12-03-2007, 08:10 PM

I have a 8 core Mac Pro that I'm having a problem re-installing Tiger on.
Here is what I have tried so far to go back to Tiger after erase and install of Leopard:

1) Removed all connected peripherals (except KVM)
2) Removed all RAM except original 1GB
3) formated HD with GUID option
4) tried booting from original disks, didn't get any kind of screen
5) tried booting with Tiger install disks from a purchased copy of 5 user licence, this one at least made it to the point where it said it couldn't be installed on this machine. (are there specific PPC and Intel family packs?)
6) performed PRAM reset
7) SMC reset

I have tried installing using different HD's with GUID and non-GUID formats.

In the end I re-installed Leopard, which worked, but I'm having to many issues with Leopard to use it right now and just want to go back to Tiger until Leopard gets more stable.
I also have a MacBook that I installed Leopard on (erase and install) and was able to restore it back to Tiger with the original disks.

Is there something Leopard does to the bios or something that prevents it from loading a previous version of OSX?

I just don't understand why I cannot boot with the original disks. I think I remember reading something somewhere about the 8 core having different install disks than any other Mac, don't know if there is any truth to that or not, but I have tried everything I can find on all the forums and all the advice that the guys at the local Apple store have suggested (even they are stumped as to why it won't boot from the original install).

Any comments or even guesses will be appreciated at this point.

12-03-2007, 08:15 PM

I would be the 5 License version of Tiger is Power PC and that will not install on your Mac Pro.

What happens with the 1st DVD that came with your Mac Pro if you hold down C after the startup sound and keep it down. Does the install DVD boot into the installer?

12-03-2007, 08:24 PM

Originally Posted by dtravis7

I would be the 5 License version of Tiger is Power PC and that will not install on your Mac Pro.

What happens with the 1st DVD that came with your Mac Pro if you hold down C after the startup sound and keep it down. Does the install DVD boot into the installer?

It does boot, but I get the message that this software cannot be loaded on this machine. It's kinda like the message you would get when you are trying to install an intel mac mini disk on a macbook intel. It thinks I'm trying to use some other disk, but this is the disk that came with the machine, I just wonder if it's the wrong one for some reason.

12-03-2007, 08:27 PM

Do you have more than one Mac there? If so is it possible you got the discs mixed up? That is what is sounds like is going on. I have not seen anyone so far who got the wrong DVD with their machine but I guess it could happen!

12-03-2007, 08:28 PM

Originally Posted by dtravis7

Do you have more than one Mac there? If so is it possible you got the discs mixed up? That is what is sounds like is going on. I have not seen anyone so far who got the wrong DVD with their machine but I guess it could happen!

I do have several machines and have tried the other disks, but get the same results. By your second comment does that mean that there could be different discs for the 8 core vs the quad core MP's?

12-03-2007, 08:31 PM

Does it give any reason as to why it will not install like GUID? When you use the DVD you feel came with your Mac Pro have you tried going to the Tools menu and running Disc Utility and Partitioning the drive?

If you have done all that then it has to be the wrong DVD.

Just curious, what issues are you have with Leopard on your Mac Pro?

12-03-2007, 09:15 PM

Originally Posted by dtravis7

Does it give any reason as to why it will not install like GUID? When you use the DVD you feel came with your Mac Pro have you tried going to the Tools menu and running Disc Utility and Partitioning the drive?

If you have done all that then it has to be the wrong DVD.

Just curious, what issues are you have with Leopard on your Mac Pro?

I have tried re-partitioning with the GUID option with a couple of different HD's just to make sure it wasn't a problem with the drive. I think you are right that some how I have the wrong DVD. I guess my next move will be to call Apple and see if I can get a replacement disk.

There are a couple of problems I have had such as multiple drives showing up in finder, Tivo desktop locking up, parallels not working correctly (shutting down). Some other quirks, that I don't want to deal with. I switched to Mac about 2 years ago and loved the fact that I didn't have any problems and didn't have to rebuild the machine every 6 months. Now, I'm having problems and have no real reason to update to Leopard other than it's the newest and had some cool updates, but overall it doesn't do anything special that I couldn't do before that I can actually use.

Thanks for the input, I think I'll give apple a call.

12-03-2007, 09:37 PM

Let us know what you find out.

12-03-2007, 09:40 PM

You require the retail install DVD which is a black colour.

The gray coloured discs are in fact model specific, so what installs on a Tower will not install on an iMac, Macbook, PowerBook etc.

12-03-2007, 09:53 PM

Originally Posted by harryb2448

You require the retail install DVD which is a black colour.

The gray coloured discs are in fact model specific, so what installs on a Tower will not install on an iMac, Macbook, PowerBook etc.

I do have the retail 5 user family licensed pack, but I noticed it does not mention on it that you have to have an intel processor, it only mentions PPC processors. That is what lead me to believe the 5 user family pack is for PPC machines only.

I do have the gray discs for my 2 mini's, 1 MB and 1 MP disc. The MP disc says it is for a MP, but I'm wondering if there are differences between the Quad core and 8 core machines as far as the disks are concerned?

12-03-2007, 09:58 PM

Like I said in my other post the Tiger retail (either 1 or 5 license) is for Power PC Processors only and will not install on Intel Macs. It's gone from the Apple Store so I can't show you a pic, but every one in the store flat out stated Power PC. They never made a Universal of Tiger like the Leopard retail is.

Here you go.

http://www.amazon.com/Apple-Mac-Tige...6737613&sr=8-1

read the requirements.

12-03-2007, 10:48 PM

Originally Posted by dtravis7

Like I said in my other post the Tiger retail (either 1 or 5 license) is for Power PC Processors only and will not install on Intel Macs. It's gone from the Apple Store so I can't show you a pic, but every one in the store flat out stated Power PC. They never made a Universal of Tiger like the Leopard retail is.

Here you go.

http://www.amazon.com/Apple-Mac-Tige...6737613&sr=8-1

read the requirements.

I'm guessing that is because the intel based Macs came out after Tiger, therefore in theory would never need an "update" to Tiger, just the original install discs.

12-19-2007, 12:18 AM

Well I finally called apple support, they walked me through everything I had tried and finally said take to the apple store. Well I found out that the disks that came with my MP were the wrong disks. No one would ever come out and say that there were specific disks for the MP 8 core, but that is my guess. They found the correct disks and installed it with no problems.