iBook Troubles...(nOOb)

OK so i decided to give Macs a shot and i bought an iBook on eBay....it looks nice....it seems to work...but lets get into my problems(i'm good with computer but i've never used a mac,but am profficient in linux)

so this iBook has 10.1.....my friend lent me 10.2 to install...and i bought 10.3 online and its coming in the mail...

First off the seller never gave me admin password. so that's most likely the problem but,

i cant even use the cd-rw/dvd it opens and sounds like it spins when i put it in ...but i cant find it on the computer, i dont know if there's a mounting command on 10.1(i'm assuming there is cause its unix)

i cant get into utilities it says" The application Disk Utility has enexpedtedly quit"

all i want is to be able to boot from the CD...OR format my harddrive OR somehow get admin privlages to do what i want

(i tried restarting and holding down "c" and it didnt work)

pleeez help...

OK, calm down. There wouldn't be so many Mac believers if it sucked. The iBook you bought was probably defective to begin with since you got it off eBay. Buy a nice new iBook and you won't have any problems guaranteed. But I'll try to help you with your problems as much as I can.

i cant even use the cd-rw/dvd it opens and sounds like it spins when i put it in ...but i cant find it on the computer, i dont know if there's a mounting command on 10.1(i'm assuming there is cause its unix)

Click to expand...

Check on the desktop. It appears as a picture of a disk. Wait for about 5secs, it should be on the desktop.

all i want is to be able to boot from the CD...OR format my harddrive OR somehow get admin privlages to do what i want

Click to expand...

Wait for 10.3 to come in the mail, then you'll have admin privelages and you'll be all fine.

(i tried restarting and holding down "c" and it didnt work)

Click to expand...

You have to do it before you see the grey screen but after you hear the beep.


Anyways, wait until you get 10.3 in the mail, then everything will be alright. An iBook bought on eBay with a friend's version of OS X is not exactly the Mac experience.

I tried to help where I could, but again wait for 10.3.

m1k said:

OK, calm down. There wouldn't be so many Mac believers if it sucked. The iBook you bought was probably defective to begin with since you got it off eBay. Buy a nice new iBook and you won't have any problems guaranteed. But I'll try to help you with your problems as much as I can.

Click to expand...

I dont think there's somethign wrong with the iBook...Airport works..the OS 10.1 works without crashing and i installed AIM..so for the most part it works...except i think alot if blocked b/c of admin privliges.....

but if i cant boot from the CD with any other CD...how iwilli be able to boot with 10.3???

I dont think there's somethign wrong with the iBook...Airport works..the OS 10.1 works without crashing and i installed AIM..so for the most part it works...except i think alot if blocked b/c of admin privliges.....

Click to expand...

How did you install your friend's version of 10.2 if the disk drive doesn't work? Try asking your friend for the admin password anyways, or make a new account and try to admin it. If you buy a new iBook you get to decide your password and stuff like that the first time you turn it on. I don't know what to do with a used iBook.

but if i cant boot from the CD with any other CD...how iwilli be able to boot with 10.3???

Click to expand...

Once you install 10.3 you don't have to boot from the CD -_- . I don't really get your questions, sorry

don't call people ********... an ******* is part of a persons body, NOT an entire person...

Orange said:

don't call people ********... an ******* is part of a persons body, NOT an entire person...

Click to expand...

thanks but that isnt helping.....

BUT...i did get into single user mode....and ran fsck

something's up...



**/dev/rdisk0s5
**Root file sysme
*Checking HFS Plus volume
.
.
.
** Checking Catalog file.
disk0s5: 0x8 (UNDEFINED)
invalid node structure


anyone know whats up???

i'm googling as i type...

Don't worry about fsck errors for now. You don't even have admin access to your system anyways, and you'll have to reinstall from scratch. Try booting from your CD again. Put the CD in the drive, reboot, and hold C while it's rebooting. If it doesn't work, the CDROM drive might be defective. Also, make sure if you are using a boot DVD, you should have a DVD ROM drive. Boot DVD won't be recognized by CDROM drive.

download yellowdog, burn to cd, reboot, insert cd. Fixed.

Right - will your mac recognise ANY cd's??

Put in an audio cd for example and see what happens.

If the disc drive is working at all, then you're in luck.
If it's not, you might need to replace it, or use an external drive for the 10.3 install.

If it's working, maybe you were using the install DVD - you'll need the cd's...

Once you get 10.3. try booting from the cd, reformat the harddrive and you should be fine...

What kind of idiot would run Linux on a Mac? OS X is the best part of Mac experience. It's the only reason I switched to Mac. If Apple ports OS X to Intel, I may switch back to Pentium and run OS X on it.

ditto..

Although linux is good, mac osx easily wins the os competition...

But I can understand installing linux for some special apps

ummm...OS X runs BSD which is a berkley UNIX....which is similar to linux...SOOO....the difference between both is....

apps and looks.....


that and OS X has alot more support than PPC linux flavors...

OK... SO... I'm attempting to use an external CD-ROM(USB)...and its not working..

i tried "option"...

i tried CMD-OPT-SHIFT-DELETE

NOTHING!!!.....

i've never had such an unresponsive computer before....

does anyone know if macstore are helpful or u gotta pay them to talk??

i know i called 1-800-MyApple and they are like...whats ur serial...well ur warrnety is out so if u want me to talk...$50 a question.....F*#K THAT!