Thread

Slot Loader iMac G3 (cannot find a valid destination disk)

68kMLA OS 9 15 posts Jul 15, 2008 to Jul 16, 2008

#1 Tue, 15 Jul 2008 - 01:08 68kMLA

It's Graphite in color. It runs Linux, but it's on a CD. Problem is, I CAN'T EJECT THE CD. AHHHHHHH! [a couple of gunshots into the air]. I disassembled it and I'm looking straight at the DVD drive. How can I trigger an ejection manually (while holding the drive)? Can I do it at start up? Thanks guys.

RE: I got the other disk out and I insert a Mac OS 9 for DV iMacs CD. When I begin the installation process, it asks me to choose a destination disk. It shows none. There's a HD in the machine. What could be wrong? Could it be that I was messing about in there and forgot to make the proper connections?

#2 Tue, 15 Jul 2008 - 01:12 68kMLA

There should be a disc release button on the far right side of the drive, which can be triggered by a straightened paperclip (or iPhone SIM ejection tool

)

#3 Tue, 15 Jul 2008 - 01:35 68kMLA

Did you try booting while holding the mouse button down?

#4 Tue, 15 Jul 2008 - 01:57 68kMLA

The ejector only works if the it has power going to the drive.

#5 Tue, 15 Jul 2008 - 02:11 68kMLA

Does it? I thought it was mechanically operated.

#6 Tue, 15 Jul 2008 - 04:35 68kMLA

You need to initialize the disk before OS 9 will actually see it to install. If you look in the Utilities folder on the CD, open Drive Setup. You should then be able to see the hard drive listed, then select it to initialize.

This of course, assumes the drive is good.

#7 Tue, 15 Jul 2008 - 15:14 68kMLA

if all else fails, boot into open firmware and type

eject-cd

boot

#8 Tue, 15 Jul 2008 - 15:57 68kMLA

You need to initialize the disk before OS 9 will actually see it to install. If you look in the Utilities folder on the CD, open Drive Setup. You should then be able to see the hard drive listed, then select it to initialize.
This of course, assumes the drive is good.

THANKS SO MUCH!

It worked. It is installing Mac OS 9 and I'll spend the rest of the hour updating it all the way to 9.2.2. From there, I'll try to install Panther.

Thanks again!

-Dan

#9 Tue, 15 Jul 2008 - 17:56 68kMLA

Okay, I tried booting OS X 10.3 with XPostFacto. What does all this mean?

From what it's doing, I know it won't boot OS X. What do I do?

#10 Tue, 15 Jul 2008 - 18:29 68kMLA

Okay this is a slot loading iMac G3. There's no need for Xpostfacto at all. All slot loaders are supported up until 10.4.11 natively.

What you DO need to do is read this:

And install the appropriate update.

#11 Tue, 15 Jul 2008 - 18:40 68kMLA

Okay this is a slot loading iMac G3. There's no need for Xpostfacto at all. All slot loaders are supported up until 10.4.11 natively.
What you DO need to do is read this:

And install the appropriate update.

Oh. Thank you!! I wonder if that's why it kept giving me the error (-2).

Now I have to install OS 9, again and work my way up to 9.2.2. I can do that while I tidy up my room.

RE: The firmware is already 4.1.9f. What to do now? It won't let me install 10.3 from the OS X install disc. I guess I'll give my friend back his disc and go buy one myself. Where to look for Tiger (or Panther or Jaguar) and not spend too much? Thanks.

#12 Tue, 15 Jul 2008 - 21:51 68kMLA

What happens when you try to boot from the 10.3 install disk by holding down the C key? Is the CD a retail one, or one from a specific Mac?

#13 Tue, 15 Jul 2008 - 22:18 68kMLA

What happens when you try to boot from the 10.3 install disk by holding down the C key? Is the CD a retail one, or one from a specific Mac?

It's retail. I get a folder with a flashing question mark when I boot holding the C key.

#14 Wed, 16 Jul 2008 - 00:36 68kMLA

Do you have the latest firmwire installed on the imac?

#15 Wed, 16 Jul 2008 - 00:44 68kMLA

Do you have the latest firmwire installed on the imac?

Uh huh.