Updating PowerPC G4 OSX 10.3

Hi,

A PowerPC G4 OSX 10.3 could be a PowerBook G4, iBook G4, iMac G4, eMac G4, Mac mini G4, or Power Macintosh G4. However, the 400 MHz would limit it to a PowerBook or Power Macintosh. Which model do you have?

https://everymac.com/systems/apple/powerbook_g4/index-powerbook-g4.html

https://everymac.com/systems/apple/ibook/index-ibook.html

https://everymac.com/systems/apple/imac/index-imac.html

https://everymac.com/systems/apple/emac/index-emac.html

https://everymac.com/systems/apple/mac_mini/index-macmini.html

https://everymac.com/systems/apple/powermac_g4/index-powermac-g4.html

needing to clear out to sell or donate.

If necessary, you could remove the internal hard drive, and either keep it, destroy it, or try to access the contents or erase the disk via another computer.

Depending on the model, removing the hard drive may be easy or more difficult.

If you wish to make an attempt to access or erase data externally, you could connect the removed ATA hard drive to a universal USB bare drive adapter (the adapter at https://eshop.macsales.com/item/NewerTech/U3NV2SPATA/ is merely one example; similar devices may be found locally). The idea would be to connect the now external hard drive to another Mac or PC via USB. For data access, the other computer must be able to read/handle the file system on the hard disk (a Windows PC would need a special Mac disk utility).

Thank you for the information.

Yes, if you can find an appropriate (bootable) system disc, that would probably be a good idea.

For minimum (and maximum) operating system versions, see the specifications for the exact model:

https://everymac.com/systems/apple/powermac_g4/specs/powermac_g4_400.html

https://everymac.com/systems/apple/powermac_g4/specs/powermac_g4_400_agp.html

https://everymac.com/systems/apple/powermac_g4/specs/powermac_g4_400_2.html

If absolutely necessary, there may be additional methods:

• If you have access to another suitable (old) Mac with a FireWire port, you could carry out a few experiments with FireWire target disk mode, and that way possibly erase the Power Macintosh G4's hard disk (without opening the computer) using a utility on the other machine. See, for example, page 41 in the setup guide at http://manuals.info.apple.com/Apple_Support_Area/Manuals/desktops/0341000APMG4SU.PDF

• Also, in order to just erase the internal hard disk, it was once possible to use an old PowerPC version (dban-2.0.0_powerpc.iso) of a free utility called DBAN, at least with some PowerPC Macs. One would use another computer to burn the ISO to a CD-R (not CD-RW). The disc would contain a small, bootable Linux system and the erasure utility. Booting from the optical drive would require holding down the C key.

That model's maximum OS is Tiger; if desired, it can boot Mac OS 9.2.2 instead. It's too old for the Internet Recovery system, so the Command and R method won't work.

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