Problem during re-install of MAC OS X 10.4

Hello there,

Any help appreciated on this! I'm halfway through a reinstall of MAC OS X 10.4 and the second install disk isn't reading and the Mac Mini just ejects the disk. Can I abandon the 2nd half of the install or just the abandon the whole install? The "cancel" button is greyed out.

Thanks,

Mark.

What color are the disks (black or gray). If gray…did these disks come with the computer (when it was new)…or did these come from somewhere else?

If black disks…are these disks DVD's or CD's (10.4 install disks came in both versions).

Is this disk #2 damaged in some way? Scratches, smudges, etc.?

- Nick

Hi Nick, thanks for getting back to me. The disks are grey and yes I think they came with the Mac mini when it was new - I bought it second-hand however so don't know for sure.

Disk 2 looks pretty good, the same as disk one. I wouldn;t say it was scratched. Is there anyway of abandoning the re-install? Seems unlike Mac not to have thought of a way out in the event the disk-load system malfunctions!

Markle-Jackson said:

The disks are grey and yes I think they came with the Mac mini when it was new - I bought it second-hand however so don't know for sure.

Click to expand...

I wasn't 100% sure if you meant that the gray disks came with the Mac-Mini when you purchased it…or if you purchased the gray disks seperately yourself.

The gray disks are model specific…and if they are not the original gray disks (but came from a different model)…then they won't work.

- In any case…what sort of Mac-Mini is this? Is it a G4 Mac-Mini…or an Intel Mac-Mini?
- Also…is OS 10.4 the OS version you really want on this Mac-Mini…or a newer OS version?

* Nick

Hi Nick,

It's a G4 Mac mini. 10.4 would be fine but I've just realised the serial number on disk 1 and 2 are out by 2 digits! Son of a B! I'm guessing that's why it's not installing? Is there any way to get out of the installation process?

I do have a copy of Snow Leopard that I would be happy installing, but as it's an older 2005 model I'd be happy sticking with 10.4 too.

Mark.

Markle-Jackson said:

It's a G4 Mac mini. 10.4 would be fine but I've just realised the serial number on disk 1 and 2 are out by 2 digits! Son of a B! I'm guessing that's why it's not installing? Is there any way to get out of the installation process?

Click to expand...

Ok…good to know that it's a G4 Mac-Mini. It is possible (since this G4 Mac-Mini is in the neighborhood of 9 years old)...that the previous owner (or owners) purchased the gray disks separately at some point…hard to say. If they are the original gray disks they should work.

If there are two gray disks…usually disk #1 is the OS install…and disk #2 is the hardware test disk & sometimes some accessory programs. So when you first start the install process…you are usually (at some point) presented with window where you can choose the install options. I would deselect any "extra stuff"…so that maybe the install only needs disk #1. The installer won't tell you this…you just got to try it.

OS 10.4 is a good OS for this computer. You could install OS 10.5…but the install disk is still pretty expensive (eBay).

Markle-Jackson said:

I do have a copy of Snow Leopard that I would be happy installing, but as it's an older 2005 model I'd be happy sticking with 10.4 too.

Click to expand...

Snow Leopard is OS 10.6…and OS 10.6 will only work with Intel Mac-Mini's. So it won't work on a G4 Mac-Mini.

- Nick

As Nick suggests, after loading disc one, eject, and reboot and see if Tiger OS X.4 loads.

If succesful and you can get online, download this Combo Updater to OS X.4.11, the final release of Tiger:-


http://support.apple.com/kb/DL170

Hello Harry and Nick,

Thanks for the feedback from both of you. Nick, the installer program has gone past disk 1 and repeatedly asks for disk 2. There's no way I've found to get out of it asking for it! It did ask whether I wanted to install disks 1 and 2 before I started but now it's gone too far. Ideas?

Harry, I've ejected disk 1 (the Mac won't let it back in) and rebooted but it just comes straight back and asks for disk number 2. There's no cancel button. Ideas?

Thanks again guys,

Mark.

Oh man this is going to test the memory.

Reboot and hold down the C key when it boots back up. Restart the installation, and when it gets to the options, make sure that iLife/Additional Software isn't selected. Then you should be able to reinstall using just Disc 1.

I think you may have hit it on the head Stretch. I completely forgot about that.

Yes it is a pretty good idea (mentioned it in post #6).lol

- Nick

pigoo3 said:

Yes it is a pretty good idea (mentioned it in post #6).lol

- Nick

Click to expand...

And I wonder who posted #6! Grin

I bet that might work for sure. Give it a try.

pigoo3 said:

Yes it is a pretty good idea (mentioned it in post #6).lol

- Nick

Click to expand...

Apparently my cybernetic implant that allows both speed reading and comprehension is not completely operational.

I think that OP's response in post #8 (at least in part) is what happened trying the suggestion from post #6.

Reinstalling the OS should be pretty straightforward. There's probably some small detail that we're missing keeping this from being a success.

- Nick

Hi Guys,

So many people chipping in with help, thanks to you all. Unfortunately it's still not working. I've rebooted holding down the "C" key - it didn't work. Then I rebooted holding down the "Command" key - that didn't work. Then I tried both. That didn't work.

It keeps coming back to the

"Please insert the "Mac OS X Install Disk 2" disc to continue the installation.

You have chosen to install software that requires this disc."

screen - and the cancel button is greyed-out.

Any more ideas?

Thanks again,

Mark.

Get on eBay and look for a Tiger retail install disk. You should be able to find one at a reasonable cost. After you buy it and get it installed, toss the two disks you have.

Try holding down the Option key on reboot. That should allow you to select what to boot from.

Gents,

Thanks for all of your input. It's worked! Stretch's idea of holding the option key on reboot meant I could boot from the DVD 1 rather than picking up the install from DVD 2. Brilliant!

Mark.