how to clean install system 7

You will need a USB floppy disk drive to connect to your OSX machine and 1.44 MB floppy disks. I think it will work formatting those to HFS (not HFS+). You then need to mount each .smi file so it appears as a volume on your desktop and copy the contents to a floppy.

It's been 5+ years since I booted from a floppy so I don't remember the key you hold down to get it to boot from there. If you don't have any other OS on your laptop it will automatically go for the system on the first floppy.

I haven't worked with OSX 10.5 so I don't know if there are any limitations to what it will do with older technologies. I know it abandoned OS9 support so who knows what else.

If the hard disk does not contain a working operating system at all, you will have to begin by creating a bootable floppy. Use the Network Access Disk 7.5 download ( here) for a standard PowerBook 540c.

Normally, a Macintosh computer (introduced approx. between 1991 and 1997) with a built-in floppy drive is used, together with Disk Copy 4.2 (the Make A Copy button) or 6.3.3 (the Make a Floppy command in the Utilities menu), in order to produce a correctly sector-copied disk. BTW, the System 7.5.3 download does not contain a bootable floppy, and the nineteen files do not require Disk Copy or another disk image utility to be used.

If you have a PC with a floppy drive, it is possible to create a Network Access bootable floppy there. You will need StuffIt/Aladdin Expander for Windows (e.g., version 2.0 at ftp://ftp.allume.com/pub/archive/pc/StuffIt_Expander/) to decode the .bin and decompress the .sea of the Network Access Disk 7.5 download (this is an exception; do not do this normally when downloading Mac files via a PC, always keep the files unaltered). You will also need a suitable PC disk image utility, such as WinImage, to write the disk image onto a diskette (use a 1.44 MB disk that has been fully PC-formatted in Windows just before).

Post back for further instructions regarding the System 7.5.3 files when you have a bootable floppy.

Jan

but the system7 images downloaded from apple web sits are ( .smi ) files not .sea files the Winimage does not support the extension .smi

You are not supposed to use the .smi yet (and not on the PC anyway). Create merely a bootable Network Access floppy to begin with.

The Network Access Disk 7.5 download under the link above is in MacBinary (.bin) format. If you use StuffIt/Aladdin Expander (e.g., 2.0) on a Windows machine, you will be able to decode the .bin. StuffIt/Aladdin Expander will continue and decompress the .sea as well. At this point, you can locate a disk image inside a resulting folder. That very disk image (Network Access.image) shall then be used by a PC disk image program (such as WinImage).

Jan

Create a working Network Access floppy first. Insert that floppy and start the PowerBook. If the floppy has been correctly produced (directly from the disk image), a standard 540c will boot from it. Post back then for instructions on how to proceed.

Do not do anything with the nineteen System 7.5.3 files now. The method that is going to be used is to mount one large self-mounting disk image (consisting of one .smi and eighteen .part files placed on the PB 540c hard disk). But more on that later.

Jan

The flashing question-mark indicates that the computer is not able to detect a valid system folder. A correctly produced floppy should have allowed a standard PowerBook 540c to boot (are you sure that this PowerBook does not contain a third-party PowerPC upgrade card?).

You do not have to hold down a certain key. You could reset the Power Manager and try to reset the PRAM, but that is probably not going to change anything.

Creating a properly sector-copied floppy from a disk image is simple in an older Mac with a built-in floppy drive (and Disk Copy 4.2 or 6.3.3), but can be more difficult with a PC. Was it a built-in PC floppy drive? Did you format the 1.44 MB diskette under Windows (the full option) immediately before each attempt to write to a floppy in the disk image utility (this is important)? It should be sufficient to launch the disk image utility by dragging the Network Access.image file onto the program icon; then choose the appropriate write command or click on the corresponding write button. You may have to, temporarily, unload any anti-virus application running. Eject the floppy from the PC as soon as the disk image program is ready; do not test the floppy on the PC.

BTW, do you have a Disk Tools floppy for this PowerBook?

Jan

Once booted from the Network Access floppy, you need to get a stripped-down System onto your hard drive. Does your Hard drive mount on the desktop when you boot from the System Access Floppy?

If not, you will need a Disk tools floppy next.

If so, try to drag and drop the System Folder from the network Acess floppy onto your Hard Drive. Then look in the Apple menu for a Control panel named Startup Disk and try to set your Hard drive as the Startup drive and restart.

If all that works, and it boots that stripped system from your Hard drive, it leaves the floppy drive free. NOW you drag each of the 19 smi and part files into ONE folder on your Hard drive. click on the .smi and it will find its parts, assemble itself, and install.

Hi Grant,

If I may add a few comments.

The Control Panels folder of the (unmodified) Network Access floppy only contains a Network control panel, so a Startup Disk control panel will not appear. However, the temporary operating (created as you suggested by dragging the system folder of the floppy onto the hard disk) should boot the machine anyway.

Another slight difficulty is involved, though. A PowerBook 540c running from this temporary system does not have a PC Exchange control panel. So, if the nineteen files must be transferred directly from a PC, a work-around is needed (I will propose one solution in another post).

Regards,
Jan

Hello,

Very good.

Grant has already indicated that it is possible to drag-copy the System Folder of a Network Access floppy onto an empty (visible) hard disk. That would create a temporary system, allowing the floppy drive to be used for file transfers. Because the temporary system (without a PC Exchange control panel) does not recognise PC floppies, the following method can be used to transfer a full System 7.5.3 from a PC to a Macintosh computer.

A Mac disk utility for PC, such as TransMac or an old freeware application called HFVExplorer, will be needed. HFVExplorer is used as an example here.

Double-click on the HFVExplorer icon; this will launch the application on the PC.

Insert an empty Mac-formatted 1.4 MB diskette into the PC floppy drive (PC diskettes can be re-formatted to Mac in HFVExplorer, or by inserting them into the floppy drive of the Mac running from a temporary system). Refresh by pressing the F5 key. The Mac floppy will appear as a white icon (top) in the left HFVExplorer pane.

Use the System 7.5.3 files unaltered, as they have been downloaded from Apple (in MacBinary format = .bin). Do NOT use Aladdin Expander on the PC to decode them.

Locate the first .bin file (System 7.5.301of19.smi.bin, or possibly a truncated name) on the PC. For example, if the file is directly at the C: level, select the (yellow) C:\ icon in the left HFVExplorer pane; the file will appear in the right. Drag the file from the right pane onto the (white) Mac floppy in the left. A Select copy mode dialogue box will appear. Select "MacBinary2" from the list, then click OK. You will notice activity from the floppy drive (the program does not provide a progress report, so keep an eye on the floppy drive indicator light). The operation (a combination of writing to Mac disk and .bin decoding) is very slow (may take many minutes). When finished, immediately eject the floppy.

Now, put the diskette into the Mac's floppy drive. Double-click on the floppy icon. You should see a file (.smi) in the floppy window. Drag this file onto the Mac's hard disk icon.

The System 7.5.3 download is in fact a large disk image consisting of several parts. It will obviously take some time before all files have been transferred and can be used. In the meantime, you could verify the HFVExplorer Mac disk-writing and MacBinary-decoding procedure principles by downloading a single application file like Disk First Aid 7.2.2 (double-click on the .sea to expand the file on the Mac).

Repeat the procedure with the remaining eighteen System 7.5.3 .bin files.

Create a new folder on the Mac's hard disk (the File menu). Collect all the decoded files (one .smi and eighteen .part) in this folder.

Shut the Mac down (the Special menu). Insert the Network Access startup floppy. Start the computer. Move the temporary System Folder (on the hard disk) to the Trash (and empty the Trash). Double-click on the first System 7.5.3 file (.smi); this will mount the total image. The Installer will be found in the mounted image. Install System 7.5.3.

Jan

(PC diskettes can be re-formatted to Mac in HFVExplorer, or by inserting them into the floppy drive of the Mac running from a temporary system).

Attempting to format a PC diskette in HFVExplorer can lead to an error message. The floppy may appear in the left pane anyway after a Refresh (F5). It is always possible to reformat in the Mac's floppy drive instead (a message saying that it is not a Macintosh disk will be shown, with an offer to initialise).