OS 10.3 does then doesn't work on my GS Lombard

Question

Here's hoping that I'm in the correct discussion group and that someone can tell me what is happening and how to fix the problem.
This problem concerns my "old G3 Lombard" which has 512MB memory and a 400MHz processor.
First let me say that at the present time I only use my G3 when my G4 and G5 are both tied up doing something and I JUST have to surf the web. Other then that it reposes (with all power shut off) in its carrying case ---- sometimes it sits for as long as two or three months between uses. ==== Maybe therein lies the problem =====
The problem manifest itself everytime I install OS 10.3 on my little G3. Everytime I instal the 10.3 OS it hums happily along and very well for sometimes as long as three months (most often though it's less the a couple of weeks) and then it just stops. By this I mean that when I next boot up the G3 all I get is a circle with the line through it.
I know I can't expect the same lightening useability out of my G3 as I can my G4 and G5 but I did expect to at least be able to use the same 10.3.9OS as my G5 iMac.
This strange problem DOES NOT occur when in frustration and tired of the struggle of reinstalling 10.3 I fall back to OS 9.2 which though a great OS is limited in useage. To be truefull I am not as familiar with or as comfortable with 9.2 as I am in using 10.3 (iMac G5) or 10.4 (G4 Powerbook)
I would really like to get this resolved because as of late I have been giving serious thought about passing along my G3 to my oldest grand daughter.
Since she would no doubt use the powerbook daily (exactly as it was intended to be) the problem would manifest itself in very short order. And since she resides in Rhode Island and I in Virginia I'm sure you can understand the problem.
Any help or suggestions would be deeply appreciated and taken into consideration.
Again thank you
iMac G5 / Aluminum PowerBook G4 / Lombard G3 PowerBook Mac OS X (10.3.9) iMac G5 & Alum.G4 2gig memory / Bronzekeyboard - 512 memory - 400MHz processor
iMac G5 / Aluminum PowerBook G4 / Lombard G3 PowerBook   Mac OS X (10.3.9)   iMac G5 & Alum.G4 1gig memory / Bronzekeyboard - 512 memory - 400MHz processor

Answer 1

The Panther disc are BLACK with a large grey X (3 of them) they are not machine specific
The very first time was an Archive & Install === After it quit working along with the other 5 times it has happened I zero'd out the hard drive / partioned then did a new install.
The hard drive is a 5200 RPM 60 Gig.
As for the ram it is OWC brand and it is the maxium that the G3 Lombard will accept ===== [2] 256MB sticks and yes they are both working
Right now I am using the G3 with the 9.2 OS and except for my lack of knowledge in the finer points of the system it is humming along like nobody's business. Almost as fast as my wife's one year old PC. I even paid a credit card billl with it this morning using the OLD IE 5.2
The reason I am so fixated on getting 10.3 to work on the G3 is so that my grand daughter will have a a nice computer with a OS better then the windows based system she is now using.
Thanks for the questions and any help you miight give as concerns my response.
iMac G5 / Aluminum PowerBook G4 / Lombard G3 PowerBook   Mac OS X (10.3.9)   iMac G5 & Alum.G4 1gig memory / Bronzekeyboard - 512 memory - 400MHz processor