OS X 10.3 Panther fails to start from copied CDs.
OS X 10.3 Panther fails to start from copied CDs.
I received an iMac G5 A1058 from a family member. It experienced some startup difficulties, displaying a light blue screen and failing to progress beyond that point, leaving it untouched for two days. To resolve this, I purchased an OS X 10.4 Tiger disc (an unofficial version created by someone on eBay who modified Macs for that release). They listed it on eBay and I acquired the disc. The disc appeared scratched but worked initially. After removing the Leopard installation and installing Tiger, I went to sleep. The next morning, I noticed an error message about file copying and was advised to restart. I did so, and it booted again successfully. However, the check disc feature stopped functioning at 10% completion. When I proceeded with the install, it managed to copy 87% of the files until it failed. I’ve been unable to reach the installation screen since. While I can restart from there, it remains stuck on a spinning circle for over two days. Yes, I left it for two days, but it never progressed past that stage.
My strategy was to obtain a blank DVD-R and clone the disc onto an ISO, then verify the ISO against another Tiger disc I already had. I utilized my two internal optical drives. I recalled that Panther came on CDs, so I had several available. I downloaded the .toast files from those three CDs, converted them to ISOs using my Mac Mini 2011, transferred them to a Windows machine, and burned them onto discs. I even double-checked their integrity.
I placed Disc 1 into my iMac, turned it on, and pressed the C key. The optical drive started spinning, held for ten seconds, then ejected the disc. Behind the scenes, the iMac attempted to boot from the network and then the hard drive. I reinserted the disc. It halted at the “boot from hard drive?” prompt and remained there for about ten minutes—normally it stays around one minute when using a Tiger disc.
I then took Disc 1 of Panther, loaded it into my Mac Mini, and pressed C to compare with the .toast and .iso files. It ejected the disc after roughly ten seconds and read it correctly. All files checked out properly.
Currently, my iMac is trying to boot from the Tiger disc. I’m considering these steps:
- Acquire a blank DVD-R and copy the Tiger disc (this is free).
- Obtain an authentic Tiger disc (costly).
- Use Panther’s .toast files, convert them to ISOs on a Mac Mini, and burn them to discs.
- Verify the ISO against another Tiger disc I already possess.
I’m contemplating installing a real Leopard or Panther disc next, but these options aren’t free. The main issue isn’t meeting minimum system requirements—it’s just that my current setup has limited RAM (1.5 GB) and a 160 GB hard drive.
It seems the issue involves several unknowns. Are your storage devices or system components faulty? Without a reliable source, things can get complicated. I’m not familiar with Panther’s DRM implementation—I didn’t hear it was problematic. I also don’t recall Panther disks being particularly expensive. You mentioned you might have one from 8.1 to Snow Leopard; that’s a good range to check.
I recently saved 10.2 from MR, burned it and it functioned perfectly. What if you attempt to read the discs you got on your Windows computer and then burn them again? If you manage to read them smoothly, it could mean the Mac's DVD drive is faulty, not the discs themselves.
It doesn’t seem like the components are faulty, though there might be an issue with the hard drive. I can run tests on it using my Windows system.
According to evermac.com, the first Mac OS release for the iMac G5 A1058 was version 10.3.5, with some models arriving with 10.4. If your Panther media comes from a retail copy of the installation disc, it’s likely 10.3 and may not function on your iMac. You should consider using 10.4 or newer versions. -kp
I should have understood that earlier. @kpluck Thanks for the reminder—late or early, no motherboard fit. Missing PowerPC entirely. Last PPCE was Leopard? I don’t remember. Time’s been a while.