Cannot boot from DVD Emac G4

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I cannot get the DVD rom to register within my preferences as a boot drive. The DVD plays fine but no matter what I try, there is no option to use the drive to boot.

Any tips/tricks that will change this so that I can boot from the DVD rom?
 

pigoo3

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I cannot get the DVD rom to register within my preferences as a boot drive. The DVD plays fine but no matter what I try, there is no option to use the drive to boot.

Any tips/tricks that will change this so that I can boot from the DVD rom?

I'm a little confused by what you're trying to do (maybe it's just the way the post is worded)...but are you simply trying to "boot" this eMac from a Mac OS install DVD?

Please list your eMac's specs so we know what eMac model we're dealing with.

Thanks,

- Nick
 
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Emac g4, 750 mhz, 40 gb,HD, 1 gb ram

I undesrtood tha that the DVD should offer itself as a bootable drive in preferences, but it does not. I wondered why it does not and how I can enable it to for future reference. It is 10.3.9 os x.
I have tried holding down "c" also as I read this gives you options to choose a boot location but that obviously doesnt work, I assume that is becasue it isnt in preferences. I also have an admin password in place, I did wonder with the holding "c" function if this affected its use
 

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Emac g4, 750 mhz, 40 gb,HD, 1 gb ram

I think that you mean 700mhz...there was no 750mhz eMac.;)

I undesrtood tha that the DVD should offer itself as a bootable drive in preferences, but it does not. I wondered why it does not and how I can enable it to for future reference.

This is true...a bootable CD/DVD should show up in the "Startup Disk" system preference...IF it is a bootable disk that the computer can boot from.

What color is this disk...black or gray? If gray...these disks are model specific...and only work with the model computer they shipped with. If the disk(s) are gray...and you don't 100% know where they came from...then they probably won't work with this model eMac.

Also...some 700mhz eMac models only came with a CD-Rom drive. So if this disk is a DVD...and your eMac only has a CD-Rom drive...then that's another possible reason why it won't boot from the disc.

HTH,

- Nick
 
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If it is a black disc as pointed out by Nick, boot and hold down 'C' immediately after the chimes. System install discs do not 'self boot'.

Your eMac will only boot from Tiger OS X.4 or earlier and NOT from Leopard OS X.5 nor Snow Leopard OS X.6.
 

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If it is a black disc as pointed out by Nick, boot and hold down 'C' immediately after the chimes. System install discs do not 'self boot'.

Your eMac will only boot from Tiger OS X.4 or earlier and NOT from Leopard OS X.5 nor Snow Leopard OS X.6.

If you don't mind my saying...great additional thoughts. Some things you mentioned are not something we always think about on a slower & older Mac.:)

- Nick
 
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The OS x was laready installed when I got the Emac, no discs.

Because the OS x is virtually maxed out for the machine, I was looking to the near future and wondering wether to try Ubuntu PPC on the machine and that would require a dvd boot up to achieve, I think?
 

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The OS x was laready installed when I got the Emac, no discs.

Because the OS x is virtually maxed out for the machine, I was looking to the near future and wondering wether to try Ubuntu PPC on the machine and that would require a dvd boot up to achieve, I think?

Ok...now I'm totally confused! :( This info doesn't really pertain to what we've been discussing.

You mentioned trying to boot from a DVD disc...and now you say no discs...how can that be?

Also...you mentioned this eMac has 10.3.9 on it. It can actually/officially can run up to OS 10.4.11...and if you use a program called "Leopard Assist" you could run up to OS 10.5.8 (although I wouldn't necessarily recommend it)...since this eMac's cpu is on the slower side for 10.5.

In any case...if you feel that you've gotten the info you needed...good luck with the eMac.:)

- Nick
 
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Ok...now I'm totally confused! :( This info doesn't really pertain to what we've been discussing.

You mentioned trying to boot from a DVD disc...and now you say no discs...how can that be?

Also...you mentioned this eMac has 10.3.9 on it. It can actually/officially can run up to OS 10.4.11...and if you use a program called "Leopard Assist" you could run up to OS 10.5.8 (although I wouldn't necessarily recommend it)...since this eMac's cpu is on the slower side for 10.5.

In any case...if you feel that you've gotten the info you needed...good luck with the eMac.:)

- Nick

No, I have NOT tried to boot from any DVD, I have never said I have at all.
I have said there are no cds as the machine was pre installed when I got it and no cds supplied with it.

I have said that there is no option to use the DVD as boot drive and I thought there would be, thats all.

AND, before you dismiss me with sarastic direspect, I have not "gotten the info I needed" "In any case".
 
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No, I have NOT tried to boot from any DVD, I have never said I have at all.
I have said there are no cds as the machine was pre installed when I got it and no cds supplied with it.

I have said that there is no option to use the DVD as boot drive and I thought there would be, thats all.

AND, before you dismiss me with sarastic direspect, I have not "gotten the info I needed" "In any case".

The info you supplied was hard to follow. :| There's no option to boot from a disk as there is no disk inserted. Once you get a disk that you want to boot from, reboot holding the "c" key and the computer will boot from the CD drive.
 

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I cannot get the DVD rom to register within my preferences as a boot drive. The DVD plays fine but no matter what I try, there is no option to use the drive to boot.

Any tips/tricks that will change this so that I can boot from the DVD rom?

It's your initial post that has everything confusing! This post sounds to me like you were trying to boot your computer from the DVD drive.

If you don't actually have a DVD or CD "boot" disc...then there really isn't a way to test your computers ability to boot from a disk!

VERY VERY confusing!!!:(

- Nick
 

pigoo3

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I have said that there is no option to use the DVD as boot drive and I thought there would be, thats all.

Just to reply to this specific post. You CANNOT test or determine what you're trying to do WITHOUT having a "boot" DVD or CD.

It's kind of like trying to drive to the store in an automobile when you don't own a car!;)

- Nick
 
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Just to reply to this specific post. You CANNOT test or determine what you're trying to do WITHOUT having a "boot" DVD or CD.

It's kind of like trying to drive to the store in an automobile when you don't own a car!;)

- Nick

Thanks Nick, thats why there is no DVD boot showing then in preferences, there has to be a bootable dvd/cd in the dvd/cd tray for it to register as available, correct? Probably ive been on windows too much and expected similar choice options, as in, first choice boot, second choice boot etc.
 

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Thanks Nick, thats why there is no DVD boot showing then in preferences, there has to be a bootable dvd/cd in the dvd/cd tray for it to register as available, correct? Probably ive been on windows too much and expected similar choice options, as in, first choice boot, second choice boot etc.

That's it EXACTLY...you got it!!!:)

That's why I was so confused by your earlier posts. You cannot explore this sort of thing without a "boot" CD/DVD. Get a "boot" CD/DVD...and then what we've been talking about in this thread will make perfect sense!:)

Now I think that you've gotten the info you needed!;)

- Nick
 

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