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General discussion

Need Help Reinstall Mac OS X

Feb 27, 2007 10:49AM PST

I have an ibook G4, I currently have Mac OS X 10.4.8 on it. I want to wipe it out and reinstall a fresh Mac OS X on it. I have the original OS X 10.4 discs. I put in disc 1 and run install and bundle, it asked me to restart, but after restart it goes back in OS X 10.4.8, I couldnt start the installation.
I also tried holding down 'c' when restart, it shows up the folder with '?' and a strange face sign. Then it goes back into the OS X again. All hardware is original, no modifications.
Could anyone help me to solve this and make a clean installation?

Discussion is locked

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Install OS X
Feb 27, 2007 8:52PM PST

Check that the disks you have are actually the correct disks. I'm sure they are, but make sure anyway.
10.4 came on a single DVD but if your disks were part of the iBook package, you may have more than one disk. Check also that Disk 1 is inserted.

Try booting from the disk by shutting the machine down and then starting up again with the OPTION key held down.
This "should" give you the choice of startup disks. The system will display an icon for each valid system disk that it finds. In your case, it should find two. This takes a long time to complete.

The flashing question mark and the Sad Mac are both signs that the system did not find a valid startup disk. While in .4.8, check that you have the correct HD set to be the startup disk. System Prefs/Startup.

Question: How long were you holding the "C" key down for? It requires a continuous press until the Apple appears. The Sad Mac would indicate that you are doing that, just checking.

Repairing permissions on the HD should not have any effect but you could try that. Utilities/Disk Utility.

Let us know

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Install OS X
Feb 28, 2007 1:45AM PST

I have tried holding down the C key from the start of reboot till it loads into 10.4.8. It still doesnt load the CD.
I have tried the holding option button, i got to that startup screen, but only one icon appeared as the harddisk. I waited, but there is no DVD drive Sad
in 10.4.8, I have set the startup pref as HD and also tried the installation disc. It still wouldnt load into the setup screen!!!!!!!

From my feeling is that machine is not detecting the DVD rom as a startup disc, although I hear it spinning when restarting. is there anything like the bios system in Mac??
The 2 DVD I have are originals from the ibook box. Disc 1 for installation and Disc 2 seems to have the Mac OS 9 compatible installer. This is very strange, any idea?

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Ideas & Questions
Feb 28, 2007 5:11AM PST

Does this DVD player play DVD's? I mean commercial DVD's. While we are about it, does it play Cd's?

From what you are saying, the optical reader is not reading very well. That DVD should certainly be bootable.

No, there is no BIOS as such in a Mac. It will boot from whatever drive it finds that has a valid system disk. The only thing it will not boot from, as yet, is a USB device. Holding down the option key will give you the choice of whatever System disk the computer found.

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Mac OS x installation
Mar 1, 2007 1:23AM PST

I have put in DVDs data and movie files, as well as CDs. They all read and play fine. It is just that when it boots up, it doesnt find and boot from the DVD rom, very strange. So I suspect it is the DVD disc that is not booting up. I am trying to borrow a Mac OS X disc from a friend.

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good idea
Mar 1, 2007 3:44AM PST

let us know what happens


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Re install OS X

I have in mind that to get the re install properly set up you need to press 'Option' 'Mac' P and R at the same time and hold until the screen gives you the option to start from CD/DVD. Worth a try anyway

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That key combination Zaps the PRAM
Mar 2, 2007 9:57PM PST

Once Zapped, the system will start from whatever drive it finds with a valid system disk. In this case, the Hard Drive

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Install
Mar 6, 2007 9:45AM PST

I think I figured it out, it's strange. I think neither of my DVD or DVD drive was faulty. Because I got hold of a Mac OS X 10.4 disc, which I believe could be the retail version. I put it in and it boots up from the disc, then I could do what I wanted! Erase and install!!! However it didnt detect the mouse pad, but I was brave enough to go ahead and install.
After installation, still no mouse pad, after a restart, the screen gone fuzzy and B&W!!!! I plugged in a USB mouse (works!!), then updated thru the net to 10.4.8. after restart everything was fine!!!! It's done!!
Strange that no one seems to have this prob before!!

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What sort of Mouse Pad requires
Mar 6, 2007 8:50PM PST

software?

Pleased you got back up and running


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