Classic or instal OS9?

I may be a bit dense, but I can't find a definative answer after much searching all over the support area. Here goes.
I am giving away my B&W, but still want a way to run classic programs on my non-intel imac G5 isight, running 10.4.10. I have been reluctant to update to 10.4.11. I do not remember installing Classic last time, and probably didn't, having a computer to run the old programs just across the room.
What I am unsure about is how best to be able to set up the imac to run the few old classic programs I still have, and not impact the files there now.
I thought about an archive and install, but do I have to go that far?
Do I just need to install Classic support and is this an option?
Do I need to install OS 9 as well, (I have the proper 9.2 universal install CD) and if so do I have to do an erase and install partitioning the hard drive?
I will create a copy of my isight's hard drive onto a firewire drive, using the utility provided on my Data Rescue CD. I have repaired permissions after doing a serious clean up of unwanted files.
I feel dumb...I have avoided learning and absorbing this information before because I have had a separate bootable hard drive running 9.2.2 on my B&W G3 (which I upgraded to a G4 years ago). Please help and tell me what's next.
Thanks
sj

Some clarification of what's possible with 9 and not:
1. Mac OS X 10.0 - 10.4.11 can run Classic on PowerPC Macs. Intel Macs can not run Classic, nor can they boot into 9. 10.5 can't run Classic, but 10.5 on pre-2003 Macs 867 Mhz and faster will dual-boot into 9. Dual booting into 10.4.11 via separate partitions or Firewire hard drive, or second internal drive preserved the ability to run Classic on Macs which supported Classic.
2. New Macs released after 9.2.1's release in 2001 could no longer use a retail installer disc to install 9 onto them and had to use the installer disc for Mac OS 9 that shipped with them to install Mac OS 9. Use this article to determine which Macs those were:
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=25517
3. Beginning with new Macs in August 23, 2002 a separate 9 installer disk was no longer provided with new Macs, and instead the restore disc instructions were needed to install 9 on those Macs. This coincided with the release of Jaguar in August
4. Beginning with new Macs in 2003 booting into 9 no longer was possible, but
Classic would run.
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=86209
separates which Macs those were in each model.
5. Beginning with new Macs in 2006 the CPU was replaced with an Intel CPU. Previous Macs used a PowerPC CPU.
6. October 26, 2007 Mac OS X 10.5 was released.
Message was edited by: a brody

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Stumped!!! How do I install OS9 on a G4 QS 2002 with SCSI???

OK, this has got me beat! and I've been working with all manner of macs for 20 years! My experience of post-ADB, post-Serial Port, post-SCSI II, 'modern' macs of the 21st century is limited to powerbooks though [blush]
So, here's the quandary; In an earlier post I described how I'd purchased a G4 Dual 1Ghz Quicksilver 2002 with a Build-to-Order Apple SCSI option in order to run my Digidesign pro Tools gear in MacOS 9.2.2. Well, the boot drive is a 72GB Seagate Cheater attached to the factory installed UL3D ATTO card. I've installed OS X 10.4.4 successfully, but try as I might I cannot for the life of me figure out how I'm supposed to install OS9. When I insert the install CD and click on the installer it wants to load Classic, but doesn't find it! Duh! So no problem I think, I set the CD as my start-up volume and restart. This time I'm greeted by the OS9 desktop, but no bootup drive to install OS9 onto! Drive Setup can see the device, but says it cannot be mounted. Does is require ATTO drivers? That's crazy, I thought OS9 was built on SCSI. I can't find ATTO drivers online, or figure how I would install them before installing an OS.
So next problem, I restart and hold down Option, but the USB Apple keyboard doesn't seem to like key combinations because about 20 times in a row I keep rebooting back to the CD drive. My old ADB keyboard was never this unresponsive. Furthermore, how on earth do you force the CD to eject of these button-less towers? I finally managed it by holding the mouse down, but that only works in certain circumstances.
OK, so I figure I need to drag and drop an entire OS9 System Folder from my other G4 QS via an external drive over USB. That was successful, and now Startup Disk in the system sees an OS9 startup option as well as an OSX on the SCSI boot drive. so I figure I'm in business and select OS9 and restart. Now I'm in a whole world of pain! I'm greeted with the flashing '?' icon at boot up because clearly it cannot find the system. Well, you'd think that after a while it would just give up and start from OSX which is obviously sitting there waiting. Well NO! It just flashes forever. No amount of reboots will get it off this. I tried all sort of key combinations, but they don't seem to work, until cmd-x seemed to do it. However a couple of hours were wasted. It's also annoying not having a good old-fashioned restart button on my keyboard.
So anyway, how did Apple expect me to install OS 9 on this if their own installer CD doesn't even see their factory installed boot drive?

Well, I can confirm that that worked, however it was not as intuitive as it should have been, and can easily be overlooked.
Basically when you install Tiger and click on the Options box it allows you perform a 'Clean Install', and 'Erase Disk' etc where you are given only one option for formatting: Unix or HFS+ Journaling. At no point does it present you with an option to install OS9 drivers, and neither does it install them by default!
In order to install the OS9 compatibility you have to dismiss the OSX 10.4 installer script and open Disk Utility from the Utilities menu where you can perform the exact same task, but this time with an additional check box to install OS9 drivers! And irony or ironies, this time it's pre-selected by default! Talk about convoluted and counter-intuitive...
Anyway, thanks for the help Tom. That saved me another couple of nights

Partition external hard drive and install OS9

I have a Lacie external hard drive, 350 GB, and would like to partition it and install OS9 in one of the partitions so that I can run some of the applications I have that won't run in OSX. What do I need to do. How much space should I partition the volumes into, and how many. Do the applications need to be in the same volume as OS9. I also want a volume for backup using "Time Machine" of OSx (leopard) which is in my internal drive in my iMac G5 with 80 GB., and another for backup of files that are in my internal hard drive.

Hi, falcontech -
Welcome to Apple's Discussions -
Bad news, perhaps.
Your G5 is not OS 9 bootable; no G5 is.
In addition, Leopard (OSX 10.5) does not support Classic (OS 9 used as a program while the machine is booted to OSX).
In order to make use of OS 9 as Classic, you would need to also install a bootable version of OSX 10.4 (Tiger) or 10.3 (Panther), boot the machine to that and then use Classic. Depending on which model it is, your iMac G5 model originally came with a version of either OSX 10.3 or OSX 10.4; its original disk set also can install Classic.
As far as partition sizes go, I would allow at least 20GB for the OSX/Classic partition. Although Classic (OS 9) is not fussy about whether its programs are on the same volume as OS 9 is, it would make little sense to have them elsewhere. Among other things, having the OS 9 programs on the same volume as OS 9 would make responses a bit faster since seeking would be restricted to just one volume.
As far as the remainder goes, your needs would best determine the partition sizes.

How do I install OS9 system folder on an eMac?

I have a brand new eMac. It has OS 10.4.4 installed. I need to install an OS9 system folder in order to run Classic. I have an OS9 CD, but the eMac can't boot to it or run anything from the cd from OSX. The eMac didnt come with a CD that says anything like additional software or Classic Support. I tried booting to the OSX install CD's and doing a customized install. Classic support or OS9 was not an option.
Any ideas?

No new Macs can boot in OS 9, which is half the reason Classic was invented to emulate 9 while your Mac is booted in X.
The disk set that came with your eMac does contain installers that will give you a System Folder for use with Classic over X, but not on the main disks…
It's probably on one labelled Additional Software and Mac OS 9 but sorry, these things change from time to time and I haven't seen a recent eMac…

Can I install os9 on an external drive from mavericks

Can I install OS9 on an external drive from Mavericks? I'm running Mavericks 10.9.4 on both my MBP and 27" iMac. I have my original OS9 install disc. I'd like to install OS9 on an external drive so I can use some classic apps that I'd like to use.
I tried to install directly to an external drive, but when I click on the Mac OS Install icon, I get the message "You can't open the application "%@" because it may be damaged or incomplete." The icon for Mac OS Install is the generic page with an A. Figuring that Mavericks doesn't recognize the app. Then I restarted and held down the C key - no luck.

I understand, but was hoping I boot off an external drive in 9. Thanks for your response and I apologize for my late response.

Tiger Classic-ified the OS9 on the other partition.

Hi,
I recently bought this G4 QS and a 5-license DVD of Tiger (black disk with a silver 'X'), both second-hand.
Being a newbie to OS X I also bought about 9 bookshelf inches of Tiger books.
I fitted the G4 with a new 140 Gb hard drive and partitioned it roughly 100/40, taking care to put the OS9 drivers on both partitions.
I then installed OS9.2.2 from a gray G4 installation CD onto both partitions (no apparent problems there) and then put Tiger onto the larger partition.
I opted for this configuration because I have several older applications and files on my various older Macs and one of the books advised choosing a dual-boot system because not all older apps will run under Classic mode. I want to be able to be able to access my legacy files in the transition period until I have got more familiar with Tiger.
Here are my questions:
Tiger has modified the OS9 on the larger partition (which I expected it to do) but it has also modified (Classic-ified) the copy of OS9 on the smaller partition as well, is this normal?
Will the machine behave properly as a dual-boot system?
Did I make some mistake with my installation procedure and, if so, should I try to correct it?
All helpful advice and suggestions will be gratefully received.
Best regards,
Pete.
Message was edited by: Limey Pete
Message was edited by: Limey Pete
Message was edited by: Limey Pete

OS X makes modifications to OS 9 to help classic mode. These modifications do not cause problems when you boot OS 9. There is normally no need for a separate partition for OS 9. OS 9 in an OS X partition can be used with OSX as Classic, or can be booted directly. There are a couple of reasons, though, why you might want separate partitions:
1) You need to run some OS 9 applications that require modifications to OS 9 that make it not work as Classic in OSX.
2) You want to be able to select OS 9 or Classic at boot time using the Option key. If they are in the same partition and boot is set to OS 9, you can get OSX by holding X while booting, but if it is set to OSX, you have to boot OSX, then choose OS 9 in the "Startup Disk" system preference.

I want to install 10.4 on my eMac which is running 10.5.8 so that I can install OS9. (Don't ask.)

I want to install 10.4 on my eMac which is running 10.5.8 so that I can install OS9. (Don't ask.) The eMac is the very last one which was produced for the education market. What I need is an idiot's step by step guide to un-installing 10.5.8 and then just as detailed instructions to install 10.4 and OS9 and also which installs first. I need to be able to use programmes which go back as far as 1994. I have a Mac with Lion so 10.5.8 is not necessary to me. Spec for the eMac can be found at this link: http://support.apple.com/kb/SP44. Perhaps 10.4 is not the best OS to install along with OS9. I shall be grateful for all the advice I can gert.

I'm not quite sure of some of the terms you have used - a bit technical for me: "use a Mac formatted drive or FireWire Target Disk mode" - What are these?
And I'm not quite sure what these are: "move the items 'Applications (Mac OS 9)' and 'System Folder' to the eMac's internal drive, open the Classic pane of System Preferences, and specify that system."
It is at this point I need the idiot's guide.
Obviously I do NOT just insert the OS9 disc and double click on the installer? Up to this point I have understood you very clear explanations but now it seems as my knowledge is lacking.

How to install os9 on separate partition alongside os 10.3?

Hi - I would like to know how to install os9.2.2 on a separate partition (with os10.3 on the other) so I can boot in REAL os9 (not classic) to use pro tools free which will not run on classic - (my old g3 I used this for has died) - I have recovered the hard disc contents and what I really want to do is just copy the entire 0s9 system (without having to reinstall it) to a partition - I know how to reboot the machine into os x (hold down x key during start up), but;
1) - can I boot the os 9 partition and if so how?
2) - will this work? - I remember someone telling me it was possible a few years ago, I just can't remember who -
any help greatly appreciated
Thanks!
James

Hi, l. No Aluminum Powerbook can boot into straight OS 9, so you'll have to a) use Pro Tools Free in Classic mode, b) get an older OS-9-bootable computer to run it on, c) buy the real Pro Tools to run on your top-of-the-line computer, or d) use some other application instead.
No Mac has ever been able to boot into an older OS version than the one(s) that were installed on it at the factory.
OS 8 & OS 9 hardware compatibility matrix
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=25114
See Note 9 at bottom of article. There is no workaround.

Installing OS9 on a separate hard drive that can boot in 9

I am setting up an older computer for my children. It's been several years since I used it and even longer since I booted in OS9 on it or used classic. We still have some children's software that ran under 8.6 and I'd like to see if we can run it in OS9. I have my original disks. I have a MDD Power Mac G4. It came with 10.2 and was able to run in classic or boot into OS9. On one hard drive, I have installed the latest version of Leopard. On the other original hard drive, I'd like to install OS9 along with the software that should run on that OS. I have not been able to figure out how to do this.
Do I need to reinstall 10.2.xxx and completely restore that hard drive and then just boot in 9? Or is it possible to just install OS9 and the software I want?

Tammy in MO wrote:
... I have my original disks. I have a MDD Power Mac G4. It came with 10.2 and was able to run in classic or boot into OS9. ...
Do I need to reinstall 10.2.xxx and completely restore that hard drive ...
Yes, and OS 9 will require a partition less than 200 GB in order to boot. The original system discs you have for the MDD will not boot into an OS 9 installer. You have to boot the 10.2 OS X disc and install the 10.2 system on a partition, not on top of an other OS X system. Once you have the original OS 10.2 on your system, you have to boot into that and then run the /Applications/Utilities/Software Restore application. This will run under OS X and prompt you to insert each of the OS 9 CDs. Once this is done you can boot into OS 9, or specify that System Folder for use in Classic mode under OS X up to version 10.4. Classic support was dropped in 10.5.

Installing OS9 onto G4 Digital Audio

Hi,
I was directed here to get better help with this topic. As the title says, I want to install OS9 onto my Digital Audio G4 tower but having little success. I have ttried various discs (9.0, 9.1, 9.2) and none let me install the OS. The best I can get is the "Welcome to Mac OS 9.1" before the bomb screen shows saying there was an unimplemented trap problem. To get that far I have to boot off of a 9.0 disc to get the Floppy and ? error before I change to a 9.1/9.2 disc to start the installer. If I try to boot from the 9.1 or 9.2 discs directly, my Mac complains that there's no bootable medium. I have tried various images and even retail discs (including one that came with the original OSX package) to no avail.
Is there anyone that can help?
Thanks,
Naoki

Make sure your 1/2 AA 3.6V PRAM battery is under 4 years old. Make sure you are in fact using a Digital Audio:
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT3082
The Digital Audio never officially supported 10.5. If you used LeopardAssist to install 10.5 on it, double check with LeopardAssist's author that didn't affect your ability to use 9 with it, since 10.5 is not compatible with Classic, but is compatible with dual booting into Classic.
If the Mac has a third party processor upgrade, the firmware may have affected its ability to use 9.
Use this article to determine which versions of 9 CD can work with your Mac, once you have identified your Mac accurately with HT3082:
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT2191
Make sure your 9 retail copy says in black text the version of 9 that is newer than the minimum shown in the article:
9(.0), 9.0.2, 9.0.4, 9.1, 9.2.1 are all retail releases in the sequence of release.
The 9 CD has an orange 9 logo with a white background, and does not Upgrade, or Dropin on it, or any Mac model on it. Lastly, verify the startup manager can see the 9 CD after being inserted:
http://support.apple.com/kb/TA27043
And the curly arrow is clicked on it. If it doesn't see the CD, then it is not compatible.

Installing OS9

I'm trying to install OS 10.3. I'm currenty using OS 10.2. The problems i'm having are as follows...
When installing 10.3 the error message appears "no firmware"
When trying to install the correct fireware 4.1.9 the error message appears " can't install fireware because of classic is not running" my computer does not have classic, but comes with the OS9 installation disk.
When trying to install OS9 I'm getting the error " A valid destination volume can't be found. To continue the insallation process. mount a valid volume for software insallation...
Greatfull for any help.
Cheers
davo21

Hi, Davo21, and welcome to Apple Discussions. When OS 10.2 was installed, the option to install OS 9 drivers on your hard drive was not selected. The absence of those drivers makes the drive impossible for OS 9 to see (including the OS 9 that's running your computer when you boot to an OS 9 installer disc), so the installer can't find anywhere to install the OS.
You will have to reformat (initialize) the drive using OS X 10.2's Disk Utility, being sure this time to select the "Install OS 9 drivers" option when it is offered. Don't bother to install 10.2 again; just quit the installer after reformatting the drive. Then install OS 9.1 and run the firmware updater. (It may be possible to run the firmware updater in OS 9.2.x if that's what your installer disc provides; I'm not sure). Then install Panther.

URGENT. Installing OS9 with OSX 10.4.11

How do I install OS9 (Classic) on to the Mac OSX 10.4.11 system? I have the Tiger install DVD but cannot see how to set up the OS9. I have got as far as almost reformatting and re-installing the whole system but cannot see the OS9 option anywhere.
Thanks in anticipation.
Rgds

Which exact PowerMac?
So we know more about it...
At the Apple Icon at top left>About this Mac, then click on More Info, then click on Hardware> and report this upto but not including the Serial#...
Hardware Overview:
Model Name: eMac
Model Identifier: PowerMac6,4
Processor Name: PowerPC G4 (1.2)
Processor Speed: 1.42 GHz
Number Of CPUs: 1
L2 Cache (per CPU): 512 KB
Memory: 2 GB
Bus Speed: 167 MHz
Boot ROM Version: 4.9.2f1
Do you have the Original OS Install Discs? Do you have any OS9 Install Discs?
Do you have another Mac with an operating OS9.2 version on it?

Install OS9 on a Mac Pro Quad 3Ghz intel machine

Is there a way to install OS9 on a Mac Pro Quad 3Ghz intel machine. I desire to run a couple programs that only wortk under classic. I hate to have to change computers all the time to do the work then copy it over to a different computer to then to compress it and send it to the person... Just asking and hoping.
iBookRevA Mac OS 9.2.x 288MBRam/3GBHD

Hi, iBookRevA -
Apple does not support any of the Intel-based Macs, such as a Mac Pro model, for Classic. The install disks that come with those machines do not include any ability to install Classic.
However, there may be a solution. A third-party emulator, SheepShaver, can run OS 9.0.4 on such machies -
SheepShaver
Whether or not your software will run well, if at all, in that environment is another issue.

Cannot install OS9.2.1 system anymore.

Hello,
I've read some posts that some can't install OS9.2.1. I had OS9.2.1 installed before and now I can't seem to install it using the c key. I get a gray screen.
My gigabit G4 dual 450 with 1.5RAM and 60GB drives allowed me to boot up into 9 so I could run my old apps and dis-continued filters.
Any suggestions. Thanks.
Mark

HI, PB -
The option in OSX's Disk Utiltity to install OS 9 drivers applies only to installing them on a hard drive.
Yes, in the absence of those drivers the machine can not be booted to OS 9 on that hard drive; and, that hard drive can not be mounted when the machine is booted to any OS 9, including OS 9 on another bootable hard drive or to a bootable CD.
However, it has nothing to do with the machine being able to boot to a CD. Additional volumes are mounted after the machine has nearly completed booting to the OS on the boot volume, not before - so no files, or their lack, on a non-boot volume can affect booting. If this were the case, then a G4 could not boot if there were no hard drive - but they can, and do.
I suppose it could happen that if a dual-drive machine had the Master drive without OS 9 drivers but the Slave drive with them, then booting to an OS 9 CD might choke at the end of the booting process - trying to read an ATA bus with a visible Slave but no visible Master might confound the OS. However, I've seen no reports of that (although I may have missed them).

G4 quicksilver 800 - do software restore disks re-install os9 only

Hi there
I've got a g4 800 quicksilver machine. I want to do an disk erase and re-install of just OS9 without the 10.1.3 system that my machine shipped with. I've got a set of restore cds and a single 10.1.3 installer disk, but no single install disk for 9.2.2. ( I may have lost it, but I don't think it came in the box..)
Does anyone know if the software restore disks only re-install OS9 and not OSX ?
thanks
Simo

This Apple Article is intended for 10.2/3, but the process may be similar.
You can use "Advanced Search" to look further....

Classic or instal OS9?

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