[bentherat]

My first mistake was buying a computer minus keyboard and mouse on Craigslist and losing the guy's number after I had gotten home with it. No worries, the computer went into storage and I'd deal with it when I moved two months later...

So now, I've finally gotten a keyboard and mouse for this thing and am trying to get it new again. I don't know what the guy did to this thing but I have never ever had a computer run SO slow.

This used destop G4 has Mac OS X 10.5.1 my laptop has Mac OS X 10.5.8 so I put my Mac OS X Install Disc into the drive and rebooted it, holding down C.

It told me that the software could not be installed but it didn't say why.

Now I can't get the disc out and when powering it up, it's asking me to install a password I don't know. What the heck can I possibly do? I'm about ready to scrap this thing.

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Mac's with the GX processors are base on the IBM PowerPC architecture. I think the last version of OS X that ran on the PowerPC was 10.3. If you don't have access to the older OS X you could install Linux. Debian and Gentoo have ppc port for the older Macs.

[silverbeard]

Mac's with the GX processors are base on the IBM PowerPC architecture. I think the last version of OS X that ran on the PowerPC was 10.3. If you don't have access to the older OS X you could install Linux. Debian and Gentoo have ppc port for the older Macs.

[bentherat]

I appreciate that but I want to have the same operating system as my laptop. The desktop does say it's running OSX 10.5.1. Any hope? Is there ANY way I can install the discs from my laptop?

[bentherat]

Oh, and if I can't install the updated software, that's not a big problem. I would like to reset everything on the desktop as if it were brand new. Anyway to do that? Not sure what keywords I need to be searching for.

Thanks!

[Feva]

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1274
Changing or Resetting a password ^^

Let me know if you have trouble performing the steps with the disks you have..


_______
New Computer:

You may be able to wipe the harddrive, but it appears you cannot install with the disks you have, so that would be a bad idea...

Once you have the admin password reset, you would be able to clean things out a different way;
Create a NEW admin user account, then delete the old one..
that would at least clear out all the previous owners personal user data..

[bentherat]

Okay, it's been a while. This thing is still a paperweight.
I have the new OS disk. I tried to install following the directions I found online:

Put the disk in, reboot, hold down c
or
Put the disk in, reboot, follow directions

Nothing works. I have attempted to contact the guy that I bought this thing from. He is apparently no longer online and his profiles are inactive or deleted. I am really at a loss here as to what to do with this thing.

Lets say there is NO way to override the password and install the new OS.
What do I do? Buy a new hard drive?