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TICKET ARCHIVE -> I can't install mac os x tiger on my G4

vitorhs - Jul 6, 2008 - 1:14 pm

Hello,
I have a PPC ibook g4 with panther, i have the Tiger DVD but when i try to install, i put the dvd restart the machine press C but after that i just can see the gray screen with the apple simble and nothing more. Do you know what is happening? I tested the dvd and i can open everything when i'm using panther.

Thank you

Vitor Ferreira

gsahli - Jul 6, 2008 - 4:06 pm

Is that a Black DVD with gray X across it (the retail version of Tiger, for all platforms), or is it a gray DVD with a specific Mac model listed on the front?

vitorhs - Jul 6, 2008 - 7:53 pm

The CD i have is the black one with gray X.

gsahli - Jul 6, 2008 - 11:23 pm

I don't have any other ideas - maybe the DVD drive needs cleaning?

I'll send you back to the other Techs.

motsteve - Jul 7, 2008 - 4:45 am

I know your ticket has been through the system before and I'm sorry you are having this problem. I hope I'm not asking you something that has been asked before, but I'm flying blind right now and need a little info to get me started. First of all, if your iBook is still booting and operating in Tiger, get that up and running and then insert your Leopard install disk. If you can read the files on the disk, your DVD drive is at least reading okay. The next thing to do is to restart your iBook with the install disk in, but instead of the 'c' key, hold down the option key until you see at least one drive icon come up with the arrows on both sides of the screen. If you only see the disk drive icon that has Tiger on it and not the install icon with the CD symbol in it, then the Leopard disk is not bootable by your CD drive. If this is the case, then you will have to install from an external drive on the firewire port. If you do see both icons on restart/power up, then select the CD icon for the install disk and push the button with the right pointing arrow on it.

vitorhs - Jul 7, 2008 - 10:59 am

Actually i have Panther on my machine and i'm trying to install the Tiger. I'll try that at home today and i let you guys know. Thank you

motsteve - Jul 7, 2008 - 11:03 am

Try out the install disk with Panther. It is just to test to make sure that the cd drive is reading your install disk okay at the easy level.

vitorhs - Jul 7, 2008 - 11:14 am

I reinstalled fine the Panther (original CD) yesterday. With Tiger CD i can open all the files there, when i click install it ask me to restart the machine, after that open the gray window without the loading circle and stuck.

vitorhs - Jul 7, 2008 - 11:17 am

I reinstalled fine the Panther (original CD) yesterday. With Tiger CD i can open all the files there, when i click install it ask me to restart the machine, after that open the gray window without the loading circle and stuck.

motsteve - Jul 7, 2008 - 11:55 am

That sounds good for now. When you try the option key down trick tonight, I hope all goes well.

vitorhs - Jul 7, 2008 - 11:58 am

i'm crossing my fingers i really need tiger on my mac because i need to use some applications that i cannot use using panther.

motsteve - Jul 7, 2008 - 12:04 pm

Tiger or Leopard, I hope one or the other of the great cats keeps you going.

vitorhs - Jul 7, 2008 - 12:06 pm

i'm crossing my fingers i really need tiger on my mac because i need to use some applications that i cannot use using panther.

vitorhs - Jul 7, 2008 - 5:15 pm

ok, i restarted the machine pressing the option button and i got three boxes, one with my HD, other box saying Mac OS X install DVD and the last one Apple Hardware Test.

motsteve - Jul 7, 2008 - 5:21 pm

Should I give you a technical explanation as to which one to select? ;-)

Don't ask me why that works and the c thing doesn't. They both use the EFI in the Mac to cause the bootable disk to boot. It was my understanding that c restricted the search to the CD drawer so there wasn't any wasted time. So much for my ignorance.

vitorhs - Jul 7, 2008 - 5:24 pm

Also tried with the tiger DVD i got almost the same thing, i can see my HD and Mac OS X install DVD but i cannot see the apple hardware test. any idea?

vitorhs - Jul 7, 2008 - 5:29 pm

when i tried using the tiger DVD i select the MAC OS X INSTALL DVD i got just the gray screen with the apple logo and nothing more

motsteve - Jul 7, 2008 - 5:30 pm

I don't know about the hardware test. I've never used it. Things have always either worked or I noticed smoke coming out of them. : - )

I hope your Leopard install goes well. Leopard is beyond nice.

motsteve - Jul 7, 2008 - 5:31 pm

I don't know about the hardware test. I've never used it. Things have always either worked or I noticed smoke coming out of them. : - )

I hope your Leopard install goes well. Leopard is beyond nice.

motsteve - Jul 7, 2008 - 5:32 pm

If you are getting the grey screen and the logo, does it look like you are getting the daisy spinning around also?

vitorhs - Jul 7, 2008 - 5:35 pm

when i tried using the tiger DVD i select the MAC OS X INSTALL DVD i got just the gray screen with the apple logo and nothing more

motsteve - Jul 7, 2008 - 5:54 pm

I'm getting weird results with this ticket tool thingy. I guess I don't know how to use it yet. Are you going to just do a Tiger install instead?

motsteve - Jul 7, 2008 - 6:13 pm

I'm getting weird results with this ticket tool thingy. I guess I don't know how to use it yet. Are you going to just do a Tiger install instead?

vitorhs - Jul 7, 2008 - 6:20 pm

when i tried using the tiger DVD i select the MAC OS X INSTALL DVD i got just the gray screen with the apple logo and nothing more

motsteve - Jul 7, 2008 - 6:25 pm

No spinning daisy or other indicator?

vitorhs - Jul 7, 2008 - 8:16 pm

when i tried using the tiger DVD i select the MAC OS X INSTALL DVD i got just the gray screen with the apple logo and nothing more

vitorhs - Jul 7, 2008 - 8:17 pm

no, just the gray screen.

vitorhs - Jul 7, 2008 - 8:20 pm

i dont have the leopard DVD, just panther (original came with computer) and i have the tiger DVD that is not installing.

vitorhs - Jul 7, 2008 - 8:23 pm

i dont have the leopard DVD, just panther (original came with computer) and i have the tiger DVD that is not installing.

motsteve - Jul 7, 2008 - 9:23 pm

It definitely should be installing Tiger. I've seen or heard of a grey screen only kind of problem. These are firsts all the way around. I wonder if there is mention of any of this on the Mac OS X forum. This would have a problem mentioned long before now if they had existed. Have you looked there?

motsteve - Jul 7, 2008 - 9:46 pm

I looked on the forum and did find one person recommending highly that the backup battery for the pram, etc be replaced. If your Mac is fairly old and you've never changed the battery, then this may give you a problem. The person was complaining of a grey screen hang up after installing Tiger. I must admit this sounds far fetched, but my G3 B&W had all kinds of weird things it was doing and I did fix that with a change in the battery. They really are meant only to be in there for about 4 to 5 years at the most before replacement. It's even sooner if you ever leave the machine unplugged for a length of time.

motsteve - Jul 7, 2008 - 10:06 pm

Another thought is to try a pram reset. This one you have to be a contortion artist. With the Mac off, hold down the command, option,the 'p', and the 'r' keys down and then power up (keeping the buttons down). Let it beep like normal, but wait until you hear a second beep before releasing the buttons. This may not fix the problem if the battery is low, but it may change the symptoms of the problem, in which case you will know you're on the right track. In the mean time, I'll keep looking.

vitorhs - Jul 8, 2008 - 5:01 pm

my ibook is a kind of old is from 2004. I tried that i heard the 2 beeps but after that i tried again and got the same problems.

vitorhs - Jul 9, 2008 - 9:55 pm

hey guys i got the mac os x tiger 10.4.6 in dmg how can i install that on my machine?

TechSupport - Jul 12, 2008 - 10:00 pm

We apologize for not being able to resolve the issue you asked of us. It is the absolute worst case scenario for us to do this. In our review of why this happens, it generally is related to either the particular issue being addressed or frequently, incomplete or incorrect information provided. We hope by moving your request to the public forums that you will be able to get a solution without leaving you empty handed.

Your ticket has been closed with our support team. Your request has just been posted to Mac OS X System & Mac Software and is available for your viewing at:

http://macosx.com/forums/showthread.php?t=301897

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