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need PowerPC Mac help

Posted: Thu Feb 28, 2008 7:34 pm
by jayt11
I was trying to fix a friend's Mac(she has a powerpc imac with mac os x 10.4).

Whenever i tried to download something, Safari would shut down. In addition, I could not get finder up at all.

I checked the hardware and it's fine(no viruses and all).

2 Questions
1) How can I fix this?
2) If it can't be fixed.....How much is it to switch that PowerPC chipset to an Intel???

Re: need PowerPC Mac help

Posted: Thu Feb 28, 2008 9:04 pm
by Vamp [Bot]
You really can't switch a PPC to Intel, especially not with an iMac. Doesn't sound like a hardware problem anyway... all operating systems have the power to fuck up, even OSX. Your best bet would be to grab the install disc that came with the iMac, pop it in the computer and choose the option that replaces system information (whichever that is, been a while). Failing that, you always have the option of reinstalling OSX while maintaining user data and installed applications, which definitely comes in handy.

Re: need PowerPC Mac help

Posted: Thu Feb 28, 2008 10:04 pm
by jayt11
okay, so i'll tell her to buy the discs. Thanks man. I appreciate it....and i'll get 'points' haha.

Re: need PowerPC Mac help

Posted: Thu Feb 28, 2008 10:23 pm
by Mericks
jayt11 wrote:okay, so i'll tell her to buy the discs. Thanks man. I appreciate it....and i'll get 'points' haha.
Silly sex-craved jayt.

Re: need PowerPC Mac help

Posted: Thu Feb 28, 2008 11:11 pm
by BreakmanX
jayt11 wrote:I was trying to fix a friend's Mac(she has a powerpc imac with mac os x 10.4).

Whenever i tried to download something, Safari would shut down. In addition, I could not get finder up at all.

I checked the hardware and it's fine(no viruses and all).

2 Questions
1) How can I fix this?
2) If it can't be fixed.....How much is it to switch that PowerPC chipset to an Intel???
Before reinstalling as Vamp suggested, start up with the system disc (OS) by holding C right after you hear the Mac chime on startup.

# When your computer finishes starting up from the disc, choose Disk Utility from the Installer menu. (In Mac OS X 10.4 or later, you must select your language first.)
Important: Do not click Continue in the first screen of the Installer. If you do, you must restart from the disc again to access Disk Utility.
# Click the First Aid tab.
# Click the disclosure triangle to the left of the hard drive icon to display the names of your hard disk volumes and partitions.
# Select your Mac OS X volume.
# Click Repair. Disk Utility checks and repairs the disk.

If that doesn't work there's a few other things to try here: http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=106214


If First AID doesn't work though, then a reinstall is probably your best bet.