Upgrading a DVD-less Powerbook
January 17, 2006 1:21 PM Subscribe
How to install Tiger (OSX 10.4) on a Powerbook with a broken DVD drive?
So far I've been able to use that Powerbook just fine, getting everything through either the Internet or through an external drive (USB) but now I'd like to actually upgrade it. How can I do this? What are my options?
So far I've been able to use that Powerbook just fine, getting everything through either the Internet or through an external drive (USB) but now I'd like to actually upgrade it. How can I do this? What are my options?
Best answer: zpouseman - it WILL work. I updated my old iMac that way (the iMac didn't have a DVD drive and I wasn't paying Apple to send me the CD installers). I booted the iMac in FireWire mode, ran the DVD from my iBook, and *BAM* Tiger on a Dalmation.
posted by jazon at 1:31 PM on January 17, 2006
posted by jazon at 1:31 PM on January 17, 2006
Best answer: What, zpousman said.
You have to boot the Mac that you want to install OSX onto into FireWire disk mode. Then install from the machine that it's connected to, selecting the firewire disk as the boot disk.
A caveat to this: you have to set the boot disk back to the second machine's internal disk before rebooting the second machine, otherwise you'll see a sad Mac.
To set the boot disk: System Preferences->Startup Disk->Macintosh HD [or whatever you've called it]
posted by veedubya at 1:33 PM on January 17, 2006
You have to boot the Mac that you want to install OSX onto into FireWire disk mode. Then install from the machine that it's connected to, selecting the firewire disk as the boot disk.
A caveat to this: you have to set the boot disk back to the second machine's internal disk before rebooting the second machine, otherwise you'll see a sad Mac.
To set the boot disk: System Preferences->Startup Disk->Macintosh HD [or whatever you've called it]
posted by veedubya at 1:33 PM on January 17, 2006
I did this for a friend with a bum drive. It worked swimmingly well.
posted by mds35 at 2:35 PM on January 17, 2006
posted by mds35 at 2:35 PM on January 17, 2006
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by zpousman at 1:23 PM on January 17, 2006