iMac G4 (700mHz), DVD drive dead, trying to reinstall dual boot OS

[douglux]

Hello

So I just picked up an awesome iMac G4 (700Mhz) but the CD/DVD drive won't open (it makes a noise like it wants to but then doesn't). I have the original restore discs that came with it (4 CDs and there are also 2 separate discs, one for OS 9 and one for OS X). The iMac has 9.2.2 and OS 10.2 installed but I want to wipe it and get a clean install of both.

I have an old MacBook which I attached with firewire and tried both ways to get it to share the CD drive to no avail.

If i start with the iMac in target mode and put the 1st CD in the MacBook, there's no install app on the restore CD to run ( i was hoping to just run a restore app and tell it to install onto the iMac HD which was in target mode). The MacBook also won't boot from the restore CD.

If i try the reverse, put the MacBook into target mode and boot the iMac into os X, i can open startup disc in system prefs and it sees the CD (9.2.2) system folder which I select. When i restart the iMac it looks for the CD startup drive, even gives me a smiley mac but then just hangs and then shuts off. If I boot the iMac into OS 9 and go to startup disc, it doesnt see the restore CD in the MacBook drive so nothing to try there.

I feel like there has to be a way to do this. The restore CDs (again there are 4 of them) don't seem to have an installer on them per se that I can just run. I guess it needed to boot the mac from the 1st disc and then it takes off from there but I can't get it to do that.

I do have the 5th and 6th discs which are the OS 9 and OS X install discs respectively but I'm not sure if installing one or the other will make it so i can't install the 2nd (if i install os 9, assuming it works, can i then not install os X? and vice versa).

help? please.

thanks!

[FBz]

Have you tried opening the outer door flap in order to push the CD tray all the way in? Might just be stuck “in between” or slightly out-of-gear / sync. If it is all-in, you might try a firm wire (coat hanger variety) with a small hook bent into one end to hook and (slightly) physically-assist pull the tray to just begin opening. It might have an old disc with a peeled-up, stick-on label stuck in its’ craw. Assume that you’ve been trying the “eject key” on your keyboard. Have you tried a reboot or startup... while holding down your mouse to eject the drive?

If there’s an old disc in there that somehow has moved from correct position, this could prevent it from opening. Maybe carefully jostle the machine around a bit to settle any old disc back into proper place. With the hooked wire, you can carefully pull the thing open just a bit to shine a flashlight in to see if an old disc is present.

And while your drive may be faulty, it does try to open or at least sounds like it’s trying. If you can get it “unstuck” and possibly carefully blow out the drive’s interior, it just may solve your problem without firewire. Hope so anyway.

I checked my G4 FP expecting to find the customary drive “paper clip hole” but it didn’t have one.

Try all the above and if you still can’t access it, then maybe it’s time to reformat the iMac’s HD and do a clean install over firewire with OS 9.2 that can be downloaded here OR use the OS X CD that you already have to reformat and two-partition the iMac’s HD for a later install of OS 9.2.2 on the 2nd partition. A successful OS X install might allow you to once again use the CD/DVD drive on the iMac.

What variety of MacBook do you have and its’ OS?

[IIO]

it is of course not ideal - mainly because of the boot manager(!) - but you can always install OS9 and OSX on the same volume and the order doesnt matter either.

[douglux]

Thank you for the suggestions. I opened the outer door and the inside doesn’t have any manual release. No way to open it.

I ended up attaching an iMac DV via FW in target mode (G4 in target mode). Wiped the G4 HD and then installed a fresh copy of 9.2.2 for the iMac DV (saved as a locked volume iso on the DV desktop). It worked but the G4 got stuck on booting afterwards. An I/O error mid startup. I redid the process and now it gets thru the booting but immediately after it clears the startup screen, it hangs on a blank desktop. No volumes or drives show. Mouse won’t move. Nothing.

I think the HD is dead (was prob on the verge of dying when i stated this). My plan now is to replace the optical drive and HD at the same time. I’ve watched some tutorials and turns out they are inside the machine together so it’s really the same steps to replace both as opposed to one. If I get it working I can then use the restore CDs to get it running like new .

I’m strongly considering swapping an SDD for the HD.

Any advice as I undertake this is always welcome. Thx!

[FBz]

Alas, I’ve got “the beast” iMac 1.25 20” FP that (so far) can only run OS 9 in Classic mode.

Fairly simple to disassemble and I just placed the screen face down on a towel before taking it apart for a good internal cleaning / dust removal. Eventually (and I highly recommend) I’ll also install an SSD. And an SSD will render that internal fan less necessary and prolong life. Biggest advice I’ll offer is to clean and renew all heatsink paste while you’ve got it apart.

You might also take a close look at any visible capacitors while you’ve it apart, looking for domes that have swelled and/or otherwise slightly or fully leaking capacitors.

As for the CD/DVD drive, you can sometime(s) “hook” a corner of the tray and carefully pull it out (while not plugged in / powered). Just enough to be able to get your finger on it to open the rest of the way. BUT, given the many foreign objects that I have found in such drives, it is a matter of “very careful feel” when attempting this because of all the possible obstructions. (i.e. jelly beans, hairclips, coins, etc.).

Perhaps you can post some close-up pics of its’ internals, once you get it open?

Best of luck and have fun!