Cannot install classic on my Power Mac G4

Question

I have a Power Mac G4 (Digital Audio). When I purchased it from ebay it came with 10.4.8 installed but with no classic support. The reason I wanted classic is becuase I have dvd studio pro that needs classic to run. So I found a Apple KB that said that you could not install classic on a 10.4.8 machine and that you needed to downgrade to 10.2 (i think)using the restore disk and then use the software restore to install classic support. Since this was a new to me system this was not a problem. After downgrading to 10.2.7 (this was the OS on the grey restore disk (my mac also came with 10.2 disk that were not grey But I thought I should use the grey ones)) I then put in the software restore CD with the two cirlce shapes into the drive. The disk then says that it installed the software and goes to a screen that takes up most of the screen and then says that the wrong disk is on the drive and to put in the disk with the two circles in the drive. Then it ejects the disk. Since the disk in the tray is the disk that it is asking for (that I can tell anyway) I then push the tray back in with the same disk (two circle shapes) it reads it and then spits it out again saying that it is the wrong disk. I have tried this many times but still get the same message about the wrong disk. I only have one power mac g4 so there is no way I'm using the wrong software restore disk. I guess it is possiable that the seller who sold me the power mac could have given me the wrong software restore disk but the disk do say power mac g4 software restore on them. I also looked around ebay and saw the the software resotre could come on DVD's as well. Mine are on 4 or 5 CD (i think). Well that is my problem. Any help would be most welcome. Also I'm at work writing this so if anybody needs any specific info I will not be able to respond with the info right away.
Power Mac G4 (Digital Audio) 733   Mac OS X (10.2.x)   1 Gig Ram, 80 Gig HD

Answer 1

Hi, Steve.
If, when your hard drive was last formatted using OS X's Disk Utility, the option to install Mac OS 9 drivers was selected, then you will be able to install OS 9.2.1 on it by starting up from the 9.2.1 CD and running the installer normally. There is no need to erase the hard drive, and if you don't do so, the already-installed OS X will not be disturbed.
If OS 9 drivers were not installed when the drive was last formatted, the OS 9.2.1 installer CD won't be able to detect the hard drive at all, and you won't be able to install on it. In that event, you'll need to start up from your OS X 10.4 installer disc and reformat the hard drive, which will completely erase it. Be sure this time to select the option to install OS 9 drivers on it. Then install OS 9.2.1, and finally, reinstall OS X 10.4 and apply the combo updater to 10.4.8.