Mac OSX Question...Please Help...

[henry_mullis]

I used to use Windows completely for recording and I knew my way around a PC. A few weeks ago I decided to change my software to Logic and my computer to a Mac. Well...I got on Ebay and bought a Mac G4 w/ 800 mhz CPU and 512 Mb RAM. The auction advertised no Operating System sold with the Mac, but the hard drive was formatted in Mac OS Extended. I also bought the newest operating system Apple has, OS X 10.3, from Amazon.com. My problem is I that I can't get the computer to boot from the CD. Everytime it boots it gets to a little blinking icon that has a question mark and then an apple sign. I have tried restarting the computer while holding the C key to boot from the CD and it still doesn't work. I was really hoping you guys and girls could tell me what to do to get my operating system loaded on this new computer. Thank you very much.

 

[distortedrumble]

not completely familiar with macs but shouldnt there be an fdisk or something for reformating the hard drive? when all else fails..take it to comp usa

 

[mikedaul]

I believe that means that your mac is not recognizing the harddrive (warning - I'm a pc guy too). Did you get any system restore cd's with the machine? Maybe try scoring one for your box on ebay. You could also try using a copy of norton utilities for mac.

here are a few potentially helpful links:

http://www.bombich.com/mactips/openfirmware.html

http://www.ohsu.edu/bicc-edutech/support/ss_support_mac_isolatingbootprob.shtml

http://www.essentialmac.com/fix/

http://its.truman.edu/documentation/mactrouble.stm

And some resources for system restore disks:

http://www.baucomcomputers.com/
http://www.powerbookcentral.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi
http://www.macprices.com/macpricescgi/ultimatebb.cgi

Good luck!!

 

[Flo' Dolo]

Try booting from your harddrive & then going into the control panel & manually changing your startup volume to the CD. Oh yeah, make sure you got the CD in the drive BEFORE you goto the startup volume control panel.

I know you're not stupid, but I am, so I gotta spell the whole shit out for myself...


I'll check again to see if that worked. If not, all is still not lost.

Besides the CD itself could be screwed. When you boot from the HD, can you read the data on the OS CD ok?

good luck,

diendolo