Os 8.6 to os 9?

Question

Yes, probably a stupid question...
I have an iMac G3, 4gb hd, 64mb ram, which I got today from a friend. I'm suffering my way through OS 8.6. Can I install OS 9.x without deleting my apps/files, and how much space will it take up on my teeny HD?
iMac G3 233 mhz, 64mb, 4gb HD (my only mac, not my main computer! :P)   Mac OS 8.6 or Earlier   1Gen Black 2GB Nano, and saving for a MacBook

Answer 1

Now that i have installed the 9.2 on my imac i get a message "the startup disk cannot be removed from the desktop, because it contains the active system software" what do i do now? Thank You
If you have an OS 9.1 retail installer CD (a
bootable
full installer) you
should be able to install a new system folder;
then
move over whatever
extensions and control panels of any installed
applications on the drive
into the appropriate folders in the system folder
OS9.1 or later.
This install would leave the older OS8.6 system
folder in an "unblessed"
state where it could not start the computer; so
avoiding a conflict on boot.
The size of the 9.1 system folder isn't very
large;
and once you get done
moving parts around (as needed) to use your
already
installed applications,
you can trash the remainder of the OS8.6 system.
A full installer OS 9.x disc gives you a boot disc
to
be able to
check, repair and restore the OS; an upgrade disc
won't boot
a machine and may be worthless. Be sure to get a
full
installer.
An issue with available RAM may be a matter to
consider; you would have
to set the Memory control panel setting up to add
more Virtual Memory to take
care of the lack of real in-chip RAM; since OS 9.1
through 9.2.2 likes more.
[The best OS 9.x version is 9.2.2; but 9.1 is way
superior to 9.0.]
More real RAM is best; along with having more hard
drive capacity, since
when you have little RAM and set the Memory
Control
Panel's Virtual
Memory up, from say 65MB (1MB over chip RAM when
turn
on VM) it
would use 65MB of hard disk drive free space as
Virtual RAM memory.
So, since OS 9.1 and later to 9.2.2 like all the
RAM
you can give it, an
amount above the minimum is always better.
At 64MB chip RAM, you are OK on actual RAM and
also
could get a little
boost in some situations by having the virtual
memory
set to 96MB. And
some applications do not work well with VM turned
off; a few need it off.
Given the age of that machine, you may be find it
necessary to upgrade
the hard disk drive; while in the machine, see
about
a new clock battery.
RAM chips should be available for that at
reasonable
cost if you add some.
Those old smaller drives would be getting worn out
by
now; figuring a
few had issues after a few years of use and others
lasted a bit longer.
PS: for the cost of some upgrades, even if the
rest
of the old
iMac G3 is in perfect (hard to prove) condition,
you
could also
be looking for another newer machine; they are not
costly now.