How can I install Panther on ibook with broken CD drive?

L

LaraCroft

Registered
Hi there,
I've got an ibook (blue and white) with g3 processor and enough memory to install Panther, but my problem is that the laptop doesn't recognize as start up disk any external CD drive (its internal one doesn't work, unlikely). I tried with the Iomega external CD burner I've got, tried with a g4 connected to the laptop via ethernet and tried to use as start up disk the internal drive of the g4, but nothing worked. I tried both, pressing C to direct the start up from the cd, and tried with Option, at start up, to see if any external device was recognized, but nothing at all, apart from the system 9.2.2 already installed on the laptop came up to be launched. Is it possible that the only way to install OSX.3 is via the CD drive internal, which don't work?

Thank you in advance
Lara
 
First off: does your ibook have usb? If not, you won't be able to install.
Are you able to boot into your ibook? If so, are you able to have access to the panther disc over your external CD drive? If so, you can easily copy the content of the panther CD on your disc (also copying hidden files) and boot from that one..
Hope it will work
 
Basically if you have a firewire cable you can connect your iBook to your G4 using that and then startup in Target Disk Mode (I think from memory its apple-T at startup) then Insert your Install CD into your G4 and then select your iBook's hard drive and install.
 
To start the iPod in Target Disk Mode just hold down T on the keyboard after powering the machine. Then you will see a firewire image on your screen of the laptop. Plug it into the G4 with the firewire cable. The iBook disk will mount on the G4. Then insert cds into G4 and reboot (G4) off cd and install onto iBook drive.
 
Are you using the Panther Full Install CD (bought) or the G4 Panther CD, or the update CD? Big difference. The G4 Panther CD will not boot the iBook. Neither will the Update CD. Also, make sure you are using the panther CD and not DVD. iBook can not see DVDs.

Can that iBook CD drive see other CDs?
 
hi Zammy-Sam
your option,the easiest, is the one I hoped worked first. After having copied the disk on the HD, and changed the start up disk in control panels with the Install Disk, I booted. It first looked as if it was going to work (the grey apple in the middle of the screen appeared, as if it was ready to start from the system contained in the copy of the disk, but nothing else appeared. Actually, now, having changed the start up disk, it doesn't recognize anymore the original start up system (9.2.2). I'll try, when i find a firewire cable to borrow, to follow the other options, suggested by the the other guys in here. I'll let you know about the developments.
Thank you very much for now, to all of yoy guys!

by the way: yes, i have usb, yes, it is a Panther Full Install CD i'm using, not a dvd, the ibook drive doesn't work, it doesn't read any CD at all, I can only view CDs from external CD drives.
 
It is important to have the iBook plugged into an outlet using the power adaptor when doing this kind of install.

Also, did you run Disk First Aid (OS 9) or Disk Utility (OS X) on the drive before you started the install? Did you check for firmware update? This has to be installed while booted from OS 9, before you install OS X.
 
I've just bought a firewire cable and followed your instructions, connecting the ibook to the g4 and mounting the HD of the ibook on the g4.
It perfectly worked! Many thanks to all of you guys!
 
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