Installation

[RockWontDie420]

Since I bought my Powerbook G4 used, I will need to go buy a 10.4 Tiger install disk. But if I install it, would I lose all of my files, songs, etc? Would I need to buy an external HD or what?

 

[baggss]

I would make sure you back up for safety sake, but you won't lose everything.

If you are upgrading from 10.3, you can just select upgrade. If you are reinstalling you can select "Archive and Install" and this will put a new system on your machine while preserving your profile and all of your settings.

You will only lose everything if you select "Erase and Install" since that will simply reformat the disc and then install.

 

[RockWontDie420]

I think that is what I need to do though, considering the fact that my Mac is in very unstable condition. Everything fails. I can't install or download or install anything. It also "unexpectedly quits" at random times in the middle of mixing a song, or randomly on Safari when I try to do something normal...

 

[RockWontDie420]

I would make sure you back up for safety sake, but you won't lose everything.

If you are upgrading from 10.3, you can just select upgrade. If you are reinstalling you can select "Archive and Install" and this will put a new system on your machine while preserving your profile and all of your settings.

You will only lose everything if you select "Erase and Install" since that will simply reformat the disc and then install.

Well I'm not upgrading from 10.3. I have 10.4. I just need the install disk to restart everything. Because nothing I have tried has worked. So after I buy the disk and put it in, I need to press "Archive and Install", or everything will be lost? I might have to reformat it though, to be honest. What is another option if I find out I need to do this?

 

[baggss]

If you need to reformat you need to reformat. I've had to reinstall the OS a few times over the years, but I've never had to reformat the existing disc.

I'm assuming you've already run Disc Utility and let it verify your disc?

 

[RockWontDie420]

If you need to reformat you need to reformat. I've had to reinstall the OS a few times over the years, but I've never had to reformat the existing disc.

I'm assuming you've already run Disc Utility and let it verify your disc?

I have tried absolutely everything.
Everything fails.
Nothing can be installed.
Nothing can be downloaded.
It unexpectedly quits in the middle of mixing songs.
Random times.
IT ALWAYS QUITS. and I don't know what else to do but buy the stinkin' disk. v_v

 

[baggss]

Do you have access to another Mac?

 

[RockWontDie420]

Do you have access to another Mac?

A friend of mine has a Desktop G5. Why?

 

[RockWontDie420]

Could I just use his install disk, or would it be registered with his computer only?

 

[baggss]

Ok, here's what you do:

1) Go to your friends house, take a FireWire Cable with you.

2) Turn his Mac on, turn yours off.

3) Plug the Firewire Cable into any available Firewire port on his Mac.

4) Plug the Firewire cable into any available Firewire port on your Mac.

5) Turn on your Mac, hold down the T key until you you see the triangle looking Firewire symbol on your screen.

6) Watch his desktop for your Macs Drive icon to mount on his Mac. You have just booted your Mac into "Target Firewire Mode".

7) Open Disc Utility on his Mac and let it repair your hard drive, run both Disc Check and repair permissions.

8) When done, unplug your Mac and reboot.

At worst you will waste an hour, at best you will save $129 on the 10.4 disc and fix your computer.

I did this just a few weeks ago with my G5 and my iBook. This saved me from a reinstall and confirmed that my issues (including Kernal Panics) were not Hardware problems as I had feared.

 

[RockWontDie420]

are you sure this is what I need to do?