How can I fix my hard drive?

I have this nag of a PowerBook that I can't seem to fix. Before I send old paint out to the glue factory, I'd like to try to at least try to get some use as a web & email machine for a while. Here's the problems:
1 - CD-DVD drive is shot. Can not install anything from CD-DVD drive. Don't want to invest in a replacement drive.
2 - The somewhat infamous "2007-004 security update" of this past April sort of killed this machines ability to connect to wireless networks. There are many threads on these forums on how machines running 10.3.9 had an adverse reaction to this security update. My machine never recovered.
3 - Can not use PowerBook in target disk mode. It starts up in target disk mode and shows up on my iMac's desktop BUT if I try to access that disk, everything just hangs and I am forced to yank the FW cord after watching the beachball spin for 10 minutes. Same goes for trying to use Disk Utility or DiskWarrior in target disk mode.
I am willing to do a full archive and install on it if I can just do that somehow. Can I try to run Disk Utility or DiskWarrior in some other manner? Or is time to bury Ol Paint?
PowerBook G4 Titanium Mac OS X (10.3.9) 500MHz - 20GB HD - 768MB RAM

Well, Gary, it sounds like you've got a mess there. Since you can't fix the hard drive, maybe replacing it is the answer — but only maybe. Given its problems, the Powerbook has essentially no market value as anything but parts, so the only investment in it that might make any sense is a new hard drive, which (installed in a Firewire enclosure) could be used with any other Mac even if it doesn't result in your being able to use this one again. If the present drive has a mechanical problem, that may be why FWTDM doesn't work for you now, and a new drive should take care of that problem.
On the free side, you might consider downloading and installing Security Updates 2007-005 and -006, which have resolved the problems inherent in -004 for most users. (Once bitten, twice shy, I know.)

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****Click the White thumb to say thanks****
****Please mark Accept As Solution if it solves your problem****
****I don't work for HP****
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DP-K
****Click the White thumb to say thanks****
****Please mark Accept As Solution if it solves your problem****
****I don't work for HP****
Microsoft MVP - Windows Experience

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Our iBook, 10.3.9, was pretty reliable for 5 years, but it started to work slower the past days (maybe thru too little free space or too many programs open at the same time), so we restarted a lot.. until it didn't restart but came up with the question mark; then with a black screen/white letters asking for a login. But what is my login? I only know my admin password.
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Cornelius,
ask as many questions as necessary! I know it is a confusing situation.
Your profile lists OS X 10.3.7.
I believe I upgraded last year to 10.3.9.
Do you have a Full Retail Version of Panther available for re-install?
Yes.
What OS version(s) do you have a full retail version for?
For 10.1, 10.2 and 10.3.2.
Do you have an OS currently installed on your computer?
I don't know...
This morning I had set my mind to do the Erase & Install. I inserted the 10.1 disk, opened DUtility and selected "Erase" from the tablist. At that point the hard drive under the top-triangle was already grey I believe. I selected the top line, or the grey line, am not sure which was last. The computer started to spin. I can't tell if it erased anything at that point. But I know that once the computer stopped spinning its operationwheel, I quit DU and went on trying to install, but then there was no installation disc available. There was just a blanc field.
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I don't know what my login could be.
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Since my post, I used my Apple Hardware Test-CD, and that gave a pass. It said "No device found" for AirPort and Mass Storage. "Device found" for Modem and "Passed" for Logic Board, Memory and VideoRAM.
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Looking forward to your answer. Thanks a lot.
ibook Mac OS X (10.3.7)

How can I fix my hard drive?

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