Flashing Finder/Question Mark-booting up

Awwsheit

Awwsheit

Registered
I am an idiot.
I am selling my PowerPc G4 and I wanted to do a clean sweep on it, but I do not have the original OS disk. It was running on 10.3.9.
So after reading a lot about it- I did something really stupid. I went under disk utility (after hooking up the G4 to my ibook with a firewire) and erased the disk.
Now all I see when I turn on the G4 is the finder/question mark.
I have tried resetting the PRAM, holding the C key and holding the shift key- they all lead to the flashing question mark.
I have *very* limited knowledge of all of this.
I do have a disk that came with my iBook (10.3.5 mac os install disk) that I have tried NUMEROUS times but will not work. It specifically says iBook on it.
I'm really begging for help! I am DEAD broke and I need this computer off my hands this weekend! I do have interested buyers. This is a *great* machine, I just completely messed it up.

Here is a link to a screenshot image of the specs on the computer before I killed it:
http://img180.imageshack.us/img180/8329/specsfe2.jpg
 
You erased the disk, so it's not going to boot regardless of what you do.

Your iBook disc won't work on it.

You'll have to buy a retail versions of 10.3 or whatever you want to put on it.
 
You've erased the harddrive, means you've erased the system which explains the flashing question mark at startup. You will have to find and buy a bootable startup Disk to reinstall the system, sorry to tell ya
 
Well I guess I will just do that then.
I tried using the OS install CD that came with my iBook (it says "iBook G4 Mac OS X install disk) but it won't work.
What am I doing wrong?
If I get the install CD from my boyfriend that came with his new G5 will that work as well?
Thank you so much for your help! I really appreciate it!
 
Unfortunately, you won't be able to use an installer that came with another Mac on your PowerMac G4. You already have the solution, and you used it to erase the hard drive. That's the only hint I am willing to provide.
 
Well, you didn't kill the machine.....you only wiped out the operating system that it needs to function. While you still might be able to sell this Mac, you might have to reduce the price a bit IMO because it's missing the operating system. That's not to say that it wouldn't be useful without an OS, since someone that might want a PowerPC Mac may probably want to install an open source operating system on it for the time being (or for good). This isn't something that you'd find in the majority of people looking for a Mac, but there are people out there that would do this. Some people might not even care that it doesn't have the OS since it could be used as a replacement for an older or broken Macintosh computer they wish to replace.
 
DeltaMac said:
You already have the solution, and you used it to erase the hard drive. That's the only hint I am willing to provide.
Click to expand...

Ok, Delta- RIDDLE ME THIS! J/k!!! I think what you are trying to tell me is to restore it using the same application I used to erase the disk? Is that right? If I look around the site some more will I find the answer to what you are hinting at?

And Nix- I would really like to sell it complete with an OS. I want to provide a quality product. It's a great computer and I would hate to drop my already very reasonable price- although it is not that reasonable without an OS.

Thanks again for all your help.
 
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