PowerBook 1400: Mac OS 8 Installation Crashes

I've upgraded to OS 8 on my PowerBook 1400 and have identified 2 recurring problems when installing OS 8 from the CD-ROM:

1. During the installation process the installer quits with the error message "installer has unexpectedly quit". or

2. If I do manage to complete the OS 8 installation and then restart from the hard disk the startup is interrupted with error messages "illegal instruction" or "finder error" telling me to restart with extensions off.

These symptoms don't appear when I'm installing OS 7.5.3.

How can I resolve this?
There have been a few instances of this happening. It may be related to custom installing the IrDA software. The Infrared option in the Custom Install is only for IrDA PowerBooks. PowerBook 11400's will crash during startup with an 'Illegal Instruction' error.

PowerBook 190's, 5300's and 1400's do not support IrDA, so the only IR-related system software they should have installed is the IRTalk extension and the IRTalk option in the AppleTalk control panel. Files they shouldn't have installed include: IrDALib, IrLanScannerPPC, and Infrared control panel.

Note: PowerBook 190's are not affected by this crash, because the IrLanScannerPPC doesn't load, and a Universal System Install only
installs the IRTalk extension, not the IrDA components. So there are a few variables concerning the OS 8 installation that can alter the components that get installed on the PowerBook.
Published Date: Feb 18, 2012