Upgrading MacMini With Broken CD Drive

J

Justxlnt

Registered
Hi.

I need to Upgrade the Software on a MacMini currently running Mac OS X 10.3.9 to 10.4.7. The Machine meets all the requirements but it does not want to take and CDs/DVDs. It keeps on kicking them back out as soon as I insert them. I have tried running CD Drive cleaner but even that wont stay in. I have a legal MacMini 10.4.7 CD and wants to know is there any way I can get it to run from a USB disc perhaps?
 
Step 1:Insert the OS X installation DVD and plugin the USB Drive. (Probably on someone elses computer.)

Step 2:Open Disk Utility, under /Applications/Utilities.

Step 3:Drag the “Mac OS X Install DVD” to the “Source” field and the formated partition on your USB drive to “Destination”.

Do not drag the volumes or devices that state the size of the disk, it won’t work.

Step 4:Click “Restore”.

You’re done.
 
Unfortunately, billiehawkins steps are unlikely to work for a variety of reasons.

first, and foremost, a "Macmini 10.4.7 CD", assuming it's a set of grey DVDs, will restore OS X 10.4.7 on the Mac mini that it originally came with, and not with another model of Mac mini. Yours has 10.3.9, which implies that it is a G4 mini.
That installer (10.4.7) will not install on your G4 mini, even if your internal optical drive was working. It will only install on another intel Mac mini, of the same generation.
Even if you "restore" to your hard drive from another Mac, it will leave your G4 mini without a bootable system.

Then, you will also find that your G4 mini can't boot to a USB device. Only the intel Macs will boot to USB devices.
 
DeltaMac: I didn't take into consideration that it was a G4 PPC Mini. I simply assumed it was a broken DVD drive, and provided instructions on how to make a bootable usb stick from a Install DVD.

The instructions WILL do as I suggest, but DeltaMac is right, an Intel Install will not work on a PPC mac.
 
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