Hi, I am working on a PowerMacG4. I do PC repair/upgrades, etc... but this is the first MAC I had to do in about 12 years - Maybe someone could help. I tried to install a fresh copy of OSX Panther 10.3.2 and when disk #1of3 is about 85% complete, the screen says it cannot continue. It dosn't tell me why! So after rebooting, and see the little icon w/ the question mark showing that there is no boot record, i try again, and still no luck. So I took the Restore CD, which is 9.0.4 and installed that. No problem. So than I tried to put 9.2.1 "update cd" on top of that, and no luck, and I also tried OSX 10.1 "upgrade cd" and that says I need a previous version of OSX. it's really weird. It's only 400mhz, but has plenty of ram, so I don't think that is the issue. I am using a PC Monitor and Compaq USB mouse and keyboard, and I don't think that would make a difference either, but I dunno. I just wanna get OSX on here so my customer can get it back, and be happy... thanks in advance!!

this might help http://discussions.info.apple.com/WebX?14@@.599b3b48

this might also help http://www.caddpower.com/B2123803424/C1171734915/E814497174/

9.2 will not upgrade 9.0 and 10.1 will not install over 9.0 because its a Upgrade disk. You need to reformat the hard drive with the Panther CD and do a fresh install

I think that was the first thing I tried. After tunring on the computer, I hold down "C" to load from CD-Rom, and than I choose a "erase and install" installalation, right? Or do I have to go up to the menu up top and do it through there? It get's about 10 mins into the install on the first CD when it fails. It seems like it is working fine, until it abruply stops. Any idea why?

From the 10.3.2 cd start install page (the page that ask for your permission to install) go top of the page under file, disk utility, choose the disk you want to format. Choose erase, partiton the hard drive format it as MAC OS extended (Journaled) then erase quit disk utility and then install. Good luck

I tried that, and still no luck. The format and erase only takes a few secs? seems wierd. On the PC's that I do, a format can take many minutes, like 20 mins or more depending on the size of the drive. I dunno if I am doing something wrong or what. I tried another version of OSX and went away after seeing it would take over an hour. When I came back down, the screen was light blue, with no text or anything. When I rebooted, it said loading OSX and than went to that blue screen. It never asked for disk 2 or anything... really wierd...