OS 8.6 and USB flash drive

This article may or may not be of interest in this case.

A USB 2.0 device is, usually, compatible with an older interface.

An alternative method for transfers between two Macs is Ethernet. See, for example, this web page.

Jan

after using this download:
http://www.info.apple.com/kbnum/n60394
and downloads at:
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=58174#iMac85

i was able to use a usb flash drive with my imac G3
most usb drives should be compatible with usb 1.0 (at least all mine were)

I tried http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=60394
Unfortunately, the software installation failed, see below. When following your instructions for my G3 iMac running Mac OS D1-8.6 and a 96MB hard drive, the computer froze during the Install Software part of the installation routine after clicking the Start and the Continue buttons even though all other software was off. Does anybody have a suggestion what may have caused this? Perhaps my non Apple-authorized SCSI board which I put in myself years ago?
Thanks
Joerg

An iMac G3 should see the flash drive when it is plugged into one of the computer's USB ports, and you can access it as if it was any other disk. If the disk was formatted from a Mac OS X system and the option to install Mac OS 9 drivers was not checked, it may need to be erased again before Mac OS 8.6 or 9 will see it.

(26433)

I'm having the same problem.
I have an iMac G3 OS 8.6 and my "Zip" drive has packed in so I bought a couple of USB Flash drives (512Mb and 1 Gb) from "Integral".
But when I plug them into my USB port I get the message:
The software neede to use the USB device "USB flash memory" cannot be found. Please refer to the device documentation to install the necessary software"
"Integral" tell me are "plug and play" and the problem is with the Mac.
What software do I need to download - (UK Version)?

Message was edited by: maurice jones

Glad to hear that it is working.

Regarding the system disc, you may want to check the Mac OS 9 Discussions for some ideas. 9 should be OK for a G3. However, is an upgrade absolutely necessary in order to run important applications? Otherwise, 8.6 is a good operating system.

Jan

Flash drives need some power, and some users find that they are not reliable enough when plugged into the USB port on the keyboard. Your mileage may vary, but be cautious about plugging them in there -- you may need to use the ports directly on the chassis.

If you need to use a port that is hard to see, buy yourself an A-male to A-female USB "extension cord" and you will not have to crawl under the desk any more.

It could be that the flash drive is set up for PCs. Insert the drive & use Drive Setup to initialize.

 Cheers, Tom 😉

Has the USB Mass Storage Support software been installed (see the first link in my previous message above)?

Jan

Thanks for all the help it's working fine now.
I would really like to update the OS to 9 but I'm not sure if it would work on my old G3.
Where can I buy an OS 9 system install disk?

Even better, get a powered multi-port USB hub.

 Cheers, Tom 😉