osx 10.3.9 boot from USB to upgrade HELP!

edscdk · 12 Apr 2012 at 22:14

I have a OSX 10.5(somethng) DVD I want to transfer its contents to a USB drive and install my mac from the USB drive

its a PPC 1ghz snowball imac thingie.. working happy

I have a nice shiny leopard DVD but the drive cannot read it properly.... the drive has not worked properly for some time.

I have windows machines and can create an iso which the mac can read... but i don't know how to get the install files to a USB hdd / flash drive to boot and install

any help much appreciated...

d_brennen · 12 Apr 2012 at 22:20

I have done this (for a 2011 MacBook Pro) using a Windows 7 laptop. It was a right pita, if I remember correctly (which I probably don't because I worked well into the wee hours) you need to create an ISO of the Leopard DVD on the Windows machine, inside a folder on that (I forget the name) there is another disk image (again I forget the name) and use TransMac (15 day trial) to "burn" it to the USB.

Sorry for the vagueness, I'll go look at the files left over on the laptop in a mo

d_brennen · 12 Apr 2012 at 22:31

oops it was Lion. The gist might be the same... The folder was InstallMacOSX.pkg and the Lion image was InstallESD.dmg

edscdk · 12 Apr 2012 at 22:41

d_brennen said:
oops it was Lion. The gist might be the same... The folder was InstallMacOSX.pkg and the Lion image was InstallESD.dmg

the windows 7 machine only sees a 400mb cdfs bootcamp partition on the dvd any tricks I can use?

the mac will mount the ISO but obviously it thinks it a real DVD since it say reboot now to upgrade and the reboot does nothing...

d_brennen · 12 Apr 2012 at 22:49

I'd use the Mac to make an image file of the disk (.dmg) and copy it to a USB drive, copy that onto the Windows machine and use 7Zip to extract the .dmg into a folder. TransMac should be able to take up the slack from there

233 · 12 Apr 2012 at 22:51

silly question? got another mac? use target mode anda firewire cable

edscdk · 12 Apr 2012 at 23:00

d_brennen said:
I'd use the Mac to make an image file of the disk (.dmg) and copy it to a USB drive, copy that onto the Windows machine and use 7Zip to extract the .dmg into a folder. TransMac should be able to take up the slack from there

last question before i give up...

your plan sounds great...

but the mac only sees install mac s x (small app)
and two folders called instruciotns and optional installs...

any suggestions on how to see the rest of the stuff?

also no spare mac

d_brennen · 12 Apr 2012 at 23:04

I don't really know Macs well, maybe they handle disk images differently. Not sure on the steps but I'd just go ahead and create the .dmg image of the disk. 7Zip on Windows can extract .dmg files into something Windows can see

Doug · 13 Apr 2012 at 17:50

You know, you could probably replace the DVD drive (any old PATA tray loader should do (pioneer ones work great)) with a lot less fuss than using windows to make a bootable USB

Or you could try to find a buddy with a Mac and use Disk Utility for make your USB

edscdk · 15 Apr 2012 at 13:16

in the end I went dug out a USB DVD drive, booted the G4 iMac with the button to show the boot options (picture on button look a bit like a backwards capital J gone a bit wrong)

initially the boot options only showed the internal hard drive, however after about 60seconds the USB DVD drive appeared in the list and I was able to boot from it!!!