10.4.11 update problem - reinstalled OS X 10.4 & now I can't install some software

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I am using a G3 slot loading 600 MHz iMac on which I installed OS X 10.4 last year. I have upgraded this to version 10.4.10 over the last few months and was successfully running several applications on this system (Adobe InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop and QuarkXPress). Last week I tried to update from 10.4.10 to 10.4.11 (along with an iTunes and Quicktime update) and this operation failed twice. On starting up my computer the next day I just got a small black box in the middle of a blue screen and the computer would not start up any further. I have tried resetting the PRAM, but to no avail. I researched this problem on the Internet at work and came across an article on the Macworld website which stated that the 10.4.11 update harms some Boot Camp Systems (http://www.macuser.com/troubleshooting/10411_could_be_killing_boot_ca.php).
The solution for my problem seemed to be, to link up my computer with another mac and start up in Target Mode in order to rescue all data, erase the disk and clean install OS X 10.4 in order to start from scratch. I then wanted to update the system back to 10.4.10, as previoulsy, but this operation failed and I had to re-install OS X 10.4 again. The iMac was now starting up fine and I installed the Adobe Suite and QuarkXPress - however - none of these Applications apart from Photoshop will now work on my computer, which makes me think that the system software update for 10.4.11 has seriously damaged the hard disk. I am not sure what to do next. Can anybody help?
 
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MacHeadCase

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Welcome to Mac-Forums, MBee.

You can't install Boot Camp on a non-Intel Mac. Which version of Quark are you wondering about? Which version of CS? Are you sure your iMac meets minimum requirements? A G3 is not very recent...
 
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I am using a G3 slot loading 600 MHz iMac on which I installed OS X 10.4 last year and was successfully running several applications on this system (Adobe InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop and QuarkXPress).



It seems odd that you were successfully running all those apps until you tried to upgrade to 10.4.11 ...

Have you tried re-installing the OS you were using prior to the OS X 10.4 upgrade?

The reason I ask is that I had a problem with an iBook G3/466MHz running Panther where one day it just refused to start and to fix it I had to reinstall OS 9 over the Panther installation, then upgrade it from OS 9.2.2 to 10.3.9 ....

That link you provided only works if you copy/paste it into a URL bar and then remove the last part which is a ). Then if you press enter you can access the link.

The only reference to the G3 I could find is that someone had access to one in order to use Firewire Target Disc Mode to access their Mac that had been damaged by the 10.4.11 update. So, if you are running windows you must be using Virtual PC which apparently runs Windows very slowly .... if this is the case the report you link points to isn't relevant.

Once you have Tiger installed again I suggest that instead of using Sofware Updater you should download the 10.4.11 Combo Update instead. This might help to determine if the problem lies within Software Updater itself.

Mac OS X 10.4.11 Combo Update (PPC)

Standalone Updates enable you to apply updates to Mac OS X in lieu of using Software Update. They are downloaded to your Mac and installed by mounting the associated disk image and launching the Installer package therein.

There are two types of Standalone Updates: Individual and Combo.

Individual Updates update one version of Mac OS X to the subsequent version. For example, the Mac OS X 10.2.4 Update updates Mac OS X 10.2.3 to version 10.2.4. Individual Updates are also known as Delta Updates.

Combo Updates update the base version of a Mac OS X release to the version specified in the Combo Update, including all intermediate updates. For example, the Mac OS X 10.2.4 Combo Update updates Mac OS X 10.2 to Mac OS X 10.2.4 with one installation, as opposed to installing the individual Mac OS X 10.2.1, 10.2.2, 10.2.3, and 10.2.4 updates.

Standalone Updates are generally available 24 to 48 hours after the corresponding Update is available through Software Update.

If you burn a Standalone Update to CD, its disk image must be copied to your desktop or another location on your Mac OS X startup disk in order to be installed.



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Thanks for the feedback. The version of InDesign is called CS2 (which worked fine on my computer before). I am not running Windows on my machine and I am not even sure what a Boot Camp is... I have tried to update my iMac with the downloaded 10.4.10 Combo version, but that did not work. Could it be a Problem with the Firmware? I read on the Apple website, that in order to update from 10.4 to 10.4.2 I need a Firmware update. However, in order to install this, I need to run it from OS 9, which is not installed on my computer anymore. How can I check, whether I need the Firmware update or whether I have already installed it from the OS X 10.4 installer disk?
 
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MacHeadCase

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If you don't use Boot Camp then don't bother with the info from that website.

When you say you reinstalled OS X 10.4, which method did you use? I'm thinking here that if you used Archive and Install you probably imported over a pre-existing problem in your last install.
 
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I tried to install OS 10.4 with the Archive and Install option, but it would not work - hence I had to back up and do a clean install. That's why I don't understand, why I should have any problems installing software, which I had running previously using the same installer DVDs...
 
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MacHeadCase

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First things first.

Ok here's what you can try now. Can you boot from your install disk? We'll go step by step with this so we get somewhere ok?

Then when you are about to ask for the install, go to the menubar instead and somewhere there you should see a place where you can launch Disk Utility. Launch it and ask for erasing the disk, but select the zeroing option, not the ordinary erase disk option. This will do a deeper wipe of the disk.

Once that is done, you can reinstall. A word of warning, this erase procedure is longer than the usual one.
 
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I tried to install OS 10.4 with the Archive and Install option, but it would not work - hence I had to back up and do a clean install. That's why I don't understand, why I should have any problems installing software, which I had running previously using the same installer DVDs...

It's hard to pinpoint exactly why you're experiencing these issues ... it might be worth your while to source an OS 9 disc, either by trying to see if Apple can help you or by browsing eBay for a Retail Version ... it needs to look like this:

images-1-20071204-004423.jpg


Also it needs to be a bootable disc and not one that requires a slightly earlier version installed before it'll work ....
 
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Sorry MBee, it's quite obvious you can't follow a bijillion ways of installing OS X Tiger on your G3 iBook and that this thread is quickly becoming confusing for you. I would be confused in your place anyway. :)
 
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Thanks for all the advice so far. I will try your suggestion to erase the disk with the zeroing option and re-install system from scratch... again. I have the original OS 9 CD for the iMac, but will try erasing the disk first. Will keep you updated...
 
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I have finally managed to erase all data on my iMac with the zeroing option. I tried to install 10.4.8 in Target mode from an iBook onto my iMac, but that did not work as it could not detect a valid disk. When I tried to install the original system software the computer came with (OS 9.2, and I pressed the 'c' on the keyboard to start up from the CD) it did not work either, because it could not find a volume to install the system on. It seems, I have erased absolutely everything and I have just got an empty shell now...
 
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MacHeadCase

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It looks like hardware failure. Did you hear any clicking sounds, off and on, before the problems started?

Can you pop in your optical drive the restore disk that came with your iMac and boot from it, holding down the Option key?

You could try to reinstall from that restore disk but if the hard drive is dying, it won't do any good. Try to see if that disk contains the Disk Utility and have it repair the hard drive first. See in the report if the hard drive passes the test and is ok, then reinstall.

Here is an article on your iMac model giving info on how to update from OS 9 to OS X and you will also find a link to the correct firmware update.

I sure hope the problem is not a dead hard drive and that this helps to get your iMac back in working condition. Let us know how it goes.
 
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I verified and repaired the disk in Target mode from the iBook and all seemed fine. I will try booting the Restore disk with the option key down today, but if that's no good, it seems, I have to treat myself to a new iMac for Christmas...
 
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MacHeadCase

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If the disk passes the test then it should be ok. Tonight when you insert the restore disk that came with your iMac, before going through the OS 9 install, run the Disk Utility repair again before installing to make doubly sure.
 
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The iMac now just displays a rotating image of the earth in the middle of the screen. It won't start up from any of the CDs - not when I press down the 'c' button or the option key. I think it is truly dead now...
 
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MacHeadCase

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A rotating image of the earth? Sounds like it's looking for its startup system on a network.

It's not clear to me what you have done after the erase of the internal hard drive, only that the C and Option keys do not work. Did you attempt installing an operating system? If so which one? OS 9 or OS X Tiger 10.4.x?

If you DO have an operating system istalled: do you still have your FireWire or a network cable connected? If so, disconnect the cable(s), reboot holding down the Option key so it finds another system to boot from and choose in the Startup Disk the internal hard drive.

If you don't have an operating system installed, your iMac cannot start up at all. You need to install something here.

Also, I wonder if the Tiger OS install disk you used is a retail full install (black CDs or DVD) or a restore disk that came from another Mac (grey CDs or DVD).
 

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MacMini M-1 MacOS Monterey, iMac 2010 27"Quad I7 , MBPLate2011, iPad Pro10.5", iPhoneSE
The Globe means it's looking for a network connection to boot from like MHC said. When you hold C after the startup sound it should still boot from the install CD. Not sure what is going on at this point. If my Mac were doing this I would try to reset the PRAM one more time. That network icon should not be showing up when you are holding C to boot from the optical drive.

I am having DSL issues here and my DSL is going slower than Dialup. Will check back in later and see how things are progressing.
 

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