New Hard Drive Install G5

Joined
Jan 13, 2011
Messages
13
Reaction score
0
Points
1
Location
Sparks, Nevada
Your Mac's Specs
imac G5,1 2.1 GHz intel core-duo 4 GB ram 250 GB Hard drive Lion 10.7.5
Trying to install a new hard drive onto my G5 I recently purchased. I have the gray disk that has os X on it. On the disk it says to hold the "C" key down to boot. Does not work. All I get is a small folder on the screen. Someone said hold the "ALT" key down. Does not work. All I get is a screen with a padlock, a bar, and a box with an arrow.

I also searched the net the last few days under Mac key commands and found about ten or so more configurations that should boot, but none of them work either. The dvd drive is the mac dv-109 so it should boot. Someone said that the drive has to be set as a "Startup" disk. How do you set that without a drive in the system?

Thank for any help you could give me.
 

pigoo3

Well-known member
Staff member
Admin
Joined
May 20, 2008
Messages
44,210
Reaction score
1,418
Points
113
Location
U.S.
Your Mac's Specs
2017 15" MBP, 16gig ram, 1TB SSD, OS 10.15
One possibility is that you're using the wrong gray disks. If these gray discs aren't the exact ones that came with this G5 model when new...then they won't work. The gray disks are model specific.

HTH,

- Nick
 
Joined
Mar 30, 2004
Messages
4,744
Reaction score
381
Points
83
Location
USA
Your Mac's Specs
12" Apple PowerBook G4 (1.5GHz)
Does not work. All I get is a screen with a padlock, a bar, and a box with an arrow.
Sounds like someone set a firmware password. Are you sure this machine is legit? Try contacting the previous owner.
 
OP
M
Joined
Jan 13, 2011
Messages
13
Reaction score
0
Points
1
Location
Sparks, Nevada
Your Mac's Specs
imac G5,1 2.1 GHz intel core-duo 4 GB ram 250 GB Hard drive Lion 10.7.5
G5 Hard Drive Install

Everything was in the factory box. Keyboard, mouse, manual, two disks, one with 10.4 the other with 9.2. and power cords. I thought about the password so I called him and he said he only used one it was 1234. However that does not work for this boot problem. As for the wrong gray disks, that is possible but he says everything was as it cam when he bought it from Mac.

Thanks, I'll check that firmware password out some more.
 
Joined
Nov 28, 2007
Messages
25,564
Reaction score
486
Points
83
Location
Blue Mountains NSW Australia
Your Mac's Specs
Silver M1 iMac 512/16/8/8 macOS 11.6
Bad news that firmware protection. The discs may in fact be the original, but the firmware protection will always prevent the machine from booting to ANY discs. Have a look at this article, particular No. 4 on removing this monstrosity of a utility which causes more harm than good:-


Disable Open Firmware Password - CubeOwner Forums
 
OP
M
Joined
Jan 13, 2011
Messages
13
Reaction score
0
Points
1
Location
Sparks, Nevada
Your Mac's Specs
imac G5,1 2.1 GHz intel core-duo 4 GB ram 250 GB Hard drive Lion 10.7.5
G5 Hard drive

Thanks for the link to those articles. I think the disks are OE also but the firmware is killing it. I'll have to call him and see if he knows what he used when he set it up. Or maybe it came from Mac with the firmware pass already set. I don't know. I'm a Linux guy this is my first learning experience with Mac.
 
Joined
Nov 28, 2007
Messages
25,564
Reaction score
486
Points
83
Location
Blue Mountains NSW Australia
Your Mac's Specs
Silver M1 iMac 512/16/8/8 macOS 11.6
Well it never came with firmware protection set up when new. That is an option a user goes for. Was very popular with IT Managers at schools and colleges to prevent theft.

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1352
 
OP
M
Joined
Jan 13, 2011
Messages
13
Reaction score
0
Points
1
Location
Sparks, Nevada
Your Mac's Specs
imac G5,1 2.1 GHz intel core-duo 4 GB ram 250 GB Hard drive Lion 10.7.5
Thanks to you guys for your help. The problem solved with a combination of your views. I had to use the open framework software from the install disk.
Applications - utilities - open firmware. When the padlock screen came up I entered the new pass and was able to boot from the dvd.
Thanks again.
 

Shop Amazon


Shop for your Apple, Mac, iPhone and other computer products on Amazon.
We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon and affiliated sites.
Top