Install disc for Japanese iBook G4

[kuro68k]

Hi. I have an iBook G4, listed as a "PowerBook6,7". It's a Japanese model, if that makes any difference.

I want to reinstall it, but I can't find a working install disc. I want to install Tiger 10.4.

I tried all the "retail" ones on Archive.org, but none of them will boot. If I go into the boot menu they don't show up. I can read the discs in MacOS and I can see the installer on there, but all it does is reboot and not load the installer.

I'm in the UK at the moment so buying a Japanese retail disc is a bit tricky, if that's what I need.

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

 

[pm-r]

I'm in the UK at the moment so buying a Japanese retail disc is a bit tricky, if that's what I need.

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Give your Apple Customer Support a call and see if they can't help you, but don't hold your breath if they can't.

But they may on a very slim chance offer to sell you an old installer CD. It might be worth a call to try, but it probably won't be a Japanese OS edition.



- Patrick
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[krs]

AFAIK, the only thing that makes this a "Japanese" model is the keyboard which shows Japanese in addition to the letters we use - the macOS software is the same.
I have no idea what one downloads from archive.org, but I have read more than once that when people try to use that download as an installer, it does not work.
I think I still have an original Tiger retail DVD; if there is no resulution for the OP in the next few days, I can try to find that and at least check the size to compare that to the archive.org download.

 

[kuro68k]

Thanks. I never even thought of calling Apple for such an old machine.

The images on archive.org have comments saying they work, so I was wondering if there was something wrong with the machine. It reads discs okay though.

Thank you so much for the kind offer krs. That would certainly help to know that the image was as known good one.

I've had a lot of "fun" with this machine. I wanted to back up the HDD with a Japanese install of Tiger on it, but every image I make has a different checksum. The drive reports it is fine in the Apple diagnostic tool. I'd swap it for an SSD if it wasn't such a pain to get at!

 

[pm-r]

I've had a lot of "fun" with this machine. I wanted to back up the HDD with a Japanese install of Tiger on it, but every image I make has a different checksum.

BTW: if it would make things easier for you, that Mac can run Mac OS Tiger to Leopard:

Pre-Installed MacOS: X 10.4.2 (8D37) Maximum MacOS: X 10.5.8

OS X 10.4 Tiger (Merlot) – April 29, 2005 (Latest: 10.4.11)
OS X 10.4.4 Tiger (Chardonnay) – January 10, 2006 (for Intel Macs) (Latest: 10.4.11)
OS X 10.5 Leopard (Chablis) – October 26, 2007 (Latest: 10.5.8)

iBook G4/1.33 12-Inch (Mid-2005 - Op) Specs (Mid-2005 12-Inch, M9846LL/A, PowerBook6,7, A1133, N/A): EveryMac.com

Technical specifications for the iBook G4/1.33 12-Inch (Mid-2005 - Op). Dates sold, processor type, memory info, hard drive details, price and more.

everymac.com

As for installing a solid state drive, if you got around to it, I'm not sure that you could still actually buy one that would be compatible and there might be a size restriction as well, but I'm not sure. You would need to do some checking before you did your purchase.




- Patrick
=======

 

[techiesteve]

As for installing a solid state drive, if you got around to it, I'm not sure that you could still actually buy one that would be compatible and there might be a size restriction as well, but I'm not sure. You would need to do some checking before you did your purchase.




- Patrick
=======

The MacBook G4 uses an ATA interfaced HD, not SATA. I have never seen an ATA SSD.

 

[ferrarr]

The images on archive.org have comments saying they work, so I was wondering if there was something wrong with the machine. It reads discs okay though.

Can you post the link to your downloaded dmg?

Also, how did you put the installer on to the USB drive?

 

[kuro68k]

Thanks again. There are ATA SSDs on the market. A 64 or 128GB one should do nicely and be okay size wise. The original HDD is 40GB.

You can sometimes get them on Amazon, or via AliExpress/eBay from China.

Here are the ones I have tried:

OS X 10.4.5 Tiger Intel Installer DVD (Retail) : Apple : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

Retail installer DVD for the Apple Mac OSX 10.4 Tiger Operating System for Intel Macs.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5a_sVNEfUbU

archive.org

Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

Mac OS X 10.4.6 Tiger Retail Install DVD.

archive.org

ohhhhh im pooooping : Apple INC : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

Mac OS X Tiger Retail DVD (iso image) Version 10.4For Combo update to version 10.4.8 after installing: https://support.apple.com/kb/dl170?locale=en_USOther...

archive.org

Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger (8A428) (Retail DVD) : Apple Inc. : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger was initially available in a PowerPC edition, with an Intel edition released beginning at Mac OS X 10.4.4 Tiger. There is no universal...

archive.org

I did look at doing a USB install, but when I boot into the firmware it can't see my USB sticks. They might be too new or too large.

 

[kuro68k]

BTW: if it would make things easier for you, that Mac can run Mac OS Tiger to Leopard:

Pre-Installed MacOS: X 10.4.2 (8D37) Maximum MacOS: X 10.5.8

Yeah I'd heard that, but from what I read people seem to prefer Tiger. It has compatibility with older MacOS apps which would be handy, and people say Leopard runs quite slowly on this machine. What do you think?

 

[ferrarr]

Oh yeah, I forgot the older G4 models would only boot from external FireWire and not USB. It looks lie your only option is to create a bootable DVD installer or order one from online.

What are the steps you took to create the installers that didn't work?

 

[kuro68k]

Oh yeah, I forgot the older G4 models would only boot from external FireWire and not USB. It looks lie your only option is to create a bootable DVD installer or order one from online.

What are the steps you took to create the installers that didn't work?

I burned them to disc on a Windows machine using ImgBurn. The .toast images I just renamed to .iso.

I'm not sure if the Mac has a DVD writer in it. How can I tell? I think it's USB ports are too slow for an external one, but I could be wrong. The drive I use is a Blu-Ray burner, a lot newer than this Mac but it might work.

I'll keep an eye out for a Firewire enclosure maybe. Or maybe an old Firewire iPod, I remember you could put them in "disk mode". I think I threw mine out years ago.

 

[pm-r]

The MacBook G4 uses an ATA interfaced HD, not SATA. I have never seen an ATA SSD.

I was wondering about that, and that should make it even harder to find a replacement solid state drive that would possibly work and I don't imagine there is any adapter that could even try to make it work.



- Patrick
=======

 

[pm-r]

and people say Leopard runs quite slowly on this machine. What do you think?

My old brain can't think or recall that far back how such Macs and the particular OS version performed, and besides my laptop was only used occasionally for some mobile use which wasn't that often.

I guess I'm a bit curious as to why you would even want to resurrect such an Old Mac model???

Anyway, welcome to mac-forums forums by the way. And there seems to be quite a good number of you from the UK as members here.





- Patrick
=======

 

[kuro68k]

Thanks Patrick. It's just for fun, I just want to play with an old Mac from the PPC era. Might be able to run some alternative operating systems too, although I've not had much luck with Linux live CDs.

One other option for old machines with IDE/ATA is Compact Flash, or an SD card to IDE adapter. They are popular with the retro community because finding working drives that old is getting hard.

 

[pm-r]

One other option for old machines with IDE/ATA is Compact Flash, or an SD card to IDE adapter. They are popular with the retro community because finding working drives that old is getting hard.

My recollection of using a Flash Drive as a bootable maintenance tool with various applications with such Mac models was a painfully slow process, maybe it was the flash drives I was using but they were sure slow compared to booting from an external hard drive.

Anyway, good luck with your adventure.




- Patrick
=======

 

[krs]

I burned them to disc on a Windows machine using ImgBurn. The .toast images I just renamed to .iso.

I'm not sure if the Mac has a DVD writer in it. How can I tell?

In post #5, Patrick has a link to every mac.
That will give you a lot of info on that Mac - and yes, it has a DVD drive.

 

[ferrarr]

On the pages you linked to, which file did you download? The ISO or the torrent? I'm downloading the ISO file from this link;

Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger Retail DVD : Apple INC : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive to see what the file type is.

I burned them to disc on a Windows machine using ImgBurn. The .toast images I just renamed to .iso.

What toast images?

 

[krs]

I found my Tiger install DVD.
Below is the image that should show on the first screen of the DVD.
The other image is what comes up with "Get Info"

 

[ferrarr]

From the link I used here's the same info of the ISO file I downloaded;



Hope this info helps.

 

[krs]

I see that the file sizes reported by 'Get Info' are not identical.
I wonder if there is an explanation for that.
Or is that a potential issue?