Combo Drive won't read CD-Rs, Can't install Panther either

[soleestreya]

I'm using a g4 imac running Jaguar on 700-odd mgz with 256m ram (just took out 512m of other RAM to try to fix it). My combo drive suddenly started REFUSING to take blank CD-Rs. It plays CDs and DVDs just fine, but spits out the blanks, giving me an "error code 9."

I just got Panther, and when I tried to install it, I ran into a problem when it told me to "select destination."...THERE ARE NONE. It doesn't give me a destination to select.

I bought $50 of blank CDs so I could back up everything on my system and just wipe the whole HD (in the hopes that the HD would then appear when it asked me to choose an install destination for the OS), but they don't work.

After looking up some info I've tried updating firmware (my computer then said I didn't need it), removing 512mb of RAM (no effect), and repeatedly restarting and trying again, and again, and again...

I lost my hardware checker disk too

This is incredibly frustrating. I can't exactly afford to go get my computer fixed.

 

[The Ghost]

This is incredibly frustrating. I can't exactly afford to go get my computer fixed.

I assume that your iMac has a firewire port. You could try connecting to another Mac using firewire target-disk mode to backup your files and to format your iMac from the second Mac. Then, you could try installing Panther. I'll think more about your problem. I have to go now.

 

[bobw]

Where is the Panther disk from, another machine?