Backup -- internally connected! -- won't boot!

[aaron]

Originally Posted by dnanian

What I'd try, right off the bat, is s simple install of OSX to the WD drive. Then, try to start up from it.

Thanks for the prompt response.

Presuming I can find my Tiger install DVD or a hopefully bootable backup [which, if you saw my apartment, you would consider improbable ], can I install 10.4.x, where x < 8, over 10.4.8?

However I reinstall Tiger, would this installation solve the problem of the missing block 1, which I presume is what might be called the boot block? Is it possible to alter or replace that block manually or using some utility (while operating as root from another boot disk, of course)?