Finally got an unused copy of 10.2, but EVERY TIME I try (3 times so far) I try to install it, it goes up to a certain point and everyting freezes. Usually within 15 minutes (so it says) of completion.

HELP!!!

Which machine are you attempting the install on? Clean HD, or just installing over what is already there?

When the installer is launched and before you begin installing, go up to the menu bar and find "Disk Utility"... format the drive and do a clean install.
I'm assuming this is the iMac you are installing X on, right?

Why 10.2?? Just curious why anyone would be so many years behind, since there wouldn't be any updates and support for it.

The first thing the OS X installers do is a (very lengthy) check of the disk. On an older system it could easily take 15 minutes or more. Does your install get through that portion or could you have a faulty DVD by chance?

We'd love to help you on this so if you answer our questions, try what we suggest or let us know why you didn't or couldn't, and give us follow-ups on the results it would make our job easier. I tried in a couple of posts to find out how much RAM and how big the hard drives are on each machine but have got no response. We suggested replacing the PRAM battery which can cause all sorts of weird problems too.

Which machine are you trying this on. How big is the hard drive, and how much RAM.

Hope I didn't sound too harsh, it is good to have you join the forums. There's a good group of knowledgeable people here who are more than willing to bend over backwards to help. Help us help you papabill.

Trog... he is new and retired and on a fixed income. He is making this work on less than a shoestring budget.
Someone most likely gave him the 10.2 disk.

Just to fill you in a bit more stranger Trog. More that you've missed. He has beige G3, and a Grape iMac. The G3 will only take up to 10.2 without the geekery of XPostFacto.

All right, I'm back again. Been volunteer teaching today.
I'm trying to install 10.2 on the Platinum G3. I booting from the CD and when it asks, I tell it to format the HD and do a clean install. I tell it NOT to install all those foreign languages (I speak North Carolina English-that's all )
The reasons I'm trying 10.2 are these: I was told that 10.2 is the newest OS the old G3 would run without serious geek-ifying (which I'm not), and yes, a shoe string-budget (this was the CHEAPEST I could find.) I tried to get a copy of OS 9.2, but the other bidders bit it out of my reach.
I apologize if I seem non-responsive. I thought I had already posted all I know about this machine. If not, here is all I know:
As far as the PRAM is concerned, it's in a place I cannot get (Osteo-arthritis prevents me from doing any serious hardware work)
And since the iMac is the only thing running now (and I still haven't found a keyboard for it), I'm not about to attempt to even touch it for now.And again, with the minitower not running, I can't even try to download/install it (even if I did know what it was and how to install it.)
Actually, I hadda buy the OS, but you are right, I AM on less than a shoestring budget.

I'll be glad to do anything I can to co-operate. And I do appreciate all the help I've already gotten.

Okay, if that G3 only has 32M of RAM, I don't see how the 10.2 installer even starts. I would not have even recommended that you try and run it. If that is all that's in it that may be the problem. Is that info on the tag on the computer, or did you get it from the computer when it was running 8.6. When it was running 8.6 it was possible to see how much RAM was in it by About this Computer under the Apple Menu, or with System Profiler

I don't know if the 10.2 installer offers a System Profiler option in the menu. After you chose a language go to the menu bar and see if it is under any of the drop down menus. It is in what is called the Utilities menu on 10.4 and later, I forget if it's called Utilities or Other or something else in 10.2.

This is the info on the tag on the rear of the machine.

I just opened the machine and found 3 sticks of memory with this on them:

So, I'm sure there is more than 32Mb of memory.

Should I try to reinstall 8.6 on it and go from there (upgrade to 10.2)