how to update G5 Power Mac from Tiger to Leopard?

Question

Level 1

10 points

how to update G5 Power Mac from Tiger to Leopard?

My Power Mac G5 (PowerMac11,2) is running OSX Tiger 10.4.11 and I need it to run Leopard to use some hardware I recently acquired. Rather than do a fresh installation to a drive, I’d like to just update the current boot drive to Leopard as this drive has all my applications installed. Is this possible? I could also probably use a later OS up to wherever the G5's support ends (think it's 10.6.5, but not sure).

If it helps, I have these things at my disposal:

a bkup bootable boot drive
a firewire 400 external drive
various USB Thumbdrives
burnable CDR, DVD+R, and DVD+R Dual Layer disks
an external blu-ray burner that should be able to burn a dual layer DVD if the G5’s burner won’t
various newer macs including a 2009 MacBook Pro 17” (w OSX 10.6.2 installation disks), a 2013 MBP, 2017 iMac, and 2021 M1 MBP.
other SATA drives I could probably erase and use if needed

Thanks for any help!

Posted on Oct 27, 2024 1:14 PM

Reply

Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

zaazo

Level 1

68 points

Oct 27, 2024 1:21 PM in response to DTBDFilms

Here’s how to do it:

1. Get a Mac OS X Leopard Installation Disc:

You’ll need a retail Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard disc (not the ones that came with newer Macs). If you have that, great! If not, you might have to find a copy online or at a second-hand store.

2. Backup Your Current Setup:

Since you already have a bootable backup drive, make sure everything important is saved there before starting.

Just in case something goes wrong, having a full backup of your current OS (Tiger) is always a good idea.

3. Perform an Upgrade Install:

Pop the Leopard installation disc into your Power Mac G5’s drive.
Restart the machine and hold the C key during startup to boot from the disc.
Once the installer loads, you should see an option to upgrade (don’t choose "Erase and Install").
Follow the prompts and let the Mac do its thing. It will keep your current settings and apps intact while upgrading to Leopard.

4. Check Compatibility:

Leopard is the last version that will run on your Power Mac G5. Mac OS X Snow Leopard (10.6) and later only work on Intel-based Macs, so 10.5.8 is the highest you can go.

5. Install Leopard Updates:

Once the installation is done, run Software Update to make sure you’re on the latest Leopard version (10.5.8).

6. Alternative if You Don’t Have the Leopard Disc:

You can use your Firewire external drive to clone the Leopard installer (if you find a copy). You’d have to burn a disc from your newer Mac or restore the image to the external drive and boot from it.

Another option would be using one of your newer Macs to create a bootable USB thumb drive with Leopard on it, but the Power Mac G5 might struggle to boot from USB. So, FireWire would be your best bet.

Let me know if that makes sense or if you need more info on any step!

Reply

Answer 2

Allan Jones

Level 9

72,248 points

Oct 28, 2024 8:25 AM in response to DTBDFilms

Does the G4 have an OS on it now?

The oldest macOS for which there is a safe downloadable system installer is Lion 10.7

How to download and install macOS - Apple Support

All others are pirated and may contain malware.

There are what appear to be legit Leopard installer disks—at least the packaging look like mine—on eBay"

https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p4432023.m570.l1313&_nkw=macOS+10.5&_sacat=0

Re your burned retail install disk: History here says that a burned disk typically fails to install the OS on PowerPC Macs after macOS9. Many of us suspected it was an anti-piracy scheme. Here's hoping your experience with one is better.

The retail Leopard disk looks like this:

You are in the classic caveat emptor situation. Many disks sold online as retail install disks are not the real thing. They are burned, not pressed, and may fail. Some sellers even go as far as using printable disks and forging the retail disk graphics. You may be in for a struggle to find what your G5 needs. Know your reseller, including their refund policy.

NOTE: Even on a powerful PowerPC Mac, you will find the internet glacially slow. We maintain a number of older Macs in working, connected condition. They include two with 10.5 Leopard, fully updated. Our PPC models are virtually unusable on the modern internet, even with the best "workaround" browser, TenFourFox.

Reply

Answer 3

DTBDFilms Author

Level 1

10 points

Oct 27, 2024 2:13 PM in response to zaazo

Thank you very much for that thorough explanation!! Much appreciated!!

And yes, this is VERY helpful. I'm currently burning an iso of a retail version of 10.5.6. It's taking a long time, but that's ok. I'll update you once it's burned and I try to update the G5 from it as you described.

Thanks again!

Reply

Answer 4

DTBDFilms Author

Level 1

10 points

Oct 28, 2024 2:33 PM in response to Allan Jones

Thanks for that!! Good info to have! Fortunately for me tho, the DVD+R DL disk worked fine and everything is up and running on the G5 now.

It was a little more complicated b/c I found the supposed bkup drive and noticed I'd marked it as more recent that what was currently in the G5. I swapped them out, but had immediate issues of the G5's fans starting up like it's going to take flight. Forced turned it off, did disk utility first aid on the drive, then it seemed to work when back in the G5. SEEMED to work b/c everything was slow and the spinning wheel of death kept popping up. Did other check on the drive and got back hardware failure warnings. A shame b/c that drive had OSX 10.5.8.

So, I bought a small SSD and cloned the supposed bkup drive to it. The SSD ran fine, so I installed 10.5.6 from the DVD I burned. Things are still good after that update. I wonder why other folks have issues w OSX installs from burned DVDs. I don't think I upgraded mine in the G5, but maybe and if so perhaps that's why it worked.

Anyway, thank for the help both of y'all!!

Reply