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#1 2008-02-03 8:30 pm
- radarman
- Member
- Registered: 2005-02-28
- Posts: 2273
Mac OS X won't install to non-Apple disk?
I recently got my Pismo back, having obtained a faster machine for my wife, and decided to try Mac OS X on it. I didn't want to lose the data on the hard disk, so I swapped in a disk from a working Dell Inspiron and fired it up.
The installer didn't see the disk, but I figured it might have been because it still had Windows installed on it, so I started the disk utility and repartitioned. Because it's an old G3 system, and the disk is 20GB, I created two partitions, a 7.98GB and 10.63GB - both Mac OS (HFS?)
No go - the installer now sees the new partitions, but refuses to install on either. I went back into the disk utility and tried again, this time with Mac OS Journaled, and then again with Unix.
Is there any way to get Mac OS X to boot off of this disk? The disk is not dead - I just pulled it out of a live Dell, which got a disk upgrade. The original disk is Apple labeled, but I don't want to reformat it until I'm sure it's safe. I'm using a retail boxed copy of 10.3 - not an upgrade. Obviously, there isn't an existing MacOS install.
Better question - is there a point? It's a 400Mhz G3 with 512MB of RAM.
Thanks!
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#2 2008-02-04 2:03 pm
Re: Mac OS X won't install to non-Apple disk?
Make the first partition smaller. 7.98 is to big. Try 7.6. You also might want to give Xpostfacto a shot, even tho you shouldn't need it you'll get a cleaner install if you use it.
http://tinyurl.com/6qsnm
Make it idiot-proof, and someone will make a better idiot.
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#3 2008-02-04 3:00 pm
- dvpierce
- Negusa Negest
- Moderator
- From: Minneapolis, MN
- Registered: 1999-08-30
- Posts: 16888
Re: Mac OS X won't install to non-Apple disk?
8000000000 / 1024 = 7.8...
"Now commences the process of cutting off the head, which generally takes from an hour to an hour and a half by an expert workman with a sharp blade." -Reuben Delano, Wanderings and Adventures
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#4 2008-02-04 6:13 pm
Re: Mac OS X won't install to non-Apple disk?
The eight gigabyte limit doesn't apply to the Pismo. Besides, Disk Utility reports actual gibibytes, not "marketing" gigabytes.
,xtG
.tsooJ
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#5 2008-02-05 6:58 am
- loafer
- Member
- Registered: 2000-11-10
- Posts: 271
Re: Mac OS X won't install to non-Apple disk?
You have to be very careful putting a hard drive in the Pismo - if you tighten the screws to much the drive won't work. Alien is correct - no need for two partitions. But you could do that if you want classic on one and OS X on the other. Also make certain there are no jumpers installed so it is set to "Master"
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#6 2008-02-05 11:16 am
- dvpierce
- Negusa Negest
- Moderator
- From: Minneapolis, MN
- Registered: 1999-08-30
- Posts: 16888
Re: Mac OS X won't install to non-Apple disk?
Alien wrote:
The eight gigabyte limit doesn't apply to the Pismo
Oops, yeah.
Besides, Disk Utility reports actual gibibytes, not "marketing" gigabytes.
,xtG
.tsooJ
I thought the limits was actually 8 "marketing" gigabytes, and that's why you needed a smaller partition?
"Now commences the process of cutting off the head, which generally takes from an hour to an hour and a half by an expert workman with a sharp blade." -Reuben Delano, Wanderings and Adventures
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#7 2008-02-05 12:31 pm
- radarman
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- Registered: 2005-02-28
- Posts: 2273
Re: Mac OS X won't install to non-Apple disk?
Well, I found an Apple labeled 20GB hard disk, and I'm getting the same thing. Oddly enough, this was the original drive that came in the Pismo. (It was a corp machine, so it had to get fully wiped before it was allowed out the door) It's a 20Gb disk, and I reformatted it with the OS X disk utility. I'm wondering if the "boot & nuke" may have erased something that makes it "Apple recognized" - it was wiped on a PC.
I don't think the drive is damaged, either. I used screws with a fairly short shaft, and given the little rubber "bumpers", the screws probably only half-engage the threads on the hard disk. It's snug, but should be nowhere near poking through the disk's shell.
I will try XpostFacto, since I still have my MacOS 9.2 CD. Out of curiosity, is this something you could run off of a USB thumbdrive? (or do I need to create a minimal MacOS 9.2 install on the hard disk?)
Just out of curiosity, if I ever do managed to get it installed, what kind of performance can I expect on this machine? It's got 512MB of RAM and a 400MHz G3. Ubuntu was kind of pokey, so I'm not expecting much. I have a retail box with Mac OS X 10.3.5.
Thanks!
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#8 2008-02-05 1:47 pm
- loafer
- Member
- Registered: 2000-11-10
- Posts: 271
Re: Mac OS X won't install to non-Apple disk?
1. I am pretty certain that you can't get anything to boot off of USB on this mac, but it can boot from the FW bus.
2. You should not need XPF.
3. Just try backing off the screws a half turn, that worked for me - and I know I hadn't poked through anything.
4. The 400 g3 pismo is fine for web, word processing and other office tasks. It is OK for audio. It is pretty slow for photoshop work. It is unusable for current video (It can't playback h 2.64). I use it for all travel and business - but not for my hobbies.
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#9 2008-02-07 10:18 pm
- radarman
- Member
- Registered: 2005-02-28
- Posts: 2273
Re: Mac OS X won't install to non-Apple disk?
The good news is, the installer recognized my Apple branded hard disk and installed just fine. The bad news is that the disk appears to be going bad. (DOH!)
During the system update, the "optimizing system disk" got to 31% and stopped for a very long time - and the disk kept making clicking noises.
So, it looks like I'll be trying this again with a replacement drive.
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