Ticket Options
Question Profile
| DATE | Nov 23, 2007 |
| TICKET | #335095 |
| STATUS | Closed |
| SUBJECT | Software installation |
| CAT | Computers, Operating Systems, Applications or Connected Devices |
| TYPE | Software Applications |
| DESC | Operating Systems |
| DESC | |
| PLATFORM | Apple Macintosh (PowerPC) |
| MODEL | iMac G4 |
| PROC | 800 Mhz |
| RAM | 512 |
| DRIVE | 80 |
| NAME | Matt |
| USERNAME | icekold |
| TECHNICAL | Lots of Experience |
| ISSUE | Just Started Looking |
Question Details
TICKET ARCHIVE -> Software installation
icekold - Nov 23, 2007 - 3:44 pm
I just bought an iMac 800 Mhz, 512 ram with the 17 inch LCD monitor from a surplus college sale. I bought it for my sister. The college formatted the hard drive and installed OS X 10.2 on it. I have updated it to 10.2.8. However, whenever I try to install any software, e.g. OS X 10.4, or mac-compatible games, the computer reads, "There was an error installing the software". The DVD drive works good because she watches DVD's on the computer. Just when installing new software, it starts installing, gets pretty far into the process, then brings the error message up. What do I need to do to repair this problem? Thank you!
Serenak - Nov 24, 2007 - 7:50 pm
Hello Matt
thanks for choosing macosx.com and I will try to see if I can help you out.
First things first... The fact that the DVD drive is good for reading a commercial DVD is not proof it is 100% OK for installing software or restoring archives/backups in my experience - and the older the drive the more prone to this they seem to be (then again actually a CD/DVD drive works on amazingly small tolerances - sometimes when you consider how they work you wonder how they ever work at all!
Have you access to an external drive to try that? Or try mounting the iMac HD in target mode over FW and installing onto it using another Mac?
I guess you have run the usual permissions/disk checks? Tried using OnyX to run the full cron etc?
I would be inclined at the moment to lean towards either a fault in the DVD drive, a permissions fault or a problem with the HDD (hard to tell not being there).
You say you have "lots of experience" so I don't want to seem condescending here. Come back to me with some more specifics and maybe we can work on pinning it down.
Have you run the Apple HW Check? Or something like Rember to test the RAM?
Do you have access to an external drive to make a clone and then wipe and install clean with Tiger and then pull the Users and Applications back from the clone with the Setup/Migration Assistant?
Personally I NEVER trust anything installed by someone else on 2nd user kit... I always wipe, reformat and clean install then pull in whatever users and applications I want from another Mac or backup drive.
Just casting straws in the wind here - come back and we can discuss it more
thanks for choosing macosx.com and I will try to see if I can help you out.
First things first... The fact that the DVD drive is good for reading a commercial DVD is not proof it is 100% OK for installing software or restoring archives/backups in my experience - and the older the drive the more prone to this they seem to be (then again actually a CD/DVD drive works on amazingly small tolerances - sometimes when you consider how they work you wonder how they ever work at all!
Have you access to an external drive to try that? Or try mounting the iMac HD in target mode over FW and installing onto it using another Mac?
I guess you have run the usual permissions/disk checks? Tried using OnyX to run the full cron etc?
I would be inclined at the moment to lean towards either a fault in the DVD drive, a permissions fault or a problem with the HDD (hard to tell not being there).
You say you have "lots of experience" so I don't want to seem condescending here. Come back to me with some more specifics and maybe we can work on pinning it down.
Have you run the Apple HW Check? Or something like Rember to test the RAM?
Do you have access to an external drive to make a clone and then wipe and install clean with Tiger and then pull the Users and Applications back from the clone with the Setup/Migration Assistant?
Personally I NEVER trust anything installed by someone else on 2nd user kit... I always wipe, reformat and clean install then pull in whatever users and applications I want from another Mac or backup drive.
Just casting straws in the wind here - come back and we can discuss it more
icekold - Nov 26, 2007 - 10:17 am
Thank you for your response. It's been a busy weekend, but what I'm going to try first is the external DVD drive (if I can find it in the garage 
) and then try to the firewire between my Mac and hers. I appreciate your help and am looking forward to reimbursing you for your help.
) and then try to the firewire between my Mac and hers. I appreciate your help and am looking forward to reimbursing you for your help.IF THIS IS YOUR QUESTION AND YOU WISH TO RESPOND, LOGIN HERE FIRST.
