Can't boot from Panther OSX CD

[vhorizon]

I just purchased a used 17" 1.5G Powerbook and I can't boot from the CD. I want to change the Password by booting from the Panther install CD, but it won't let me. I've tried other bootable CDs with the same results. It displays the apple logo but when it's supposed to jump to the rotating circle, the Apple logo jumps slightly to the right and then after a few seconds the CD stops spinning. Anyone have any ideas? The CD drive works fine otherwise, it plays DVDs, CDs, etc.
Thanks ........

[trevor]

When you say "the CD", exactly what do you mean? Where did you get "the CD"? What does it say on the face of it?

CDs made previous to the release of the type of computer you are attempting to boot do not have the correct boot ROM (http://developer.apple.com/documentation/Hardware/Developer_Notes/Macintosh_CPUs-G4/Original_PowerMac_G4/G4Rev2-79.html) and cannot boot it.

Trevor

[walchan99]

That would be a DVD, for your OS and configuration. Two ways to force the Mac to boot from the CD.

1. Hold down C as you boot, and it should boot from the OSX install
DVD, instead of from the hard drive.

2. Alternatively, hold down option, and you should see two bootable volumes displayed on screen. Select the DVD volume by mouse or by tabbing, then click/press Enter to continue.

[Raven]

Unless the previous user set it so that you cannot boot from cd in firmware... Then it may be more trouble to fix this...

[vhorizon]

I am using the original Panther CD disk 1. I have tried booting using both methods of holding down the C key and the Option key to display the HD and bootable CD. I was able to boot from the restore CD to perform a clean OSX 10.3 install on the HD including erasing the contents of the HD. But when I try booting with the Panther Disk 1 CD I get the same symptoms. Raven, you mentioned that the bootROM may have been tampered with, how would I fix this - download the latest bootROM firmware from Apple's web site?

Thanks .........

[trevor]

Raven, you mentioned that the bootROM may have been tampered with

No, what Raven said was that you might have the Open Firmware security-mode (http://www.securemac.com/openfirmwarepasswordprotection.php) set. But based on your post immediately above, this is not what is happening to you--you say you can boot the Restore CD that came with your computer.

Your Panther CD is older than your computer, and therefore will not boot it. See my post above.

Trevor

[vhorizon]

I can't boot from any CD-ROM (except the restore CD), including Techtool Pro CD. I can't set up an e-drive unless I can boot from the Techtool CD-ROM. Is that normal for the new Powerbooks? My G4-867 desktop boots just fine from any of these CD-ROM's. Strange.....
Thanks for the assist!!

[trevor]

Yes, that is normal until Micromat is able to update TechTool Pro for brand new hardware like yours.

Trevor

[kresnanto]

I just got a 17" powerbook that left by previous employee with "unknown" password that prohibit me to login to both administrator and his name.
I found 2 sets of powerbook CD's with restoration cd's and OS X install CD.
When I try to reload it and reboot the laptop and pressing C, it didn't work and keep going to the login screen where i stuck since I dont have the password.
Could anyone help me on how to bypass this or reboot from CD for clean install?

Thanks in advance!

Sebastian

[DeltaMac]

Just for reference, a PowerBook 1.5 GHz 17" requires, as a minimum, OS X 10.3.3 to boot. It WILL NOT boot from an OS X 10.3 install CD (will be listed on the CD/DVD label). That would explain why it will only boot from the restore DVD.

kresnanto: This may also be helpful. If you pull the main battery out (underneath the PowerBook), you can find the serial number label, which lists the processor speed. If it lists 1.5 GHz, then same answer, look on the label of the restore DVD, it MUST be OS X 10.3.3 or higher.

[Raven]

May it also be that the previous user set his computer so that you cannot boot from cd ?

[DeltaMac]

May it also be that the previous user set his computer so that you cannot boot from cd ?

Yes, it's possible...
Boot while holding the option key, to see the boot device manager. If a password screen appears, then the Open Firmware password has been set, otherwise, the Open Firmware is not preventing boot from other devices.

[Brodie0010]

I bought a "as is" g4 1.3ghz 15" ibook of ebay. It had a administrator password on it so I had no access. Then I was told by this forum that I needed a set of panther discs. So I bought a set of OSX 10.3 discs. Same problem, i hold down C and the apple shifts slightly to the right and it hangs. I tried the option boot and it tries to boot from the cd, but then I get a "no" symbol instead of an apple (No symbol is the circle with a line though it). I can log into single user mode so I assume there is no "boot block" or firmware password. I was reading above and you say newer Ibooks won't boot from anything lower that 10.3.3? Why is that? To upgrade from 10.3 to 10.3.3 is a free upgrade, it be wrong to prevent previous 10.3 discs from booting.

-Brodie001

[Raven]

The problem is not the upgrade being free or not, but the fact that drivers and firmware for new systems were only included in 10.3.3 cds that came with them.
When buying a computer from some one else, you should always make sure that you get the cds that came with the system, cause otherwise you may end up with the issue that your experiencing right now. The only way to go around this it to see with the vendor if he does have those Ibook restore disks.

[trevor]

Brodie0010, nobody is "preventing previous 10.3 discs from booting". As I explained above, you can't boot a computer with a CD that is older than the computer, because the correct boot ROM is not on the CD. It can't be--the computer hardware did not exist at the time the CD was made--so the correct boot ROM could not be included on the CD.

You need a OS X Install CD that was created after your computer. There is no way around this.

The only way to go around this it to see with the vendor if he does have those Ibook restore disks.

No, this is not correct. A Full Install OS X CD made AFTER the computer hardware was made will also work fine. Although it sure would be nice to have the Restore discs.

Trevor

[Craig R. Arko]

This once again points out the First Fundamental Law of purchasing a used Mac:

Always get all of the discs it originally shipped with. Do not buy it without them.

The seller is obligated by the terms of the license agreement to transfer the discs with the computer. The issues described in this thread help to point out why, and why buying something cheaper isn't always a good deal.

[Raven]

Trevor, I know that an OS version that comes out after the compute will contain info of it... Just that the version of Panther thats shipping (at least around my place) seems to be prior to this IBook release... In fact looks like there still pretty much shipping the original Panther ones... Any one know of a more up to date retail package being out there ?

[trevor]

Sorry, Raven, but I sometimes get the impression that Steve Jobs has it in for our fair neighbor to the north. The lack of a Canadian iTunes Music Store is a travesty, in my opinion.

If you can't buy an updated OS CD locally, you may want to buy it mail order. It is easy to find OS X 10.3.5 Full Install CDs in the US, and they are for sale at any of the usual mail order places, or else you can buy them used on ebay.

Or, you could make a road trip south of the border. I don't know the area south of Montreal, but if you need specific advice as to where to buy OS X in Detroit, let me know.

(And yes, I do realize that Detroit is actually north of Windsor ON.)

Trevor

[Raven]

At least Trevor you don't say that we speak real slow... lol ... Guess I'll check... Worse I'll just go and annoy the Apple Store people... Though they probably won't even know which version is in the boxes they sell... Also its been 3 months or so that I've looked, so maybe now they have it... though I don't need it... Just a nice thing to know I guess.
As for Detroit.. Montreal is 6 hours from Toronto, so imagine how long that would be... If I ever need to go "down south" :p to the land that not always covered in snow (lol and I hope no one does think that of Canada these days !) I'd have to go to Vermont... About an hour 30 minutes away from there...

[tlarkin]

The newest retail version of panther should work fine. I think its kind of lame its designed that way. No other OS does that but Mac OS. If system extensions are not present in any other OS I work with (UNIX, Linux, Windows, ect.) I can load the OS just fine, then run the updates once the OS is loaded to fix this problem.

I have had this problem with tons of macs I have worked on in the past, Take what Craig said seriously. Otherwise you might have to spend an extra 100 dollars on the newest Mac OS. The restore DVD (or CDs) from apple are usually over 150 dollars, so its not even worth your time to buy it because you could just go buy the OS and the iLife apps disk for about the same price or cheaper.

[trevor]

At least Trevor you don't say that we speak real slow... lol

No, of course not. I'd say that among Canadians and Americans that I've personally met, the average IQ of the Canadians is higher than the average IQ of the Americans. And they tend to be friendlier too. And like beer more. Given two people, one a beer drinker, and one not, I'll usually prefer the company of the beer drinker. :)

If I ever need to go "down south" :p to the land that not always covered in snow (lol and I hope no one does think that of Canada these days !) I'd have to go to Vermont... About an hour 30 minutes away from there...

There you go. Only an hour and a half. ROAD TRIP!

Trevor