Where can I get a Mac Restore Disc?

[Skiz]

I'm trying to fix an iMac ["iMac G5 ALS (17-inch)"] that the missus owns. It powers up and then displays a small folder icon that flashes back and forth between the Finder logo and a question mark. I've done quite a bit of research online and everything seems to lead back to booting the System Install/Restore discs. The problem is, she doesn't have them. According to Apple's Support pages:

"This is a vintage product. Service is no longer available from Apple, unless you purchased your product in California. Read more about vintage and obsolete products."

Any suggestion on where I might be able to obtain the appropriate disc(s)?

[Xbox_360]

I am guessing you need Mac OS 9? I was not successful in finding a copy to download, but I have found one for sale on ebay they are asking $70 still sealed in the box (you can make a offer as well). If you can't find it for download and don't want to spend $70, get a copy of OSX Tiger I googled your make of iMac and it can run Tiger it just might be a bit slow.

[KFlint]

There is a copy of mac os 9 on brokenstones, if that's what you are looking for.

[Skiz]

Sorry, I need OS X 10.4.

[Xbox_360]

They have OSX 10.4.6 on RevTT.

[Skiz]

They have OSX 10.4.6 on RevTT.

I don't need OS X 10.4.6.

I need a 10.4 Restore disc as originally stated.

[Xbox_360]

I still think you could use it to restore your Mac to working condition. I don't think you need a restore disc just a Tiger OS which that is what it is.

[Skiz]

I still think you could use it to restore your Mac to working condition. I don't think you need a restore disc just a Tiger OS which that is what it is.

That won't restore anything; that's why there is a separate disc called a 'Restore disc'. A Mac OS X disc will simply allow me to reinstall OS X. It doesn't work like Windows.

[Expeto]

Knowing nothing about the macs,I better not embarrass myself too much. Yet Mac is nothing but a dumb, smelly and shitty unix. And a quick scroogle search showed that mac, like many linux distros mac have a "single-user mode", which means booting in runlevel1.

For reference linux run levels are following (mac should be similar order but it probably have only 3 levels)

• runlevel 5 is normal boot+graphics
• level 3 is normal boot
• level 2 is multiuser without interfaces, daemons or network.
• level 1 is single user mode

For comparation windows safe mode would be around runlevel 3-4~. Single user mode(runlevel 1) is like "Limbo" of your computer's mind. There is nothing fancy there, its a simple command line. Even some of the cli commands will be missing, this might include the help commands.

So what one can do this hell-hole? Well you at least have something to work with, other than a shitty logo staring at you. Now you can backup your files and do a clean install. Depending on the amount of your free time and your pain threshold, you can try fix this problem manually from single user mode. Increasing your run level slowly, will give you debug info which might show you what the problem is about.

Few commands to help you at the runlevel1
init (and/or telinit on some systems) to change run level --> "init 2" , to go to runlevel 2, "init n" to go to runlevel n
"who -r" to see your current run level
"scp -r"-> secure copy tool, for copying files over network
other basic linux commands
how to get mac to runlevel1
online commands manual(just in case "man" command don't works at level1)

good luck,

[KFlint]

I'm afraid you'll have no choice but to buy the missus a MacBook pro for Christmas