Finder "blinks" when I try to install software, various other weirdnesses

Question

If anyone can help me, I'd really appreciate it! I'm operating under a significant constraint, which is that I don't have the install disks for the OS...
This issue is most troubling right now because I want to install an updated Flash player. So I download the dmg file just fine, and when I open that file it places the volume/drive on my desktop. When I double-click on that, it opens a window briefly, then disappears, then the entire set of desktop icons disappear, and it doesn't install.
There are other funny things going on, such as when I open my hard drive folder, when I try to scroll down, the same thing happens. (This doesn't happen with any other folders.) It's almost as though there's some file in there that the machine doesn't comprehend?
Also, when I restart the machine, it boots up fine, shows me the desktop, then the desktop disappears and goes to a solid blue screen, waits a minutes, shows me the desktop, disappears, etc. The only way I can stop it is by pressing the <shift> key at a lucky point in the circular process.
I've searched around and tried other tricks like <control>-clicking on the volume I want to install and trying to "Open With < Other" applications, and when I highlight "Other", the machine freaks again. I've run "Repair Permissions" and had no luck. I've trashed every preference that anyone has recommended in the Library to no avail (actually, one of the ones I trashed appears to have started that whole circular boot-up problem). I do not have the OS X install disk, unfortunately. Should I try something like Disk Warrior? From their website, it doesn't appear that anything they have works on 10.2.8. I'm sad.
In the crash logs, three things seem to be crashing (they all have the same "last modified date" whenever this happens): finder, lsregister, and loginwindow. Here's a sample of what the finder crash log says (it's really long, but it seems the first few lines might diagnose it--thought I'd spare you all the lines of code...). I scrolled back a ways into the finder crash log and the content of the lines that begin with "Exception" and "Codes" all look the same, if it matters:
Date/Time: 2007-11-30 23:04:48 -0500
OS Version: 10.2.8 (Build 6R73)
Host: c-68-40-57-231.hsd1.mi.comcast.net
Command: Finder
PID: 408
Exception: EXCBADACCESS (0x0001)
Codes: KERNPROTECTIONFAILURE (0x0002) at 0x00000006
Thread 0 Crashed:
Any help you can offer will be most appreciated! If there are other details that might help, I'd gladly give them. Thanks!

Answer 1

Urban film guy,
Have you created a backup yet?
Was Jaguar 10.2.x ever functioning successfully?
"...is there a way I can copy Flash player files from another machine and put them in the correct places in this machine (applications, plugins, whatever else)? "
If there is, I don't know how, and considering the myriad of problems the iBook is exhibiting, I doubt it would be successful, and may cause further damage.
Jaguar, Panther, and Tiger, are no longer available directly from the Apple Online Store, as Leopard 10.5.x, is the most up to date OS.
But, if you know what to look for, Jaguar Full Retail CDs, a Full Retail Version, of the Panther Install CDs, or a Full Retail Version, of the Tiger Install DVD, can be purchased, sometimes less expensively, at some online Apple retailers, Amazon, eBay, FastMac, HardCore Mac, AllMac, etc.
Be sure not to purchase grey, upgrade or machine specific CDs or DVDs.
Jaguar and Panther are only on CDs, not DVDs.
The discs should look exactly like the images in the above links, and not say Upgrade, CPU Drop-in DVD, or "This software is part of a hardware bundle purchase - not to be sold seperately." on them.
Additional info in these links.
Using OS X Install CDs/DVDs On Multiple Macs
What's A Computer Specific Mac OS X Release
Software Update, Upgrade: What's The Difference?
Caveat Emptor!
If any are presently available, examine these items very carefully, and if in doubt, ask questions of the seller before purchase!
Jaguar On eBay
Panther On eBay
Tiger On eBay
Before upgrading to any OS X version, check to see if your Mac needs a Firmware Update.
If one is required, you must start the computer from a Mac OS 8 or Mac OS 9 System Folder on the computer's hard disk, not from a CD, in order to install it.
Also check to see if your Mac model, is listed in this KB Article OS X Must Be Installed On First -8GB Partition.
Once Jaguar 10.2.x is installed, you can use the 10.2.8 Combo Update,
or if Panther 10.3.x is installed, you can use the 10.3.9 Combo Update, to upgrade to the final version of either OS.
If your Mac meets the Tiger System Requirements, you could also consider installing that, and then use the PPC 10.4.11 Combo Update, to upgrade to the current version.
Jaguar System Requirements
-Power Mac G3 or G4, iMac, eMac, PowerBook G3 or G4, or iBook computer
-128MB of physical RAM
-Supports all video cards shipped by Apple on Mac OS X-compatible systems. Quartz Extreme functionality is supported by the following video cards: NVIDIA GeForce2 MX, GeForce3, GeForce4 MX, or GeForce4 Ti; Any AGP-based ATI RADEON card. A minimum of 16MB VRAM is required.
-QuickTime Pro functionality requires a QuickTime 6 Pro key. The QuickTime 5 Pro key will not work after this software is installed.
-DVD Player requires a DVD-ROM equipped Macintosh with built-in FireWire.
Review these KB Articles, for the Panther System Requirements, and the Additional Panther System Requirements.
Additionally, Tiger 10.4.x ships on a DVD, so if your Mac doesn’t have a built-in DVD-ROM player, you will have to use an alternative method of installation.
Info here Installing Tiger Without A DVD Drive.
And here Installing Tiger Using Firewire Target Disk Mode.
The Tiger Media Exchange Program, referred to, is no longer available.
Shop Carefully, Examine All Documentation, And I Wish You Success!
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