Can't do a "clean" install with OSX disc!

I'm selling my old imac G4 and have been having trouble wiping the hard-drive by doing a full install of my OSX disc as the mac won't detect the disc. To be fair, I did manage it once but then had to create a login just to check if it had worked. Now I need to give it that 'just bought' look for the next person (with the 'Welcome etc' message at startup) but the disc just won't play ball. I've tried holding 'C' at startup but nothing happens and then the disc just ejects. Do I need to do the full install again or is there a way of getting rid of the new login/passsword and just resetting to the welcome screen? If I need to use the install disc again how can I get the mac to recognise it?

twoflower said:

I'm selling my old imac G4 and have been having trouble wiping the hard-drive by doing a full install of my OSX disc as the mac won't detect the disc. To be fair, I did manage it once but then had to create a login just to check if it had worked. Now I need to give it that 'just bought' look for the next person (with the 'Welcome etc' message at startup) but the disc just won't play ball. I've tried holding 'C' at startup but nothing happens and then the disc just ejects. Do I need to do the full install again or is there a way of getting rid of the new login/passsword and just resetting to the welcome screen? If I need to use the install disc again how can I get the mac to recognise it?

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Start with the most obvious. Perhaps the disk has a few scratches and the optical drive has some dust on it. Both those things can make this difficult. First thing to do would be to wipe the disk carefully. I usually use a bit of vodka in a pinch... it really gets the crud off. Wipe from the inside of the disk outward in a straight line in segments all the way around the disk. Never wipe in a circular motion.

As for cleaning the optical drive, that might be a bit more difficult, but there are tools out there which will do this. Discs with felt brushes on them etc..

Secondly, did you hold the C key down long enough ? Try again. Also, are you wiping the hard drive by zeroing out the data ? I would if I were you. Better for you, and better for the buyer.

If you can't get it to work, you're going to have to try formatting with an external drive. And if that does work, you might have to consider that the iMac's optical drive may be faulty.... and the buyer has the right to know that.

Doug

I'll give the vodka a try when I get home (always some in the house...) . It hasn't had any problems reading anything else from the drive which makes me more hopeful about there being no glitch on the optical drive (hopefully). Anythings worth a try at the moment! Will let you know.

How about connecting the G4 by Firewire to another Mac and starting that Mac off the disk and selecting the G4 HD for the install - is that an option.

Collin Bl said:

How about connecting the G4 by Firewire to another Mac and starting that Mac off the disk and selecting the G4 HD for the install - is that an option.

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It could be. I do have a Macbook PRO also, I'll ask around for a firewire.