Help: Upgrading 10.3.9 to Leopard

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Hi all, I hope you can help me with this...

I have a G4 (2 GB Ram, 8XX Ghz powerPC processor) that has 10.3.9 installed.
I have purchased a retail copy of Leopard to try to upgrade the system. When I insert the disk and click "Install" the machine reboots and continues spinning without chiming....just a blank screen.

I tried repacing the PRAM Battery..No luck
I tried installing the DVDF from the second DVD...no luck
My local store tried to install from an external firewire DVD...no luck

The Machine meets the specs (lots of HD available), but I'm at a loss.

Any advice would be great
RB
 

dtravis7


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Sorry, Snow Leopard is for an Intel CPU only. They totally did away with support for any Power PC CPU in Snow Leopard. Best you can do is purchase 10.5 Leopard. Sorry
 
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sorry for my typo

Sorry,

My error. I am trying to upgrade to Leopard. My copy of Leopard won't install.
 

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Ok, glad you cleared that up! :D

If you put the 10.5 DVD into the drive and boot with C held down, what happens? Also have you tried holding down option at startup after the Startup sound? Does the DVD show? What happens when you click on it?
 
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When I hold C, the DVD drive makes a lot of noise...spinning accessing etc for about 4 min. then nothing....

When I hold Option after the Chime...nothing happens. No noticable spinning or click-whir sounds. Blank screen.

RB
 
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G'day and welcome to the forums.

Well you said 8xx. It has to be an 867MHz processor or higher and will not boot on say an 800MHz machine. Otherwise sounds like you drive has had it. It is a DVD drive, such as a superdrive or combo, and not a CD only drive?
 
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Hi,

Yes, it's an 867 Mhz. I have 2 Superdrives in it, both DVD drives. Same symptoms in both drives.

RB
 

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If it does the same thing in both drives, I would suspect that the DVD itself might be bad. Did you look it over real close to see if there are any scratches or imperfections?
 
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Describe the DVD as sometimes sellers market upgrade or system discs as retail. It should be black and not silver/grey.
 
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Behind the shiny silver case, both are black. I checked the specs and they are listed as :ATA 3 Bus - Pioneer DVD RW DVR-104.
I tried a firmware / Driver update for these and have not found anything newer than my installed version.

As I mentioned in a previous post, my local Mac store tried to install the OS from an external firewire dvd with the same results.
 
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Behind the shiny silver case, both are black. I checked the specs and they are listed as :ATA 3 Bus - Pioneer DVD RW DVR-104.
I tried a firmware / Driver update for these and have not found anything newer than my installed version.

As I mentioned in a previous post, my local Mac store tried to install the OS from an external firewire dvd with the same results.

Are you able to do anything with those DVD drives? Watch a DVD movie? Browse files on a DVD? Can you boot from your own original install DVD?
 
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My bad. Meant describe the DVD install discs.
 
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Ahh.. The install disks are genuine Retail MAc OS X disks. I've tried the one I purchased (at the Apple Store in Toronto) and when it didn't work, I borrowed a friend's disk (thinking my disks might be bad) and I got the exact same result.

The DVD drives play movies, and data disks. When I pop the install disk into either drive, the OS X install window shows up as it should.
 

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That is crazy. :D

You are sure that is an 867 Mhz G4 CPU? If so it should install. I tried my 5 license 10.5 DVD on a 733 Quicksilver and I believe it said it could not install on this machine.

I am starting to think there is something wrong with the PowerMac itself. What OS is on the machine right now? Do you have the install DVD/CD for the current OS you can try? Does it work?
 

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Ahh.. The install disks are genuine Retail MAc OS X disks. I've tried the one I purchased (at the Apple Store in Toronto) and when it didn't work, I borrowed a friend's disk (thinking my disks might be bad) and I got the exact same result.

Two things:

- What color is this install disk and/or what does it look like (is there a image/photo of a cat of some sort on it)?
- If you bought this OS 10.5 Leopard install disk fairly recently...I'm pretty sure you didn't buy it from the Toronto Apple Store...since Apple stopped selling 10.5 install disks in the stores about 1.5 years ago.

- Nick
 
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I know it's crazy!

I also think that there is something going on inside the Mac...it simply doesn't want to boot from any other drive. I just don't really know where to start troubleshooting (well, I've started, but I'm hitting roadblocks)

This computer was recently donated to my High School from a pro Video Producer. I don't know much about the original install (7 years ago?) but it runs 10.3.9 beautifully

Yes the OS was installed from the Apple store (4 years ago?) for another box. That box now runs Snow leopard.

The install disk is in a fancy holographic box. THe disk is black! The other Retail version I tried was black. The Disk has a big X on it with a nebula pink / purple background. The MAc Store in my town tried their copy of OS 10.5...I'm pretty sure it was also a verified copy...the copy of the OS is not the problem.
 

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The install disk is in a fancy holographic box. THe disk is black! The other Retail version I tried was black. The Disk has a big X on it with a nebula pink / purple background. The MAc Store in my town tried their copy of OS 10.5...I'm pretty sure it was also a verified copy...the copy of the OS is not the problem.

Thanks for that info...that helps. We really needed to know what the disk looks like to verify you had the correct disk. We cannot see what you have over the internet...and you didn't post a photo...so getting a description is important. You have no idea how many users post a question just like yours...and are using incorrect disks.

Does the disk say anything about "upgrade" or "drop-in disk" on it?

- Nick
 
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The Disk says:

Mac OS X Leopard
Install DVD
version 10.5

The box says Mac 10.5 retail

...I understand that there will be lots of problems with users trying hacked disks / upgrade disks.. According to the info, this OS should work. I believe my problem is internal....but I'm stumped

RB
 

pigoo3

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...I understand that there will be lots of problems with users trying hacked disks / upgrade disks..

Ohh no...I'm not saying that (although it does happen). It's simply a matter of folks using the wrong disk in the wrong computer. But anyway...it does sound like you have the appropriate disk.

In order to test the "internals"...how about grabbing a music CD or a movie DVD...and trying to run that in your computers drive. If it cannot play a music CD or mover DVD...then it's certainly not the OS install disk...but the internal optical drive that's bad (the CD/DVD drive).

HTH,

- Nick
 
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Audio CDs work fine. The install DVD reads fine and I can read other Data DVDs, transfer files etc. The movie player seems to be crashing when I put a movie DVD in. I'm looking into this.
 

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