Reinstalling Leopard and cleaning hard but can't reload operating system.

Question

In preparation for sale, i'm cleaning off all my data from my G5 and reinstalling Leopard OS.
Every time I insert the original OS Leopard install CD and try and re-boot the computer gos into the start up screen (Apple logo displayed) but just freezes then the CPU fans slowly start to blow harder and harder until my mac sounds like jet aircraft on afterburn. After 20minutes I have to force crash and restart. Without the start-up CD the mac boots up fine and run perfectly.
Any idea what I can launch the start-up OS to reinstall and wipe the HD?
thanks
Ed

Answer 1

If you have been trying to get it to boot from the installer DVD by holding
the C key down on startup, with the disc in the optical drive, perhaps it
may work to use the Option key held down on start up with disc in drive.
+{The original system disc may be able to cope with the firmware setup+
+on the computer, even though it may have been updated over time.+
+So, that machine-specific install-restore disc may be the key.}+
Another way may be to see if the installed system's own Startup Disk
control pane in System Preferences can select the inserted DVD as a
boot volume and then choose to start the G5 from that DVD, then.
There may also be some other issue behind this problematic situation;
and perhaps to reset the PRAM/NVRAM may do something voodoo to
help it get a move on. However, this topic has come up in the forums
and has affected a few different models under odd circumstances. So
some topic like it should exist in the Discussions, and be searchable.
There is also an Open Firmware reset that involves starting in single
user mode to enter command line text and so on, to reset NVRAM:
• reset the NVRAM (non volitile RAM)
Here is how to do it (from OWC):
To boot into Open Firmware, shut down your Mac, then start it up while holding down the
Command, Option, O and F keys. At the prompt, enter the following commands (you may
want to write them down on a piece of paper before beginning this process), pressing the
return key after each:
reset-nvram
set-defaults
reset-all
After which your Mac will restart.
Edit: Actually, on a re-read, (confirm before trying) there are a few mis-steps in the
above; so check that out. I have seen where this path is more likely, along with above...
+as soon as you turn on your machine and you here the chime, hold down command S,+
+this will take to the terminal.+
+then type:+
/sbin/fsck -fy
If it tells you *** FILE SYSTEM WAS MODIFIED ***, type the above again, until it says:
** The volume (nameofvolume) appears to be OK * (where name is probably Macintosh_HD)
When that is done, type reboot and you should be good.
Other +general symptom matches+ - with some degree of results, may appear in a search using the words:
• *power mac G5 won't boot from disc* - google search:
http://www.google.com/#sclient=psy&hl=en&q=powermac+g5+won%27t+boot+fromdisc&aq=2&aqi=g3g-o1&aql=&oq=&gs_rfai=&pbx=1&fp=83f87efc6f926f13
• Apple - Support - PowerMac G5:
http://www.apple.com/support/powermac/
Not sure if that will help, but it's beyond sleeptime here.
Good luck & happy computing!
+{ edited to add voodoo words }+