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pcdeleo
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How do I make a new hard drive bootable?
I installed a new hard drive for my iBook G4 that I purchased from iFixIt. When I went to install the operating system (OS X 10.2), the computer wouldn't boot/install from the Install Disk. I ended up formatting and installing the OS via a FireWire from another iBook. Everything looked good, but I still get a folder with question mark when I boot up. I can see the new hard drive via FireWire with all of the files, so I need to make the native computer recognize it. Suggestions?
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Accepted Answer
Assuming you've checked the partition map per David's suggestion...
According to MacTracker, this iBook came with 10.3 installed, so it might not run 10.2. If you didn't make a a typo in your question, are you sure this installer is compatible with your computer?
If the other iBook you used is a G3, then maybe the 10.2 installer is the one that came with *it*. Which also explains why the 10.2 installer would boot the other iBook.
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David Iwanicki
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Answered
First, make sure the new drive is using Apple Partition Map, as this is the only partition structure a PowerPC Mac can boot from. Macs can write to almost any partition structure (FAT, UNIX, etc), so the files may appear correctly.
You can verify this by checking the drive in Disk Utility, connecting the iBook to another Mac the same way you did to format the drive and install the OS.
If this checks out, try resetting the PRAM of the iBook by powering on while holding P-R-Command-Option - keeps these keys held down until the unit chimes and reboots 3 times in succession.
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rab777hp
12.6k
Answered