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OSX install disc compatibility question - 2008/09/18 10:02Hello all, looking for a little advice here.
Are the Power Mac G5 install discs (10.4.4) compatible with other PowerPC based systems, or are they totally model specific?
Or is it just the hardware test that is specific to the machine, or is that also generic to PowerPC based systems?
Thanks for the help!
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Yammayamma
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Posts: 3
Re:OSX install disc compatibility question - 2008/09/20 13:40My understanding is that the disks are specific to that system and they won't work on a Mac that is significantly different. They might work on the different speed PowerMac G5s that were released at the same time as your model.
Whenever I've heard of people trying to boot and install OSX using disks from a different model of Mac it has always failed.
The retail OSX Tiger disks can be used on any firewire Mac that existed when the disks were produced. I've seen 10.4.0 and 10.4.6 retail disks, there might be others too.
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harryb
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Posts: 375
Re:OSX install disc compatibility question - 2008/09/20 16:58As stated they will work ONLY with the model machine they came with.
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krowmagnum
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Posts: 763
Re:OSX install disc compatibility question - 2008/09/21 02:14Most Machine specific or model labeled install disks will only work with the Mac they came bundled with (or very similar model) but there are some exceptions. You could try it and if you get no message that you cannot use this disk on this Mac it will work. Probably not though. There is about a 95% or better chance it will not.
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Alex5
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Posts: 2
Re:OSX install disc compatibility question - 2008/09/25 11:34Thanks for the replies everyone.
The discs came from a late 2004 G5 which we picked up new in early 2005, this page
shows the build of osx various macs shipped with. I think the disc may be the 8A428 build but the G5s no longer run this version as they are fully updated (why the discs are no longer required), and the buil# is not mentioned anywhere on the disc. Labels on the back of the discs state (install disc 1) 'Power Mac G5 media, and (disc 2) 'Common CPU media' but that doesn't give away a lot. I've googled the various codes but they don't match up to anything on that link or anywhere else on the web.
I did however find that the AHT 2.5.2 revision on the disc is good for all 2004-2005 models of G5
I was quite surprised I couldn't find any better info on apple's website really, I'm sure this must be a common question (particularly for people picking up 2nd hand macs with no OS)
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