Trying to upgrade to OS X from 9.2

redbeard76 · #1 May 8th, 2008, 11:19 PM

I have 2 Imac G3's one running 10.3.9, the other was given to me running System 8.5. I've been able to update it to 9.2. A friend has let me borrow his OS X Install CD's for 10.3.2 but I cannot get the 9.2 machine to boot from the cd. I've tried holding c and later tried x, but both resulted in the cd spinning with the blinking ? icon, then booting into 9.2. I've tried setting the boot-device in open firmware and still get the ? until I insert the OS 9 disk, then I have to reset the start-up disk to get back to 9.2. The disk seems to work fine in my 10.3.9 Machine, is there something else I can try to get the 9.2 machine to accept the 10.3 cd?

**fryke** · #2 May 9th, 2008, 01:37 AM

That disk wouldn't happen to be one that came with a specific computer, would it? You'll need a valid license of Mac OS X 10.3 for your computer, which means you need to buy a retail copy of Mac OS X 10.3. "Retail" is the important part here.

redbeard76 · #3 May 9th, 2008, 03:00 PM

I can't get in touch with the guy loaning me the cd's right now. How can I tell if they are Retail or packaged with another computer? Also, why will one computer boot from the 10.3 cd and the other won't (it will boot from the os 9 cd though)? When I open Start-Up Disk it shows the 10.3 system folder and will let me select it, but it won't boot. It just gives me the blinking "?" icon.

ElDiabloConCaca · #4 May 9th, 2008, 03:53 PM

I think what fryke is saying is that if you make us aware that you're using OS X illegally (ie, "borrowing" install disks that do not belong to you and for which you do not own the license), then you're not going to get much help here. We gotta keep it legit in these parts of town.

You can tell retail disks from packaged disks because packaged disks are grey in color, and list a specific Mac computer model on the label.

If the model of computer you're trying to boot that CD/DVD with is different from the computer model printed on the CD/DVD, then it won't boot. You gotta "match up" the CD/DVD with the correct computer model, or go out and purchase a retail copy of Mac OS X, which is a "universal" copy and will install on any Mac computer that supports running that version of OS X.

redbeard76 · #5 May 10th, 2008, 08:28 PM

I was finally able to get in touch with my friend and he says they are Retail, and he believes it was a commercial license for up to 10 computers. He also is going to try and find the paperwork for me. Maybe there will be something there that will help.
BTW I'm not trying to be a crook about this, I'm just trying to bring My other MAC into the 21st century. If he can't find any license info that is good, my next idea is to just get a much larger HD with OSX already installed from my local Mac guy.