Mac Mini 1.25 G4 PPC Dead?

I'm attempting to reset my mac mini to factory settings. For some reason it wouldn't recognize the 10.3 install disk, so I used my MacBook Pro 10.5 disk to reformat the mini. However, when I put in the 10.3 disk, it doesn't do anything aside from hang at the grey screen/apple logo and change over to the crossed-circle.
Now, only the OS X 10.5 install disk is the only thing it will recognize!
I've tried copying the disk contents onto an external and running the install program through the terminal native to the 10.5 disk and I get a "-bash-3.2# open: command not found" error.
I've also tried making images of the disk, and using them to "restore" the hard drive through the disk utility to no avail.
What do I do?

I don't believe a PPC system will recognize a disk formatted with an Intel based system. I would put in the installation disks (CDs or DVDs) for your PPC system and when the option comes up in the menu bar to use disk utility, use it to repartition and reformat your disk.

Similar Messages

Does anyone know what is the best version of word I can have on my older mac mini 10.5.8 PPC? I am running Leopard. Does anyone have it or know where I can get it please?

Does anyone know what is the best version of word I can have on my older mac mini 10.5.8 PPC? I am running Leopard. Does anyone have it or know where I can get it please?

I agree with Grant. But to answer your question, that would be Word 2008. A quick search turns it up on sale at Amazon. You'll need to find it somewhere other than Microsoft itself, since MS stopped selling it when they released Word 2011.
http://www.amazon.com/Microsoft-Office-2008-Mac-Version/dp/B000WR2F2M

PPC Mac Mini (1.25GHz), KDS K-20MDWB flat panel, and DVI-D

I'm upgrading from an old CRT-based iMac G3/450 to a PowerPC Mac mini (1.25GHz) with a KDS widescreen LCD panel (Model #K-20MDWB) with DVI and analog inputs. The connecting cable is a DVI-D type at both ends, with no analog connections in it.
I would like to use the DVI output (without a VGA adapter) to run the KDS monitor. That's where the problem comes in. Although the analog VGA adapter works fine, I can't get anything beyond very distorted and incredibly jittery video (followed by the monitor giving up and reporting "no signal") from the DVI-D connection.
I know I've used DVI on this computer before, as it once had an Apple 30" Cinema Display attached to it. I also know that the DVI-D cable and the KDS monitor are working--substituting an Intel Core Duo based Mac mini resulted in perfect DVI-D video.
I have tried starting the machine up with the analog adapter attached, setting everything back to 640x480 at 60Hz refresh (settings that should work with any monitor) and zapping the PRAM to clear any incorrect information about the attached monitor. Nothing has worked, and I suspect that the video output on the computer is somehow broken or incompatible with the KDS monitor.
My question--is anyone successfully using a DVI-D connected monitor with their PowerPC Mac mini?

The original PPC minis certainly work with DVI-D cables and DVI displays (I have used 4 different cable/display combinations with my 1.25 mini so I know it works), but there have been a number of reports of specific displays that were simply not compatible and which produced a range of results from no video at all, to distorted video, or 'sparklies' or noise ribbons.
At one point there was a thread here (very long by the end) in which users were reporting which DVI displays worked and which did not, and other threads which discussed various potential causes or solutions. A search for 'DVI' might help (I'll try and dig up a link to the website where the DVI results were posted).
In short, it's not likely to be a fault with your mini, the cable or the display, just a lack of full compatibility, which might be resolvable using a display configuration utility such as SwitchResX or DisplayConfig X, or which might not be satisfactorily solvable.
ON EDIT: http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=150291&tstart=550 is the link where DVI experiences were compiled, with the first post containing a link to the table of results indicating quite a number of incompatibilities.

Using a Mac Mini with my Panasonic CT-30WC14J

Please excuse the length of this question, but theres a lot of info that may be relevant.
I have a Widescreen HDTV, Panasonic CRT 30 inch Model CT-30WC14J, and have been using it connected to my iMac for a while to watch TV shows etc. For Christmas I decided to get a Mac Mini for this TV so we didn't need to constantly bother whoever was using the iMac to watch TV or whatnot. Anyway, I hooked the Mini up using the same cable I've been using for the iMac and although it is the same TV, OS (Leopard), and HDMI cable, the Mac Mini only offers 3 resolutions. 640x480 720X480 and 1920x1080. The first two being way too small the last being an insanely high resolution. The on the iMac I had it running in 1280x720 (and had the choice of a few dozen other resolutions if I'd wished it) . However I can't get the Mini to show any but those 3 resolutions. I found a program (SwitchResX) that can change the Mac to a resolution that is not normally selectable but any of the resolutions I need are not default. When I try to use it's custom resolution I'm way in over my head because I need timing parameters for my TV. I decided to install the program on my iMac and see if it could show the correct parameters for the resolution when the TV is hooked up to the iMac but that does not seem to work when I use those numbers on the Mac Mini, so that was a dead end.
I doubt anyone could help me but is there anyone who thinks they might have an idea on what I can do, like what would be all of the timing parameters etc to input for 720p/i for the Panasonic CT-30WC14J? Maybe any other suggestions?
Thanks for looking.

Here is one thing I recommend trying since it has worked for other people under Leopard. Go into Displays preferences and click on the "Show displays in menu bar" checkbox. Go to the menu bar and click on the display icon. In the resulting drop down menu, scroll to "Number of recent items" and select 5 (or possibly try 10 if 5 doesn't work) and then restart the Mac. Hopefully this will expand the list of choices and you will see the 1280 x 720 timing that shows up on your iMac.

Help needed in connecting a Mac Mini to AT&T DSL

Any suggestions on how to troubleshoot this problem will be appreciated. I'm helping a friend connect a Mac to the Internet using AT&T DSL. The computer is a Mac Mini, 1.42 GHz PPC G4, running OS X 10.5. It is connected by Ethernet to an AT&T DSL modem. The Mini's Network preference is configured to connect using DHCP.
Strange symptoms include:
1. Safari will not connect to the Internet.
2. However, Firefox WILL connect and loads all websites I tried.
3. Apple Mail will connect and download messages from my friend's previous email address (not AT&T), but will not connect to allow me to configure his new AT&T account.
4. Other programs that need a network connection won't run; for example, the Software Update preference, when checking for new updates, claims that there is no network connection.
Do these symptoms indicate that the Mini's network preferences are not configured correctly, or that the DSL modem is not configured correctly?
More information: with the modem is an "Installation Wizard Disc" CD with a setup program. It's supposed to work for any PPC G3 or greater Mac, which certainly fits this Mini. BUT, when run on the Mini, the setup program displays a message that the computer's processor is "unrecognized". Then the setup program quits. I ran the setup program on my MacBook Pro laptop connected to the DSL modem. It went through a lengthy process with messages about "configuring the modem". After this, I was able to connect to the Internet with Safari using the laptop. This seems to indicated that there's nothing basically wrong with the modem or DSL connection. However, I can't run the setup program on the Mini. (The above symptoms were after getting the laptop to work, then switching the Ethernet connection back to the Mini.)

This is a strange problem, especially since Firefox is working OK.
You might try using OpenDNS. They have a good set of instructions about how to do this here:
https://www.opendns.com/start
It's possible that AT&T's DNS servers aren't responding fast enough, and Safari is timing out quicker than Firefox.
The other option is to call AT&T and ask for support in accessing their DSL modem.
A third option would be to download a system maintenance utility like Yasu
http://jimmitchell.org/projects/yasu/
and use it to clear all the caches in the system -- in case the Mini somehow is using stale information about the net.

Installing SSD in Mac mini (mid 2009)

Hi
I want to buy a new SSD Drive to my Mac Mini ( the installed drive is dead already)
I thought about this model
SanDisk SDSSDP-128G-G25
what do you recommend ? do you think it will be compatible ?

From the  > About This Mac menu, share what is stated for the present OS X version, CPU and installed memory. Further, run the System Information app from /Applications/Utilities. Using the following guide, share the revision of the EFI firmware presently installed. If you have the EFI firmware v1.2 installed, your mini can support 8GB RAM instead of the 4GB Apple ceiling without this firmware release. Here is a link for memory upgrades for this machine.
You still have a SATA II 3Gbps internal storage controller. Regardless of the SSD you choose, you will need a professional video of the (advanced difficulty) installation process for older Mac minis.
The SanDisk SDSSDP-128G-G25 is a SATA III drive that can fall back to SATA I and II. SanDisk provides a version 1.0 Windows-only (.exe) SSD Toolkit firmware update utliity. The last firmware update was Oct. 2012. SanDisk did not appear to offer a bootable Linux .iso firmware update solution for Macs. This is a 9.5 mm thick drive. I would pass on this drive as no provision for Mac installed firmware updates is evident, or even manufacturer stated Mac compatibility.
I installed a 128GB OCZ Vertex 4 SSD into my 2011 Mac mini last summer. Caught a special and got it for $99, though presently $135 and higher if you can find one in stock. Newegg is out right now, but shows 506 **** reviews. This manufacture is committed to Mac and PC firmware support solutions, with copious documentation and recent (Jan/2013) firmware update. The drive is 7mm and has a 5 year warranty. This is what I would recommend because it is in constant use, fast, and flawless. Here is a review.
Whichever drive you choose, you need some assurance it will have Mac firmware update support, and not require a PC only solution. The drive height must be 9.5 mm or less for the Mac mini.

How to install mac os (PPC) on an external hard drive, through a mac mini (intel) ?

Hi all,
Let me explain:
- my iMac G5 iSight has a dead HDD and dead superdrive: No way to get it to run
- I have the installation disc of Tiger (PPC)
- I have an external HDD in FW
- I have a mac mini (Intel)
How to install the Mac OS PPC on the external HDD with the mac mini (Intel) ?

Hello,
You must use the Intel iMac as a Firewire Optical drive.
How to use FireWire target disk mode...
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1661
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Target_Disk_Mode
Put the PPC Install Disc in the Intel iMac.
Put the Intel iMac into FireWire target disk mode...
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1661
Boot the G5 iMac holding the Option/alt key, & see if the Install Disc in the Intel iMac shows up as a boot choice.

Extracting DVD from seemingly dead mac mini

Hi all,
I have a PPC mac mini, which now seems to have gone dead (if that is the correct word). From what I can see of how the mini 'doesn't' work, and comparing with posts in this forum and on the net, it is a case of a damaged HDD. Thus the mini won't boot from the HDD; to circumvent that i used the OS DVD to boot from, but now even that too is not working and the mini won't start at all. (have also tried everything else-reset PRAM, etc). I have come to the stage where I just want to chuck the mini in the trash, but don't want to lose the OS DVD (i think it is the Tiger upgrade DVD that is in the drive). Since the mini won't start, can anyone advise how i can extract the DVD in this situation. On the other hand, if someone has an idea of how to get the mini working again, that would be excellent.
(frankly, I don't really want to lose the mini, but don't seem to have any other option). I'm currently using a MacBook

One thing you can try: plug in a USB mouse (a Bluetooth mouse won't work), hold down the left mouse button, and start up the system. Keep holding down the mouse button and with luck, after a minute or so, it will eject the disk.
If that doesn't work, try this: restart the system and hold down the Command, Option, O and F keys and keep them down until you get the ">" prompt. If you can get to that prompt, type "eject CD" (without the quotation marks). If that will won't eject the disk, you'll have to get a technician to assist further.
As to getting the mini working, I don't know. If it's a damaged hard drive, that may be suppressing the boot as the mini keeps trying to mount the drive. Pulling the drive out would be the next step; if that is indeed the problem, the mini should then be able to boot from a CD. If so, you could then replace the hard drive. You can find a 2.5" PATA drive for under $50.00 US (and probably cheaper) if you shop around.
Hope this helps.

PPC Mac mini + Apple remote

Hi - I've got a PPC mac mini and use it mainly with EyeTV 2.3 / Miglia TVMini. I managed to get Front Row installed on it, and it sort of works ok with the Miglia remote.
Having read that EyeTV now supports the Apple remote, I went and got one - to find that it doesn't work. Presumably EyeTV only supports it if the mini has the internal inrared sensor. Which mine doesn't. (Although the TVMini appears to pick up the Apple remote signal, just not do anything with it.)
Aside from the fact that I'd be shelling out another £25 to get a £19 remote working, would connecting an iPod dock with built-in infrared allow me to control front row via the Apple remote? Ie will OS X recognise it as a built-in infrared sensor - which the remote seems to want?
Cheers
James
Mac mini Mac OS X (10.4.7)

ya, neither did i... apple is just afraid that anything will be said against them in any way
 Mac Mini Intel Core Solo- 1 GB RAM- Superdrive- Production week 18 Mac OS X (10.4.7)

Need to upgrade memory in ppc mac mini

Does anyone know of a step by step guide with pictures to installing memory in a ppc mac mini? Need to upgrade to a gig to use some graphics software. Thanks,
Steve

In sleep mode (STR) the RAM has to be refreshed to
keep the memory content, so the more you got the more
power will be consumed on this.
Having less ram will therefore benefit battery life
in sleep mode.
This is only of concern to portable users of course, and the additional RAM has barely any impact on power demand whether from mains-power or battery. Some admittedly, but not much. Nor would it be all that easy to tell what drain it caused since there are other variables involved with battery drain rates too, such as ambient temperature.
There is still room for improvement in whatever
algorithm it is that determines when "inactive"
memory is released. Paging frequently happens after
copying large files since all memory is in use and
"recently" so, even if this use is one where the
content is NOT likely to be needed again.
The much hyped idea that "old" inactive memory is
being released when more is needed I find it
difficult to confirm, or paging would not be needed.
Simply caching EVERYTHING does not in my mind count
as an "intelligent" algorithm..
As much as this may be valid, there is no way the user is able to change the algorithm - it's part of the operating system. As such, the user can really only take such steps as may be possible to improve the working of the system - one significant such step being adding RAM.
This can be cleared up by running "repair
permissions" in DU, since it seems to release much of
the inactive RAM. It would be much better to have a
small utility to do this, though, if making the OS
more intelligent is not an option.
Running disk utility may be an effective method of resolving memory allocations etc, but it then places the onus on the user to monitor the system and manually activate a process. Part of the appeal of MacOS to many people is that it removes much of the onus users of other operating systems feel is placed on them to keep tuning the system - activities which detract from the use of the system.
Ultimately, I have to say that I have never found the need to do anything of that sort. I do use MenuMeters (a very neat little app to place system monitoring tools in the menu bar and which uses barely any CPU overhead to do so) to watch the status of my system, but only as an occasional troubleshooting aid when I'm testing software or experimenting with the system. That is about as far as I go with anything other than using the system. Certainly, I've not found any need to perform the sort of tasks that are often being recommended, and even the systems I run 24/7 remain efficient in operation.
I can say that while my G4 was running off a 5400rpm drive, increasing RAM from 768Mb to 1.5Gb quite dramatically improved performance of both 10.4 and 10.2 but had little benefit in OS9 (all booting from separate drives). The effects were rather less noticeable after swapping out to 7200 drives instead.

How do I move all files from an old PPC to a new Mac Mini?

How do I move all files from an old PPC to a new Mac Mini?

The new mini has a Firewire 800 port. Likely the PPC version only has Firewire 400. The OP will need a converter cable which is why I was asking first about what hardware is available and how much is being copied.
Probably go with using the external hard drive if you decide all you want are data files.
If you want to migrate:
Kappy: A Basic Guide for Migrating to Intel-Macs - http://discussions.apple.com/message/10257343
Mac OS X 10.3, 10.4: Transferring data with Setup Assistant / Migration Assistant FAQ - http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1554
Setting-up a new Mac from an old one or its Backups - http://web.me.com/pondini/AppleTips/Setup.html

Trying to share a printer attached to a PPC Mac Mini

Hi all.
I'm reinsterting an old Mac Mini running OS X 10.5.8 as a headless print server. I can interact with it via other computers to share the screen, so my network protocol with the computer is sound. My problem is, I can't seem to print to any printer attached to this computer--this is obviously a problem, as that's the whole reason I've revived this device.
Sharing setup for all computers is complete and the client computers don't seem to have any trouble seeing the printer. But when I print to it, the job is sent VERY quickly (suspiciously so) from my clients (a Mac Mini Intel in the living room and a MacBook), and the PPC mini shows no indication a print job was ever delivered.
Any brilliant ideas? I'm sure it's something really basic I'm not remembering or thinking about, and I'm sure someone has already asked this question; feel free to direct me to that solution, as my searching efforts didn't produce anything that I felt was helpful--but I've been wrong before.
Thanks!

OK then, please post a brand new question in the OS X 10.5.8 "Leopard" forum:
https://discussions.apple.com/community/mac_os/mac_os_x_v10.5_leopard
I no longer have a Leopard system to test and I used my one brilliant idea for today.
A new question should solicit more interest. Hopefully one of the old guard can think of something. Reference this thread so they can read what you did so far: Trying to share a printer attached to a PPC Mac Mini
Edit: Before you go, can you print to this printer while directly attached to the other computers too? Make sure it's not a simple driver problem. Good luck!
Message was edited by: John Galt

How do I Connect Dell E2211H monitor to a PPC Mac Mini???

How do I connect a Dell E2211H monitor to a Mac mini (PPC)

It looks like the Dell E2211H has both VGA and DVI inputs and the Mac mini (original) has a DVI output port.
So all you need is a good DVI Cable to connect that Dell to the Mac Mini.

Running OS 10.5.x on Mac Mini (PPC-based, PowerMac10,2)

A friend of mine has a Late 2005 Mac Mini (PPC-based, PowerMac10,2). She currently runs OS 10.4.11 and the Mac is running fine.
I have a few questions:
[1] Can this machine run OS 10.5.x?
[2] Even if it can, in terms of speed and running application, is it a realistic thing to do?
I want her to use a program called RapidWeaver on her Mac Mini. But, its system requirement is OS 10.5. That's one of the reasons why I am posting this question.

Oh, yes, thanks so much for mentioning that! My friend has a printer that came (I think) free with her Mac Mini back when she purchased the computer. I am now looking at the System Profiler file that I asked her to generate, and under Printers, I see Lexmark Z25-Z35 and Stylus CX4200. I believe that the Lexmark is the wireless printer that she prints to.
Thanks again for alerting me to this!!

Mac Mini (2007 model) Ethernet and 802.11N dead

Wow, talk about frustrating...my 13 month old 2007-model Mac Mini just crapped out with a couple of issues. The Ethernet networking reports the cable is unplugged, even though it's not, and the 802.11 wireless networking won't connect at N speeds. Of my four Macs, this was the only one without AppleCare, so no warranty help to be had.
Anyways, to troubleshoot the system, I've verified that the Ethernet cable I am using provides connectivity on another machine, and that other machines in the same workspace can connect to the 802.11n router via "n" speeds. So it's not anything external to the Mac Mini.
I also booted from a different OS X version via external USB drive, and the Ethernet and Wireless "n" still display the same symptoms. So it sounds like hardware, since a software glitch shouldn't appear with a different boot drive, right?
Verify disk and repair permissions also performed, with no anomalies noted.
System Profiler shows the Ethernet port is there, but in following troubleshooting "cable unplugged" errors tips in another thread I tried removing it from the networking pref pane, and re-adding it, but Ethernet doesn't show as an addable option anymore.
I am able to connect via 802.11g, so the machine's not totally dead connectivity-wise, but as home theater media server, I am sure going to miss the rapid file transfer rates of Ethernet or "n" wireless.
So, before I write this machine off as crippled, can anyone think of anything else I might try to get Ethernet working again? I suppose a USB-to-ethernet dongle would be better than Wireless-"g", but it's still less than ideal.
On another note, oddly, several of my programs started complaining about not being registered, which is what lead me to try permissions and disk verifications. Pretty strange.
Any ideas appreciated.

Ah, you're right about the N not being supported. Color me stupid on that one...silly me assumed that since I'd only had it a year, and N was around on my other Macs purchased around then, that it was there, but of course the design was a year old already. I'll update the thread post to drop that part.
As for the cable, I sort of tried two other cables already. My actual setup is to run the Mini to a gigabit switch, then the switch runs a CAT6 cable 50' to the router. I used two different cables out of the switch, and then plugged the long run directly into the Mini. No go. I guess not a big issue to unplug the Mini and move it to another room. I'll give it a go, but take note that it's been working fine on this same cable/switch/router set-up for a year. Odd that it would suddenly change.
Thanks for the tips, I'll post back with results when I get home and can check it out.

Mac Mini 1.25 G4 PPC Dead?

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