Bad Hard Drive? Would someone please check my thinking?

Question

If the hard drive is bad in my iBook G4 (14" 1.42mhz), shouldn't you be able to at least start up from the optical drive with your install DVD?
I just upgraded to a new 120GB hard drive, installed Leopard 10.5, then the combined update to 10.5.8, repaired permissions and was installing iLife when I got the Kernel Panic screen. *The computer was working fine before the hard drive upgrade*. I went through the Kernel Panic troubleshooting procedures on Apple Support and from Dr.Smoke to no avail. I upgraded the memory to 1.5GB and still am not able to get past the gray Apple screen before a Kernel Panic.
When I connect through Target Disc Mode to my iMac G5 and run Disc Utility on the G4 drive, it says "Repair Failed, unable to repair disc". I then erased the disc through DU, started the G4 normally to do a fresh install, but it was immediately back to the Kernel Panic when I inserted the install disc.
When I try to run Apple Hardware Test, I get a gray open firmware screen that says 'error' and a line about problem with memory access. It's an old version of AHT, so I'm not sure I can rely on it. Is my built in memory bad? An why now just after a hard drive change?
I'm thinking about going to the Apple Genius Bar in Seattle, 100 miles away but first wanted to ask if there is any possible step I've overlooked.
Thanks for you time,
Randy

Answer 1

The wear sustained in a hard disk drive, in a portable computer, can be
a bit more brutal in a shorter period of time. So the sounds that old drive
you took out were indications it was likely well used and on its way out.
Thanks, again, for the courtesy of a reply; and yet I should be asleep.
However, speaking of OWC, their boot capable external hard drive cases,
enclosures made of aluminum with several kinds of ports, are almost an
ideal product. If I could afford to get new good stuff, I'd consider some of
their stuff along with a new kit of Apple gear; perhaps an iMac 21.5, etc.
And something portable; maybe smaller than an iPad & weather protected.
A good time to get a clone of a portable computer's drive, is when it is
somewhat active (not fried, of course) and in the computer; then there
is less trouble, since not all external enclosures can use the small size
ATA/IDE or PATA; so special consideration or additional costs are likely.
But with a clone of the worn drive in a healthy (partitioned) external HDD
with boot capabilities, you could test the rest of the computer now.
I've been told hindsight is such a wonderful thing; usually I have the
foresight and no budget for the tools needed to accomplish the task!
If you haven't noticed this line of (dream on?) aluminum drive units @ OWC
http://eshop.macsales.com/shop/firewire/1394/USB/EliteAL/eSATAFW800_FW400USB
they are worth a look. That's about all I can do. I have two older LaCie drives
one is a D2? or something, and it literally screams. I have nothing into it and
it will need at least a new HDD inside before I can use it. But can't afford that.
And the other is a LaCie Porsche-design FW400 with 250GB 7200RPM HDD,
external power supply, and four partitions; one-each of my Macs plus a spare.
Plus a USB-port powered external drive by iomega, a 120 GB HDD inside of
unknown brand/quality; it could be good enough to install in my iBook G4, yet
my iBook has few hours runtime and no sign of needing a new one. This odd
iomega has FireWire400 ports, no power supply, and an odd dual-USB cable
where a second USB port is used for powering it, when used with USB!
So, I have not used it with USB at all, and did briefly test it for recognition by
my computers via the FireWire400 cable. It may work as storage; but with a
portable computer, that only robs the battery to run those kind.
While some users of last model iBook G4s with USB 2.0 ports (few) did note
in an unofficial and I'd say unsupported/unverified capacity, they were able
to boot the final iBooks from a USB flash or thumbdrive, I have not tried that;
I do use the small USB memory devices to move data & images, though.
They do not appear to consume much battery power when away from AC
power supplies, when using the portable. I have two Apple batteries for my
iBook G4 and while that can be nice, it also means I have more maintenance
in regards to keeping on top of their use and charge/calibration cycles, too.
Well, I am rambling here; maybe because I should have been sleeping
instead of reading several topics and then mistakenly stayed awake. It's
only 4:48 AM now, so there's plenty of time between now and, say 7:30
for me to get some sleep, you think?
If you were further north, I'd let you use or have the drive out of the iomega
120, it is new; but of unknown quality. It is still inside the boxed iomega.
Good luck & happy computing!