OS X Corrupt, Can anyone help me?!

Hiya,
Sorry for being an absolute Mac n00b here...
I got my very first mac off ebay about a week ago and I used it for like 3 days then the OS on it (10.3.9) just stopped loading after I updated a firmware update for the SuperDrive (cause it seemed like it was stuffing up)

Now the Mac won't even start up the OS... it's just stuck on the apple and the loading sign... but doesn't even get to the progress bar...


The main problem is the OS Repair and Install disc the guy from ebay gave me is a version 10.2.3 Tiger OS X...
When I put that CD into the iMac, the computer starts to load it then freezes up with the text forcing me to restart the computer (***?) So I can't even boot the CD

And now the "new" Mac is just sitting collecting dust....

Can anyone please help me?!

Heres so more stuff that I tried... if I go into Single User mode I get this error and can't even type anything
"Load of /sbin/mach_init, errno 2 , trying /etc/mach_init
Load of /etc/mach_init failed, errno 2"

I also can't load up in safe mode...
help!

Try booting from the install disk holding down the option key. Hopefully this will bring you to a screen where you choose to continue booting, either from the CD/DVD or the Hard-Drive. You obviously want to boot from the CD/DVD. If you get this far, try this:

When you boot-up using the install CD/DVD, go through the screens as you were going to reinstall. When you get the screen that will prompt you to what drive you want to install, go to the menu bar, you will see the standard drop-downs, there is Disk Utility. Using Disk Utility, try repairing the hard-drive. I mention this is unlikely to work, although certainly worth the try.

My personal feeling is, since the system is new to you. And you are able to get to the install screen, you best bet is to erase the HD and install fresh. This may be your only option. You will of course lose all programs on the HD.

powermacj7 said:

Try booting from the install disk holding down the option key.

Click to expand...

Holding down the option key on a restart will present a choice of drives to boot from, but you can skip that step.

Put the DVD in the machine and restart while holding down the C key. This will force the machine to boot from the DVD. (It's the C key because the command dates from CD days.) The machine will take a longer time to start because the boot sequence is on a slower DVD than a faster hard drive.

When the computer is up and running, follow the procedure to install, but one or two clicks into this, a menu will appear across the top. Find the Disk Utility or Disk First Aid command, and run the disk-repair program.

Your DVD with 10.2.3 on it is not Tiger. Your current install of 10.3.9 is Panther. Installing 10.2.3 would be a step backwards. Avoid it, if you can. But you might not be able to. Since 10.2.3 is older than 10.3.9, the DVD might not be able to fix it. (Come to that, I'm not sure your computer would allow you to install it.)

Now the Mac won't even start up the OS... it's just stuck on the apple and the loading sign... but doesn't even get to the progress bar...

Click to expand...

After a firmware update, the apple screen and daisy icon can stay on for 5 or 6 minutes.

If it's still on after 10 minutes, you might be best trying to get hold of OS X 10.4 Tiger and installing the latest operating system.

The main problem is the OS Repair and Install disc the guy from ebay gave me is a version 10.2.3 Tiger OS X...

Click to expand...

What model iMac do you have? I think Brown Study points out part of the problem: 10.2 is Jaguar, 10.4 is Tiger. I doubt that the 10.2 CD will help with 10.3 (Panther) installed. Especially if the 10.2 disk is an OEM for some other Mac. If you have to get a standard Operating System installer, get Tiger.

Like Sherman says, do not use different OS install disks to accomplish those tasks! Use your Panther disks. I can see why the system is now corrupt. You've got bits of at least two different OSes on your machine!