The iMac G5 A1058 displays a gray screen when booted, but it works in Safe Mode.
The iMac G5 A1058 displays a gray screen when booted, but it works in Safe Mode.
Some readers might recognize my setup with an iMac G5 A1058 running a broken OS. I installed a Tiger 10.4.6 DVD, configured it, powered it off, then restarted it to bed. The next morning, after rebooting, I heard a loud screech and pulled the power cord out immediately. I suspect the fan isn’t the issue since metal-on-metal noise doesn’t produce that sound. I replaced the hard drive with a Samsung 850 EVO 2.5" SATA 3 250GB adapter, connected it via a different cable, and installed 10.4.6. The installation completed, but after restarting, I saw a blank light blue screen. After another restart, a brief light blue display appeared before it turned gray. Searching online suggested booting into Safe Mode, which functioned correctly. I set up the iMac and restarted again, but still faced problems. PowerPC compatibility with SATA 3 SSDs seems unlikely, though my drive worked despite that.
Updated to version 10.4.11 with a new setup. Instead of a gray screen, I now see a blank light blue when not in Safe Mode. Safe Mode functions properly. I'm proceeding with the update in hopes it resolves the issue. If not, I'll use the bootable DVD.
Are you located in the United States? I'm unsure if this would be useful, but I have a 10.5.6 disc you could send me. I'd be glad to deliver it. Perhaps that would be more effective?
Sure, just let me know your address and I'll forward it. It's been stored in a CD case for about ten years, so it might still be usable. -kp