Just switched...so many questions

[kaholic]

Hello, new to Mac and this forum. Hopefully this isn't too long but I guess I should try telling you as much as possible right off he bat to get my questions answered.

Ok, bought a Powebook G4 with OS 10.4.6 from an individual. He installed Front Row after telling me how great it was. Result was I had no menubar and Front Row didn't work. Found a fix procedure at:

http://voice.firefallpro.com/2006/03...back-your.html

and my menubar came back...but Front Row still doesn't work. And I'm still not sure what, or if I have a "sidebar". Downloaded 10.4.6 updates from apple and installed...Still trying to learn this OS, I moved on to install some apps and software that I need to use. One said it needed classic O9 to run....I proceded to go to apple's download site and downloaded it. Installed but didn't work. Found a fix procedure on this site and went through trashing classic files and tryhing several times to no avail...Then restarted (apple key + s to start in single user mode) typed in /sbin/fsck -fy and no problems...rebooted, still no working Classic. Took my Install CD with OS 9 (that I should have probably done in the first place) and it looked like it was going to work after installing correctly. But, it still says "Classic System Failure".

I am so confused at this point, there are not a lot of things I would lose by reinstalling everything but... my biggest question among all these about how to fix the problems is the CD I have says 10.4.2. Not 10.4.6. If I install 10.4.2, will I beable to run updates and get back to 10.4.6. I mean are there siimple upgrades on apple's site for download? So sorry for the long-windedness but I wanted to get all the info out there I can before I get questions back that I don't understand. I'm glad I switched but so frustrated right now. Please help!

[nixgeek]

Sounds like the previous person installed Front Row on an unsupported Mac for Front Row, hence the issues you're experiencing.

You should be able to reinstall everything with the 10.4.2 discs and then update to 10.4.6 without any issues. Depending on the PowerBook G4, you might have to install a firmware update if the previous owner hasn't done so already. Check the following matrix to see if your PowerBook needs it. If by chance you try and install the firmware and it's already been applied, the firmware updater will let you know. Also be aware that this firmware updater will require Mac OS 9.2 if your PowerBook needs it (mostly the ones that can still boot into Mac OS 9).

http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=86117

If you're going to update to 10.4.6, I recommend downloading the 10.4.6 Combo Updater. This is quite large but it will allow you to update from 10.4.2 to 10.4.6 in one shot instead of updating sequentially. Plus, it's more reliable sometimes to download the Combo Updater than to install it through Software Update. Just make sure that when you perform the update that no extra peripherals be connected to your PowerBook.

Good luck and let us know how it turns out.

[kaholic]

Beautiful! I'm sure I will have more questions, but that makes me feel better that I can just reinstall everything and start over with what I know is going on. Will try all that first. Thanks so much!

[nixgeek]

Anytime and we're glad to help.

[HoZ]

That indivduial was not very samrt to install Front Row on that mac.

wow.

[Lt Major Burns]

i have it on here just as a curio. it's next to useless, but works fine.

[kaholic]

Erased everything, reinstalled, updated...all problems solved! Thanks so much for the help!! Wasn't worried about what I had on there. Was easy enough to put it all back. Just didn't want to go from 10.4.6 to 10.4.2 for no reason. I realize now how things work with the OS updates. Thanks again! After I get used to this a little better...bye bye windows forever!!! : )

So, just to understand...this particular Powerbook does not support Front Row? Is that the case with a lot of other software? Or is Front Row notoriously full of bugs?

[Lt Major Burns]

only macs that have a built in iSight camera and that come with a remote support front row. front row is not software you can easily fownload and install, it's strictly budled with the supported new macs. i have it as a curio. i'm not supposed to, and it doesn't really have a use anyway, with not having a remote.

Mac os X upgrades are like this:

y.x.z

y is the major version number. this is huge, and required everyone to rewrite all the programs to run it.

x is the release. 10.0 was basically a public beta still. 10.1 fixed a lot of bugs, and was actually free for 10.0 users. 10.2 was a $125 for everyone, as was 10.3 and 10.4. these are major developments of the os

the z denomination is the update. free to download, these updates just fix bugs and security issues. they occasionally throw in new things (10.4.2 threw in an extra set of widgets, for example). 10.2 had 7 updates (10.2.1-10.2.8), 10.3 had 8 updates (10.3.1-10.3.9) and we are currently on 10.4.6. 10.4.5 was released at the end of february, 10.4.4 in january, .3 in october, .2 in august, .1 in june.