMac?

That's probably the case. As I recall those gray disks only work for the machine they came with and that snow leopard disk is beyond the capabilities of the G5. Not sure about that leopard disk though.

My suggestion would be to torrent a full install dmg of Tiger and see if you can get that working off a usb. Then if that works try upgrading from there.

 

[Jessica Lares]

How would he do a hardware test? Those Leopard DVDs are such an issue, but then I had to flash new firmware to my G5 to even make my drive work again.

 

[benwiggy]

The grey disks are machine specific. The black Leopard disk should work, if it's a Retail copy.
G5 Macs came with 10.4, so any version of 10.5 should work, as long as it's not machine-specific.

 

[50548]

I tried the following versions:
- 10.6.3
- CPU Drop-in DVD 10.5
- 10.5.6
- 10.4.10
- and some different new iMac DVD's

Nothing works Maybe it's because i'm using original CD's from other iMacs which are just working for the right iMac?

Image

This iMac model can use the following versions:

Original OS: - 10.4.2 Tiger
Maximum OS: - Mac OS 10.5.8 Leopard

The Leopard retail disk should work without any issues.

Original DVDs from other iMacs normally do not work since they contain, as we used to say in the old System days, some sort of "System Enabler" file restricting them to the specific model of iMac in the box.

SL, Lion and ML do NOT work in that model.

 

[Gregg2]

If you don't need that Snow Leopard retail disc...

 

[quasinormal]

This iMac was the final PowerPC revision. It needs the original grey install install discs, because either the OS is too old or Intel.

The Leopard CPU drop in disc shouldn't work because I'd guess it would be intel only. It needs an install of 10.4.8 to upgrade from at the very least. These discs were supplied after a OS release with new hardware- I remember getting one with a Santa Rosa MBP that shipped with 10.4.8 after 10.5 was released.

You'll probably need to buy 10.5 retail disc on ebay. If you get a a retail version of 10.4, it will need to be 10.4.2 or later.

 

[Gregg2]

You'll probably need to buy 10.5 retail disc on ebay.

The photo above includes a Leopard retail disc.

 

[128keaton]

Make sure the Leopard disk is compatible (retail).
I do not think they made an Intel only version (I could be wrong!)
I had a FW drive laying around and I put a Leopard install disk on that for lack of a DL-DVD. Make sure your drive works too! Cheers!

 

[Nermal]

The photo above includes a Leopard retail disc.

No, quasi is right; it's a drop-in. It's hard to tell in that picture but retail DVDs say "Install DVD" right under the "Mac OS X Leopard" text. That one says something else (probably "CPU Drop-In DVD").

 

[Gregg2]

Zooming in on the image, it seems to say something like "CPU Drop in DVD" although it gets quite fuzzy, and I'm sure that CPU is not correct. But, I didn't know there were two kinds of discs that are not gray for Leopard.

 

[Nermal]

I'm sure that CPU is not correct.

It's not correct but for some reason Apple still prints that on the DVDs. Whoever comes up with the designs apparently thinks that "CPU" refers to the whole computer; I've seen this nomenclature out of Apple since the early 90s (and it may predate even then).

 

[quasinormal]

I was probably wrong about the CPU Drop In disc being Intel only. It probably would have worked with an existing install of 10.4 or possibly 10.4.10(not 10.4.8). I have had about 3 of these 10.5 and 10.6 CPU drop in discs over the years from new Macs as I tend to buy last revisions, but never used them as I had retail discs.