fresh install of OSX, mac wont start

Hi guys all new to mac's so please bear with me !
Anyway as a starting point i was given a G4 digital audio less hard drive, i managed to get a 30g drive for £5, well i have fitted it, think i have formated it ? and got the software, OSX10.2.1 to load, however when the mac rebooted all that i get on the screen is a grey screen with a circle with a diaganel line thro it, it then dont move from that, tried to find out what this symble means but cant find anything anywhere, if i have done something wrong can someone tell me what to do from the begining, pref step by step if poss, i am really starting to get fed up with it al now, i have done everything four times now but still get the same symble, any help would be most apprciated.
thanks in advance

Ok. How did you go about formatting the HD?
I would try reformatting first, from the disc utility app on the install disc. You need to format to Mac OS Extended.
Did you get any messages on screen when you made the install?

?

OK, heres where i am, i have never worked on a mac so am working blind !
What i have is the following :

Mac G4 Digital audio, never had a hard drive but i had a working spare from my old pc 80g and i also got a 30g mac drive off a friend

The discs i have are : Mac osx install disc 1 & 2 says on them version 10.2.1
apple hardware test - powermac G4 sw version 1.2.2
software restore disc 1 - 4 says mac os9 and mac osx applications, mac os version 9.2.2

What i did was install the drive, insert the disc marked Powermac G4 mac osx install disc 1, pressed down the C button while booting, then followed the on screen instrudctions, not sure if i had done things right or wrong ? it looks like it is loading the software as there is a status bar, it took about 20 mins then the comp shuts down and reboots, when the screen comes up all i get is a grey screen with a small circle with a diaganal line through it, i cant get it to do anything else, i put the 2nd disc in and rebot but get the same if i hold down C of not, so i am unsure if i have done anything wrong, i have tried 3 drives and get the same every time so i know its not a drive issue ?

Any help would make me a happy man and regain confidence in macs
Thanks

Sounds like the install discs are the silver grey restore discs from another machine? If so they will not install. If they are the correct disc, after booting go to Utilities on the menu bar, then Disk Utility and if you see the drive select it and run Repair Disk and then format to Mac OS Extended (Journalled). If all is well you should be able to load Jaguar X.2.1.

If the disc are from another machine no good news alas. Also if the machine has never ran OS X in any version, somehow you will have to install from the OS 9 disc, go to the Apple web site and download firmware upgrade 4.2.8 prior to installing OS X.

firmware upgrade 4.2.8

Ok once i had d/l firmware upgrade 4.2.8 i take it i save it to disc ? i can only do this on my pc, will this be OK ?
how do i update firmware from disc ? do i just boot holding C as before ?

All the other stuff you mention is what i did, seemed to load all the OS on the drive but once you reboot you get this circle with line thro it and thats it, if i put the osx disc back in and boot from that disc i can see that the information on the drive says osx installed because the size has dropped and it says used space is down by some 1,8gig

1.8GB would be the formatting and driver installs. Don't think it will work on a PC. As stated you need to be booted from OS 9, download, install and use the programmer's button which is the only time you will ever use it.

Here is the link with instructions:-

Power Mac G4 Firmware Update 4.2.8: Information and Download

It looks like your past this but check the jumper on the hard drive that its set to master.

hard drives is set to master. how do i get it to boot from os9 ??? its not installed on the drive

terry I guess you have to purchase OS 9 discs. Look at eBay or if you have a MUG near you they will help (Macintosh User Group).