stuck in a reinstall loop

A

audri

Registered
My iBook G4, running Tiger, is stuck in a loop. While trying to reinstall os x 10.4 I was instrucked to insert disc 2. So I did. Resulting message: "There were errors installing the software. Please try installing again." with "close" the only option. So I close. It spits out disc 2 and message pops up: "please insert dics 2 to continue installation." The only way out is to crash but there's not really any way out because, when I re-boot I get the "there were errors installing" message and around and around we go. I tried to boot to my hard drive from the install disc but it won't go there. I did the hardware test and it says all is well.
 
it was the first time. Now there's no options for that, but one of the buttons to continue does say "Update."
 
You may want to try the archive and install option as it takes the old system and puts it in a folder called previous systems, then writes a new OS to the disk replacing the old OS and will leave all of your applications, files, and settings in tact. The only thing is you need an adequate amount of free HD space for this type of install since essentially you will have an extra fairly large folder sitting on your drive until you can delete the previous systems folder after everything is running smoothly. To do the archive and install you want to select your HD at the select a destination window, then click the options button, then select archive and install and preserve user settings just below it. The only other thing is even though with the archive and install your data should be safe, anything can happen. So you may want to find a way to backup your critical files first.
 
There are no different install options at this point. The only way I can get back to the install disc 1 option at all is to (crash and) boot up with disc 1 in the drive, holding the option key. Then I get three options: my hard drive (which does not get me anything), mac os x (which starts the install loop) and hardware test (which says all is well there).

Something you said makes me wonder if I could have overloaded my hard drive by doing multiple installs? Granted, it messed up on the first time through but could that be (part of) the problem now?

I did a full back up just before I tried any of this so at least I haven't lost my stuff.
 
Since you got a full backup. Boot to the install disk 1 holding the option key. Go to utilities/disk utility. Select your HD, then the erase tab. Give it a name the format should be already set to Mac OS extended (journaled), then click the erase button. After this quit out of disk utility and proceed with the installation after selecting your newly formatted HD in the select a destination window.
 
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