MiniMac won't startup from installer disks

I've got a miniMac 1.66 GHz Intel Core Duo with 2 GB, currently running OS X 10.4.11. Permissions have been repaired, but Disk Utility reports a problem (Invalid Record Count, The underlying task reported failure on exit). But I can't get the Mac to start up from ANY of 3 different installation disks while holding down the "C" key. One of the disks (10.4.2) is a grey one that probably did not come with this miniMac, but it also won't start up with a black Tiger installation disk (10.4.6), nor from a white Snow Leopard upgrade disk. None of the disks show up in the Set Startup Disk window either. Yet they all appear normally on the desktop and I can access the files on them okay.
And, in further testing, I now find that I am unable to reset the NVRAM on this computer (holding down option-command-P-R). The computer restarts, beeping only once, as though the keys were never depressed. And trying to start up in the Startup Manager (holding down Option) also fails, as does trying to run an Apple Hardware Test (holding down D). It's as though there are no keyboard inputs...except I can type on the keyboard without difficulty. (We were using a wireless keyboard and mouse on this computer, but I've removed them and their wireless transmitters from the system and connected standard Apple-issued keyboard and mouse for the purposes of testing.)
Any suggestions?

I located two additional installer disks, both clearly labeled for use with miniMacs. One is a 10.3.7, the other 10.5.6, but neither of them would mount as a startup either. And now there's a bigger problem -- when I tried the 10.5.6 disk, it did LOOK like it was running as a startup disk (got the language selector), but it would not allow repairs to the hard disk, only verification (Repair button was grayed out). And now, when I try to restart, the Mac gets as far as the Apple logo, spins the daisy a bit, then shuts down. The installer disk is still in the Mac and I can't eject it, and can't start the Mac up at all.
And no, holding down the "T" key doesn't do anything (but I do have an iMac running Snow Leopard and connected via Airport).

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The CD tests fine in my old iMac G4, so maybe the culprit is the optical drive, but then again, I'm not so sure.
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Thanks for your help.
WeLoveMacs wanted $50, but I just scored an entire topcase on eBay for $15, shipped. We'll see what happens.
Allan Jones wrote:
I maintatined three Wallstreets for a friend for years. They stayed in regular service from new until he replaced them with MacBook Pros last summer!
In the years of keeping the old soldiers almost relavent, I ran into a "won't boot from a system disk" issue on two of them. In both cases, replacing a dead PRAM battery fixed the issue. Don't ask me why but that was the only thing that fixed them.
When I was supporting those, you could still get new Wallstreet batteries from Other World Computing. Today they no longer show them. I'm not sure where to steer your for a new one. USed batteries are like used chewing gum, IMHO.
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Message was edited by: roam

Kernal Panic after update to 10.4.6/Missing HD Space/Won't Startup from DVD

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{ edited 2x }

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Hi
I am trying to learn the basics of OS maintenance.........
1 question.........
A commonly described maintenance procedure is :
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thanks for your time.....
d
eMac 800MHz Power PC G4 Superdrive Mac OS X (10.3.9) LACIE - 160GB external HD - external burner

del12,
Not Kappy here...but.....
Judy,
First of all, Welcome to the Discussions!
re: "I repaired permissions using Install CD, I think it's the first version of Panther"
Not to fret, but I would return to your HD>Applications>Utilities>DiskUtility and repair permissions from there. This should have updated permissions that will take care of the new permissions that need to be set for the update increments in the OS since your initial 10.3 install.
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Does your computer have a Apple Hardware Test CD? If so you may wish to run this to check for any damage it will report.
As for Anacron, CacheOutX, PreferentialTreatment what features of these do you run? Clearing the Caches with CacheOutX for example should only be run for troubleshooting and not general maintenance of the OS.
A very good FAQ by Dr. Smoke for maintenance can be found here.
Hope that helps some,
littleshoulders [:-)
PS. Judy, in the future, if you find a need to post you may wish to start a new topic (even if your problem seems similar) as once a thread is marked answered by the original poster other users here may miss seeing your query for help. If you need help with figuring out how to do that let me know.

Startup from Installation DVD wont work

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Make sure the installation disk you are using is either the disc which shipped with your Mac or a newer retail version. The disc which shipped with your Mac has your Mac's model name on it. The disc which is retail is either labeled * or * Older retail discs, and discs which came with other Macs will not boot your Mac.
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I have an issue with a 12" 867Mhz Powerbook G4.
It was showing the file/question mark icon on boot. Booting from a 10.4 retail DVD and running disk utility confirmed that the hard drive had died. I replaced the hard drive with a new 80GB IDE drive.
Next step is to install 10.4, but it will no longer boot from the disk. I turn it on holding alt and get the option to boot from the disk - the machine recognises that it is a Tiger install disk. When I select it I'm taken to the grey screen with the Apple logo and then it seems to hang. The DVD spins for a while and seems to be in use but then it stops.
Does anyone have any ideas what could be causing this and what I can do to resolve it? I have checked the disk in another mac and it is working correctly.

Yes, it sounds like you didn't connect the new drive correctly, or tripped over the optical drive upon doing so. One thing you can try is the startup manager, instead of the 'C' key, as the 'C' key doesn't always work. The startup manager is used among other things to boot the Hardware test volume, but you can also use it to force boot up the installer:
http://support.apple.com/kb/TA27043?viewlocale=en_US
256 MB of RAM is hardly enough, even though it is the required minimum. And what can happen if you don't have enough RAM, some may be of sufficiently low quality, that it can't get everything it needs into memory. If after upgrading the RAM following specs*:
http://www.macmaps.com/badram.html
you still can't boot the disc with the startup manager, have an authorized service technician determine how badly you might have munged the hard drive installation.
- * Links to my pages may give me compensation.

MiniMac won't startup from installer disks

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