G4 1.25 gHz MDD OS 9.2.2 Install disk

Hi, rickrocks. No, it isn't. But replacements for the original discs that came with your computer may be available for a nominal fee from Apple Customer Relations, only by telephone: 1-800-275-2273. Have your computer's serial number handy when you call.

The MDD Macs didn't come with OS9.2.2 install discs. They came with 2 OSX install discs and 4 Restore discs (or a DVD).

Have you lost all the Restorre cds ? Even with just (the correct) one we might be able to get the suitable OS9.2.2 system off it and onto your MDD.

Rick: If your MDD has a FireWire 800 port, it can't boot into OS 9, period. If it doesn't have a FW 800 port, you can use the special version of OS 9.2.2 that came preinstalled on it to boot into that OS, and you can use the discs that came with it to reinstall that version of OS 9.2.2. You can also copy an OS 9.2.2 System Folder from another Mac to gain the use of Classic (but not to boot OS 9). But you can't install a bootable OS 9.2.2 from any source other than one of the discs that came with it, or an Apple-supplied duplicate of that disc.

Hi, rickrocks -

So I have to buy AGAIN the same OS I've purchased at least 4 times

Just to preclude an error - the ability to install the version of OS 9.2.2 that your machine needs in order for it to be a bootable OS is available only on an original disk set for that model. Retail copies of OSX do not include any ability to install OS 9 or Classic.

I wish Apple had seen fit to include a notice of some kind to purchasers of G4 Quicksilver and MDD models, and perhaps also G5 models, to be sure to hang onto their original disk sets - there are some things that can't be installed from any other source.

I don't know whether your friend's disk set for her FW800 model will work - they may be no different than the disk set that came with an equivalent speed FW400 model, or they may be different.

I do know that the disk set that comes with a G5 includes the ability to install Classic, but, since no G5 is OS 9-bootable, it is an abbreviated Classic-only install, one which could never be bootable even if copied to an OS 9-bootable machine.

So I have to buy AGAIN the same OS I've purchased at least 4 times...

Not exactly. You have to buy again the same OS you purchased once, as part of the price of the MDD G4, and then mislaid. No other copy of OS 9 that you've ever purchased can, or ever could have, started that computer or installed a bootable OS on it.

I don't think Apple really wants us to use OS 9...

No, of course not. So we have to outfox 'em by keeping track of our installer discs.

Hi there,

I noticed you said to that other person that you have the original installer disks for OS 9. I just acquired a PM G4 MDD with 1.25 dual processors and the full 2gig ram. Coming from the digital audio G4 I can see a noticable difference in boot up time and applications loading.

I have 1-5 restore disks, 1 install disk of which I used and it said that it was unable to install on my computer. Apparently, I got this computer from a local around my area for $430 which was a steal, if you ask me. All the Cds he gave me don't work, and if I try to boot into OS9 from my hard drive, I got a flashing disk when I set the drive to boot up OS 9(its installed on my primary drive). Why is it that if I can use my regular hard drive with OS 10.4.10 andit boots fine into OS 10.4.10, then why is it giving me a flashing "floppy-disk" icon when I choose boot in OS 9.2.2?

The MDD machine I have is as follows:

Power Mac G4 MDD 1.25 Dual processor
2 Gig of ram
120 gig hard drive, 60 gig hard drive - both connected to ATA-100 port
I know for a fact this machine does NOT have a FW 800 port, so whats the problem with it not being able to boot into OS9?

Nadav

Hi, Nadav -

Why is it that if I can use my regular hard drive with OS 10.4.10 andit boots fine into OS 10.4.10, then why is it giving me a flashing "floppy-disk" icon when I choose boot in OS 9.2.2?

There's a number of possibilities for that.

The usual cause for that is that the hard drive was last initialized and formatted using OSX's Disk Utility, and the option to install OS 9 drivers was not selected. In the absence of the OS 9 drivers the drive can not be mounted by any OS 9, including being able to boot to OS 9 on the drive. I believe you can check for that while booted to OSX, by doing a Get Info on the drive.

Note that being able to use OS 9 as Classic does not mean the OS 9 drivers are present.

Other possible causes -

• The OS 9 System Folder is not one installed from the original disk set that came with the machine. An OS 9 System Folder (OS 9.1 or later) copied from a different model Mac will often be usable as Classic, but will not be usable as a boot OS for that machine.

• If the hard drive OS 9 is on is connected to the ATA/100 bus, then the version of the file named Mac OS ROM on the OS 9 System Folder must be at least v. 9.5.1 in order for the drive to be mountable by that OS 9.

• The drive's format must be Mac OS Extended (also called HFS+) in order for it to be usable for booting by both OSX and OS 9.

Hi there again,

Ok, this is what I currently have in my newly acquired PM G4 MDD system:

Its a dual processor 1.25DP based system. I was told it CAN boot natively into OS 9, namely, OS 9.2.2. PROBLEM: OS 9.2.2 is already installed on my primary drive as well as Tiger 10.4.10. Ok, with me so far? Good! My next question is this: Does the Dual 1.25DP MDD system even boot natively into OS 9, OR OS 9.2.2? Secondly, when the computer boots up it boots 300 percent perfecto into Mac OS X 10.4.10, however when I decide to boot into OS 9.2.2 natively on MacHD0(My primary drive), it gives me the flashing floppy disk with the question mark. Please note: I took my original 60 gig IBM drive out of my Digital Audio G4 of which it booted natively into OS 9.2.2 perfectly as well as Tiger.

My question then is: What gives?? Why if the os 9.2.2 partition boots and loads under the digital audio G4, it doesn't seem to like it on the MDD model?

Can you confirm firstly that I can boot natively into OS 9.2.2 on my machine, say if for some reason I wanted to run only OS 9.2.2 and not Tiger(I wouldn't do this, so don't worry!?).

On digital audio G4 - No flashing floppy disk with question mark when booting into OS 9.2.2, boots also into tiger with no problems. MDD model: Boots into Tiger with no problems, but does NOT natively boot into OS 9.2.2 at all, giving me the floppy disk with question mark - forcing me to either unplug to restart the machine, or hold down the button to restart the machine. For some reason, I also notice the programmer's button is not on the MDD, and I have to press really hard just to start up my computer when I push the button. Is this also normal?

Otherwise, I am very VERY happy with this computer, and I know now I will be able to run Leopard, however I am thinking of putting slackware linux on the 2nd drive(MacHD1) and not bothering with Leopard.

Nadav

My question then is: What gives?? Why if the os 9.2.2 partition boots and loads under the digital audio G4, it doesn't seem to like it on the MDD model?

OS 9 installs a set of Software specific to the Mac it is installed on, unless you go out of your way to ask for a Universal Install for any Mac (an option while you are installing it). There is a big Hardware difference between the last Mac to even run OS 9 and the Digital Audio G4. I am not surprised OS 9 for the Digital Audio G4 does not boot a Mirror Drive Door G4.

To take Grant's explanation a step farther, if the Digital Audio's installation of OS 9.2.2 was performed using the discs that originally came with it, not only is it specific to the DA's hardware, but the option of performing a Universal installation that Grant mentions wasn't available at all using that disc or set of discs. That option is only available using a retail (not model-specific) OS 9.x installer disc — the model-specific discs that are shipped with Macs don't contain all the components for a universal installation.

Your MDD requires a minimum of OS 9.2.2 to boot, and there's no retail OS 9.2.2 installer disc, so the only source for a bootable OS 9.2.2 on your MDD is the disc or set of discs that came with it.

Thank you for your kind suggestions. Ok, I think I figured it out by now. Ok, well I have OS 9.2.1 which installed on the DA perfectly. Then installed originally Mac OS Panther 10.3.9 and that worked out great! Overall, the DA was able to boot OS 9.2.1 and Panther, however, since I have the ATI Radeon AGP 4X 7000 card os 9.2.1 was fussing about not running at all, so I applied the latest patch then which was os 9.2.2 - the end result was that OS 9.2.2 was running on the Digital Audio Mac.

Going to the MDD - Shall I now say that the original owner of this prestine/like mint condition MDD 1.25DP told me tonite that he gave me the WRONG CD PACK of restore/OS install disks. It appears the ones I have currently are for the 2002 Quicksilver models. I called Apple tech support and they told me this. The good news - the original owner who lives close to me found the CORRECT disks and will hold them for me tommorrow.

What does this mean then? Well, I believe there is an OS 9.2.2 in the MDD for tommorrow!

Oh, one more thing. Now that I have this incredible powerful machine, I installed the PCI Exhaust fan and with chud tools activated, the processors are cool and not hot. I was looking today at the 1.42 processor. Will this fit in place of the 1.25DP daughter card? In other words, If I pop out the 1.25DP, can I insert the 1.42DP card? What real world performance results would I see with 1.42 dual versus 1.25 dual? It seems not very much since I have 2GB memory in this system.

Already, the system flies fast. With the PCI fan exhaust card and nap mode from chud tools, is my system going to run cool now? Last night before this - the system was running at close to 135 degrees fahrenheit.

Nadav