transferring everything from old imac G3 to new mac

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Level 1

8 points

transferring everything from old imac G3 to new mac

I don't know much about computers, so sorry if this is a stupid question... I have an old imac G3 which I bought new in 1999 or 2000. It is system 9. I don't use it anymore and it's not hooked up to the internet. I do have a lot of important pictures and documents on it. I'm planning on buying a new mac one of these days (don't know exactly which model yet but probably a laptop) and I want to know if all my old documents and files will be able to go straight onto any new mac with the latest OS. My documents are in microsoft word, whatever version of it was around 7 years ago. I have an external disk drive for my imac which plugs in with a USB port. My files are backed up on disks with this disk drive and I guess this would be how I transfer the files to a new computer. Would an external disk drive with old software for system 9 also work on a new system? Basically my question is, does any old software or application for system 9 also work on system 10?

imac, Mac OS 9.2.x

Posted on Dec 1, 2007 6:02 PM

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Answer 1

Allan Jones

Level 9

78,266 points

Dec 2, 2007 11:01 AM in response to shyviolet210

In addition to the examples that Eustace provided, I recently found that AppleWorks v6 that was bundled with many iMacs will also run under OSX. My daughter had immediate need of a computer and no money to buy a new one. I upgraded our unused old iMac 400DV to Panther and added a larger hard drive. As I had no additional licenses for Office and my daughter needed a WP program, I restored AppleWorks from the iMac restore CD to the OS9 partition I made on the new drive.

When I launched AppleWorks, it opened in X, not "Classic." It had a few problems but it basically worked That version was 6.0.4 and the update to v6.2.9 available here cleared up all the little problems.

Upgrading an office computer to one that ran OSX showed me that any MS Office document created with Office 98 (OS9) would open just fine with Office 2004 (OSX). When you save the document it automatically converts it to the later version unless you tell it not to.

Allan

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Answer 2

Dec 2, 2007 3:38 PM in response to shyviolet210

I think you will find all the answers you need here:
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=43015

Yes, file sharing works between OS 9 and OS X, and the instructions for setting up file sharing are links on that web page.

You know you can always post back if you have any questions. Good luck.

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Answer 3

dolbinau

Level 4

1,440 points

Dec 1, 2007 11:06 PM in response to shyviolet210

OS 9 applications can no longer be run on any intel mac or any mac with the latest OS installed (10.5) via 'classic'.

If the files you need are standard-type documents/images e.g .doc or .jpeg, .gif etc..You should have no problem using them with the latest versions of the appropriate software in OS X.

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Answer 4

Dec 2, 2007 9:49 AM in response to shyviolet210

shyviolet,

Some older applications do run in OS 10. For example Filemaker Pro version 5/6 opens and runs in X directly (not in Classic). I do not know if older MSWord will run in OS X, but I do know that the new MSWord will read those files.

You can certainly transfer files to the new Mac. I would however doubt the external disk drive is compatible with X. (More than USB connectivity is required for the Mac to recognise an external device.( But there are numerous other ways to do this, the easiest is probably to connect the two mac with an ethernet cable and set up file sharing. Then transfer the files just as if you were copying them off a disk.

In sum, I would go ahead and get the new mac, then transfer the files over, and deal with them one type at a time. The same for your older applications. You could just post back here when you are ready, if you need more help.

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Answer 5

shyviolet210 Author

Level 1

8 points

Dec 2, 2007 1:49 PM in response to shyviolet210

Thanks for the info. So I could connect the old mac with a new one with a cable and transfer the files that way? How do you set up filesharing? Would it work even though they would be totally different systems?

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Answer 6

shyviolet210 Author

Level 1

8 points

Dec 2, 2007 6:12 PM in response to shyviolet210

I just figured out how to do it... my boyfriend has one of those little external hard drives that plugs right into the USB port and I was able to simply plug it into the old imac, put all my files onto it, and plug it into our new computer (which is a pc) and transfer everything onto it. I can't believe it was so easy. Thanks anyway to everyone who replied.

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Answer 7

Dec 4, 2007 12:58 PM in response to shyviolet210

Congratulations on solving the file transfer problem!

No comment on your move to the dark side.

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