Before posting this, I reviewed this thread:
http://macosx.com/forums/mac-os-x-s...-weird-symptoms-please-someone-help-me-2.html
...which has some resonance but doesn't hit at my issue exactly. (That said, I will go get a new battery, as suggested.)
Recently, I've been having big slowdowns in Safari, followed by the spinning rainbow pinwheel of Death and ending in a kernel panic message. A subsequent safe boot attempt would just cause the G4 to restart and restart and restart, never getting to the sign-in screen.
This may be going back too far, but about 5/06 I upgraded OS 10.2.8->OS 10.3.9 (archive and install). Several programs (iTunes, Microtek scanner software, Audio Input and Output) didn't work fully after that. (Safe boot would bring iTunes back but there were issues with programs (which wouldn't open fully) timing out and not permitting shutdowns or restarts...without a force-quit.
I know I should do an erase and install, but such assured destruction paralyzes me...or did, until last night. I decided to bite the kernel and go all the way. I'd backed up everything to a second internal HD a few days ago, so I felt both prepared--and as if my back was really against the wall.
I did the full reinstall (at least to 10.3.5) but I can't get the upgrade 10.3.9 to open. I also can't run Disk Utility. It crashes every time.
Is it the battery?
Do I need a new main HD? (If I seem obsessed with an HD problem, it's because when I got this G4 two or three years ago, the thing crashed and crashed--not unlike what it's doing now. It was indeed a hardware problem and was repaired/replaced. It is now long past warranty, by the way.)
I'm technically hopeless, but I did install the aforementioned 2nd HD successfully. If I read and follow instructions as carefully, shouldn't I be able to install a new primary HD also?
(Semi-unrelated question: now that one way or another I have new OS 10.3.9 on whatever HD, is OS 9 a separate installation?)
Thanks in advance for your wisdom and experience.
http://macosx.com/forums/mac-os-x-s...-weird-symptoms-please-someone-help-me-2.html
...which has some resonance but doesn't hit at my issue exactly. (That said, I will go get a new battery, as suggested.)
Recently, I've been having big slowdowns in Safari, followed by the spinning rainbow pinwheel of Death and ending in a kernel panic message. A subsequent safe boot attempt would just cause the G4 to restart and restart and restart, never getting to the sign-in screen.
This may be going back too far, but about 5/06 I upgraded OS 10.2.8->OS 10.3.9 (archive and install). Several programs (iTunes, Microtek scanner software, Audio Input and Output) didn't work fully after that. (Safe boot would bring iTunes back but there were issues with programs (which wouldn't open fully) timing out and not permitting shutdowns or restarts...without a force-quit.
I know I should do an erase and install, but such assured destruction paralyzes me...or did, until last night. I decided to bite the kernel and go all the way. I'd backed up everything to a second internal HD a few days ago, so I felt both prepared--and as if my back was really against the wall.
I did the full reinstall (at least to 10.3.5) but I can't get the upgrade 10.3.9 to open. I also can't run Disk Utility. It crashes every time.
Is it the battery?
Do I need a new main HD? (If I seem obsessed with an HD problem, it's because when I got this G4 two or three years ago, the thing crashed and crashed--not unlike what it's doing now. It was indeed a hardware problem and was repaired/replaced. It is now long past warranty, by the way.)
I'm technically hopeless, but I did install the aforementioned 2nd HD successfully. If I read and follow instructions as carefully, shouldn't I be able to install a new primary HD also?
(Semi-unrelated question: now that one way or another I have new OS 10.3.9 on whatever HD, is OS 9 a separate installation?)
Thanks in advance for your wisdom and experience.